/ Claire van Ryn

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PSALM 105 Tell stories! I’m a particular fan of stories and words, but when I read Psalm 105 today, it was immediately clear what Holy Spirit was saying to me. Tell stories! “Make known among the nations what he has done... tell of all his wonderful acts... Remember the wonders he has done.” (v 1,2,5) After this intro, the psalmist goes on to tell the story of the Israelites- their entry into Egypt, their population growth, their slavery, their escape and their journey - all recounted through the prism of what God had done for them at every step along the way. We need to keep sharing our own stories of God’s love, provision and guidance. They demonstrate to “the nations” that God is as alive and active today as he was in the days of Joseph and Jacob, Moses and Aaron. And the stories can be big or small. “God gave me a verse to comfort me,” through to, “God healed me.” All build a picture of the true and living God we serve! . . . (I’m reading a psalm each weekday - feel free to join me and share your own learnings 😊) #flampsalmaday #apsalmaday #dailypsalm #biblereading #joinme #psalms #godisgood #shareyourthoughts #blogger #jesus #psalm105
PSALM 104 We’ve been having lovely little chats lately, Adelaide and I, about God’s creativity. I make a rather epic comment like, “God made everything!” and she counters, “Did he make this piece of paper?” And then I’m tasked with explaining how God made people and resources like trees and, because we’re made in God’s image, we are innately creative ourselves and so have the ability to come up with useful technology and products. Like paper. Simples! “Hmm,” she says, “Did he make our house?” And on it goes! Yesterday, the cloudscape was magnificent and I said, “Who do you think made all the clouds?” She looks at me as if I’m daft and says, “Gawd!” with a self-righteous little huff. Psalm 104 is like a conversation with a (wonderfully articulate) 5-year-old, tracing steps back and back and back, to God. All the balance and equilibrium, all the boundaries, all the wonder. God. There’s a mix of awe, fear and gratitude when I stop to consider that everything hinges on Him. He holds all this together. Including this beautiful little girl who is FIVE today ☺️💛 . . . (I’m reading a psalm each weekday - feel free to join me and share your own learnings 😊) #flampsalmaday #apsalmaday #dailypsalm #biblereading #joinme #psalms #godisgood #shareyourthoughts #blogger #jesus #psalm104 #wonder
We renovated our en-suite 😁🙌🏼 So pleased with how it’s turned out 💛 My hubby is pretty darn clever! @phill.v.r 😉 Be sure to swipe for the before shot! #renovation #bathroom #beforeandafter #projects
PSALM 103 Stop everything! Read these verses! Today, I simply wrote them into my journal. I’m not going to add a thing other than to say that they reveal the flavour of God’s forgiveness, freely available to all who ask. “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” v8-13‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) . . . (I’m reading a psalm each weekday - feel free to join me and share your own learnings 😊) #flampsalmaday #apsalmaday #dailypsalm #biblereading #joinme #psalms #godisgood #shareyourthoughts #blogger #jesus #psalm103 #forgiveness
PSALM 102 The expression in this Psalm is darkly evocative. “My bones burn like glowing embers...” “My heart is blighted and withered like grass...” “I eat ash as my food and mingle my drink with tears.” The similes conjure the bleak terrain of this poor soul’s predicament. His lament is red raw, yet so powerfully articulated. I’m not sure that I’ve written anything with such inky despair since the angst of my teen years! But to scribble down our thoughts is a healthy therapy. It is journaled prayer and I know I have surprised myself at times by the potency of emotions when I write them instead of suppress them. I wonder if the psalmist, in writing it down, felt his distress somewhat alleviated. The Psalm juxtaposes his dire situation with who God is. “My days are like the evening shadow... but you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever.” (v11-12) We may be a mere speck, but God is everything else, making specks significant since Creation! . . . (I’m reading a psalm each weekday - feel free to join me and share your own learnings 😊) #flampsalmaday #apsalmaday #dailypsalm #biblereading #joinme #psalms #godisgood #shareyourthoughts #blogger #jesus #psalm102
PSALM 101 “My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me.” v6‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) I’m pretty intentional with who I click FOLLOW to on social media these days. I think you really have to. For me, I must guard my eyes or my thoughts will gallop off into places of doubt, self loathing, darkness and despair. David’s example to us in Psalm 101 is so applicable to our world today. We must be strategic in what we allow our eyes and heart to fix on. Who or what “dwells” with us? Who or what “ministers” to us? The word blameless appears thrice in this Psalm: blameless life, blameless heart (v2), and blameless walk (v6). What will it take for us to claim this same blameless life, heart and walk? I wonder how many of us could truthfully say as David said, “I will have nothing to do with evil” (v4). . . . (I’m reading a psalm each weekday - feel free to join me and share your own learnings 😊) #flampsalmaday #apsalmaday #dailypsalm #biblereading #joinme #psalms #godisgood #shareyourthoughts #blogger #jesus #psalm101
PSALM 100 “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his...” v3 (NIV). Who am I? This psalm of thanksgiving takes us to the core acknowledgement of our identity. God created us and we belong to Him. Everything we enjoy - our body, rights, freedoms, possessions, family and friends - all are His. He is who He says He is. He made us, of dust and rib. We are His. These statements, perhaps paradoxically, release such freedom and assurance. And the overflow is thanksgiving. Thank you God that you made Australia and its people - we are yours. Thank you for the government you reinstated on Saturday. We thank you and praise you! I know we won’t all agree on whether the right party is in power, but we can agree on this: God is in control. He made our leaders; they are His. Therefore I will praise God, I will, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise!” (v4) . . . (I’m reading a psalm each weekday - feel free to join me and share your own learnings 😊) #flampsalmaday #apsalmaday #dailypsalm #biblereading #joinme #psalms #godisgood #shareyourthoughts #blogger #jesus #psalm100 #praisegod
PSALM 99 “Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the Lord and he answered them.” v6‬ ‭(NIV) He answered them, He answers us. He forgave them, He forgives us. He disciplined them, He disciplines us. It’s always amazing to look back over journal entries from years ago and to realise all the answered prayer. How God has fulfilled this desire and provided that need. How He has comforted in this season and taught me a valuable lesson at that time. And when we have pause to consider God’s enormous part in our lives when we are faithful in prayer, it has this wonderful way of further enlarging our faith. For what is still to come. The Passion Translation calls Moses, Aaron and Samuel “the praying priests”. Let’s be that! Praying always so that our lives (and our vote tomorrow!) is navigated by the compass of our faith. . . . (I’m reading a psalm each weekday - feel free to join me and share your own learnings 😊) #flampsalmaday #apsalmaday #dailypsalm #biblereading #joinme #psalms #godisgood #shareyourthoughts #blogger #jesus #psalm99 #watercolour
PSALM 98 A day indoors - I haven’t stepped outside today but to drop Roman off at school. And now, I look out the window and for some reason my eyes pick up on dust particles and smeared windows and yellow totem tennis rackets strewn across the deck. So much of the psalms are written as if God is tenderly cupping my chin in his hand and saying, “Look up, beloved, look up!” And when I do, I see. I can literally see the river and the mountains clapping and singing (v8), not to mention the wondrous canvas of the sky. “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth!” (v4) I read Psalm 98 and know victory and hope and joy. While they may not be our reality right now, we can lift up our eyes and claim it as our future. . . . (I’m reading a psalm each weekday - feel free to join me and share your own learnings 😊) #flampsalmaday #apsalmaday #dailypsalm #biblereading #joinme #psalms #godisgood #shareyourthoughts #blogger #jesus #psalm98

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/ Claire van Ryn

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