Goodness

GOD majestic, praise abounds . . .
His sacred mountain,
breathtaking in its heights - earth's joy. . .
Your name, God, evokes a train
of Hallelujahs wherever
It is spoken, near and far;
Your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action. . .
Then you can tell the next generation
detail by detail the story of God,
Our God forever,
Who guides us till the end of time.

Psalm 48:1, 10, 13b-14 (The Message)

Who is this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty,
He is the King of glory!*

Jehovah ~
You are LORD of all, the King of glory!
We look toward this sacred mountain longing to find Your presence.
We go up to Jerusalem seeking to know Your will.
We shout with holy Hallelujahs rejoicing to speak Your name.
We rest in Your arms learning to see Your goodness-in-action.
We tell about this glory-story striving to recount Your faithfulness.
You are the King of glory! You are El-Shaddai!
You are our God, now and forever, till the end of time.
Hallelujah, Amen! ~ dho

* Psalm 24:10 (NLT)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Awesome Deeds

from Psalm 65:1, 4-8(NASB, The Message)

Silence is praise to You, [Jerusalem-dwelling] God,
And also obedience. You hear the prayer in it all. . .
How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You
to dwell in Your [holy of holies].
We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Your holy temple.
By awesome deeds You answer us in
righteousness, O God of our salvation,
Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer
Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser,
Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash . . .
Dawn and dusk take turns calling, "Come and worship."


Earth-Tamer,
You have created infinite opportunity for my soul to praise Your holiness and majesty. You teach me perspective and humility with the greatness of simplicity.
Ocean-Pourer,
You renew my life with steams of righteousness, always leading to rivers of goodness, and oceans of more. You teach me the Source of power.
Mountain-Maker,
You let me stand in high places, knowing blessings beyond need. You teach me the wonder of holiness and glory.
Hill-Dresser,
You decorate the landscape with beauty that escapes description. You teach me the joy of details.
Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash,
You tame the turmoil inside my soul with ease. You teach me the peace of grace.
I, too, come and worship at dawn and dusk and moments in between. For such Perfect Love brings me to my knees where I offer wordless soul-songs of praise to You. Amen. ~ dho

Truth's Choice

Truth is the great equalizer, a weapon of revelation. So often we stand at the crossroads and look both ways, the world to our left and righteousness to our right. Here we are confronted by Truth. Truth says we will experience both delight and disappointment in life. In its most honest moments, the world will tell you stories of both. Living a righteous life in Jesus will reveal the same lessons. There is a freedom on both paths; however, the consequences remain vastly different. In the world, everything depends on me, but in Jesus, He provides everything I need. Truth always reveals a choice. The world chants Pick me! Pick me! all the while Jesus whispers I choose you! The world offers no guarantees, no refunds, no exchanges. Jesus offers grace, forgiveness and eternal life. Truth demands a choice. I choose Jesus, the most Divine Gift. ~ dho

Henri Nouwen writes:
The joy that Jesus offers His disciples is His own joy, which flows from His intimate communion with the One who sent Him. It is a joy that does not separate happy days from sad days, successful moments from moments of failure. This joy is a divine gift that does not leave us during times of illness, poverty, oppression or persecution.

John 8:31-31(The New Jerusalem Bible)
Jesus said to those who believed in Him:
If you make My Word your home
you will indeed be My disciples;
you will come to know the truth,
and the truth will set you free.