Category: Hymns

TODAY: When Words to Pray Cannot be Found, Believers Pray the Psalms & Hymns: Psalms 11 & A Mighty Fortress is Our God

Dear God, together in heart and unified in mind, we pray aloud Your Word, we speak Your truth back to You. Hear our desperate prayers and cries:

Psalm 11

The Lord Is in His Holy Temple

 To the choirmaster. Of David.

  In the Lord I take refuge;

how can you say to my soul,

“Flee like a bird to your mountain,

   for behold, the wicked bend the bow;

they have fitted their arrow to the string

to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

   if the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”

  The Lord is in his holy temple;

the Lord’s throne is in heaven;

his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

  The Lord tests the righteous,

but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

   Let him rain coals on the wicked;

fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

   For the Lord is righteous;

he loves righteous deeds;

the upright shall behold his face Psalm 11.

Today is the day to turn to Jesus, Lord God, Savior. He is the One who saves. He is Redeemer.

Today is the day to call on His name, God of heaven and earth. His dwelling place is in a heart who praises Him in spirit and truth.

Today can be the first day of the rest of your eternal life when you call on the name of Jesus.

Who will join me today, to gather in heart, unified, to praise and march on with Martin Luther’s hymn, A Mighty Fortress is our God from 1529:

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing.
Our helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe.
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing,
Were not the right man on our side,
The man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He.
Lord Sabaoth, his name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure,
For lo, his doom is sure.
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers
Not thanks to them, abideth.
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also.
The body they may kill,
God’s truth abideth still.
His kingdom is forever. ( A Mighty Fortress is Our God, Martin Luther, 1529.)

Who will agree our hearts are changed and infused with increased faith and hope by taking time to speak God’s Word and an old hymn?

“Dear Lord, help us walk in Your truth and allow You to be our strength and our song throughout this entire day,

in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Put on Praise
Today we speak together in psalms and hymns and we are changed by God’s indwelling Spirit

If you are not sure you have ever received Jesus’ love and salvation, simply talk with Him now. Pour out your heart to Him. Let Him take your sin and failure and receive His forgiveness and power to new life in Christ. Tell someone you have become a new creation in Christ today. (2 Corinthians 5:17.)

I share children’s voices ringing in God’s truth of becoming a new creation with “Everything New” by the Kanagy girls:

Help Me Remember You, LORD

Jesus told us in His Word we would face trouble in the last days. He told us beforehand so we won’t be caught off guard.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” John 16:33.

Do we remember what else the Lord told us? Three hundred sixty-five times in the Bible, God says, “Don’t be afraid!”

God’s Word is living. It speaks to our souls when we open our hearts to the Lord to speak to us personally. Listen to His voice:

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
 For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; Isaiah 43:1-3

God doesn’t condemn us, He gave us a Redeemer. He gave us His only Son, Jesus who stretched out His arms wide on the cross to take our failures of sin.

He offers His salvation to anyone who will believe. He is God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior . . . ?

Yes? Let today be the day of salvation for you. You then will hear Him say, “You are Mine, I have called you by your name.”

And, today, even with great trial and sorrow, you can sing:

“Lord, I’m in Your hand. Lord, I’m in Your heart. In Your thoughts, in Your plans, never on my own.

Lord, I’m in Your hands. Lord, I’m in Your heart. In Your thoughts, in Your plans, never left alone.

When the darkness closes in and fear begins to rise, help me to remember You’re always by my side.

When the darkness closes in and fear begins to rise, help me to remember, You’re always by my side.”

Thank you Ella & Irelyn and Tim Weeks for your awesome song!

Will Jesus Find Us Watching?

Fanny Crosby 1875 

Blind to the light of the day, Fanny Crosby couldn’t see, but crystal clear was her heart’s vision of spiritual truth.  

It’s told Fanny loved God’s Word and memorized five chapters each week, as well as the study of poetry and the writing of prose.  

Fanny wrote more than 9,000 hymns! 

Today, I want to bring to our heart’s focus, Fanny’s hymn, Will Jesus Find Us Watching?  

When Jesus comes to reward His servants, 

Whether it be noon or night, 

Faithful to Him will He find us watching, 

With our lamps all trimmed and bright? 

Refrain: 

O can we say we are ready, brother? 

Ready for the soul’s bright home? 

Say, will He find you and me still watching, 

Waiting, watching when the Lord shall come? 

“What will we be watching for?” The disciples asked in Matthew 24. 

Do we remember Jesus’ answer?  

  1. Don’t be lead astray. “Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray’ (Matthew 24:5). 
  2. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don’t be alarmed. 
  3. Nation will rise against nation.
  4. And kingdom against kingdom.
  5. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 
  6. All these are the beginning of the birth pains. (Matthew 24.) 

Will Jesus Find Us Watching? Are we watching for the kingdom of heaven? 

Jesus continued to tell us what we would see in Matthew 24:

7. You will be delivered up to trials and put to death.

8. You will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 

9. Many will turn from following Me and betray one another . . .

10.  and hate one another.  

 11. False prophets will arise and lead many astray.  

12. Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.  

Jesus told us before, so we would know. He gives His promise to those who believe:

“But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”  

 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” Matthew 24: 9-14. 

If, at the dawn of the early morning, 

He shall call us one by one, 

When to the Lord we restore our talents, 

Will He answer you, “Well done?”  

Jesus told us in Matthew 25 of ten virgins who took their lamps to meet the bridegroom. Five were ready with their lamps filled with oil, but as the bridegroom delayed,  

They all became tired and slept.  

But the call of His arrival came suddenly in the night. The wise virgins with their lamps filled with oil were unable to give to those who had no oil. Each had to receive oil for themselves.  

While the foolish virgins went to buy oil, the bridegroom came.  

“And those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast and the 

the door was shut . . .

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour Matthew 25:10-13.  

Let us decide this day, to wake from our sleep! Let us together be ready for His coming. It’s as faithful as the morning.

Blessed are those whom the Lord finds watching, 

In His glory they shall share; 

If He shall come at the dawn or midnight, 

Will He find us watching there?  

There is time to turn and call on the name of Jesus. He will answer our call. He will faithfully forgive all our sins. In our emptiness, we must ask Him to fill us overflowing with the oil of His Holy Spirit.

I’m thankful Fanny Crosby, wrote with ink her heart visions so many years ago to open our eyes to God’s truth.

Jesus is coming again, . . . soon, and very soon.

O can we say we are ready, brother? 

Ready for the soul’s bright home? 

Say, will He find you and me still watching, 

Waiting, watching when the Lord shall come? 

TODAY is the day of Salvation. The invitation from Jesus is for all of mankind:

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price . . . Revelation 22:16,17.

TODAY, we will be ready.

 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” Revelation 22:20, 21.

Blessed are those whom the Lord finds watching, 

In His glory they shall share; 

If He shall come at the dawn or midnight, 

Will He find us watching there?  

“Yes, Oh yes, He will find us watching there!”

She Watched. She Cried Out. She Worshiped. Jesus Healed.

 A woman in the Bible whose child was sick must have been following Jesus and watching Him for some time.

She was a Gentile woman but when she called out to Jesus she spoke with the Jewish dialect, unlike her own,

“Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

But He answered her not a word.

“And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us” Matthew 15:22,23.

Jesus was silent, and the followers of Jesus were cold-hearted,  impatient, and more. But the desperate woman knew something, deep down—Jesus was her only hope.  

Then, Jesus spoke, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Are these sharp words of Jesus worse than silence?

Jesus broke His silence, but the words for this desperate woman seem far from compassionate: “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  

My eyes read on as I prayed for understanding . . .

 “Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” Matthew 15:25.

This Gentile woman was not offended by His words.  

She most likely had watched Jesus previously when he was in the presence of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the house of Israel.

Jesus spoke sternly to the Pharisees:  “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me” Matthew 15:7-9.  

This desperate, gentile woman sought Jesus, not with the right words, but with her whole heart, and she worshiped Him.  

 “But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” (Matthew 15:26).   

Israel is God’s chosen nation, but Israel means, “one who strives with God.” This woman, with all her heart, believed Him to be her only hope. She believed Him to heal her daughter and she worshiped Him. She asked for help—as a lost sheep striving with God:

  “True, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from the Master’s table” Matthew 15:27. 

 In other words, “Lord, I know I’m a Gentile, but even the crumbs from Your table will be enough for me.”  

Jesus wasn’t silent to be cold-hearted. Jesus didn’t reply to offend but He revealed her heart.

Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.”And her daughter was healed at that moment Matthew 15:28.  

I’ve heard it presented of whole-hearted worship to God brings healing to our souls. Do we praise God as this poor and needy woman? Do we believe Jesus is our only hope?

Together let’s speak or sing the words of this age-old hymn:

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy

Author: J. Hart (1759)

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
full of pity, love, and power.

Come, ye thirsty, come and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
true belief and true repentance,
ev’ry grace that brings you nigh.

Let not conscience make you linger,
nor of fitness fondly dream;
all the fitness he requireth
is to feel your need of him.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
lost and ruined by the fall;
if you tarry till you’re better,
you will never come at all.

I will arise and go to Jesus!
He will save me from my sin.
By the riches of his merit,
there is joy and life in him.


“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise” Jeremiah 17:14

“Help us Keep Focused Lord!” (Be Thou My Vision)

I have trouble with focus. I struggle with many directions of thought. Do you?

God is a gracious help when it comes to focusing. He basically says,

“Stop. Think of Me!”

In Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

There’s so much going on. “Outside there are conflicts, inside there are fears,” much like in Paul’s day as he wrote of his time in Macedonia in 2 Corinthians 7:5.

“But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us,” Paul continues, and He comforts us today.

Where’s my focus? I need to remember to spend time with God.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Psalm 37:7. 

God’s allowing trials in all our lives. He warned us in His Word we would have tribulation, but to rejoice because He has overcome, He is our victory, (John 16:33).

When words to our prayers feel weak, I speak the words of this favorite ancient 8th Century hymn:

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

When we speak to one another in hymns and psalms, we put on the spiritual armor of faith and truth, to gird ourselves for battle.

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

In Christ, “in Him,” we have salvation and security. He is our peace. In His presence is fullness of joy, the Bible tells us. And, ” . . . in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

The hymn reminds us of this. He is with us!

Be Thou my battle shield, sword for the fight;
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight;
Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O power of my power.

Together, we must stay focused on the battle. The Word of God must be our sword of thought to overcome:

” . . . since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us

 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, 

who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12: 1,2.

This is easy to read. Hard to do. But with God, all things are possible. His Word is a double-edged sword:

“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” Exodus 14:14.

To quiet the mind is a challenge. But to spend time with God is to be still.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.


Ancient Irish, 8th-century hymn

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

Let’s be equipped for battle, focused on the Lord, in His Word, speaking the hymns. When we get our focus on Him we remember we are His and He is ours.

We pray, “Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, . . .

still be my vision, O ruler of all.”

(If you have trouble resting, listen to this hymn on my Music Therapy Souncloud and go from fretful to restful and assured sleep.)

Cancer Hope: A Hymnal and a Phone Message

It was a day of great sickness after chemo. I opened a hymnal on my bookshelf. It opened to Be Still My Soul by Kathrina von Schlegel.

In a horrible physical and emotional state, the words jumped off the page for me. Just for me. I felt the Lord unveil these words personally, to me. . .

Be Still my Soul. The Lord is on thy side . . .

After great trials and this physical pain, I honestly forgot, that the Lord I believed in and asked to come in my life, was “on my side.”

I struggled in my faith. But the hymn:
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain

Actively reading this phrase, I understood immediately, the Lord could see it all. Faith ignited in a second through the reading, (not even the singing) of this hymn.

(Quite honestly, I had no idea the melody. Old hymns weren’t regularly played at my contemporary Bible-teaching church.)

I read more:

Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.”

And when you fight a cancer battle, it does come into the mind, “Am I going to make it?”

God knew I was asking and God answered me through a phone call, (though I will confess, God showed me other glimpses of my healing along the way until I finally believed completely).

A young 13-year old, Landon, (whom I had spent some moments with to get started playing his guitar), learned I was sick with breast cancer.

He not only prayed for me, but he sought the Lord in His Bible for answers and hope.

Landon called me, on August 23rd, 2010.

I didn’t hear the call. It went to voice-mail. I’m so glad it did. I replayed it over and over again. Here is the voice mail I saved:
“Hello Ms. Toni, this is Landon. I just wanted to read you some scriptures that the Lord gave to me for you. It is from Psalm 18:

“I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies . . .


He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from the powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support . . .


As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect . . .
He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.


You give me Your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me;
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.

You armed me with strength for the battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their back in flight, and I destroyed my foes.

They cried for help, but there was no one to save them- to the LORD, but he did not answer…
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!”

Yes, Landon read his Bible to me on the phone and he left this message.

“You made my enemies turn their back in flight, and I destroyed my foes . . . ” This was amazing.

The precious phone message, Psalm 18, and the hymn Be Still My Soul mean so much to me.

I share what I put down those many years ago as music therapy for myself in my cancer battle. I hope it brings peace and rest of mind for someone as they draw near to Jesus.

He promises to draw near: For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13.

Music Therapy/ Painted Bible by legacystudio.co

Please feel free to share this with any friends or family unable to sleep or rest during a physical or emotional challenge. Thanks – toniryp

 2 Be still, my soul; your God will undertake
to guide the future as he has the past;
your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
his voice who ruled them while he lived below.

4 Be still, my soul; the hour is hast’ning on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still my soul; when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Source: Christian Worship: Hymnal #847

“Those Who Sow in Tears Shall Reap in Joy” (Psalm 126, Song of Ascent)

There are times when God seems cruel and distant. Circumstances, trials, loss can speak confusion, doubt, and fear in our lives, yet God in His Word, ministers life and hope to all who hear His voice and receive His love.  

He gives understanding and wisdom to His ways in His Word, (Proverbs 2:6). Instead of being cruel, we learn and experience,  

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient . . . not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance 2 Peter 3:9. 

Here at Advent, approaching the day we celebrate the birth of our Immanuel, we seek Him and cry out as the hymn cries:  

“O come, O come, Immanuel, 
and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here 
until the Son of God appear” (Translator: J. M. Neale). 
 

Today, in our pilgrimage through the Song of Ascents, as the children of Irael journeyed up to Jerusalem to take time to celebrate the Lord’s faithfulness and deliverance, we look at Psalm 126,  

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, 

we were like those who dream. 

Israel was held captive seventy years in Babylon. But throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, we see the stubbornness of His people, disobedience and pride which brought about punishment under evil rulers.  

And we also witness throughout Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and more, the great faithfulness of a gracious and compassionate God. 

The Lord is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in mercy, forgiving iniquity and sin . . . (Exodus 34:6,7). 

However, all sin must be punished. The land of Israel had no Sabbath year rest for a total of seventy years. 

God warned the people. They were held captive exactly 70 years. His land had rest. The people? They remembered.  

Psalm 137 is a song in their anguish:  

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept 
    when we remembered Zion. 
 There on the poplars 
    we hung our harps, 
 for there our captors asked us for songs, 
    our tormentors demanded songs of joy; 
    they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 

How can we sing the songs of the Lord 
    while in a foreign land? 
 If I forget you, Jerusalem, 
    may my right hand forget its skill . . . Psalm 137:1-5. 

And God is faithful and true to His Word:  

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, 

and our tongue with shouts of joy; 

then they said among the nations, 

“The Lord has done great things for them.” 

   The Lord has done great things for us; 

we are glad Psalm 126:1-3. 

Time in God’s Word gives answers, understanding, and comfort through the “Why’s” and the dark days.  

“Dear Lord, we’re broken-hearted. We suffer great loss. Affliction. Trial.  

You give warning in Your Word. You give promises. You are faithful to them both.  

You are both merciful and just.  

You are both Holy yet forgiving. There is none like You.  

You are drawing all people to You and Your great name-sometimes through  

Help us to hear You every day, the warnings, 

“If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God, then the Lord will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions (Deuteronomy 28:58). 

Help us remember Your promises as well. 

Help us have ears to hear and hearts to understand You and Your ways and Your love:  “We love him, because he first loved us” 1 John 4:19.  

 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, 

like streams in the Negeb! 

 Those who sow in tears 

shall reap with shouts of joy! 

 He who goes out weeping, 

bearing the seed for sowing, 

shall come home with shouts of joy, 

bringing his sheaves with him Psalm 126. 

“Dear Lord, we weep, but we look up and rejoice in You.  

You never abandon Your people. We need Your law written on our hearts, yes, You accomplished all we could never do.  

We can never be right, just, true, in and of ourselves.  

The arrival of the Messiah was what the people were looking forward to. We are looking to You, our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth!” 

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, 

whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;  

who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Hebrews 1:1-3, NKJV.  

“Yes Lord, help us acknowledge You in all our days, in all our decisions.  

Though we may “walk in the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for You are with us” (Psalm 23).  

Help us trust You, the faithful and gracious Lord to be our hope this day and forevermore. You, Jesus, dwell in my heart, and the hearts of all who believe on You: 

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3). 

Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy . . . The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad Psalm 126. Watercolor by Grace Rypkema / Legacy Studio 

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go. Refrain

 Those who sow in tears 
Shall reap in joy. 
He who continually goes forth weeping, 
Bearing seed for sowing, 
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, 
Bringing his sheaves with him Psalm 126. 

Let us climb this mountain rejoicing: Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel (O Come, O Come, Immanuel Translator: J. M. Neale (1851).

Don’t Forget Your Shoes!

We almost never forget to put on our shoes out the door, unless, well, we rush out without them:

Kids come bounding through my door for their music lesson, take off their shoes, and (hopefully) enjoy and learn something new on their instrument of choice, and walk right out to go home without their shoes!

When I put shoes on my bare feet, I think of the protection and freedom they give me as I head out the door.

“Dear Lord, today I take my right shoe and think of Your Word in Psalm 125:

“Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved but abides forever” Psalm 125:1.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.

“Increase our faith to believe You today. To us who struggle to believe, ‘Help my unbelief! ‘

To trust You is to let go, surrender! It feels like a free fall. Help me understand what all this means.”

Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever . . .

For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.

Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, And to those who are upright in their hearts Psalm 125:3,4.

“You, Lord, don’t ‘see the same way people see’ (1 Samuel 16:7), people look at the outside of a person, but You see the heart.

You don’t see good people and bad people. What about the story about the housebuilders? You didn’t talk about good and bad, but about wise and foolish: The wise man built his house on the Rock, the foolish man, upon the sand.

Help us today to take heart in You and the wisdom of Your Word, even when we don’t understand everything in the full depth of meaning at times:

You see the heart, dear Lord. Not good or bad people, but the foundation each stands on. There are those who trust You on a foundation of Rock, and those who don’t . . . on a foundation of sand (Matthew 7:24,27).

The wise and the foolish.

How can we trust You if we don’t know You?

The left shoe is put on in remembrance of You, Your nature, ‘compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in mercy, forgiving . . . ‘ (Exodus 34:6,7).

Every house needs to be built on a good foundation.

Dear Jesus, if there’s anyone who understands to be misunderstood, Lord, it’s You.

Your Word is often twisted to hurt and deny . . . You. You don’t talk of “good” and “bad” people, . . . You created us all good, but then Genesis 3 affected all of humanity.

But to the broken, the hurting, the critical, the rude, the angry, the proud . . . this is all of us (!) (Romans 3).

You alone are Love. You alone never give up on anyone. You alone are Savior, Redeemer, Deliverer:

“For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land of the righteous . . . “

Even though there are many deep layers to this verse, this thought comes to mind (to help me understand how this relates to me, broken, yet standing on You, the Rock as Mt. Zion):

“Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

Those who are good? Upright in heart? “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity.

Peace be upon Israel! Psalm 125.

You are Peace, Jesus. Come wash us clean and make us new. We’ve put on our shoes. One of trust in You, as to stand on the Rock which is You, and the other shoe to walk in grace through faith,

with each step:

“O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus!”

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

We remember our hope:

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

(Nothing but the Blood of Jesus by Robert Lowry, 1876.)

So, today, moving forward through this advent season, I liken the act to put on my shoes, (which are a huge help to my activities,) as to the act to “put my trust in the LORD,” for one, and for two, to rejoice and marvel in His compassion and mercy on me and you.

There is no One like our Lord. He alone is the Rock of our Salvation. Amen!

Those who trust in the LORD are like mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever Psalm 125:1.

Conversation with the One Enthroned in the Heavens Who Lives in Our Heart

Our Advent Prayer Walk, 2021

In a day where news clips and billboards seem to scream in our every direction, the Lord speaks in the sunrise of the morning and the sunset of the night sky, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth Psalm 46:10.

“As we walk forward, slow with the challenge of keeping steady, we pray and cry aloud to You ‘who are enthroned in the heavens!'”

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is hands-1384735_1280-1024x765.jpg
To you, I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens.

“Psalm 123 is our prayer, word for word, dear Lord,

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.

Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.

Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.

“As empty gloves on the table become alive in our hands, help us put the promise of Your presence to give us strength now, for what comes today, to stand. Your Word is our comfort in our affliction,” (Psalm 119:50).

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go Joshua 1:9.

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed Deuteronomy 31:8.

“Help us remember Lord, our weakness as in empty gloves. To agree with You is surrender, yet this is our hope for strength in the battles. We are nothing on our own without You. Your Spirit gives us life.

Your promise to be with us wherever we go is repeated more than 18 times. Obviously, You don’t want us to forget this foundational truth. Keep us looking up, not all-around at every voice that speaks.

Your voice is not heard unless we are willing to hear:

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?‘ Hebrews 13:5,6.

Help us remember this. We are like sheep and forget the foundations of our faith.

Keep us faithful . . . to believe You . . . now, today!

…’ And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age‘ Matthew 28:20.

We know this, but we forget. Help us remember:

You were dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and Your name is the Word of God” Revelation 19:13.

If it had not been for the LORD who was on our side when men rose up against us, . . . Our help is in the Name of the LORD who made heaven and earth Psalm 124. (Calligraphy, tonirypkema.com)

“Our prayers are Your Word, dear Lord:

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, Let Israel now say – ‘If it had not been the LORD who was on our side when men rose up against us;

Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us;

Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.‘

Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;

The snare is broken, and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth” Psalm 124.

And the hymns and spiritual songs are our meditations:

Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches over me

Cevilla D Martin, His Eye is on the Sparrow

Renew.

Restore.

We walk with ears to hear Your voice today. In Jesus’ name.

Amen.”

Prayer Walk for Advent 2021: First Steps

Psalm 120, A Cry in Distress A Song of Ascents:

Psalm 120.

“Keep moving forward.” This is a phrase of encouragement throughout history. And this is my heart, during the advent season, filled with uncertainties and change. I ask you to join me to ascend in the Psalms through the Song of Ascents, to speak aloud the Word and pray to God to be renewed in hope and the joy of the Lord.

Here we go:

In my distress, I cried to the LORD, And He heard me.

Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue.

“Yes, Lord. This is a time of divisive and hostile words. Give us discernment to hear Your voice of truth.”

What shall be given to you, Or what shall be done to you, You false tongue? Sharp arrows of the warrior, with coals of the broom tree!

“Lord, help us know and remember Your eyes and ears are open to everything. We only see portions, but You are a witness to each unspoken and spoken word, each motive, every action of humankind., worldwide. You are God Almighty. Together we cry out to You. The One able to move mountains.”

Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar! My soul has dwelt too long With one who hates peace. I am for peace; But when I speak, they are for war Psalm 120, NRSV.

“We think of the day You walked on this earth, Jesus. You came in love, yet You were ‘despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief . . . we hid, as it were, our faces from’ . . . You. (Isaiah 53: 3.)

In this dark age we live in, we cry out for Your hope and light.

We give praise to You for Your Word reminds us:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts Isaiah 55: 8-9.

Amen and amen!”

And through the Songs of Ascents, we will continue:

I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth Psalm 121:1,2.

Is this not the testimony of faith through the ages?

“Lord, help us get our eyes off the circumstances, great frustrations, and misunderstandings and fix them on You.”

Where will we be if we turn from the true and living God to trust in man’s wisdom alone?

Your Word tells us, ‘. . . the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men‘ 1 Corinthians 1:25, ESV.

Thank You, Lord, that the open Word brings light to our steps:”

He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night” Psalm 121: 3,4.

“Amen, dear Lord. You are my Keeper. You’re our Keeper! We walk on the solid ground of faith in You.

You’re Immanuel, God with us. To all who choose to receive Your love and gift of salvation. You’re a giver. You were willing to lay down Your life for all lives, all people, all nations, all tongues.

Nails were driven into Your hands for me.

In a world where love is defined in many ways, Your Word defines love for us:

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath] 1 John 4:10, AMP.

To know You, Lord, is to believe Your promises:

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore! (Psalm 121: 7,8. Emphasis mine.)

Amen. Amen! (Emphasis mine.)

The LORD will preserve those who trust in Him from all evil, from this time forth, and even forevermore.

P.S. Renewed in mind, heart, and soul is the reward in time aloud in God’s Truth! In response, I share a song I wrote from Psalm 95, which I plan to record with the voices of children, The Lord is a Great God:

(For anyone who has read this far, can I ask for prayer as I complete the writing of a 5-Day Huddle in Genesis / Creation?

This song will need to be re-recorded with the voices of children! If you are local to me and have a child who loves to sing and is looking for opportunity, please contact me (PM).

In time, I pray this offering to the Lord will be a resource for churches and Christian schools for simple and powerful ministry to kids! And prayerfully, I can keep putting together 5-Day Huddles throughout Genesis.)

Let me know if you’re praying! -Toni Rypkema

“Dear Lord, give us . . .

What is our request before the Lord?

Do we pray for earthly blessings and relief from trials or from the physical discomforts alone?

Or do we talk to the Lord because He is God, worthy of honor and glory? Do I pray to give Him thanks and praise, with no request?

What do we want? How do we talk to the Lord?

I have trouble sitting still. Will God be OK if I move around a pray? Yes.

And, today, I share Fanny Crosby’s old hymn of 1875, “Draw Me Nearer.”

Fanny Crosby is a wonderful teacher. Many of her hymns were prayers. I share this to be spoken (or sung) with vocal cords vibrating.

To me, it’s therapy to the soul:

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side . . . Fanny Crosby 1875

Today I ask the Lord, “Help me have a holy lifestyle. One fully pleasing You.”

tonirypkema.com

“Dear Lord, teach me to give the wholehearted prayer. Not to pray for relief from trials only, but to give You glory and praise.

Help me surrender to Your will. That I might be willing to hear Your voice in Your Word more than my necessary food or the list of things to do, or the loud call of the worldly news.

Give me fruit in my life of love: . . . (which I can’t do unless I cling to You.) You’re the Vine, I’m the branch.

Keep me connected to You that I might have joy when hearts are very heavy. Peace when fear is everywhere. Patience in hectic moments.

Kindness when it’s hard. Goodness, when I’m tempted not to what’s right.

Faithfulness when I don’t feel like doing something.

Gentleness when it’s impossible without the power of God in me.

Self-control when the last choice I want to make is self-control.

“There are depths of love that I yet may know
Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Ere I rest in peace with Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

Thank You, Lord that You are a gracious God, patient to wait for us to “be still.”

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Give me a safe place, dear Lord. You, alone, O Lord, make me dwell safely:

 “We will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas,
 
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah (Psalm 46). We will pause and think calmly of the Name above all names, Jesus: Lord Omnipotent, Sovereign, LORD over all the earth.

“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth” Psalm 46:10.


 
“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth” Psalm 46:10.
 
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah Psalm 46:11.

Today. This day. We, “Pause and calmly think of that!”

“O God, give me noble and praise-worthy thoughts. I will speak a hymn and a psalm and immediately be changed from fear to faith:

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art

Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

Keep my thoughts on things above, not on things of the earth.

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23.

The only separation from me to You, Holy God of the Universe, is my sin. My unbelief, my pride to think I am enough without You. There is not a person on this planet able to escape evil thoughts, covetousness, selfishness, and lies.

I can never be good enough to come into Your presence. But Christ Jesus bridged the gap as He stretched out His arms for me on the cross.

Your Word is truth:

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word

I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, and I thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with thee one

Am I separate from God, or am I His “true son?” Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” Romans 10:13.

Call on Him, Today.

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always
Thou and thou only first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art

From the kingdom of darkness I’ve escaped, in the name of Jesus, to the Kingdom of Light. My inheritance is Love. Joy, peace, patience, kindness are empowered in and through me by the power and gift given to me of the Holy Spirit.

I’ve inherited the faithful, keeping hand of God to hold me for all eternity. I have reason to be thankful in every circumstance. I am a child of God. He has made me victorious in faith in Him!

High King of heaven, my victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall

Still be my vision, O ruler of all

Psalm 46, Amplified:

God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable],
A very present and well-proved help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas,
 
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah.

(Pause and think calmly of that!)


There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
 
God is in the midst of her [His city], she will not be moved;
God will help her when the morning dawns.
 
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
 
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.


Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has brought desolations and wonders on the earth.
 
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
 
“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”
 
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.

Pause and calmly think of that!

Remember the prisoners as if chained with them–those who are mistreated–since you yourselves are in the body also. 

4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. 

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” 

7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:3-8.

“Be Thou my vision, O Ruler of all.”

“He saw me ruined in the fall, Yet loved me notwithstanding all . . . “

“He saved me from my low estate, His loving-kindness, oh how great! Samuel Medley, 1782.

When temptations rise to be afraid or heavy-hearted under life’s weight, the hymns immediately change my mind.

After-all, doesn’t the Lord tell me, (and you), in His Word to, “Fix (y)our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable” Philippians 4:8, NLT.

And furthermore, to “Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.“

The hymnal, (along with the Bible, of course), is a safe place to find excellent and praise-worthy thoughts:

He saw me ruined in the fall, Yet loved me notwithstanding all; He saved me from my lost estate, His loving-kindness, oh how great! Samuel Medley, Loving-Kindness, 1782.

To wake and imagine my sweet Lord, patting the seat next to Him on the sofa,”Come a sit by Me.” So, I sit to be with the Lover of my soul as I open the hymnal:

Awake, my soul, to joyful lays,
And sing thy great Redeemer’s praise;
He justly claims a song for me,
His loving-kindness, oh, how free!

(In the back of our minds, do we have the report from the doctor, or that call on the phone, or the piece of mail that recently arrived?)

The Lord in my heart, is near. He’s right here. And He reminds me today from this hymn long ago:

Though num’rous hosts of mighty foes,
Though earth and hell my way oppose,
He safely leads my soul along,
His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!

Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!

The Comforter, the Holy Spirit speaks to me. He reminds me of a favorite psalm,

Why are you cast down, O my soul?And why are you disquieted within me?Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him Psalm 42:5.

When trouble like a gloomy cloud,
Has gathered thick and thundered loud,
He near my soul has always stood,
His loving-kindness, oh, how good!
Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
His loving-kindness, oh, how good!

God’s Word is living water refreshing my soul. Word-picture perfect, Psalm 42 reminds me, “God knows.”

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God . . . My tears have been my food day and night,While they continually say to me,“Where is your God?” . . .

For I used to go with the multitude;I went with them to the house of God,With the voice of joy and praise, Psalm 42:1,3,4.

I will think on this today, “His loving-kindness, oh, how good:”

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me—A prayer to the God of my life . . .

Why are you cast down, O my soul?And why are you disquieted within me?Hope in God;For I shall yet praise Him,The help of my countenance and my God Psalm 42:8,11.

My eyes are up. My heart is tuned.

“He saved me from my lost estate, His loving-kindness, oh, how great!”

Awake, my soul, to joyful lays, And sing they great Redeemer’s praise; He justly claims a song for me, His loving-kindness, oh, how free!

His loving-kindness, oh, . . .

how free!

Revive us Oh Lord. We speak aloud Your Word:

 “Sing, . . . Enlarge the place of your tent,
    stretch your tent curtains wide,
    do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes . . .
Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
    Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
   the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
    he is called the God of all the earth . . .
Though the mountains be shaken
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
    nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you Isaiah 54:1-10.

Awake, my soul, to joyful lays, And sing they great Redeemer’s praise.

“His loving-kindness, oh, how great!”

Loving-Kindness by Samuel Medley, 1782:

  1. Awake, my soul, to joyful lays,
    And sing thy great Redeemer’s praise;
    He justly claims a song for me,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how free!
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how free!
  2. He saw me ruined in the fall,
    Yet loved me notwithstanding all;
    He saved me from my lost estate,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how great!
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how great!
  3. Though num’rous hosts of mighty foes,
    Though earth and hell my way oppose,
    He safely leads my soul along,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!
  4. When trouble like a gloomy cloud,
    Has gathered thick and thundered loud,
    He near my soul has always stood,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how good!
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness, oh, how good!
  5. Soon I shall pass the gloomy vale,
    Soon all my mortal pow’rs must fail;
    Oh, may my last expiring breath
    His loving-kindness sing in death.
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness sing in death.
  6. Then let me mount and soar away
    To the bright world of endless day;
    And sing with raptures and surprise,
    His loving-kindness in the skies.
    Loving-kindness, loving-kindness,
    His loving-kindness in the skies.
tonirypkema.com

Be My Vision, O LORD. Today

Jesus had no pointing finger—only arms stretched wide.
In silence.

Yielded.

His love letter to each of us was written with blood.

He rose from the dead. Ever-living.

In believing, we receive . . .

sight, salvation, freedom. Light. Hope.

Eternal life is given.

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Dear Lord, we remind ourselves today Your never changing Good News.

I Am the LORD, I “will fight for you; you need only be still,”Exodus 14:14.

I Am the LORD, I “give strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak,” Isaiah 40:29.

I Am the LORD, those who “hope in Me will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint,” Isaiah 40:31.

I Am the LORD, “So do not fear, for I am with you,” Isaiah 41:10.

Our Father in heaven, holy is Your name. We choose You, we are Your sons and daughters.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Remind us. Holy Spirit imprint on our minds, a picture of Jesus and His nail-pierced hands reaching out for each and every one of our sins.
For the sins of the entire world . . .

You willingly paid.

Give us the ears to hear Your words, throughout our day “Follow Me.”

And we respond, “I will follow You.”

We wait with great expectancy . . .
We choose to worship You now, and watch our anxieties flee. We choose to worship You Jesus, Be Thou our Vision. Restore Peace to our restless hearts.
Let us exalt the Lord as we take time to meditate and speak:

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:
Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

If I lose the world, but have You, I have the King of Heaven as my friend. No one can take that away. You are an ever-lasting love and hope.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Be Thou My Vision, Irish Hymn, c.8th Century

God’s All. Man’s All.

Promises by Anneliese Rypkema
Watercolor by Anneliese Rypkema


Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Psalm 103:1.

All that’s within me. Do I bless?

 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:

Do I know some of His gracious gifts. Could I ever know them all?

What are the good reports?

 He forgives all our iniquities.

He heals all our diseases (Psalm 103:3).

All? Bless the Lord because He forgive all my sin and failure?

What are our iniquities? How quickly we forget?

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23. All of mankind has fallen short. All of man have gone their own way. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one Romans 3:10.

For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water Jeremiah 2:13.

Am I guilty of these evils. Will the Lord forgive my stubbornness?

Who is God that I should bless? Do I give ear to His Word?

He heals all my diseases? All my sicknesses? He heals in His time?

Do I scoff at this? Or am I willing to hear? Can I be still and know who is the LORD?

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness” 2 Timothy 3:16.

In this day of justice, who will execute it? What does the Bible have to say about this?

The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed. Psalm 103.

Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down Psalm 146:7-9.

Do I bless the Lord for all of this? I have choice..

We all have choice.

Today. The choice is mine to make. This day.

Can I trust God? What are the benefits when I choose this path?

“Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” John 1:12.

All who receive and believe in Jesus become His children. God’s very own . . .

Do I believe? Have I received? These are the questions in these present dark ages.

Do I choose to walk it alone? Or do I choose to trust all to Him?

If faith is the victory that overcomes the world for whosover is born of God, (1John 5:4), then I can choose to strip my garments of stubbornness and strife. I can put on the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in Him. I can grow to know all He has done for me.

Or not?

The loss? All.

So, what’s my choice this day?

I surrender all.

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name . . .

He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children,

To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.

Bless the Lord, you His angels,Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.

Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul! Psalm 103:7-22.