Meditation

12/20/2019

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It I like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” (Psalm133:1-3)

Delight in the Lord finds expression in what He is and what He does, in His choices, and in His dwelling place, Jerusalem. The city and its Temple symbolized God’s presence with His people. Its glory derived from God’s presence in it. Everything about it reminded the psalmist of God Himself.

God’s presence, symbolized by the worship place at Zion, unifies His people and provides blessing. Praising the city in prayer was praising God. The presence of God among His people is a primary reason for prayer, beloved. Understand?

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, the simple act of praising You, brings You closer to us and the more we praise You and Your actions on our behalf, helps us to feel Your presence in our worship and also in our everyday lives. There is nothing that we cannot take to You in prayer, for our prayers represent our relationship with You, and we are blessed simply by being able to come before Your throne of grace, to share what is on our hearts and minds. Therefore we pray in Jesus’ name, our petitions, our thanksgivings, and our prayers. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“We are as full of the Holy Spirit, as we desire to be!”

KNOWING GOD:

“Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord.” (Genesis19:27)

Abraham had a visit from three men, and one told him that his wife Sarah would have a child, even at her advanced age. Then he was told that reports had come concerning Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities on the plain, of great sin. It was at this time, that Abraham said to God that if he found 5 men, would he spare them, and ultimately down to a mere 10, and each time he was told He would spare them destruction. Two angels arrived in the city and sought our Lot, Abraham’s brother, and told him he must take his family out of Sodom, for God was going to destroy it and Gomorrah. They were told not to look back, but to flee as quickly as possible to a city that was also to be protected, though Lot’s wife stopped along the way and looked back, becoming a pillar of salt. God rained burning sulfur upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and they were wiped off of the earth. The next morning, Abraham went to the place where he was standing “before the Lord,” which is frequently used of persons acting in the consciousness of God’s presence in their lives. It was then, that Abraham knew that God knew all his actions, and was living in God’s Presence. (Note: a few short years ago, scientists found the site of what was once Sodom and Gomorrah, and after conducting multiple tests, stated the site had an abnormal amount of sulfur ash in the ground.)

I AM:

“Prayer, God’s Presence”: (Psalm 122:1-9)

This hymn celebrated Jerusalem both as the site of the annual pilgrimages and as the place on earth where God had chosen to reside. The city’s peace was dependent on the people whom God placed there. They had to pray for her people whom God placed there. They had to pray for her people. To pray for our town and our worship place is one way to pray for God’s presence with His worshiping congregation.

Second Thought of the Day:

“But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told he Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his ace was radiant. Them Moses would put the veil back over his face until he when in to speak with the Lord.” (Exodus34:34–35)

It was said that Moses’ face shone with a radiance, when he went to speak to God, so much so, that he wore a veil over his face, so as not to offend the people.

Many times after a worship service, I have noticed certain people who had a visible difference on their faces. I believe that in a worship service, with strong music leading us to bring us closer to God, and then following sermons, whereby they are brought even closer, as they realize how the message brings them clarity of how the message affects their daily lives, they have a sudden change in their raiment. It is in those moments, when I feel like I am looking at Moses, after talking with God. How about you???