My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. Save us, and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.
God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
A number of years ago, the board of a ministry I headed up was struggling with a difficult decision. One of the members, frustrated with the direction the discussion was going, looked at me and said, “Well, if you want my opinion …” I interrupted her because she had inadvertently hit upon the very reason we were all so frustrated.
“With utmost respect,” I told her, “I don’t want your opinion.” Looking around the room I continued, “Nor do I want any one else’s. I didn’t invite any of you on to this board because I needed your opinions. Human opinions are free for the asking, and usually worth what they cost, and I happen to think my own are as good as anyone’s. I invited all of you on to this board because I believed you could help me discover God’s opinion.”
Blessings,
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