Monday, December 29, 2014

Great is the Lord


God is our refuge and strength,
 a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though
the earth gives away,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at
its swelling.

Selah

 There is a river whose streams make glad
the City of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not
be moved;
God will help her when morning
 dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
He utters His voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how He is brought desolations on
 the earth.
 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and shatters
the spear,
He burns the chariots with fire.
"Be still, and know 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 fortress.
Selah

I love this song! I love how it says to be still. And the use of the word Selah. It's a musical term that means "to stop and pause and think about it".  Some translation, I think it's amplified, uses "cease striving" instead of "be still'. This stands out to me. Also. I thought the three parts between the Selah are reminiscent of the functions of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father he sets everything in motion;the Son-,who is the true water- as streams of living water; and the Holy Sypirit who is it work in the world propeling us towards the Kingdom.

T

2 comments:

Onlythemanager said...

Beautiful. I like the words, "cease striving" as well. I don't remember reading it translated as that before but I really think it has a deep meaning. I think I will adopt it as my Lenten theme. People can have themes for Lent, can't they?

EJN said...

Meditation themes are often spiritual footprints on our lifelines, I love that practice.