Friday, March 30, 2012

Day 30!!

Wow! It’s Day 30 already—my 30-day challenge is up! What a good thing it has been, to get in the habit of consciously observing for beautiful things around me. Thank you to all who have joined me on this adventure—I hope that you have enjoyed it as much as I have (but I doubt you could have, because I got to actually experience all these things, and you only got to read about them. =)

Tonight I came across this interesting pair of verses, in Psalm 50. The Lord, after reminding His people that He is not a God Who needs to be fed or provided for by their ritual sacrifices, tells them what He really desires, in verses 14, 15, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High; and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.” Verse 23 is a ringing confirmation, “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me…”

I want to honor God with my whole life! How can I do so? Not by rituals or works done in a spirit of duty, but by a sacrifice of thanksgiving—just giving thanks! It’s so simple—or is it? Because sometimes even giving thanks feels like a sacrifice; it can mean relinquishing my own opinions about what is best, and accepting God’s choices for me with gratitude. At the same time, can the Source of all beauty fail to know and plan what is best for me? Do I really think that I could come up with something better?

And speaking of the Source of beauty, if all that He has made is so splendid, what must He be like? King Solomon spent his life surrounding himself with all the beautiful things that money could procure, and his verdict, ultimately, was “Vanity.” He would have done well to pay attention to the great aspiration of his father David, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4) That’s a vista that shall keep us occupied for all of eternity!

Sweet shades, and fields that glow with summer flowers,

How dear are ye to me!

Alone with Jesus, doth my heart adore Him,

That ye are fair to see.

Sweet shades, and fields that glow with summer flowers,

How dear are ye to me!

Nought seen in you but tender grace revealing,

How fair His thoughts must be.

Sweet shades, and fields that glow with summer flowers,

How dear are ye to me!

How soft the breathings of Thy love, Lord Jesus,

I rest my heart on Thee.

All, all that buds, and blossoms, and rejoices,

Hath my Beloved made;

His wisdom and His tenderness and gladness

Told forth in leaf and blade.

All, all that buds, and blossoms, and rejoices,

Hath my Beloved made;

All moves unto the music of His power

That fills the woodland glade.

All, all that buds, and blossoms, and rejoices,

Hath my Beloved made;

But heaven and earth, in all their radiant glory

To Him are midnight shade.

--Gerhardt ter Steegen

2 comments:

  1. My wife and I have enjoyed these, please do another!

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  2. I feel privileged to have been able to share in your 30 days, Rachel.. what a blessing! thank you!
    love, Cindy Mac xo

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