The Soul’s Delight

If GOD hadn't been there for me,

I never would have made it.

The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling,"

Your love, GOD, took hold and held me fast.

When I was upset and beside myself,

You calmed me down and cheered me up.

Psalm 94:17-19 The Message

When times of chaos and contradiction take control, the Christian has resources that non-believers do not. In fact, the believer finds the greatest solace in the goodness of God. Despite the fickle offerings of the world ~ hopelessness, doubt, bitterness, defeat, those who claim Christ as Lord can always know the everlasting gifts of peace and comfort. In His arms, in His Grace, we find a goodness in this Holy Love that exceeds the difficult, that soothes the ache, that calms the anxious thought. This is The Source that will always delight my soul. ~dho

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. Psalm 94:19 NASB

Our Whole Heart

In Scripture, the heart refers to a person’s intellectual, moral, and emotional responses. There are over a thousand references to heart in the Bible. The intensity of matters of the heart finds sharp contrasts, from divided to devoted. While negative attributes depict the heart as proud, greedy, stubborn, hardened, deceitful, and backsliding, the positive characteristics of the heart portray cleanliness, reverence, brokenness, tenderness, repentance, joy, and “a heart after God’s own heart”. Unlike today’s use of heart which is usually all about feelings, in ancient writings to include the Bible, the heart represents the center of one’s being, the inner person, frequently interchanging heart and mind and will.

Henry David Thoreau writes, “The more we know about the ancients, the more we find that they are like the moderns.” Frequently I hear folks say that America is more and more like the Romans of ancient times. The adage that ‘history repeats itself’ plays out in many ways, century after century, decade after decade. Oh, each one does it better or with more sophistication or at least more technology. The greatest deception of the heart thrives within the self-focused, self-willed certainty of our own abilities.

Humanity is naturally prone to deceit. A deceitful heart is dishonest, fraudulent, and willfully turns from truth. This is the very reason we need God, because on our own we are simply unable to keep a pure, faithful, honest heart. God sees each heart and knows its truest motivations and deepest emotions. The flaws within the human heart will always need rescuing! Warren Wiersbe writes, “It is a mark of true spirituality when God’s glory is what motivates a servant’s heart.” Our everlasting hope rests in trusting the Lord with our whole heart, and Christ brings us the grace we so desperately need. -dho

Sacred Breathing

 "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!"   Psalm 150:6

If you ever have questions about how to praise God, read Psalm 150 for the 'who, what, when, where, why, and how' answers. Anytime and everywhere, our lives are to PRAISE the LORD - the One who is Creator and Comforter, filled with mystery and majesty, holiness and healing; Praises to The Giver of goodness and grace. God is Love. Praise the LORD!

Whether in corporate or private worship, Christians, both collectively and individually, should praise God. This PRAISE is not an ordinary gesture or mere flattery; rather, it is to be a creative praise that radically raves about His awesomeness, ranging from silent awe to sacred shouts. PRAISE evolves into words and music, prayers and singing, rhythmic responses celebrating God's "mighty deeds" and "excellent greatness". Musical instruments of all forms - wind, strings, percussion, dancing - create a ceaseless motion of spontaneous joy to and for the LORD of all. Praise the LORD!

We all struggle in a world saturated by disease, poverty, and injustice that stands in stark contrast to Heaven's perfect, complete, and loving promises. The Greek word for 'breath' is neshamah which means all that is living within us. Just as GOD first breathed life into mankind (Genesis 2:7), He remains the Breath of Life within each Christian. PRAISE honors the redemption through Christ, which is victory over death, but also, this holy breathing glorifies God for His constant presence in our daily struggles. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! ~dho

Goodness and Grace

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary--we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! Romans 5:3-5 The Message

In the middle of life, with its delights and distractions, surrounded by wonder and wilderness, the moments come and go. How often do we shout our praise in difficult times? Scripture tells us these very troubles can teach us passionate patience. Some translations use "endurance." Through the struggles we can become stronger, even hope-full. 

In alert expectancy reminds us that God's blessings, like His Faithfulness, are certain. We are to praise God in all circumstances, not for the despair or difficulty, not for the sadness or sorrow; rather, we are to praise God for His Everlasting Hope that endures troubles, that endures for eternity. We are to praise God for the countless blessings that have been and are to come. We are to praise God for the lessons of passionate patience which strengthen and renew. We are to praise God ~ for He alone is worthy of praise.

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Try to find enough containers to hold God's Goodness and Grace! ~dho  

Infused

"And I have felt
A presence that distrubs me with a joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns." - William Wordsworth

When is the last time you felt infused with God, with the Spirit of love and strength and joy? In times of uncertainty we long to find comfort and joy, peace and encouragement. Too often we look for this is the wrong places - in the world. Words from 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 in The Message express the soul's knowing of the presence of God, of His strength and grace infused into the lives of those who seek Christ.

May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus… pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you,… May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God… (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13)

This infusion is Grace, unmerited and unmeasured. Praying that each of you recognizes the presence of the Holy Light that infuses the soul! ~dho

God Goes Before!

To choose life is to love the LORD your God, obey Him and stay close to Him. He is your life... Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid... don't be frightened, because the LORD your God will go with you.  He will not leave you or forget you...The LORD himself will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forget you. Don't be afraid and don't worry.  

Deuteronomy 30:20, 31:6,8 NCV

on our knees…

We speak the Hebrew word Yahweh because it is Your covenant name, and we have study Your promises to the descendants of Abraham.  The ancient words recorded centuries before tell the story of humankind and all its frailties.  Words translated from Hebrew tell of Moses and his obedience, tell how You always went before them, preparing the way.  

We call out, LORD, because there are promises for us.  The ancient words tell a living story of love and sacrifice and redemption; they tell of a new covenant ~ Christ.  We choose life!  Now, as then, You go before us, preparing the way.

We whisper, Adonai, for You are Lord; You are Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  You are both hope and light. Your Spirit dwells within us. Lord, only through You can we be strong and brave. We long to firmly embrace You. The world entices us, even when we try to draw near to You. Sometimes our journey is not clear, the path uneven, our steps uncertain. When we cannot see, help us remember the ancient words, the living words: The LORD himself will go before you. You are the Promise that chooses us; You are the Love that embraces us. Lord, hear our simple prayers.  Amen.  ~ dho

The Story Our Living Tells

Put the word into action. If you think hearing is what matters most, you are going to find you have been deceived. James 1:22 The Voice

Spiritual growth is more than asking questions, searching for answers, or finding holy guidance. Integrity exceeds head knowledge by calling for a heart response, and the standards of Christian character should reflect a lifestyle pleasing to God. Visible, outward behaviors disclose the inner character of a person, describe their true relationship with God, and distinguish authenticity of the heart. Our inner character writes the story our living tells others.

Being in fellowship with God positions the Christian to breakdown barriers and construct communities that together share the Gospel of Christ. Called to Community, The Life Jesus Wants for His People, is comprised of a myriad of Christian educators, writers, theologians, philosophers, pastors, and martyrs, some living long ago and some living now. In one chapter, German New Testament professor, Gerhard Lohfink, writes, "Where faith is really faith it cannot be shoved to the margins of life." I wonder, when does my busyness, my agenda begin to dictate my response to God? How am I keeping my faith shoved to the margins of life?

An individual faith-story must be more than the words to the Apostles Creed, the Newsboys song We Believe or Psalm 23. Faith cannot be shoved to the margins and still reflect a true, growing relationship with God, not the margins of society, not the margins of our families, not the margins of our calendars. True faith must be more than scribbled notes on the margins of our Bibles, the good intentions that skip across the margins of our thoughts, the generosity that walks passed the margins of opportunities. 

Let us take inventory of our outward behavior. What story do my actions tell others about my fellowship with God? How do I give voice to those who cannot speak for themselves? Where could my hands hold another's pain? Am I too busy to notice? Is my humility missing? The heart's most sincere desire must be to have an intimate relationship with God, and only then can we walk and act and speak with pure expressions of grace. Ethical integrity is spiritual faithfulness in a faithful God lived out loud! What does the inventory of your outward behavior reveal about your inner character?  ~dho

Shielded and Sheltered

He will shield you with His wings. He will shelter you with His feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalm 91:4 NLT

As the new year arrives, its fresh beginnings offer reflection. One observation that comes to mind is most all of us desire safety and security. God’s faithfulness provides safe shelter for His own. Whether the metaphor refers to feathers of angels or eagles and hens (see Matthew 23:37),trusting in this living God becomes a shield for the fearful, the forgotten, the desperate, the dying, the wounded, the weary. The world reeks of danger and uncertainty, but we find our refuge, our safe place in the embrace of God Almighty.

Whether the context is Moses reminding the Israelites or Jesus grieving over Jerusalem or the world churning its chaos, God longs to sit in the inner sanctuary, to have communion and fellowship with those who seek Him. So, come to a place of safety, a place of Divine Protection, a place of unfailing love. El Shaddai, You are my safe place, my port in life’s storms, my retreat from daily struggles, my shelter from Satan’s lies. Great is Your faithfulness; be my shelter. - dho