The Birthplace of the Praise of God

"He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God."

- Psalm 40:3a (ESV)

God is the author, 
of this song of praise to God. 

Delight in God always originates in God.

The praise of God flows out from God,
and back to Him. It is His purpose in salvation:

"For my name's sake I defer my anger;
for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,

that I may not cut you off."
- Isaiah 48:9 

"Sing to him a new song..."
Psalm 33:3a

"Sing to God, sing praises to his name..."
Psalm 68:4a

See also:  Psalm 9:11, 22:23, 30:4, 47:6, 95:2, 
96:1, 98:1, 98:4, 98:5, 100:4, 105:2, 106:1,
 111:1, 112:1, 113:1. 117:1, 135:1, 146:1, 
147:1, 149:1, and more.

All Scripture is inspired by God.
Therefore the praise of God, 
is planned and purposed,
arranged and designed,
by him and for Him.

Because nothing else will satisfy our hearts.
He made us that way.

Wickedness, Justice, & the Wrath of God

The Edomite

Betrayer shall be betrayed

The violent will meet the wrath of the Lord

Deceiver undone by Truth Incarnate

The schemer shall encounter the Sovereign One

Lover of evil behold Justice

As you have torn down, so shall He you

You have wrought finite wickedness 

"But God will break you down forever;

He will snatch and tear you from your tent;

He will uproot you from the land of the living."
- Ps. 52:5 (ESV)

A meditation upon the three
references to Doeg the Edomite
(1 Sam. 21-22, Psalm 52)

The Deadliest of Ideas

One of the deadliest thoughts,

is also extraordinarily common;

"I know everything that I need to."

Whether conscious or subconscious, we live in the midst of this well established lie.  We breathe in the air of this idea so often that we cannot comprehend the desperation of our situation; we walk every day, blind to the depth of our own ignorance.

The antidote may be found in the humble confession of and repentance for our foolishness, and in the beginning of a new journey onto a new path; purposeful lifelong learning.  Relentless are the portions of Scripture which teach about wisdom, and the pursuit thereof.

Eternity may in fact be forever learning about and increasing in knowledge of the Almighty, that we might evermore experience new reasons to praise him.

The beginning of wisdom of this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
- Proverbs 4:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
- Proverbs 9:10

Priorities

The first, great, and primary business 

to which I ought to attend every day was, 

 to have my soul happy in the Lord. 

 - George Mueller

The Enduring Purpose of Proper Fear

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; 

nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. 

God  has done it,  so that  people fear before him.

- Ecclesiastes 3:14

Life: Travels Through Treacherous Territory

Weighty Wisdom

"Probably all the failures of my life 

can be laid at the feet

 of my failure to be happy in God."

- Dr. John Piper

The Chief End of the Gospel

For Christ also suffered once for sins, 

the righteous for the unrighteous,

that he might bring us to God

1 Peter 3:18a (ESV)

Pain, Perspective, and Pulitzers

If you have ever thought we live in troubled times, 

this book may provide some much needed perspective.

1776 is an exemplary book, written by a two time Pulitzer Prize winner.

     On September 30th, 1776, George Washington, General of the Continental Army faced a mountain range of distressing situations, while carrying the weight of the would be Nation upon his shoulders.  He confided in a letter to his brother, Lund:  

     "Such is my situation that if I were to wish the bitterest curse to an enemy this side of the grave, I should put him in my stead with my feelings."  The General wrote that he was "wearied to death" and "In confidence I tell you that I never was in such an unhappy, divided state since I was born." 

- McCullough, p. 227

     Washington's words were strikingly similar to the Apostle Paul's in 2 Cor. 1:8-9:

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.  For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.  

Yet the Apostle brings a deep theology of hope to the issue of despairing afflictions:
But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

Great people have trodden 

upon paths of deep darkness.

You are not alone in facing dreadful 

heartache and the most bitter of circumstances.

Rather, you have joined the ranks of the
myriads who have traveled such broken roads.

The pages of history are full

of the accounts of these travelers.

  

One day such agonies shall be no more.
Until then:
  

When your strength is gone, 

there is more to be found

outside  of  yourself;

in Him who is not 

ever wearied. 

Uncharted

The Captain 

forever untroubled 
in stormy waters.

The seafaring crew terror-stricken;

no longer fearful of the breakers or tempests,

yet rather at the uncharted nature of the Captain.

Who is this?  

Even the winds 

and the waves

    obey His voice... 

A meditation upon
Mark 4:41

Images

He is the 

Image of the Invisible 

God

Col. 1:15 ESV

Preeminence.

66 Books
40 + Authors
Approximately 1,500 years of writings. 
All of which exists as a commentary built upon 

the first four words in the English translation of the Bible:

In the beginning God...

Restraining Arrows

Emotions unrestrained loose arrows which should never fly

Yet grace and patience shall restrain them