psalm

Genesis Father?

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Genesis "...let there be..."

I Started reading the Psalms in the message as it was an uncomfortable read, little poetry, etc.   Perhaps I am too classic when reading the Psalms.     But my word what a powerful opening up in understanding it has been to read in, revelational, transforming, full of riches.   keep on coming God!

I came to Psalm 51 in my long walk through this great experience book where other writers relate their inner and every-day feelings and dealings, he exposes some interesting thoughts.   Its a Psalm that visits the a transformation though God’s forgiveness along with the turn around of a forgiven life.        As I read a phrase went through my mind, I considered and thought “…how about getting to Know God as a Genesis God, Father...”   Not an event far off in some distant past, or an argument for Creation V Evolution but to see Genesis as part of God nature, character, now that would be different.     To know you as a Genesis Father, that every month, week, day and hour you are this every moment towards us.

A Father that by your nature not a once off act but the way you are, a demonstration of who you are, a continuation of how you conduct yourself my God, a Genesis God for your creation.

Psalm 51: 9, 10 Message (keep reading the Psalm to the end for other comments below)

“…God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life…”

The Psalmist outlines the impact of you the Genesis Father, his life is transformed from a heavy steps to “…foot-tapping…” from sadness and complaint to “…songs…” from a dislocation, broken useless forms “…once-broken bones…” to strengthen functional dancing, with a rhythm infused structure catching the rhythm of Genesis Father, as is there not a sound in creation a rhythm of your voice a creation that is a full of rhythm “…let there be…” a rhythm as pulsars repeat themselves in sound across the universe.      Foot-tapping, dancing rhythm that humanity lost, Just as the Christ dealt with the woman with the 12 year issue of blood he brought her back into rhythm, the 12 year child, daughter in the same passage is connected she is brough back to life’s rhythm.   A Genesis week in that tow!

A mixture of pictures for us to grasp, at least one of these should engage us let your imagination take hold of one of these pictures

Foot-taping…Dancing bones…Greyness removed…Wind in the sail…Live giving way…Unbuttoned lips of praise – true lose lips!

This is enough transformation to consider is it not!        For this is the Genesis Father who can bring transformation like this, rather than know he was a creating in Genesis once why not begin to know him intimately as a Genesis Father.     What a way to know you every second as Genesis for this makes you an overcoming Father a God that is creating weeks that are full of Genesis for us all

“…God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life…”

Fresh start, often we heard preach, a new starts but what about living in a Genesis way of life, can my life display this, it should do, that I live in a Genesis week every day.     You O God in your nature moves in my life as Genesis Father.   Creating, forming the formless and filling the void this is you, you are this to me!      Foot tap, bones dance, coloured invading, sail filling-catching, life imparting, unbuttoned lips loosed to praise you have made a genesis week!

A Salvation We Need!

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The heavens opened never to be closed

How wonderful… the thought that God “…gives a salvation we need…” not a quick escape but one we need.   This line has a huge implication for you and me I trust these simple thoughts will stimulate to see the love of the Father towards you and me.

Psalm 85:7

Show us how much you love us, God! Give us the salvation we need!

The salvation we need is found enveloped in ‘chesed’ – Covenant Love, what a salvation O Lord is this one we need?   This is not David telling God how he should be saved or even when to be saved, not a  “God get me out of here” but telling the Lord to use his discretion, give us a salvation we need!     David was asking the Father to flow from his nature that is who He is, in determining what we need!     I am convinced more than ever we should help one another to grasp the nature of God which would enable us to understand how the Father works, delivering us from a spare tire mentality, when I have flat tire I will take God out and allow Him to perform a salvation for me.  Saying to God rather, flow from who you are towards me o God, I can only say that as I grasp a little of His nature!

What an amazing trust first, then what an amazing confidence and what an amazing release to be free to say, ” you do God, what you wish, or better you bring a salvation that is commensurate to your nature.”

NASB  – Show us your loving-kindness, O Lord, And grant us your salvation.

When we request a salvation we need from God himself, then we will become recipients of God ‘chesed’, not our plan, it is to let God take the reins in every way, knowing that he will deal directly according God to his ways.   For our God does not come down to our level to deal with us, he came incarnate into our world in order to lift us up to us to his ways, causing us to live his resurrection life.     This is not escapism but a life where heaven has broken in, enabling us to restore creation; transforming our surroundings, to the life of God, given of God in his salvation.   He took us out of the mud and mire and lifted us upon a solid rock.   He came to our world and lifted our world to his world, is this not salvation in truth.    Heavens coming to earth to transform, resurrect, enable the cosmos to be his creation fully?

The Psalmist has understood that the Father deals with us according to his understanding, his placing, and not according to the lowest common denominator – the way we think.

In other words “…Show us how much you love us, God!       Give us the salvation we need!” Do it according to your nature, let your salvation flow from whom you are my God.   ‘Chesed’ becomes the atmosphere surrounding you o Lord, so that the salvation we need is in line with whom you are, not ‘…just get me out of here…” What an empowering salvation it becomes from this mountain top position.

Give us O God……… in light of the future you are now occupying, give us, in light of what you have determined.   Often we see a salvation that we think we need, in light of our past and the immediate situation we find our selves in, but o Lord you bring it about in light of our future as you have determined.    A salvation we need is in the light of yourself, and in line with your purpose, which is who you are.

In reading I stumbled across an interesting cross-reference to this scripture

Jeremiah 42:12    we’ll pour mercy on you. What’s more, he will show you mercy! He’ll let you come back to your very own land.’

Note that mercy shown is manifested in “…he’ll let you come back to your very own land…” mercy is that he will bring a salvation to return back to our very own land, the realm of this life.  Return to where we belong so to speak as a “…salvation we need!” is to restore us, reinstate us back to the very place of our belonging which is in the mind and heart of the Father, O God BRING IT ON, A SALVATION WE NEED, NOT A NEED OF SALVATION.   A salvation that is a manifestation of who you are, a flow of your nature, a grand joining in the ultimate intention of yourself    BRING IT ON!

Salvation in accordance with His nature and not “…. get me out of here…” but back to Gods ultimate intention!

Salvation we need, how great is your love my Father!

Just do it

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Just Do it!

The Nike advertising statement “…just do it…” do what I hear?   Well here is a thought “JUST DO IT”

Psalm 76:11, 12 (Message)

Do for God what you said you’d do — he is, after all, your God. Let everyone in town bring offerings to the One Who Watches our every move. Nobody gets by with anything, no one plays fast and loose with him.

For many years people have been told what God will do for them, how he will deliver, heal, make good…  Its been a Faith about my advancement and my living in the goodness of God which I am not going to undermine, I simply want to add a thought in addition this, to help us mature in our walk….. lets  take a different way of thought.

There comes a time when we begin to realise what are we going to be and do for Him?    Submitting all we are and all we have “…for Him…” the psalmist scribes it with “…what you said you’d do…”

There is a brotherly consciousness  involved here, to help us “keep up what you said”, brothers keeping us accountable to the utterances of our hearts.   When your heart was full towards the Father what did you say, “…you’d do ?…” Time, events and circumstances  go by, adjustments have happened, so we often need to have external reminders, that voice of a friend that brings us back to “…as you said you’d do…”

“Do for God what you said you’d do – he is after all, your God” ……it is as if we need reminding and help with recall. The tenor of the writing here suggest that very thing, we need external help to recall all we have said, to enable us to do it.

Do for God – in other words come out of thoughts and words and be worshipful – a worship that is an act of obedience, not just singing or shouting but being obedient, as you are obedient to him, “…do for God…” we have to be careful here too, as some would say we are not human-doings but human-beings,  yet in the tension of our lives, we have to plan out, live out and make known the will of God on our lives, and do what we said we would.

Remember those deep moving moments when we said we would chase and follow after him.   I am reminded of an old song that Louis Armstrong sung, “…I’ll walk a million miles for one of your smiles…” well what did you say you would do for God, whilst in some of those high intimate moments.   My encouragement is come on …..let’s do what we said we would!

Make vows to the Lord your God and them; Let all who are around Him give gifts to Him who is to be feared

Do for God what you said you would, restore, perform, finish, fulfil what you said you would.

These words fulfil,  or “…do what you said you’ll do…” has an amazing root, as you study it out, it is clear that it is not just about being faithful or keeping your word, but about the quality of life that follows those who ‘…do it…’

To be in a condition of keeping what you said has a fullness of life to it and a prosperity connected to it.   Therefore be careful regarding your words, what you said you would do, your word is tied to a voiced covenant so watch you do not unwittingly break it.    The word has a root that talks about  “being in a covenant of Peace” the Hebrew word has a meaning behind it of completion and fulfilment of entering into a state of wholeness and unity, a restored relationship.

The payment of a vow (Ps 50:14) completes an agreement so that both parties are in a state of šālôm.    Here we find then the idea of once the obligation of doing what you said has been met; wholeness is restored (Isa 60:20; Joel 2:25).

This is all to do with coming to completeness not just getting something done!

Interesting is that šālēm a derivative of the same word is used of the whole (i.e. uncut) stones for the altar (Deut 27:6; Josh 8:31) and of the dressed stones used for the temple (I Kgs 6:7).   We are stones fitted together, displaying our connection and peace with the Father and the people around me.   So do what you said you would do, to be at peace with the Father and with the people around.

Do what you said so that salom and its meaning can work in us, šālôm means “absence of strife”

Peace, in this case, means much more than mere absence of war. Rather, the root meaning of the verb šālēm better expresses the true concept of šālôm as completeness, wholeness, harmony, and fulfilment.

Implicit in šālôm is the idea of unimpaired relationships with others and fulfillment in one’s undertakings.

This sort of peace has its source in God.    This is fulfillment through the divine gift.

So to return us to where our thought began “…Do for God what you said you would do…” come to peace and live at peace!    Just Do it!