Verse of the Day - weekend 9/27

Through the Bible - Isaiah 13-17, Ephesians 1-2

Good morning.
It has been a rough week in many respects for many of you who receive these devotionals.

I apologize for not being able to put out a Verse of the Day for a couple of days this week.

My wife Jean was rushed to the hospital on Thursday night with a bleeding ulcer (mostly due to prolonged use of pain medication for a herniated disc in her neck). Please remember her in prayer this weekend.

I was out of town on business and flew home yesterday morning. I hadn't had the time to do my devotions earlier, so I began them on the plane as we were preparing to take off.

Part of my reading was Psalm 150. I was reading it just as the jet was taking off.

Ps 150:1 Hallelujah!
Praise God in his holy house of worship,
praise him under the open skies;
Praise him for his acts of power,
praise him for his magnificent greatness; (from THE MESSAGE)

It was overcast and drizzly when I left Florida and was the same when I landed in Raleigh. But taking off we rose through the clouds to see a bright sunshine. While rising up in takeoff I was given a different view of the landscape than you can get when on the ground.

God has a different view of our lives. He sees the whole picture. Even when clouds block our view, His light shines through just like the UV rays penetrate the clouds and can give us warmth (and a sunburn), even in the cloudy days of life, He can bring us peace, warmth, and comfort in times of need.

When I landed and was heading to the hospital to see Jean, I listened to one of the new songs from Chris Tomlin, "I Will Rise".

Read the lyrics as an offering of praise to God this weekend.

I Will Rise

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
(x2)

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

To listen to the song you can go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yvfso4Q8xg

Praise Him this weekend even if it is a cloudy day.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net

Ps 150:1 -

150 Hallelujah!
Praise God in his holy house of worship,
praise him under the open skies;
Praise him for his acts of power,
praise him for his magnificent greatness;
Praise with a blast on the trumpet,
praise by strumming soft strings;
Praise him with castanets and dance,
praise him with banjo and flute;
Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum,
praise him with fiddles and mandolin.
Let every living, breathing creature praise God!
Hallelujah!


(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)