Change 4….continued..Psalm 91…

 Change 4 ….continued…

Psalm 91…

As I looked at the list of young people, yesterday, I realized I needed to continue with their lives and expand a bit…how did they react, what was their pivotal moments…

Daniel…taken as a slave from Jerusalem to Babylon, educated for three years,

 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Dan.1.8-9Dan.1.17-21

The whole book of Daniel

David…the shepherd boy, chosen and anointed to be the second King of Israel…writer of psalms…

 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

1Sam.16.7,11-13

Not an easy journey to kingship, many bumps in the road before and after…but many blessings and promises from a faithful God…

Isaac…born in Abraham’s old age, a child of promise, taken for sacrifice, where God provided…

 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Gen.22.1-4,Gen.22.14,Gen.22.8,Gen.22.15,Gen.22.16,Gen.22.17,Gen.22.18

Joseph…favored son of Jacob, dreamer, sold into slavery by jealous brothers…jailed falsely, always faithful…becoming a ruler in Egypt…

 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

Gen.37.28

 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Gen.50.19-21

Moses…born during Israel’s enslavement to Egypt, safely hidden, adopted by an Egyptian, raised in royalty, fled to the desert, trained as a shepherd, lead the Israelites in their sojourn in the desert for 40 years…saw the promised land,but didn’t enter…writer   of psalms…

Psalm 91

 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most Highwill abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,my God, in whom I trust.” 

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowlerand from the deadly pestilence. 

He will cover you with his pinions,and under his wings you will find refuge;his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 

You will not fear the terror of the night,nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 

A thousand may fall at your side,ten thousand at your right hand,but it will not come near you. 

You will only look with your eyesand see the recompense of the wicked. 

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you,no plague come near your tent. 

For he will command his angels concerning youto guard you in all your ways. 

On their hands they will bear you up,lest you strike your foot against a stone. 

You will tread on the lion and the adder;the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him;I will be with him in trouble;I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Ps.91.1-16

Thank YOU for Your faithfulness through the good, the bad, the easiness, the hardness…

Change 4…

 Change 4…

Daniel…

David…

Isaac…

Joseph…

Moses…

Jeremiah…

Mary…

Esther…

Naaman’s  slave…

Shunammite woman’s son…

Jairus’ daughter…

Timothy…

Boy with bread and dried fish…

Children who surrounded Jesus…

Benjamin…

Solomon…

Ruth…

And many more….

What do these people have in common? They were young when their lives changed direction….part of their journey with God…unexpected changes…new directions….they may have been surprised, but God had their lives well in hand…

The well known verse from Jeremiah…the Lord speaking to the people of Israel in Babylon…

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jer.29.11

Many of us have life-changing experiences at a young age…some very bad things have happened, as well as good things…events that made us think in a certain direction …events that rocked our worldview…events that rocked our emotions, soul, mind, heart…experiences that changed our course for good and for bad…

They drive us to God  or away from God… 

As I look at this list of people from the Bible, I can read about their responses to life changes…we have their stories and how they handled change…how each were used….how God worked in their lives ….what a encouragement to meet our own…no matter the age…

Thank YOU…

Song, “Confidence”, Ethan Hulse

I’m not a warrior

I’m too afraid to lose

I feel unqualified for what you’re calling me to

But Lord with your strength

I’ve got no excuse

Cause broken people are exactly who you use.

So give me faith like Daniel in the lion’s den

Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness

Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense

So I can face my giants with confidence

You took a shepherd boy

And made him a King

So I’m gonna trust you and give you everything

I’ll be a conquerer

Cause you fight for me

I’ll be a champion claiming your victory

So give me faith like Daniel in the lion’s den

Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness

Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense

So I can face my giants with confidence

 

I’m gonna sing and shout and shake the walls

I won’t stop until I see them fall

Gonna stand up, step out when you call

Jesus, Jesus

So give me faith like Daniel in the lion’s den

Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness

Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense

So I can face my giants with confidence

I’ll face my giants with confidence…

“Done”….Don…

 “Done”….Don….

My cousin posted this about cancer…this week…

“Left without understanding, last breath heard, and it's over. Can't say this will be my last post for awhile, but perhaps the last real meaning for awhile. I love each and every one of you! Certainly, in the hardest moments of life, we recognize friends or real people who really appreciate us. Unfortunately, some friends often click 'Like' but in reality, they don't take the time to read a status if they see it's long.

I decided to post this message to someone very special to me who fought until the end with toughness and energy; who taught me to live every day as if it were the best day; who filled the world with a beautiful smile and spirit t's sweet.

Now I'm looking at those who will have time to read this post to the end (I think I might be able to guess the first 5 or less). Cancer is too invasive and body destructive. Even after the treatment is over, the body fights itself trying to rebuild all the damage caused by radiation. It's a long process (100% true).

So please, in Honor of a family member or friend who died or is fighting cancer or even someone who had cancer but is now cured, copy and paste (don't share) this post to your page.

So I will know who read my status, please write "Done"

To all the people with hearts gone too soon and to all those who fought until the end with strength and courage

I am supporting Pink October.”

💗💔

11 years ago this week we heard the results, the findings of tests, X-rays…the conclusion….glioblastoma, stage 4 brain cancer…12-18 months max, surgery scheduled….chemo, radiation to follow…

None  of those words existed in our vocabulary until that day…shock, dismay, tears, numbness, panic entered the door…But, God was there all the time…He never left, He quieted us in the darkness with his light, He held our hand, He gave me songs in the night…He spoke in quiet tones…He comforted when we wanted to scream, “why?”…

And when 5 1/2 months passed, He still held us at the memorials…the flag folding, the 21 gun salute, the lowering of the casket, through the grief, the well wishers, still giving songs in the night….comfort in words, His Word, through the maze of shock, tears, change…comfort in counseling, friends, community, business partners and associates…time….

No, tears still come at odd moments, ambushes…am not consumed with grief anymore…but acquainted with it now…once in awhile walking that path along with those  who are hurting…maybe giving a bit of comfort as others gave me, as He gave me…listening to their stories, their pain…

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2Cor.1.3-4

Thank YOU….“

Change…2…Noah…

 Change….2…Noah…

Previously, I wrote about a changed move….what our family experienced by a changed direction made over lunch in New York…by people we never met…

But I know that each of us experience change in our lives, each have a story…it may be an illness, marriage, the birth of a child, a car ride, a spontaneous decision,  etc., etc., etc….some we do on “own”, others we do with much prayer, fasting and waiting…some are life changing, some are world changing…

We change family groups, we change church groups, working groups, neighborhoods…etc., even belief groups…

Going through the Word, there is change from the beginning…

God made the world…He made light, divided the light from the dark, He divided the waters, He made land, vegetation, lights in  the expanse, living creatures in the waters and on the land and sky, and finally man…what change…I can’t imagine…I love to create, but it always has to start with something…He created with His Word…

Adam and Eve changed their living environment by disobedience, eating from the tree of life, listening to the deceiver instead of God…banned from the garden to work the ground by the sweat  of his brow…with thorns and thistles…with mankind needing a Savior from that time onward…

Consider Noah, “ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

Gen. 6:8… a man going about his daily business…asked to build an ark….an ark? To house his family and a zoo…rain? Water covering the whole earth?….now that was a change…

Things happen in our lives that we can’t even imagine…like Noah…

But, he trusted, he obeyed, he built, he was saved…the stories he could tell his grandchildren…passing down his faith….

 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Heb.11.7

 

Thank YOU…you have always had a plan…You don’t change…help me to move with your plans, experiencing the changes you have planned…

A move…changed…

 A move, changed….

In 1976-77, our young family of three were living in the Cascade mountains in an old mining camp called, Jawbone Flats, later known as Opal Creek…my husband was working for Freeport-McMoran, looking at a copper deposit found under those magnificent old growth Cedar trees…

We lived in the cabin with the bath tube…(each cabin was known for their major convenience)…I cooked in an old oil stove or the small wood stove…the cabins had been built in the 1930’s. Sometimes we had power from the huge generator that served the camp until a pelton wheel was finally working using water to give us steady quiet electricity.

The place is a steep canyon and in the winter, we had about and hour of sunshine. We happened to live there in one of the driest winters, with very little snow and the Detroit dam below us was nearly dry…so we navigated through that time without getting snowed in…

Another job move was offered and we eagerly took it…it was to move to Indonesia to work high in the mountains at the mine called the Ertsberg.

I was pregnant with our second child, we went home to pack, get all of our paperwork in order…, passports, shots up to date, sort, etc….we could  take 100 pounds with us, 1000 pounds to come behind us and the rest of our belongings to be stored for the two year stint…we met the family whom we would be replacing and got hints of what and what not to take, how the living conditions were, etc, we rented out our home….even made connections with my parents who were in New Zealand at the time…everything set…

The moving truck arrived, the movers packed packed and packed and we were down the kitchen table standing alone in an empty house, as I cleaned, ready to fly out the next day…

The phone rang…the job had been canceled over lunch in New York City….

 

I stood in the middle of the empty floor, stunned, got a hug from the renter who arrived to get the keys, told the packers to unload, realized I got a great spring cleaning…and changed directions….

We had had peace about the job, having prayed over it a lot, and we had peace about not going…so moved forward, moved back into the Cascades to finish that job…it would have been a great adventure, but apparently not for us…

Later, as I delivered our second child quickly, with some difficulties following, it was good that we hadn’t moved as the medical care there at the mine or flying out to Cairns, Australia might not have been a great way to go…God had it all well in hand….we had to be willing to accept the changes….and His direction…

All through the Bible, there are life stories of changed directions…as readers and students of the Bible, we can see how each worked out for the people, maybe see how God used the changes for His Glory…sometimes we may get glimpses of that for our own life stories and most we probably won’t know until we reach our heavenly home…how God is working in our lives to mold us, to build us, to conform us more and more into his image…nothing is wasted in His economy….

Thank YOU…

 “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Eph.5.20

 How great are your works, O Lord!Your thoughts are very deep!

Ps.92.5

 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heavenand do not return there but water the earth,making it bring forth and sprout,giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;it shall not return to me empty,but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Isa.55.8-11

https://thediggings.com/mines/usgs10208264

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasberg_mine

your dwelling place..Psalm 84…

 Your dwelling place…Psalm 84…

“The pilgrim’s love and longing for God and His House…”

As I read this one, there is a longing to be in the house of the Lord…

It reminded me of our near past here with Covid restrictions….not gathering together in our churches…even knowing that we can worship God anywhere we are….we missed going to church…being with others, group worship…singing songs of worship…praying together….just gathering together….”normalcy “….the birds could gather, but we couldn’t….

No matter what take we go with…it is wonderful to sing praises, to be strengthened by God, to be shielded By Him, to be heard by Him, to be be near to Him, to have trust in Him….there is none like Him….nothing compares…

Thank YOU….

 How lovely is your dwelling place,O Lord of hosts! 

My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord;my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. 

Even the sparrow finds a home,and the swallow a nest for herself,where she may lay her young,at your altars, O Lord of hosts,my King and my God. 

Blessed are those who dwell in your house,ever singing your praise! Selah 

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,in whose heart are the highways to Zion. 

As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs;the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength;each one appears before God in Zion. 

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah 

Behold our shield, O God;look on the face of your anointed! 

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;the Lord bestows favor and honor.

No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. 

O Lord of hosts,blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Ps.84.1-12

One commentary suggests this psalm was actually written by David when he was away from Jerusalem because of his son, Absalom’s rebellion…David was missing going to House of God…interesting…

“Charles Spurgeon said Psalm 84 was entitled “to be called The Pearl of Psalms. If the twenty-third be the most popular, the one-hundred-and-third the most joyful, the one-hundred-and-nineteenth the most deeply experiential, the fifty-first the most plaintive, this is one of the most sweet of the Psalms of Peace.””…interesting…

https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-84/

https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/psalms/84.html

The musician…

 The musician…

Yesterday, I went with part of my family to the Baker heritage museum in Baker City, Oregon…it is a huge two story building filled with mementos of the past…

Right in the middle of the wonderful displays sits an Old Steinway upright piano…(known for their quality tone…a sought-after piano…)

But, an elderly man sat at the piano playing through song after song, melodies both light and deep, making music that filled the two-story building amongst the farm displays, old cars, mining set-ups, the history of the Oregon trail, old artifacts from Native Americans, immigrants, a huge mineral displays …the man didn’t stop until closing, closing up the cover, carefully patting the instrument as if to say, “well done”…walking out the front door…

One of my grandsons, who is 7, loves rocks and is always picking up this one or that to add to his collection place at his home …kept saying, as he wandered around the rocks and minerals, “I am in heaven “, looking intently at each rock…he didn’t get to most of the museum because he was so enamored by the specimens…that was his “center” while the music played…

When you let the Bible fall open to its center, it opens up the the book of Psalms…filled with melodies of praise, discouragement, awesomeness, encouragements, wisdom, admonishments, comfort and so much more…centering our view on God, the True Center of life…the Musician plays these words through our lives and hearts, surrounded by the books of history, poetry, prophets, scenes of the ancients…life…

We each need that “center”, that music…that is why they are there for us to read, hear..

Thank YOU…let me be instrument of your music…

 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Col.3.15-17

 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master…

Matt.25.23

 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2Tim.3.16-17

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steinway_%26_Sons

Psalm 80…restore us…

 Psalm 80…restore us…

Broken families….I thought of this when reading this psalm…

One commentator said this may have been a lament of the brokenness of the Northern versus the Southern tribes of Israel…Ephraim and Manasseh were the sons of Joseph and they formed the two most important tribes of the north…Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob, his tribe was the boundary tribe between the north and the south…battles were fought there and they allied with both at different times…interesting…(I thought)…

When we look at the brokenness around us, whether families, couples, siblings, nations…the world…it seems like many times someone is caught in the middle…sometimes going with one side and then the other side…but always a need for restoration….making us whole again…

We need God’s restoration power…both to restore us to Him and with each other…He is the peacemaker, the Restorer of our hearts…

Psalms 80:3, 7, 19 (ESV) 3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved! 

7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved! 

19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

 God, come back!Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation.     

God-of-the-Angel-Armies, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation.     

God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation.

Ps.80.3,7,19 the Message.

 He restores my soul.He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Ps.23.3

 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Ps.51.12

The prophets speak many times of the restoration of Israel…the New Testament speaks of restoration as well, some people wanting Jesus to restore Israel…

But, there is a time set for that…

These are the things I need for restoration…a clean heart, a washing of my iniquities, a right spirit…

 Have mercy on me, O God,according to your steadfast love;according to your abundant mercy lot out my transgressions. 

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,and cleanse me from my sin! 

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

Create in me a clean heart, O God,and renew a right spirit within me.

Ps.51.1,2, 7, 10

Thank YOU….

Cycles…Psalm 78…

 Cycles….Psalm 78…

Reading through Psalm 78, I was reminded of cycles , the ups and downs of life, generations, nature…

One of the books given to us at one of the conferences was “Everything beautiful in its time” by Jenna Bush Hager…

It is a pleasant book, a tear jerker, a friend-maker book. It feels like you are sitting with her, learning about a new friend…getting acquainted…speaking of her family, thinking about yours, finding commonality…and differences…the life and death of grandparents, their love for one another and family….their faith throughout their lives…their personalities…

Psalm 78 tells of the ups and downs of the nation of Israel…their walking with God and turning away, over and over…the provisions and judgments, the personalities, the steadfastness of God through it all…

The last verse… “With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.”

Ps.78.72

Speaks of David, a chosen King…but to me it speaks of the Holy God who guides and shepherds us…with His skillful hand…

Thank YOU…

 The Photos were taken of a cycles of a cactus outside our door…a cycle of blooming…over a two day period…opening for a day, giving its sweet nectar, closed and falling off …for another to take its place…cycles…

God is not dead, he is surely alive…Psalm 74…

 “God is not dead, he is surely alive”…Psalm 74…

Last night a friend and I watched one of the movies from the “God’s not dead” series…

So of course I had that running through my head as I nodded off to sleep…my mind dreaming of the frustrations why have so many of our nation turned away from God…leaders, everyday people…and I am not here to get into politics…Gods purpose will stand no matter who is in power…

Then I opened up the my Bible app to find this scripture for the day…God speaking to Jeremiah…a future, a hope…

 Verse of the day…

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jer.29.11

Then reading today’s Psalm, 74, Asaph with the same plea that we could, as well as other peoples around the world could, utter…pleas for God to remember them as Asaph wants for the country of Israel so many centuries ago…but God is not dead as many would purport…He is not for the gone to sleep, or given over to the gods of the day…He is alive…He is the same creator who made the heavens and the earth…

 O God, why do you cast us off forever?

Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? 

Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old,which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage!Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt. 

Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins;the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary! 

Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place;they set up their own signs for signs. 

They were like those who swing axesin a forest of trees. 

And all its carved wood they broke down with hatchets and hammers. 

They set your sanctuary on fire;they profaned the dwelling place of your name,bringing it down to the ground. 

They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”;they burned all the meeting places of God in the land. 

We do not see our signs;there is no longer any prophet,and there is none among us who knows how long. 

How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?Is the enemy to revile your name forever? 

Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?

Take it from the fold of your garment and destroy them! 

Yet God my King is from of old,working salvation in the midst of the earth. 

You divided the sea by your might;you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. 

You crushed the heads of Leviathan;you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. 

You split open springs and brooks;you dried up ever-flowing streams. 

Yours is the day, yours also the night;you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. 

You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth;you have made summer and winter. 

Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs,and a foolish people reviles your name. 

Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts;do not forget the life of your poor forever. Have regard for the covenant,for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. 

Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame;let the poor and needy praise your name. 

Arise, O God, defend your cause;remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day! 

Do not forget the clamor of your foes,the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!

Ps.74.1-23

He asks the same of us as He did of Solomon’s time…

God speaking to Solomon…

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

2Chr.7.14

Thank YOU…

Asaph…Psalm 73…

 Asaph…Psalm 73…

Over my years, I have attended many churches…

At first we always had a minimum of a glorious piano player who pounded out the hymns so all could hear, other churches had organ players, some churches had both, some had only guitar players…all had a gift of musical talent and were willing to share…my mother lead choirs for many, many years…

There were musicians who could play without the music, who knew most of the songs of the hymnals, pastor’s wives who were expected to fill the role of the small church’s need for a piano player, “older” women and sometimes men who stepped up to the keys…

Then worship teams came into vogue, those who sang and directed the congregations into current praise songs, leaving the old hymns behind and finally, we have a blend of both the hymns and the praise songs…the old faithful hymns of great doctrine of past generations and the new praise songs of the present…

Asaph, an appointed musician, singer and cymbal player wrote psalms under David…ones we still read as part of the book of Psalms…they were handed down to all generations…

He faced the same realities of life as his contemporaries and we face today…he had the questions about life as we do…he came to his conclusions as we come to ours …he asked hard questions…

Reading this psalm is like reading current questions about life and what is taking place around us…mankind has really not changed, but God has stayed the same… 

Thank YOU that your Word is just as current now as it was when it was written…

 God Is My Strength and Portion Forever. A Psalm of Asaph.

Truly God is good to Israel,to those who are pure in heart.

 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,my steps had nearly slipped. 

For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 

For they have no pangs until death;their bodies are fat and sleek. 

They are not in trouble as others are;they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. 

Therefore pride is their necklace;violence covers them as a garment. 

Their eyes swell out through fatness;their hearts overflow with follies. 

They scoff and speak with malice;loftily they threaten oppression. 

They set their mouths against the heavens,and their tongue struts through the earth. 

Therefore his people turn back to them,and find no fault in them. And they say, “How can God know?

Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 

Behold, these are the wicked;always at ease, they increase in riches. 

All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. 

For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. 

If I had said, “I will speak thus,”I would have betrayed the generation of your children. 

But when I thought how to understand this,it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God;then I discerned their end. 

Truly you set them in slippery places;you make them fall to ruin. 

How they are destroyed in a moment,swept away utterly by terrors! 

Like a dream when one awakes,O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. 

When my soul was embittered,when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant;I was like a beast toward you. 

Nevertheless, I am continually with you;you hold my right hand. 

You guide me with your counsel,and afterward you will receive me to glory. 

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 

My flesh and my heart may fail,but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 

But for me it is good to be near God;I have made the Lord God my refuge,that I may tell of all your works.

Ps.73.1-28

Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers.

1Chr.16.4-7

 David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the order of the king. The first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, to him and his brothers and his sons, twelve;

1Chr.25.1-2, 6, 9

 and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord,“For he is good,for his steadfast love endures forever,”the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

2Chr.5.12-14

 And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped.

2Chr.29.30

 and certain of the priests' sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon. For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

Neh.12.35,45-46

  

https://www.compellingtruth.org/Asaph-in-the-Bible.html

Psalm 72…the last psalm of .David…

 Psalm 72…the last psalm of David…

As I read this Psalm realizing that this one is the last psalm of David, it reminded me of Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy…a father praying for and exhorting his “son” or in a larger sense God speaking of his Son, Jesus…

Or as a parent, what we want for our children, wisdom, praise for God, following Him…

In any of these instances, this psalm reads like the blessings that the patriarchs bestowed on their children…

It made me realize how much more I need to pray for my own children…grandchildren… those who God brings across our path in life in mentoring relationships…whose lives have touched us far and near…

Thank YOU…

There are some very great commentaries of this psalm…by great teachers …well worth the reading…

“I. He is earnest in prayer for the accomplishment of this prophecy and promise: Let the whole earth be filled with his glory, as it will be when the kings of Tarshish, and the isles, shall bring presents to him. It is sad to think how empty the earth is of the glory of God, how little service and honour he has from a world to which he is such a bountiful benefactor. All those, therefore, that wish well to the honour of God and the welfare of mankind, cannot but desire that the earth may be filled with the discoveries of his glory, suitably returned in thankful acknowledgments of his glory. Let every heart, and every mouth, and every assembly, be filled with the high praises of God. We shall see how earnest David is in this prayer, and how much his heart is in it, if we observe, 1. How he shuts up the prayer with a double seal: “Amen and amen; again and again I say, I say it and let all others say the same, so be it. Amen to my prayer; Amen to the prayers of all the saints to this purport—Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come.” 2. How he ever shuts up his life with this prayer, Ps. 72:20. This was the last psalm that ever he penned, though not placed last in this collection; he penned it when he lay on his death-bed, and with this he breathes his last: “Let God be glorified, let the kingdom of the Messiah be set up, and kept up, in the world, and I have enough, I desire no more. With this let the prayers of David the son of Jesse be ended. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.”” Mathew Henry Commentary…(italics, mine)

https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary/matthew-henry-concise/psalm/72

https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/psalms-72/

Psalm 71…old age…enemies…

 Psalm 71….old age…enemies…

I was watching a news and business commentary program as I was treading on the treadmill early yesterday morning….they were interviewing an author who has published a book on societal changes in America from the 1870’s to present…

His comments were noteworthy….over these years we have changed from a people that rallied together for a good cause to present day in which now we when we focus on others, we are looking for enemies…rallying against one another…divisive, fearful…

It gave me pause as I was at a conference in which we came together to rally around one another, to support a ministry which has worldwide influence and care for others, based on the gospel…sharing Jesus with people beyond the roads, into faraway  places, helping supply anything from new translations of the Bible to tin for roofs…ferrying villagers to medical care and schools…

Working together and not against one another, relying on one another…loving one another…

One of the guest speakers at the conference also referenced one of the verses from Psalm 71… 

 So even to old age and gray hairs,O God, do not forsake me,until I proclaim your might to another generation,your power to all those to come.

Ps.71.18

I have witnessed some of the societal changes over the years of my life, but the power of God still reigns…his love is still for those who seek Him…He never changes throughout the ages…

Thank YOU…

 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;incline your ear to me, and save me! 

Be to me a rock of refuge,to which I may continually come;you have given the command to save me,for you are my rock and my fortress. 

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. 

For you, O Lord, are my hope,my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;you are he who took me from my mother's womb.

My praise is continually of you. 

I have been as a portent to many,but you are my strong refuge. 

My mouth is filled with your praise,and with your glory all the day. 

Do not cast me off in the time of old age;forsake me not when my strength is spent. 

For my enemies speak concerning me;those who watch for my life consult together and say, “God has forsaken him;pursue and seize him,for there is none to deliver him.” 

O God, be not far from me;O my God, make haste to help me! 

May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt. 

But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. 

My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,of your deeds of salvation all the day,for their number is past my knowledge. 

With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;

I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me,and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. 

So even to old age and gray hairs,O God, do not forsake me,until I proclaim your might to another generation,your power to all those to come. 

Your righteousness, O God,reaches the high heavens.

You who have done great things,O God, who is like you? 

You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again;from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. 

You will increase my greatness and comfort me again. 

I will also praise you with the harpfor your faithfulness, O my God;I will sing praises to you with the lyre,O Holy One of Israel. 

My lips will shout for joy,when I sing praises to you;my soul also, which you have redeemed. 

And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.

Ps.71.1-24

Pay attention…

 BIBLE….

One of the speakers for this conference make makes acronyms for everything…people names, locations, titles…

One that has probably been around a long time, but I had never heard before or had lost in the many files of my mind is…

BIBLE…Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth…

I thought of this as the following came as today’s verse of the day popped up…

 You shall walk after the Lord your God and you shall fear [and worship] Him [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect], and you shall keep His commandments and you shall listen to His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cling to Him. 

Deut.13.4

This coupled with another speaker, Alistair Begg, whom our Womens’ Bible study has been following in Mark 4…spoke of “pay attention “…(here he is doing the devotional on the book of Philemon…encouraging Philemon to welcome back Onesimus, a former slave as a brother in Christ…)

Go back the “pay attention “…a phase found 20 plus times throughout the Word…

 

 A few…

A warning not heeded…

Exodus 9:21 (ESV)

but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the LORD left his slaves and his livestock in the field.

An admonition…

Exodus 23:13…Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.

Exodus 23:21 (ESV) Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.

 Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’

2Chr.6.16

 I set watchmen over you, saying,‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ Therefore hear, O nations,and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,the fruit of their devices,because they have not paid attention to my words;and as for my law, they have rejected it.

Jer.6.17-19

 Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.

Zech.1.4

 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken Mark.4.24-25

 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Acts.20.28

 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 

how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

Heb.2.1,Heb.2.3

Admonishments and encouragements….Basis Instructions…Pay Attention…

Thank YOU…

Psalms 69… a desperate cry…

 

Psalm 69…a desperate cry…

As I read this Psalm, by David, this am, I couldn’t but wonder if Jesus’ prayer in the garden the night of his betrayal wasn’t something similar…I know they are not the same, but the heart and the pleas tear at your heart…in desperation…Jesus knew his call, his purpose, his destination…and yet it must have been a weight so unimaginable….

Thank YOU….

 I am weary with my crying out;my throat is parched.

My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. 

More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause;mighty are those who would destroy me,those who attack me with lies.

What I did not steal must I now restore? 

Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,O Lord God of hosts;let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,O God of Israel. 

For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,that dishonor has covered my face. 

For zeal for your house has consumed me,and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. 

I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,and the drunkards make songs about me. 

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.

At an acceptable time, O God,in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. 

Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. 

Hide not your face from your servant,for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. 

Draw near to my soul, redeem me;ransom me because of my enemies! 

You know my reproach,and my shame and my dishonor;my foes are all known to you. 

Reproaches have broken my heart,so that I am in despair.I looked for pity, but there was none,and for comforters, but I found none. But I am afflicted and in pain;let your salvation, O God, set me on high! I will praise the name of God with a song;I will magnify him with thanksgiving. 

For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. 

Let heaven and earth praise him,the seas and everything that moves in them. 

For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah,and people shall dwell there and possess it;     

the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

Ps.69.3-4,Ps.69.6-7,Ps.69.9,Ps.69.12-13,Ps.69.16-20, Ps.69.29-30,Ps.69.33-36.

 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 

Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Matt.26.38,Matt.26.39,Matt.26.42

“Let” for this morning…

 “Let” for this morning…

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 

that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, 

for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 

The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. 

God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭67:1-7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Dry and thirsty land…Psalm 63…Abundance…Psalm 65…

 Dry and thirsty land….Psalm 63…

Abundance…Psalm 65…

All of my children were born In Nevada, “a dry and thirsty land”, average rainfall 8 inches…compared to national average of 38 inches…

We planned to plant our gardens Memorial Day weekend, with crops that could be harvested before Labor Day weekend…that was the timing because you could have major snow and frost at either end…and we did…

We learned how to utilize drip systems, rather than overall sprinklers to conserve precious water. ( traveling through Israel, observing their amazing use of drip watering, they have turned deserts into an oasis)

The harvest was usually plentiful, but every year was different…

Fruit trees, on the other hand, were a different matter, because of the usual short growing season…you may get a crop or you may not…provided good shade, if nothing else…and we gathered chokecherries and elderberries from the mountain canyons as well..

I still see pictures of friends with their gardens every year since I have moved away. Some have increased their gardens with greenhouses, which is amazing…

As I read psalms 63, 65 I thought of those times in Nevada compared to my present home…I have fruit trees which produce every year, raised boxes in which to grow whatever I sow, still using the drip systems for watering…

David wrote Psalm 63 while he was in the desert…

He wrote of the care and steadfast love of God…

“ O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;my soul thirsts for you;my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 

Because your steadfast love is better than life,

my lips will praise you. 

So I will bless you as long as I live;in your name I will lift up my hands. 

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed,and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 

for you have been my help,and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you;your right hand upholds me.”

Ps.63.1-8

Psalm 65 is such a praise song as well, but David speaks of the care of the land too…

 “You visit the earth and water it;you greatly enrich it;the river of God is full of water;you provide their grain,for so you have prepared it. 

You water its furrows abundantly,settling its ridges,softening it with showers,and blessing its growth. 

You crown the year with your bounty;your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. 

The pastures of the wilderness overflow,the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,the valleys deck themselves with grain,they shout and sing together for joy.”

Ps.65.9-13

God is with us in the desert times and the abundance…providing either way…both physically and spiritually…thank YOU….

A view from my back patio…fruit trees …this years peaches, the big and the small…

Yesterday’s conversation…communicate…

 Yesterday’s conversation….communicate…

Yesterday we had no exercise facilitator….just signs around the edge of the pool to follow..

So another exerciser and I worked together as we did them, with a constant conversation…which we don’t usually have time for…

Our conversation centered around being prepared…she knows nothing of their finances, checking, bills, paperwork, insurances, etc…the husband does it all…which is okay, but what if something happened and she had to take it over…

So her question was, “what do I do?”…

I had the same question, for my parents and my husband eons of time back , which seems like yesterday…

My mom had had a stroke, and I went to help my dad take care of her….and him….two months until she could get around on her own and eventually she drove again and taught her beloved painting classes…

But another goal of mine was to find out about all of their estate stuff, paperwork, accounts, etc…both for my peace of mind and my mother’s…my dad took care of everything as well…

So I explained what I needed from my dad and he graciously conceded…he began dragging out shoe boxes, small wooden boxes, files folders…etc…from under his bed, various closets.

We ended putting together a binder…

All account numbers..

Insurance info..

Contacts…lawyers, accountants, etc…

Phone numbers and addresses of people they knew…

House deed, car title…

Any ancestry info…

Military records…

Safe combinations…

A copy of will/trusts, POA, etc..

List of advisers…

Any funeral wishes, burial site/deed info…

Etc, etc,etc, …

I ended up purchasing him a file cabinet so at least all those little boxes could be in one place…

But, leaving my parents after that visit and caretaking  time…we all felt better physically and emotionally…we had many long talks…opening up many subjects…

But, upon returning home, my children wanted the same info about my husband and I…so another journey…making sure that it is kept pretty well up to date…now you have to add websites, passwords…

Later, as my mom, husband and dad passed away in quick succession, I was so glad that we had all taken time to put that info together…not just for the info, but for the times together, working through the process…the inheritance of values, love, care…

We are stewards…of all that God bestows upon us, whether rich or poor…whatever path He leads us on…we are still stewards…of His Word, His resources, His wisdom, His gifts…

I thought of this as I read Psalm 62 this am…it’s repetition…where our ultimate trust lies…

 For God alone my soul waits in silence;from him comes my salvation. 

He alone is my rock and my salvation,my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken…

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation,my fortress; I shall not be shaken…

On God rests my salvation and my glory;my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 

Trust in him at all times, O people;pour out your heart before him;God is a refuge for us. Selah 

Once God has spoken;twice have I heard this:that power belongs to God,     and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.

For you will render to a man according to his work.

Ps.62.1-2, Ps.62.5-8, Ps.62.11-12

Thank YOU…

https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/what-adult-children-wish-their-parents-would-say-to-them.html?utm_source=Daily%20Bible%20Living&utm_campaign=Daily%20Bible%20Living%20-%20BibleStudyTools.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=7105215&recip=488704412&aps=d491a43856e21b587867b447453a930de9780b237aec2d5b87b5802fcc4d8c3d

Measure…

 Measure…

“definition of measure

: an adequate or due portion

: a fixed or suitable limit : BOUNDS

rich beyond measure

: the dimensions, capacity, or amount of something ascertained by measuring

: a measured quantity

: a standard or unit of measurement

: the act or process of measuring

: a basis or standard of comparison

: to allot or apportion in measured amounts”Merriam-Webster 

I started with the word, “measure” in Mark 4:24…and found these verses going back to Genesis with Joseph…in his obedience to do what God had showed him through the Pharaoh’s dream…

Each verse so encouraging…provision, good, without end, abundance, allotment…gift…

Thank YOU….for your measure…help me to pay attention as in Mark…to the Word…

 And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

 Gen.41.49

Exodus 16:18 (ESV) But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.

Job 38

 Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,or what man shows him his counsel?

Isa.40.13

 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.”

Jer.33.22

 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

 Mark.4.24-25

 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Luke.6.37-38

 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

John.3.34

 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Rom.12.3

 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Eph.4.1-7