psalm 91

Psalm 91 has always been among my favorites of the psalms, but it has held a very special place in my heart since my dear and talented friend, Carol Allen, set it to music. Please enjoy this beautiful rendition. I can’t think of a more lovely way to start a Monday morning…

1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Photo by Aaron Paul Lazar
Audio performance by Carol Allen

i shall not be moved

“For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots
by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and
shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:8

Jesus is my Savior, I shall not be moved;
In His love and favor, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

In my Christ abiding, I shall not moved;
In His love I’m hiding, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

If I trust Him ever, I shall not be moved;
He will fail me never, I shall not moved;
Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

On His word I’m feeding, I shall not be moved;
He’s the One that’s leading, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

Lyrics by John T. Benson
Photo by Aaron Paul Lazar
Audio Performance by Stephen Sollars

way

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6

Photo by Marge McCoy

old things

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

You know you are getting old when the things you grew up with are becoming antiques. I was recently at a yard sale in which a small group of shoppers were commenting on a table of neat old gadgets. After they moved on I went over to the table to see what they found and stopped in my tracks to see that the “old” gadgets they were so happy to see were common household objects my family and I used on a regular basis. I was equally surprised to see a TV news clip of five and six year olds trying to figure out how to use a rotary telephone. I was taken aback to realize that today’s young children not only don’t know how to use a rotary phone but some weren’t even sure what it was. Times are changing. More and more people have given up their landline telephones in favor of cell phones. Receiving a letter in the mail is also becoming a novelty. As texts, tweets and instagrams overtake phone calls and mail the “older” generation seeks to find their place in the world of developing technology. I find myself trying to blend the old and the new. I want enough of the new to be able to relate in today’s world but not so much that I get frustrated, overwhelmed or uncomfortable. I have adapted for myself a mixed approach. I still use traditional tools to connect in a familiar way with older friends and things in my past yet I try to embrace the new tools in order to connect with friends and loved ones of the younger generation. This approach works fine in the world of technology but what about spiritually? Too many believers want to be blended followers of Jesus. They want just enough religion to make them feel good but not enough to make them uncomfortable. They want a new life and a new start but they want to keep a few of the old unhealthy habits. Paul says “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Giving up the old life and changing the old ways are necessary steps. Picking and choosing pieces of a sinful lifestyle and trying to blend them with the new will not work. The old must pass away. We must become new. Thankfully, with God’s help we can do just that.

Photo and devotional by Marge McCoy

humility

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
Colossians 3:12

Photo by Ruth Diane Handley Domigan

morning mist

Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears, like chaff swirling from a threshing floor, like smoke escaping through a window.
Hosea 13:3

Photo by Cleve Sylcox

whether

For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
Romans 14:8

Photo by Marge McCoy

sand

Should you not fear me?” declares the LORD. “Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. Jeremiah 5:22

Photo Courtesy of McCoy Family Album

roll

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.

On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise,
And the glory of His resurrection share;
When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.

Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun,
Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;
Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.

Words & Music: James M. Black, 1893
Photo by Cheryl Cook

peace

‘“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26
Photo by Aaron Paul Lazar