Category: Exalting God

Acknowledge God before starting the To Do List

Earlier this week I was walking in our local park, making my way to the beautiful bush walk we are blessed to live near. As I walked from the open space with the heat of the summer sun beating down on my head, into the bush with the canopy providing shade and protection, I was struck by the sudden change of circumstances. With only one step I went from the open, unprotected area into the covered, protected place. And wasn't I glad I'd taken that step!

That sudden physical change in the atmosphere made me think about God's covering and protection, and how different life is when we choose to walk under it.

But let them all be glad, those who turn aside to hide themselves in you. May they keep shouting for joy forever! Overshadow them in your presence as they sing and rejoice. Then every lover of your name will burst forth with endless joy. Lord, how wonderfully you bless the righteous. Your favour wraps around each one and covers them under your canopy of kindness and joy. Psalm 5:11-12 TPT

How reassuring the Psalms are .... Your favour wraps around each one and covers them under your canopy of kindness and joy.....

There was a time when I didn't read anything in The Bible except the Psalms. The deep pain in my heart so often resonated with the words of the Psalmist.

Please, God, show me mercy! Open your grace-fountain for me, for you are my soul's true shelter. I will hide beneath the shadow of your embrace, under the wings of your cheribum, until this terrible trouble has past. Psalm 57:1 TPT

Please, God, show us mercy! And He has.

Open your grace-fountain for me. And He did.

For you are my soul's true shelter. And He is.

I will hide beneath the shadow of your embrace. And I do.

Until this terrible trouble has past. And it has.

If the season you are in now is a difficult one for you, I really encourage you to immerse yourself in the truth of the Psalms. God is listening to the cries of your heart and He is on your side.

You've kept track of all my wandering and my weeping. You've stored my many tears in your bottle - not one will be lost. For they are all recorded in your book of remembrance. The very moment I call to you for a father's help the tide of battle turns and my enemies flee. This one thing I know: God is on my side! Psalm 56:8-9 TPT

The end of this season will come. There will be a time when you can declare this, as the Psalmist does in Psalm 57 ...

My heart, O God, is quiet and confident. Now I can sing with passion your wonderful praises! Awake, O my soul, with the music of his splendor-song! Arise, my soul, and sing his praises! My worship will awaken the dawn, greeting the daybreak with my songs of light! Wherever I go I will thank you, my God. Among all the nations they will hear my praise songs to you. Your love is so extravagant it reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness so astonishing it stretches to the sky! Lord God, be exalted as you soar throughout the heavens. May your shining glory be shown in the skies! Let it be seen high above all the earth! Psalm 57:7-11 TPT

Be encouraged, protect your heart and choose to stay under the canopy of His kindness and joy.

 

 

 

I will be exalted in the earth

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 NKJV

Being a very task focused person, this is one of the scriptures the Holy Spirit often reminds me of.  It is one of my go-to scriptures when I feel myself getting overwhelmed with life’s circumstances.

Be Still worship songs

A couple of worship songs based on this scripture can often help me get to that place of ‘Being still’, Be Still by Kari Jobe and Be Still by Hillsong Worship. They are on my ‘Be still’ playlist!

When I was seeking God on scriptures He wanted me to keep focused on this year, 2019, Psalm 46:10 was one of them. I looked it up in The Passion Translation to help me get a fresh revelation on it …

Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God. I am God above all the nations, and I will be exalted through the whole earth. Psalm 46:10 TPT

I will be exalted through the whole earth

Over the years, my main focus when reading this scripture has been the ‘Be still, and know that I am God,’ with me speaking to my mind, telling it to settle.

But last week when I read this scripture from The Passion Translation’ I felt that God was directly speaking to me from the last part of the verse ….  ‘Wendy don’t fear the future for I am God above all the nations, and I will be exalted through the whole earth.’ 

I am… I will

As I read this scripture I had this overwhelming sense of God’s power and authority on this earth. That despite what people say and do, He is and always will be the God above all nations, and He will be exalted through the whole earth – as unlikely as that seems today.   Romans 14:11 came to mind.

Just as it is written: “As surely as I am the Living God, I tell you: ‘Every knee will bow before me and every tongue will confess the truth and glorify me!” Romans 14:11 TPT

Which is then followed by …

Therefore, each one must answer for himself and give a personal account of his own life before God. So stop being critical and condemning of other believers, but instead determine to never deliberately cause a brother or sister to stumble and fall because of your actions. Romans 14:12-13 TPT

Plenty to meditate on there!

But back to Psalm 46:10, where God is declaring Who He is and that He will be exalted. Here is the Amplified version …

Let be and be still, and know (recognise and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 AMP

Exalt – to elevate by praise; related to ‘glorify’  – to give glory (as in worship) (from Mirriam-Webster)

How do we exalt God in our lives?

So what does exalting God look like in our lives? What does it look like in my life? What does it look like in your life? Perhaps a better question is what does God want it to look like in our lives?

Let’s pray,

Heavenly Father, 

Thank you for the blessing of having your written word so freely available to us. Thank you for the revelation your Holy Spirit provides when we read it with the expectation that You will speak to us. 

I acknowledge that you are God. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to be my Lord and Saviour. Thank you for giving the Holy Spirit to be my counsellor and guide every minute of every day.  

Please help me to exalt you in the way You want to be exalted. Thank you that your grace is always sufficient and your mercies are new every morning. I love  you.

In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

For some more thoughts on God and His sovereignty please visit this post … Our God – Day 1 – Drawing closer to God devotion.

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