When I was a young spiritual seeker I eventually learned Jesus is the only thing going on forever.
I think this is an ideal Lenten season song. There are times during Lent when I just need to settle down with Christ. This song does that for me. Enjoy!
Recently an entry by Amy Carmichael in her book, Edges of His Ways, brought my attention to this word. It is not used much in today’s English. I was feeling worn out and weary by all the medical hoopla. I certainly need the Lord to quicken me as only God can.
The word quicken is used in the King James Version of the Bible, and it means “revive or make alive.” If something is living, it is “quick”; to “quicken” something is to bring it to life or restore it to a former flourishing condition. I seriously needed restoration and the promise in Psalm 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.”
For many years I read 5 Psalms each morning. Because it is so bloomin’ long, I broke up Psalm 119 into 22 selections for days 1-22 of each month. Some Bibles show Hebrew letters at the beginning of each stanza. Those correspond to the Hebrew alphabet, (which I do not read).
It can be depicted this way.
Back to the main topic here! Quicken lead me to do a study of the passages in Psalm 119. Psalm 119 has so many references for this word.
Revive me, give me life, be gracious, enliven me. I imagine most of us if not all of us could use more of this from God. Perhaps the best way to present this to you is simply to list the passages with the references? That way you can read it for yourselves and apply them prayerfully to your life.
Psalm 119:25 KJV reads My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word. NIV reads My soul clings to the dust, revive me according to your word.
Psalm 119:107 KJV I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word. NRSVUE I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word.
Clinging to dust. Severely afflicted. Yep, just done worn out. God can handle this even when we cannot in our own strength.
Psalm 119: 40 KJV Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. NRSVUE See, I have longed for your precepts; in your righteousness be gracious to me.
As we long for His precepts {divine principles, guidelines, statutes, and instructions that God has set forth for righteous living} … as we long for these guidelines and instructions from God, God is gracious to us through righteousness. We long, God fulfills. Do you truly long for these?
This might sound all too simple, but this is the Word of God. There are promises here. We will be restored as we cling to the Word and walk in the ways God shows us to walk.
Psalm 119:50 KJV This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. NRSVUE This is my comfort in my distress, that your promise gives me life.
If you have not chosen an activity for this Lenten season to draw you closer to the Father, perhaps studying these verses might do the trick?
Psalm 119:88 KJV Quicken me after thy loving kindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth NRSVUE In your steadfast love spare my life, so that I may keep the decrees of your mouth.
Psalm 119:93 I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. NRSVUE I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.
Psalm 119:37 KJV Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way. NRSVUE Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; be gracious to me {give me life} according to your word.
Psalm 119: 149 KJV Hear my voice according unto thy loving kindness: O Lord, quicken me according to thy judgment. NRSVUE In your steadfast love hear my voice; O Lord, in your justice preserve my life.
Psalm: 159 KJV Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O Lord, according to thy loving kindness. NRSVUE Consider how I love your precepts: be gracious to me {give me life} according to your steadfast love.
Psalm 119:156 KJV Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me according to thy judgments.NRSVUE Great is your mercy, O Lord; be gracious to me {give me life} according to your justice.
That might seem like a lot of digest. I hope you did not just blow through the verses. I think if you will ponder them you will find them a source for better understanding what the Psalmist knew about God and how you can draw closer for a better understanding for yourself.
Medication was making it tough to sleep. This phrase dropped into my mind. I was uncertain as to entire lyrics. You have to love this aspect of the internet. I entered the phrase and then I had entire song lyrics, author etc. Here is my story about Whittier and the song.
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind | John G. Whittier written 1872. I have a book of poetry by him that belonged to my grandfather. We had it recovered as it was starting to fall apart.
Dear Lord and Father of mankind, Forgive our foolish ways; Reclothe us in our rightful mind, In purer lives Thy service find, In deeper rev’rence, praise.
O Sabbath rest by Galilee, O calm of hills above, Where Jesus knelt to share with Thee The silence of eternity, Interpreted by love!
Drop Thy still dews of quietness, Till all our strivings cease; Take from our souls the strain and stress, And let our ordered lives confess The beauty of Thy peace.
Breathe through the heats of our desire Thy coolness and Thy balm; Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire, O still, small Voice of calm.
In simple trust like theirs who heard Beside the Syrian sea The gracious calling of the Lord, Let us, like them, without a word, Rise up and follow Thee.
Pursuing the topic today I looked it up online. Wikipedia said:
“The text of the hymn is taken from a longer poem, “The Brewing of Soma“. The poem was first published in the April 1872 issue of The Atlantic Monthly. Soma was a sacred ritual drink in Vedic religion, going back to Proto-Indo-Iranian times (ca. 2000 BC), possibly with hallucinogenic properties.
“The storyline is of Vedic priests brewing and drinking Soma in an attempt to experience divinity. It describes the whole population getting drunk on Soma. It compares this to some Christians’ use of “music, incense, vigils drear, and trance, to bring the skies more near, or lift men up to heaven!” But all in vain – it is mere intoxication.
“Whittier ends by describing the true method for contact with the divine, as practised by Quakers: sober lives dedicated to doing God’s will, seeking silence and selflessness in order to hear the “still, small voice”, described in I Kings 19:11-13 as the authentic voice of God, rather than earthquake, wind or fire.
The poem opens with a quote from the Rigveda, attributed to Vasishtha:
These libations mixed with milk have been prepared for Indra: offer Soma to the drinker of Soma. (Rv. vii. 32, trans. Max Müller).
So I found the poem in my grandfather’s book. It has seventeen stanzas. Reading it reminded me of the Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans and elsewhere where the celebrants go carnally nuts just before Lent begins. “Mardi Gras, which is also known as Fat Tuesday, is a day of indulgence that marks the end of Carnival.”
So the hymn writers took various stanzas from his poem and arranged them out of order. I want to add one that they seemed to have left out.
With that deep hush subduing all Our words and work that drown The tender whisper of thy call, As noiseless let thy blessing fall As fell thy manna down.
Yes, Lord help us to stop using too many words with You. To wait for the tender whisper of Your call, Your blessing as when Your fell manna. Feed us today with Your word of encouragement, challenge and joy. Yes, we are to once again return to stillness.
Oh crap. Remember those Post-its with so much adhesive? One took off some of the print in Grandfather’s old book of poetry, the poem entitled Disarmament. Foolish me used teh Post-it to count the stanzas and figure out what the hymn folks left out. I found the complete poem online and restored the words. But goodness! Was that necessary? Guess with this brain adjusting yet again to a higher dose of medication, I do stupid things.
There were a couple phrases that jumped out at me in our worship for the Second Sunday in Lent. During the Great Thanksgiving our priest read, “You brought forth all creatures of the earth and gave breath to humankind. Wondrous are you, Holy One of Blessing, all you create is a sign of hope for our journey. ” This language of liturgy is lofty, yet simple in truth.
Breath to humankind … we each have this breath. Do we give the Creator credit for gifting us with this life and breath? Do we recognize that every human being has been given this same holy breath? Are willing to give thanks for them, too?
Continuing with the Eucharist: “And so, remembering all that was done for us: the cross, the tomb, the resurrection and ascension, longing for Christ’s coming in glory, and presenting to you these gifts your earth has formed and human hands have made, we acclaim you, O Christ …
Dying, you destroyed our death. Rising you restored our life. Christ Jesus, come in glory!
How many times outside of a church building do we remember all that was done for us by Christ? If you make it your practice to review the things listed in this liturgy regarding all that was done for you, it is difficult not to be grateful and give praise to our Risen Lord. Perhaps copy that one sentence and make it your practice for the remaining days of this Lenten season?
Remembering all that was done for us: the cross, the tomb, the resurrection and ascension, longing for Christ’s coming in glory, and presenting to you these gifts your earth has formed and human hands have made, we acclaim you, O Christ!
This might just change your Lenten appreciation. Holding what has been done for us before our hearts and minds can be life giving and bring mighty levels of joy. And how about that Acclaim of faith? “Dying, you destroyed our death. Rising, you restored our life. Christ Jesus, come in glory!”
I think this rendition of the Risen Christ might be the most delightful I have ever seen? Have you ever pictured the event in your spirit? Do you ever just sit with your image and give thanks?
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 KJV
Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 NRSVUE
May this Lent find you giving more attention to Jesus and His mighty work than to your own affairs. Even things done in the Name of Christ can detract from our focus on our Savior. Give Him your all and you will not be disappointed in the return on your investment. His finished work is not to be underestimated!
Before dawn today there was a four bird chorus raising praise to the Lord for His goodness and holiness. The northern Cardinal, Carolina wren, American robin and tufted Titmouse were raising a continuous singing of triumph and might. I know, because I asked the Merlin Bird app from Cornell University to identify them for me.
How have you lifted your voice today? What time did you begin? Did you lie in bed bemoaning the day or the rough night of pain?
Perhaps we would benefit more by taking a fresh look at the goodness of God to bring us through the night and unrolling before us another day of living and loving?
Amy Carmichael wrote in Edges of His Ways:
Psalm 19:10, R.V. margin: The droppings of the honeycomb. This morning I found this marginal reading which was just the word I wanted at the moment. There are times when we cannot read much or even think much. But if we are quiet we shall hear little sweet words dropping into our hearts, “sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb.” I need not write them; they will be different perhaps to each one of us, but they will be comforting and strengthening too; and we shall go on our way for another day, fed and refreshed.
If we are willing to get still at the center point of our souls I believe we will hear “little sweet words dropping into our hearts.” Perhaps not every single time we get still, but the incidences will increase as we employ the practice.
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10
T. S. Elliott said:
“At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity, Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards, Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.”
I pray you will get still enough to hear those little sweet words dropping into your heart.
Stillness makes listening possible. Yes, I can hear while my mind is busy, but stillness amplifies the ability of listening. Picture the pages on a Post-it note pad.
I bought one recently that seemed less expensive than the others. Come to find out all but one tiny edge has the Post-it adhesive on it. So they are really hard to take off the pad, or any place else you stick them.
Striped edge is only one not sticky!
Busy-ness, multi-tasking, mind racing is like that pad. It seems efficient at the time, but we really are only giving our attention to things halfway until we get totally stuck with less than quality results. That is what a prayer life without stillness equates to. Entering stillness is like pealing off those Post-it layers, methodically, intentionally.
In 1 Kings 19 God was not in the fire, or whirlwind or earthquake. God was in the still, small voice. It is terribly difficult to hear that voice when your heart and mind are all riled up!
Stillness is like coming to a center point and waiting. Not waiting on the starting block of a foot race.
Above is that point in the race where runners are poised for action. In contrast, the stillness we need more of in our lives is the stillness where we learn to wait in peace and collectedness. Listening for that still, small voice of God. The place where the promises below are fulfilled.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8 NIV
And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 NRSVUE
It takes practice to listen in this way. And practice leads to better listening during the hubbub of life. Can we agree unreservedly with Isaiah 50?
The Lord God has given me a trained tongue, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens, wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. 5 The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn backward. Isaiah 50:4-5 NRSVUE
I, for one, have a long way to go in yielding my ears to hear God and yielding my tongue to speak words of comfort and encouragement in due season! Listening, practicing stillness, will most assuredly get me to that goal more thoroughly than any other method I have ever found.
Holy and Mighty One help me to give myself over to this stillness and listening to Your voice, I pray.
I have been impressed again by how very important it is for each of us to learn to get still. Here is one song that began this quest for me many years ago. Before Christy Nockles was known by name, she and her husband published music under the name Watermark.
The more I get alone, the more I see I need to get alone more, more 'Cause just when I think that I'm alone Your Spirit calls out to me And even silence has a song 'Cause that's when You come, sing over me
Still, let me be still Let me be okay with the quiet in my heart Still, I want to be still I'm so quick to move instead of listening to You Shut my mouth, crush my pride Give me the tears of a broken life Still
Oh this world, it falls around me And flutters all it's beauty in my eyes But let me choose the solitude Simplicity has always simply changed my life And even stillness makes me move 'Cause that's when my heart learns to dance with You
Still, let me be still Let me be okay with the quiet in my heart Still, I want to be still I'm so quick to move, instead of listening to You I'm your child, tame my heart Obedience to me impart Still
La la la, la, hold me La la la, la, cleanse me La la la, la, change me, oh God Change me, change me while I am
How is your practice at getting still? Do you have a practice? Listen to the song again and ponder the words. They are full of deep truth.
Think of it as a time to re-collect: to bring back to the level of conscious awareness : remember.
We get so very scattered in our daily lives. Can we set aside a time each day to draw ourselves back together? Waiting in stillness with the remembrance that God is on the throne and not flustered by our forgetfulness or distractedness. During the practice try to turn off the chatter in your brain. Make note of the noteworthy thought with the promise to tend to it later.
Stillness is not to be underestimated in value. The practice of multi-tasking has been overestimated. To come to stillness in this day and age takes practice, and more practice.
The season in the church calendar called Lent is here! It does not have to be all prune-faced dislike. In an effort to draw closer to God, we can forsake (give up) something for this 40 days. I prefer to embrace something I have neglected. Confession of my sin can be one thing I tend to neglect.
Why should we have a time of self examination in the Christian church? This is one way to safeguard against delusion. A serious safeguard against just going through the motions of religion, “playing church.” Are we transparent in wanting to change our ways from self and flesh to God and the plan Christ laid out for His indwelling us? The powers of self examination and confession, forgiveness and redemption should not be underestimated.
The Book of Common Prayer has us confess “we have sinned against God in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.” We then go on to acknowledge that “we have not loved God with our whole heart; and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.” And I also add I have not loved myself as God would want me to do.
It is important to stop there and ponder in what ways are these statements true? It is far too easy to memorize a prayer and blow past the significance of how these sentiments apply to us personally.
Stop. Ponder. Confess. Pray for forgiveness. There is not a single one of us who does not need this. We all fall short of God’s highest and best for us.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Psalm 139:23 NRSVUE
God asks us to search and know our own hearts, test and know our thoughts along with Him. This is our work as well as His. We are so easily deceived. We fool ourselves more often than we might think we do!
Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. 2 Corinthians 13:5a NRSVUE
As realization dawns upon you, write down what you see as your shortcoming, and acknowledge that you are out of line with God’s ways. Then tell God you are sorry and ask for help in changing your ways.
God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us. Yes, Lord! Perhaps you will embrace self examination and confession this Lent. One of our priests says her dad who was a priest used to tell people , “Have a miserable Lent!” I, too, hope that yours would be miserably holy. As we seek to draw closer to God we see how far we fall short of His likeness. Let God help you move closer to that goal of living holiness this season.
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