Thought for May 9, 2024

•  1865: Commonly accepted end to the War Between the States when Andrew Johnson issues a proclamation declaring armed resistance ended
• 1914: Woodrow Wilson proclaims "Mother's Day"
• 1941: British break Enigma Code
• 1958: "Vertigo" released
• 2001: 129 soccer fans die in stampeded in Accra
• 2012: Mark Rothko's "Orange, Red, Yellow" sells for $86.9 million --most expensive contemporary art piece
• Born: John Brown, Harry Vardon, Henry Kaiser, Albert Finney, Billy Joel
• Died: Tanzing Norgay, Little Richard

Katherine Hankey died on this day in 1911: She wrote "I Love to Tell the Story" and Tell Me the Old Old Story." She wrote the poem that is the basis for these tunes while in bed for a year suffering with illness. A portion of the 100 stanza poem [a portion called "The Story Wanted" and a part called "The Story Told"] was read in 1867 at the International Convention of the YMCA. William Doane heard the reading and wrote music for "Tell Me the Old, Old Story." Later William Fischer set another portion of the poem to music as "I Love to Tell the Story." 

Thought:

Still in Psalm 1, reading 4-5 this morning. Yesterday, we looked at the result of delighting in the word and meditating on it. Today, what about those that don't.

• They are wicked. There are none righteous, no not one. But those that don't listen to the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, sit in the seat of scoffers, but delight and meditate on the word become the righteousness of God not because of what they do, but because He who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. God made us a living tree, waters us with Living Water, plants us so we cannot be moved--it is His work, not ours. The wicked reject His way for their own counsel, wisdom.
• Like chaff. Unlike the firmly planted tree, the wicked are like chaff. This would be a vivid picture for the Jews. Grain would be placed in a large flat basket. The grain would be tossed in the air. The heavy kernels of grain would fall back into the basket, the husks would be blown away by the wind. It was their way of separating the good fruit from the worthless husks. 
• In verse 1, we were told to be careful not to walk, stand or sit with the wicked. In verse 5, we are told that the wicked will not stand in the judgment or in the assembly of the righteous. Like grain and chaff, there will be a separation. Standing in the judgment means withstand the judgment. The righteous will stand, but the wicked will fail the judgment. 

Now consider verse 6--God knows. This is reassuring and frightening at the same time. God knows. God knows where we walk, stand and sit. God knows about our fruit. God knows. That is good news for those who delight in the word. That is terrifying for those who do not. God knows is empowering to those that believe----God knows our name; God knows our thoughts and attitudes. God knows our hearts. Lord, help me delight in the word--your written word and the Living Word. 

Blessings

Larry