I will praise Him!
Bamboo grove, Korankei, Japan — photo by David Kitz
I Rejoice in the LORD
09 Saturday Dec 2017
Tag Archives: mountains
He Makes Springs Pour Water
26 Sunday Nov 2017
Tags
bread, God's creation, Grand Tetons National Park, mountains, oil, ravines, the LORD, water, wine
I will praise Him!
Grand Tetons National Park — photo by Matthew Taylor
He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.
The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.
(Psalm 104:10-18, NIV)
Singing Mountains–Clapping Rivers
08 Sunday Oct 2017
Tags
clapping, joy, judge, mountains, Ottawa River, praise, Righteousness, rivers, sea, the LORD
I will praise Him!
Early morning mist on the Ottawa River — photo by David Kitz
Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
(Psalm 98:7-9, NIV)
Our Dwelling Place
23 Sunday Jul 2017
I will praise Him!
From everlasting to everlasting — photo courtesy of Donald Adam
Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
(Psalm 90:1-2, NIV)
Where Morning Dawns
08 Saturday Apr 2017
I will praise Him!
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Where evening fades — photo courtesy of Eric Wright
You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
(Psalm 65:5-8, NIV)
God is within her
31 Friday Mar 2017
I will praise Him!
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Petrie Island, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
(Psalm 46:1-5, NIV)
There is a River
01 Wednesday Mar 2017
Posted in Mid-Week Medtiation, Psalms
Tags
Bilberry Creek, city of God, fear, God, mountains, Orleans, refuge, river, streams, strength
I will praise Him!
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Bilberry Creek, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
(Psalm 46:1-5, NIV)
Trust Brings Permanence
06 Monday Feb 2017
Tags
Hopewell Rocks, immovable, Mount Zion, mountains, peace, permanence, Psalms of Ascent, Songs of Ascent, steadfast, surrounded, the LORD, trust, trust in God
Reading: Psalm 125
A song of ascents.
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.
LORD, do good to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
But those who turn to crooked ways
the LORD will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel (NIV).
Reflection
If someone compared you to a mountain, would you take it as a compliment, or would you be offended? Your answer to that question may depend on your gender. I suspect very few women would like being compared to a mountain. Though I am a male, becoming a mountain of a man has never been one of my ambitions. Nevertheless, Psalm 125 begins by comparing those who trust in the LORD to Mount Zion. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick — photo by David Kitz
This is the sixth psalm in the Songs of Ascent series, and clearly the psalmist is inspired by his surroundings. He beholds the beauty of Jerusalem, its citadels and the mountains around it. There is something reassuring about a mountain. Mountains have stood the test of time. They have endured when human endeavors have come and gone. In a world of transition, the mountains remain; they stand firm.
Are you like a mountain—solid and immovable? You ask—how can I be? Without the LORD, this is truly impossible. But the psalmist provides us with this assurance: As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
We only have permanence because of the LORD. He has you surrounded. Are you going through hell and high water? He has you surrounded. Are you facing opposition? He has you surrounded. Is there trouble on every side? He has you surrounded. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
Again this psalm reassures us that the LORD is on our side. He is working on our behalf. The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.
Response: Father God, I trust in you. I trust that you are working on my behalf. Help me to become steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58, NKJV). Amen.
Your Turn: Are you becoming steadfast? Do you have enduring faith?
Reaching to the Heavens
29 Saturday Oct 2016
Posted in Psalms, Saturday's Psalm
Tags
faithfulness, heavens, love, mountains, Righteousness, skies, the LORD
I will praise Him!
On the shore of the Ottawa River — photo by David Kitz
Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
(Psalm 36:5-7 NIV)
Mighty Power
01 Tuesday Mar 2016
Tags
God, mountain moving, mountains, power, Rocky Mountains, strength
You are strong, and your mighty power put the mountains in place (Psalm 65:6, CEV).
Misty Mountains – photo courtesy of Donald Adam
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is power.
Nothing speaks to me about God’s power like mountains. Maybe it’s because I grew up on the Canadian prairies, and I didn’t see any mountains until I was eighteen. When seen for the first time, the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies is simply breathtaking.
That feeling of awe is likely what led the psalmist to write these words: You are strong, and your mighty power put the mountains in place (Psalm 65:6, CEV).
We know one thing with certainty. God can move mountains. Their existence declares his power. But I also know God can move the personal mountains that I face in my life. Jesus said, “If you have faith in God and don’t doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will” (Mark 11:23).
What about you? Are there mountains you would like to see moved?
Response: LORD God, you are the strong One—the mountain mover. Move the mountain in my life that keeps me from being close to you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Your Turn: What mountain would you like God to move?
I love the Psalms 