Sometimes, all it takes is seeing something simple to inspire us and get the wheels of our minds fully engaged. Today, that simple something was from my journal. Just across on the opposite page, to be exact, from where I had put pen to paper. It was a verse ... Psalm 28:7 ... and it said (from the NIV) ... "my heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song" ...
A heart that leaps? Giving thanks in song? Yes, please, I'll take lots of that!
And how appropriate, too! You see, I am sitting on the balcony of my room here at Jekyll Island, Ga. It is the last day of a wonderful relaxing weekend where I've had my toes in the sand and a gentle breeze on my face. Just the perfect late summer, quick getaway. And, indeed, my heart does leap for joy and I do find myself giving thanks to Him in song and humming ~ incessantly ~ of course, for those who really know me that's not a surprise, I'm always humming! Always want my heart to "leap" with "song"! Don't you? After all, He gives us so much to "hum" and "sing" about ~ you just gotta let it out!
Anyway, reading this little snippet from Psalm 28 just peaked my interest and before I knew it I was reading the entire Psalm. I wanted to see what it was all about. Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? How could it speak to me right now, today, thousands of years after it was written by the pen of David.
My Bible titles this Psalm: "A prayer for help, and praise for it's answer". Now that's confidence. I'm sitting here with my prayer list in hand. A prayer list that has some very urgent needs on it. A prayer list that reflects the desperate places we find ourselves in. Actually, though, we are all desperate for Him ... daily! And this Psalm is reflecting prayer and praise all wrapped up before we even say Amen! I like that notion. I like that confidence!
So, here's Psalm 28 .... (and just a few of my thoughts and practical application while I read)
1 To you I call, O LORD my Rock;
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
(We call to You, our God, our Rock ~ there is no other that can help us)
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.
2 Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.
(We are desperate for Your touch; we are desperate for Your mercy!)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.
4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back upon them what they deserve.
5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD
and what his hands have done,
(Don't ever want to miss seeing all that You have done! You are magnificent!)
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.
6 Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
(You Are Faithful to me ~ always and in all ways!)
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.
8 The LORD is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
9 Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.
(The intercessory prayer of a king to his King for his people! Don't neglect intercessory prayer ~ it's a privilege! Be all these things to us, O God!)
Well, just a glimpse into my morning quiet time. Thanks for letting me share. You're on my heart and in my prayers ...
Caught In His embrace,
Cindy K
A heart that leaps? Giving thanks in song? Yes, please, I'll take lots of that!
And how appropriate, too! You see, I am sitting on the balcony of my room here at Jekyll Island, Ga. It is the last day of a wonderful relaxing weekend where I've had my toes in the sand and a gentle breeze on my face. Just the perfect late summer, quick getaway. And, indeed, my heart does leap for joy and I do find myself giving thanks to Him in song and humming ~ incessantly ~ of course, for those who really know me that's not a surprise, I'm always humming! Always want my heart to "leap" with "song"! Don't you? After all, He gives us so much to "hum" and "sing" about ~ you just gotta let it out!
Anyway, reading this little snippet from Psalm 28 just peaked my interest and before I knew it I was reading the entire Psalm. I wanted to see what it was all about. Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? How could it speak to me right now, today, thousands of years after it was written by the pen of David.
My Bible titles this Psalm: "A prayer for help, and praise for it's answer". Now that's confidence. I'm sitting here with my prayer list in hand. A prayer list that has some very urgent needs on it. A prayer list that reflects the desperate places we find ourselves in. Actually, though, we are all desperate for Him ... daily! And this Psalm is reflecting prayer and praise all wrapped up before we even say Amen! I like that notion. I like that confidence!
So, here's Psalm 28 .... (and just a few of my thoughts and practical application while I read)
1 To you I call, O LORD my Rock;
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
(We call to You, our God, our Rock ~ there is no other that can help us)
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.
(If You don't help us we won't be helped!)
2 Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.
(We are desperate for Your touch; we are desperate for Your mercy!)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.
4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back upon them what they deserve.
5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD
and what his hands have done,
(Don't ever want to miss seeing all that You have done! You are magnificent!)
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.
(These are the consequences of not looking to You, O God, and giving You ALL glory. It is all about You! Don't let me be counted among them ~ keep me pure; guard my heart!)
6 Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
(You Are Faithful to me ~ always and in all ways!)
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.
(You are my Strength! You are my Shield! You are my Trust! You are my Help! You are my Praise! You are my Song; my Hum! You are my object of thanksgiving!)
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
9 Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.
(The intercessory prayer of a king to his King for his people! Don't neglect intercessory prayer ~ it's a privilege! Be all these things to us, O God!)
Well, just a glimpse into my morning quiet time. Thanks for letting me share. You're on my heart and in my prayers ...
I pray that your heart is leaping and your voice (your heart) is singing.
I pray that you are in the Word, with hands lifted to His Most Holy Place,
seeking the only Source of our help.
I pray that your prayer list doesn't overwhelm but rather keeps you face-down
with full assurance that He hears your cry.
I pray that He is your everything for, truly, we are all desperate for Him.
And I pray that He is your Shepherd. May He carry you forever!
Cindy K
Thank you. I looked up the Psalm in the KJV because I thought we used to sing a chorus from it, but I was mistaken. Then my eyes fell on the next Psalm, and behold, a chorus we *did* sing :-)
ReplyDeleteGive unto the LORD, O ye mighty,
Give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due his name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
I won't bore you with all our choruses from Psalms (I still can't locate the one I was originally thinking about)... Anyway, thanks!
Never boring! Love hearing the Psalms turned to song...in fact, knowing that many of them were songs, I'd love to hear the original tune?
ReplyDeleteBe blessed,
Cindy
Guess what? I found it! The Psalm/song your post made me think about. It is Psalm 55:22, 16-17. No idea now why your post reminded me of this, but you caused me to sing it and several other Psalms!
ReplyDelete22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD,
and he shall sustain thee:
he shall never suffer the
righteous to be moved. 2x
16 As for me, I will call upon God;
and the LORD shall save me.
17 Evening, and morning, and at noon,
will I pray, and cry aloud:
and he shall hear my voice.