OzThoughts Monday 19th January 2009

OzThoughts Monday 19th January 2009

For a lot of people, the focus this week will be on Washington, for the inauguration of the new President of the United States of America. I thought about this as I read Psalm 46, one of the selected readings for today. Many would see the new President as the most powerful leader in the world. He needs our prayers but we need to remember “God is still on his throne”.

As I read, I remembered the familiar version says “God is my refuge and strength” and calls us to “Be still and know that I am God” before the final reminders that He will be “exalted in all the earth” and that He is with us and is our refuge.

I like the last part of verse 8 in The Message version. It says a lot about the God we worship and serve: “above politics, above everything”.

Psalm 46
1-3 God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
the tremors that shift mountains.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city,
this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
but Earth does anything he says.

7 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
breaks all the weapons across his knee.
"Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything."

11 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

Prayer: (Using our Song Book as our Book of Prayer).
[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_688.mp3 OR

Eric Ball’s “Fantasia on Lobe den Herren”: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2924.mp3 ]

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation;
All ye who hear,
Brothers and sisters draw near,
Praise him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
He who with love doth befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease,
Turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth his light,
Chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with his mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the amen
Sound from his people again;
Gladly for aye we adore him.
Authors: Joachim Neander (1650-80),
Translators: Catherine Winkworth (1827-78) and others
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 19

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