For quite a long time, the following two scriptures have been stirring within me... Psalm 62:11-12 and Zephaniah 3:17. I don't remember which one hit me first, and which one came after. But once they both had, they have always been side by side in my mind. Here is what they say...
**
Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing
Psalm 62:11-12
One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving.
Surely you will reward each person
according to what he has done
**
I find it amazing. In both of these verses, the strength and love of God go hand in hand. Often, I find it so easy to divorce the two, treating them separately. But the prophets sure didn't do that.
The two attributes of God that David looks to in that Psalm are his strength and his love. Similarly, the prophet Zephaniah points to God's mighty ability to save, and then more than just his love... He even goes as far to say that the Lord delights in His children, and that his abundant love allows his people to rest in his strength. The Lord even rejoices over us with singing (or shouts of joy, depending on the translation)!
In this present day, there seems to be hardship disaster all around us. But this is what I know. That my God is able to fulfill every promise He has given me. The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
This is what I know. Even with all my inconsistencies or failures or problems or [fill in the blank], God's love for me is as strong as it was ten years ago. "This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins... And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."
Two things that I have heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Battle Belongs to the Lord
There is a song from West Park that I still love, and here's what it says...
The Battle Belongs to the Lord
verse 1
In heavenly armor we'll enter the land,
The battle belongs to the Lord.
No weapon that's fashioned against us will stand,
The battle belongs to the Lord.
chorus
And we sing glory, honor, power and strength to the Lord.
We sing glory, honor, power and strength to the Lord.
verse 2
When the powers of darkness come in like a flood,
The battle belongs to the Lord.
He'll raise up a standard, the power of his blood,
The battle belongs ot the Lord.
verse 3
When the enemy presses in hard, do not fear,
The battle belongs to the Lord.
Take courage, my friend, your redemption is near,
The battle belongs to the Lord.
I was reading about when the Israelites came up to the promised land (Canaan), and sent a group out to survey the land. They were gone for forty days, in which they came up with the following conclusion: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large."
In other words, the land was just as the Lord promised, but there were some obstacles. There were some places that looked uncertain. There was even a race of giants living there in Canaan, and that frightened the people. How could a bunch of weary travellers come into Canaan and possibly take possession of the territory?
However, there was a man named Caleb (and also Joshua) who spoke up, saying "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." How could he confidently say such a thing?
We find out a few paragraphs later, after all the people began to rebel against the Lord's command. The people, rather than trusting the Lord, despaired and even spoke of how wonderful it would have been to be enslaved in Egypt! They even began electing a new leader to make the voyage back to Egypt!
To this Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the Lord, and Joshua and Caleb likewise tore their clothes and said this to Israel: "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them."
In other words, Caleb and Joshua knew the Lord has already delivered the land into their hands. All they had to do was enter it and take it. The Lord had removed the protection of the Canaanites, and the Lord would be fighting for the Israelites. It would be by his hand that they would enter the land. Just as it was the hand of the Lord who delivered them from slavery in Egypt, so the Lord would also be the one to accomplish the victory in Canaan.
But the people would not believe, and they would not enter the land. They missed out on seeing the promised land because they didn't trust the Lord. They didn't trust Him to be the one to fight for them.
And what I love is that the Lord is still the one to fight for us today. It is in His strength that we are able to accomplish things. It is His strength that is made perfect in our weaknesses; it is never our own strength that can accomplish anything. So then, whatever stands in front of a child of God is trivial to the Lord. In fact, because the Lord is on our side, "we will swallow them up." And, "if the Lord is on our side, who can stand against us?"
What He has promised He is faithful to deliver. But we must be willing to walk into the land and see His deliverance. I must be willing to go into a land of giants and fortresses and follow the Lord's commands. We can rest in His hands, and let Him do the fighting for us.
Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God wis with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
The Battle Belongs to the Lord
verse 1
In heavenly armor we'll enter the land,
The battle belongs to the Lord.
No weapon that's fashioned against us will stand,
The battle belongs to the Lord.
chorus
And we sing glory, honor, power and strength to the Lord.
We sing glory, honor, power and strength to the Lord.
verse 2
When the powers of darkness come in like a flood,
The battle belongs to the Lord.
He'll raise up a standard, the power of his blood,
The battle belongs ot the Lord.
verse 3
When the enemy presses in hard, do not fear,
The battle belongs to the Lord.
Take courage, my friend, your redemption is near,
The battle belongs to the Lord.
I was reading about when the Israelites came up to the promised land (Canaan), and sent a group out to survey the land. They were gone for forty days, in which they came up with the following conclusion: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large."
In other words, the land was just as the Lord promised, but there were some obstacles. There were some places that looked uncertain. There was even a race of giants living there in Canaan, and that frightened the people. How could a bunch of weary travellers come into Canaan and possibly take possession of the territory?
However, there was a man named Caleb (and also Joshua) who spoke up, saying "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." How could he confidently say such a thing?
We find out a few paragraphs later, after all the people began to rebel against the Lord's command. The people, rather than trusting the Lord, despaired and even spoke of how wonderful it would have been to be enslaved in Egypt! They even began electing a new leader to make the voyage back to Egypt!
To this Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the Lord, and Joshua and Caleb likewise tore their clothes and said this to Israel: "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them."
In other words, Caleb and Joshua knew the Lord has already delivered the land into their hands. All they had to do was enter it and take it. The Lord had removed the protection of the Canaanites, and the Lord would be fighting for the Israelites. It would be by his hand that they would enter the land. Just as it was the hand of the Lord who delivered them from slavery in Egypt, so the Lord would also be the one to accomplish the victory in Canaan.
But the people would not believe, and they would not enter the land. They missed out on seeing the promised land because they didn't trust the Lord. They didn't trust Him to be the one to fight for them.
And what I love is that the Lord is still the one to fight for us today. It is in His strength that we are able to accomplish things. It is His strength that is made perfect in our weaknesses; it is never our own strength that can accomplish anything. So then, whatever stands in front of a child of God is trivial to the Lord. In fact, because the Lord is on our side, "we will swallow them up." And, "if the Lord is on our side, who can stand against us?"
What He has promised He is faithful to deliver. But we must be willing to walk into the land and see His deliverance. I must be willing to go into a land of giants and fortresses and follow the Lord's commands. We can rest in His hands, and let Him do the fighting for us.
Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God wis with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
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