The Lord is God - Journal for 3/24/11

Scripture: Psalm 95:1-7
"For the Lord is the great God."

Observation:
The Lord is our Shepherd. He is the One who created everything that has been made. All of creation sings his praise, and we are the loudest voice of that great choir.

Worship seems to be a very noisy practice. It is full of shouting, music, and song. It is the thunder on the mountains and the roaring of the seas. It is the sound of all nature giving praise to him.

In response to God's marvelous care for us, his sheep, we come and kneel before him in silence. Silence is another sound of worship. It is the true connection of the heart of the worshipper with the heart of the maker.
The psalmist uses both "God" and "Lord" as the names of God. The Lord (YHWH) is the Hebrew name that God chose to sign his covenants with his people. It refers to the caring, gracious, compassionate and loving attributes of his character. God (elohim) is the name God uses to refer to his majestic strength, particularly in creation.

In the combination of names here we see that the God, who is strong enough to deliver from any danger or peril is also the Lord, who is full of love and compassion for his covenant people.

Application:
I can know that the Lord hears and cares for me when I pray. I also have the confidence that he is the strong and mighty God who is the maker of heaven and earth. The one who cares is the one who is able to deliver.
How does this affect my prayer life?

It gives me great confidence that I don't come into the presence of a mighty God who is to be feared, but I come to one who knows me, loves me, and calls me his child. I am able to cry "Abba, Father" and he listens. But he doesn't have compassion only. He has the ability to make a difference in my life and circumstances.
It reminds me of the famous picture of the resolute desk in the oval office. John Jr. is playing under the feet of the most powerful ruler on the planet, but he is absolutely loved and adored. He is safe and confident because the man at the desk is simply "dad".


Strength and Safety

Prayer:

"Abba, Father" today I long to simply be safe in your presence. I am confident to come into your arms today because I know your love for me is infinitely greater than anything I have ever experienced. Thank you for being my shepherd and caring for me so well. I bless you and walk in your delight today. Amen.

Comments

  1. Lisa March 24, 2011 at 1:49 AM

    I adore the gift of silence. Maybe that is the reason God has me up so early today.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMarch 24, 2011 at 3:31 PM

    I love the picture of John Kennedy and John John. It is prefect picture representing our relationship with our Divine Father, who is our refuge and strength. I remember a book I read right after my dad died. It was called Father God. It mentioned the word Abba Father which to me meant Daddy God at that time in my life.

    ReplyDelete

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