verseoftheday

May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him. Then I will ever sing in praise of your name and fulfill my vows day after day. Psalm 61:7-8 NIV This song started in a place of despair. Of crying out to God from a broken heart. But crying out to God And ends here, in worship. If there's one thing God understands about us it is suffering. Write Jesus story into this song and you hear him in the garden, in the place of despair, on the cross, crying out to God, and now... Write your own story into this song. Maybe you've been in that place of despair, maybe you're there now, crying out...this is where it ends "then I will ever sing your name" There is hope We know how the story ends :) #onedayallwillbemadenew #hopeiscomingforyou #psalms #psalm61

... appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him. Psalm 61:7 NIV Let's pray for protection...and we'll start at the most obvious place... love & faithfulness David is a king, he knows about warriors, about armies, about strength & power, about city walls and ramparts...but when he writes his song to God here about protection, the two things he wants are: Love & Faithfulness What use will they be? How can they protect? It's all about who it is that loves you. He says "I have God on my side." And so do we. And in His love and faithfulness we will find protection. In His love and faithfulness we will meet the God who is for us, who wants to restore, to redeem Love and faithfulness that took Jesus to the cross, to buy my protection. In that I want to shelter today #sunday #worship #thisisourGod

Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations. May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; Psalm 61:6-7 NIV David's song started with crying out from a place of despair, then restating his faith in God, to this part...he goes third person on us, and he sees that there is hope, there is goodness, God is who he said he is, so I want to live, really live ...and this living to go seamlessly on from this life to the next, because it's about walking with God from here on... There's no mention of a change in circumstances here, of God fixing anything or changing anything... His cries of despair from the ends of the earth are answered by a revealing of who God is. Who is with him. What a beaut song to be singing :) #with #whoGodis #faith #faithinthedark #psalms #psalm61

For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Psalm 61:5 NIV We don't know from this Psalm what committments David made to God, but God gave him something back. Community. People. People to journey with. Healing comes in community Strength is restored in community Our weaknesses are exposed (& used) in community Our hearts are humbled and encouraged in community. We are challenged and confronted about our sin in community. Hope is kindled, & faith is strengthened when we journey together. It's a taster of what is to come. A glimpse of how it will be. A glimpse of the place where love is free. #inthistogether #jumpin #psalms #psalm61 #walkingeachotherhome

I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Psalm 61:4 NIV There's that future hope again. One day, it's going to be OK. One day I'm going to be where God is permanently. One day the things He's promised, the things we see in part, will be fully realised. Because of who we're with. A place to dwell. Where Shalom is restored A place of refuge. No more running, hiding, protecting yourself, because our God will do that A place of shelter. Shade from the heat, out of the rain, warm, insulated from the cold, no buffeting wind. Shelter. At last. Hope Hope in the One. #hopeiscomingforyou #onedayallwillbemadenew #psalm61

From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. Psalm 61:2-3 NIV In the present, David is calling out from a place of despair & heartache. He calls to God, asking Him to lead him onward...on to a place of refuge in the future. And then he looks back. Back to when God has been his refuge before Back to when God has been his place of safety before. The lesson? When we're in a tough place now, look forward with hope, because we know God is for us because if what He's done in the past. Even if we have to go back as far as the Cross... #dearlyloved #hopeiscomingforyou #faith #faithinthedark #psalms #psalm61

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:1-2 NIV David knows that there is a place of refuge, a place of safety, but it's not somewhere he has the power to get to...it's a place beyond him - & he's the king so has all the resources of the world available to him. Counsellors, advisors, mentors, friends, family...all good and helpful, but none will get him to the "rock that is higher than I" that place of safety that is unassailable. No one is doing it for  him, he's crying out to God to lead him there. And so do I. I need to cry out to God to lead me to that place of ultimate safety and refuge. Place of salvation. Place of hope. It's personal. #psalms #psalm61

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.  From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint... Psalm 61:1-2 NIV David unloads on God. He wants to be heard. Not some prayer about some minor inconvenience in his life, David is calling to God from the core of his being... Our God can take our strongest emotions, our deepest hurts, our innermost needs. He's the designer after all...the designer who joined his creation, became one of us, so he knows how we tick. And David gives us permission here to let Him know where we're at. The good The ugly The joy The sorrow The wins, victories & when we trip... Most of all He wants to hear our heart. David got to the end of his resources here before he cried out...we don't need to do that because God is with us. He is near. He wants to hear from us And He whispers his words of love and acceptance #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #hopeiscomingforyou #yourenotalone #psalms #psalm61

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you... Psalm 61:1-2 NIV This is a cry of desperation...of someone who is at the end of their resources...when hope seems to have expired. And "from the ends of the earth" a place of aloneness, a place where God (apparently) is not... Maybe you've been there, or someone you know has. There's two things we can learn from this: You're not alone. David (a man after God's heart) felt like this, Jesus  when he was abandoned, betrayed and ultimately disregarded by the Father, felt like this, then we can too. You're not alone David found a way through this. So there is Hope. Even when it feels that there is none...there is Hope #hopeiscomingforyou #yourenotalone #psalms #psalm61