Famous quotes in

Psalm 118

The most famous phrase in 118, many times mentioned, is the stone that has been rejected has become the corner stone, often quoted. 

Then in verse 22, maybe 28, I believe, his love endures forever and all the other "endures", His love endures forever, His mercy endures forever. All in Psalm 118, long but these poetic refrain concepts hold it together perfectly.

I used to listen years ago to a preacher who mentioned Jesus Christ all through every single one of his sermons. When he was dying someone asked why he wasn't being healed. His response was God's mercy endures forever.

As for me, "When hard pressed I cried to the Lord and He brought me to a spacious place". I love that phrase, purely a perfect one for me personally, and in verse 17 I will not die but live. This too is good, but it is a long Psalm. Good for reading in the evening or as I usually do, this morning.

Renewing my youth like the eagle's

Psalm 103:1-5 is one of the great reading Psalms. It offers so much promise, and encouragement, but it also reads so well.  The Psalmist urges us not to forget all His benefits. The Lord redeems us, forgives us, crowns us, satisfies us, and renews us with good things. Saying this Psalm is strengthening to the spirit in my experience. Saying it makes me want to shout and lift my hands. Now all I need is to do it! Right now!

How strong is belief really?

Verses that picture the intended extent of one's belief must include Mark 11:22-24 as well as the Crucifixion. If the latter is so easy to be universally believed, then what about the former? Yet we find many who believe in Mark 11 Jesus was just using a figure of speech. 

Idle talk? I believe in belief however. It seems perfectly believable that with belief, if strong enough, God could create the world as He spoke it into existence in the beginning. Then strong enough belief can move mountains. I call the idea that Jesus was not serious about such a serious subject, a belief in Jesus, but denying His power.  

Our future points to what we say

 I like to read out loud for reasons based in the July 18th Sunset Stroller. 

Faith and fear

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans  10:17

I also, forgive me, also think faith comes by saying, speaking the word of God, which I suppose is pretty much the same thing. Faith always interests me, what it is and so forth, because it is quite literally POP, the point of purchase. 

I know there are various degrees of faith since Jesus spoke about little and great faith. I want as much as possible because I know I believe it on paper, but do I believe it in the foxhole? I am convinced we are directed, we are empowered, by our words in particular projecting our faith into the future. This is my view for myself at any rate. 

If some do not go along with my view then it does not reflect on any error in my view nor does it prove I am correct either. I think whatever we have faith for we will get in the future. 

If I do not believe in any existence for myself in the future then that is what I will get. Only catch is I will know I do not exist, and therefore outside existence and knowing it at the same time. That is as bad anything gets. We get what we believe, is essentially what I believe.  

Marking my favorites

I've been reading in Psalms recently and earmark my favorites that speak to me, as it were, personally. Psalms 90 and 91 come to mind recently, particularly the beautiful 91st.