Praising God

Below are some fun things God showed me while taking a class on poetry in the Bible this summer.  For me, it shows how we really need to understand the Old Testament to fully realize how beautiful, merciful, loving, and gracious the content of the New Testament is:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Psalms we see death viewed as separating one from God.  There was no praising God in death; it meant separation from God and the covenant community.  Romans 8:31-39 has just become all the more incredible for me in light of this, especially Romans 8:38-39:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers...will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Also, I am not only seeing "love" in the New Testament as agape, but also as chesed, which is the Hebrew word for God's covenant lovingkindness - His unfailing love.  This is what I trust in, not myself or anything I do.  I imitate God as one who is unconditionally, covenantally, ceaselessly, loved.

Doing from being, not being from doing.

This phrase is a life-long process that must be unpacked by Father God daily.  God is doing a work.  I do not need to know all of the intricacies of it, all the steps, etc.  How could I?  Even so, I'm sure my spirit knows more than my brain.  I guess it has to start there - that's how the Lord works - from the inside out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll have some more lovely reflections later this week as I start to regularly blog again :)

Enjoy soaking in this truth if you wish as well (one of my favorite artists!):