Siblings

 Siblings really are a gift from God. When the whole world disappear, they will still be there. 

Meeting God in His Temple

 

Psalm 65:4
"Blessed are those you choose
And bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of you house,
Of your holy temple."

In these days we do not have a temple anymore, we have become the temple. But I was trying to think what David meant when he wrote about the 'good things we are filled with' that he would have found at the temple.
Here are just some that I think he could have meant, maybe you could add some:

God's presence
His righteousness and holiness
His justice
You could go to the temple, and walk away with a clean conscience.
The peace of God when you've offered your sacrifice and laid it all at His feet
Joy as David praised God
The companionship and belonging of being one of Abraham's children.

And these are some of the good things we are blessed with when we move into God's presence AND when we come together as His body.

Into the Living Waters

 

Ezekiel 31:7
"It was majestic in beauty,
With its spreading boughs,

For its roots went down
To abundant waters."

That is often the conclusion. If our roots are deep, and close to abundant water, we grow into a big strong stable tree.

These roots grow through difficult times, and through reaching out to the Living Water. So, the spiritual picture is that when in difficult times we reach out to God, place our trust in Him, we grow in stability and also fruitfulness.

A big strong tree can withstand huge storms and provide abundantly to all who need a place of comfort. I pray that we will become these big trees.

Sing, praise

 

Psalm 57:9-10
I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the people's.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

We recently made an inter-continental move. So, we are finding ourselves among the nations and the peoples of the world. Just earlier in that psalm David writes about God as the one 'who fulfills his purposes for me.'

So, what is our purpose as we live among the nation's and the peoples of this world? Because as children of God we have become aliens even when we are in our country of birth.

Verse 5: Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let your GLORY be over the earth.

And if we live to God's glory, wherever we are (far from family, away at University, working in a very worldly enviroment), we can make this amazing declaration:

Verse 7: My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.

Who's work?

“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:6–8).
“We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

I have spent a lifetime with people who sacrifice and give to others, who help others. Missionaries, development workers, samaritans. And I have seen that the biggest trap of being 'a nice person', is pride.

It is an ugly thing, a dark shadow that takes away from the mercy that flows through us to other people.

These verses are the answer to fight that ugly thing. Be thankful for the privilege of doing the good works that originate in God's goodness, not in our own. He is the author of our faith and every good work that flows through us.