WEBVTT - 491 Praying Through Psalms 68: When God is Bigger Than Your Problems!

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey, and welcome to another Prayer through the Psalms episode

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<v Speaker 2>of the Praying Christian Women podcast. I'm Jamie and today

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<v Speaker 2>we're going to be talking about Psalm sixty eight. This

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<v Speaker 2>is called the God of Sinai and of the Sanctuary.

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<v Speaker 2>For the choir director, a Psalm of David, a song

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<v Speaker 2>portraying the extent of God's bigness and the fact that

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<v Speaker 2>he has no rival, that no enemy has a chance,

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<v Speaker 2>and it kind of goes through this whole thing and

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<v Speaker 2>contrasts God with those who would stand against him the

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<v Speaker 2>whole way. And it's amazing in our day to be

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<v Speaker 2>able to look at that and kind of contrast that

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<v Speaker 2>to the giants we face, to look back in that

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<v Speaker 2>day and realize that Spiritually speaking, we've talked about this

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<v Speaker 2>many times before, it was really not widely accepted that

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<v Speaker 2>there was this like huge god of everything that had

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<v Speaker 2>no rival. There were gods and even those that in

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<v Speaker 2>the ancient world had their gods that they considered supreme

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<v Speaker 2>that they were loyal to. It wasn't like there was

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<v Speaker 2>this one giant god that overshadowed all of them. And

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<v Speaker 2>so this was significant and for Israel, it was important

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<v Speaker 2>for them to proclaim that, and David seems to be

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<v Speaker 2>kind of the I don't know. David is the promoter

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<v Speaker 2>of this theology of God being the god of nations

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<v Speaker 2>and everything else cowering under his feet, and I love it.

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<v Speaker 2>So I don't know what giants you're facing right now

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<v Speaker 2>in your life, what enemies are surrounding you, What difficulties

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<v Speaker 2>you're up against that seem big. Maybe it's not even

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<v Speaker 2>an enemy. Maybe it's just kind of the situation you're

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<v Speaker 2>in right now. Maybe it seems big and insurmountable. I

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<v Speaker 2>also just want to bring up like, maybe it seems

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<v Speaker 2>too small. Maybe there's something you're dealing with. Like I

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<v Speaker 2>was talking to someone the other day that was having

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<v Speaker 2>issues with work, and they were like, Eh, God doesn't

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<v Speaker 2>care about my job, Like I have what I need.

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<v Speaker 1>Why would God.

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<v Speaker 2>Want to hear my complaints about my job and the

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<v Speaker 2>difficulties within it. Maybe your biggest problem is something you

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<v Speaker 2>would consider to be too small or insignificant or unspiritual

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<v Speaker 2>for God to be concerned with. Or maybe you were

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<v Speaker 2>faced with looking at the problems of the world or

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<v Speaker 2>the problems of other people that seem much bigger or

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<v Speaker 2>more significant, or more worthy of attention of God, and think,

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<v Speaker 2>who am I to complain? I'm just going to keep

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<v Speaker 2>my mouth shut. But the reality is God, God is

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<v Speaker 2>bigger than all of it, and he is I don't know.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't want to speak for God, but I believe

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<v Speaker 2>because I'm parent of a child, and because God is

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<v Speaker 2>our loving, heavenly Father, that when I have one kid

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<v Speaker 2>come to me with just a devastating problem, it doesn't

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<v Speaker 2>pain me less for another child to be struggling with

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<v Speaker 2>something that might not be quantitatively the same, because that

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<v Speaker 2>pain that they're feeling like, especially if they're a child

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<v Speaker 2>in a different circumstance, that pain could be just as

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<v Speaker 2>great in both situations. I hope that makes sense, because

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think God wants us to minimize our experiences

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<v Speaker 2>and the things that cause us pain, because God isn't

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<v Speaker 2>interested necessarily in the subject matter as much as he's

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<v Speaker 2>interested in the relationship with you, the fact that you

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<v Speaker 2>came to him. And if God is that big, I

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<v Speaker 2>don't even know if he sees the difference between something

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<v Speaker 2>we would consider big and small, just because he's so

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<v Speaker 2>much bigger than all of it. It's all problems and

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<v Speaker 2>they're all tiny. Do you notice the difference between a

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<v Speaker 2>micrometer and a nanometer. I don't actually know the difference,

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<v Speaker 2>and I don't remember which one is smaller. I'm pretty

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<v Speaker 2>sure it's nano. But do you know the difference. You

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<v Speaker 2>can't see either one, right, So I just hope that'll

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<v Speaker 2>be a picture for you to recognize that God loves us,

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<v Speaker 2>and he is so much bigger than all of it.

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<v Speaker 2>I know he wants you to come to him with

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<v Speaker 2>everything that you're struggling with. Whether you think it's too

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<v Speaker 2>big for him to handle, or whether you think it's

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<v Speaker 2>too small for him to be concerned with. I think

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<v Speaker 2>both of those beliefs are lies from the enemy. Let's pray,

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<v Speaker 2>Father God, we just thank you that we can come

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<v Speaker 2>to you with anything. We praise you for being a

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<v Speaker 2>great God, the almighty God, who has no rival, no equal,

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<v Speaker 2>no one on the same playing field even, and we

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<v Speaker 2>just praise you for your goodness and your love, your

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<v Speaker 2>loving kindness that would even want a relationship with us

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<v Speaker 2>as humans. I pray now against the lies the enemy

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<v Speaker 2>would give us, the lies swirling around in our minds

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<v Speaker 2>that prevent us from taking the step of bringing our

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<v Speaker 2>problems and our burdens, and our worries and our sorrows

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<v Speaker 2>to you, and our questions and our anger, all of it.

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<v Speaker 2>I pray that you would remove the blinders, help us

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<v Speaker 2>to see clearly that you are standing there with open arms,

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<v Speaker 2>not wishing for any of us to perish, not wishing

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<v Speaker 2>for any of us to suffer, but wanting us to

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<v Speaker 2>take that suffering to you, to bring those burdens to you.

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus said, come to me, all of you who are

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<v Speaker 2>weary and burdened, heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

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<v Speaker 2>Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy,

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<v Speaker 2>my burden is light. And he was the personification of you.

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<v Speaker 2>And so those are your words too. So we come

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<v Speaker 2>before you, Lord, We lay our burdens at your feet,

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<v Speaker 2>praying for your help, your wisdom, your work, your kingdom. Come.

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<v Speaker 2>Your will be done on earth, in each of our lives,

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<v Speaker 2>as it is in heaven.

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<v Speaker 1>Amen.

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<v Speaker 2>Contrast to Psalm sixty seven, Psalm sixty eight is a doozy.

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<v Speaker 2>It's pretty long. So it is thirty five verses, and

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to read them all because I feel like

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<v Speaker 2>it's important to read these in context. I was gonna

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<v Speaker 2>split it up, but I like the entirety, because it

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<v Speaker 2>gives us like the big picture of what David was saying,

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<v Speaker 2>and a lot of times he has a method and

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<v Speaker 2>a rhyme and reason to what he's doing. And it's

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<v Speaker 2>not just something that can be taken a few verses

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<v Speaker 2>at a time. There's a big picture to be found.

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<v Speaker 2>So I would love for you to just maybe even

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<v Speaker 2>close your eyes and listen. If you need to follow along,

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<v Speaker 2>you can open your Bible and follow along if you

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<v Speaker 2>if you learn better that way. But just take it

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<v Speaker 2>all in and see what the Lord says, the God

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<v Speaker 2>of Sinai and of the Sanctuary. For the choir director,

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<v Speaker 2>a psalm of David a song. Let God arise, Let

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<v Speaker 2>his enemies be scattered, and let those who hate him

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<v Speaker 2>flee before him as smoke is driven away. So drive

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<v Speaker 2>them away, as wax melts before the fire. So let

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<v Speaker 2>the wicked perish before God. But let the righteous be glad.

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<v Speaker 2>Let them exult before God. Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

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<v Speaker 2>Sing to God, sing praises to his name. Lift up

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<v Speaker 2>a song for him who rides through the deserts, whose

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<v Speaker 2>name is the Lord, and exult before him. A father

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<v Speaker 2>of the fatherless and a judge for the widows. Is God.

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<v Speaker 2>In his holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely.

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<v Speaker 2>He leads out the prisoners into prosperity. Only the rebellious

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<v Speaker 2>dwell in a parched land. Oh God, When you went

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<v Speaker 2>forth before your people, when you marched through the wilderness,

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<v Speaker 2>say lah, the earth quaked. The heavens also dropped rain

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<v Speaker 2>at the presence of God. Zeinai itself quaked at the

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<v Speaker 2>presence of God, the God of Israel. You shed abroad

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<v Speaker 2>a plentiful reign. Oh God, you confirmed your inheritance when

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<v Speaker 2>it was parched, your creatures settled in it. You provided

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<v Speaker 2>in your goodness for the poor. Oh God, the Lord

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<v Speaker 2>gives the command. The women who proclaim the good tidings

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<v Speaker 2>are a great host. Kings of armies flee. They flee,

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<v Speaker 2>and she who remains at home will divide the spoil.

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<v Speaker 2>When you lie down among the sheep folds, you are

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<v Speaker 2>like the wings of a dove covered with silver, and

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<v Speaker 2>its pinions with glistening gold. When the almighties scattered the

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<v Speaker 2>kings there it was snowing in Zalmen, a mountain of

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<v Speaker 2>God is the mountain of Bashan, a mountain of many

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<v Speaker 2>peaks is the mountain of Bashan. Why do you look

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<v Speaker 2>with envy, oh, mountains with many peaks, at the mountain

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<v Speaker 2>which God has desired for his abode. Surely the Lord

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<v Speaker 2>will dwell there forever. The chariots of God are myriads,

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<v Speaker 2>thousands upon thousands. The Lord is among them, as at Sinai.

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<v Speaker 2>In holiness, you have ascended on high. You have led

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<v Speaker 2>captive your captives. You have received gifts among men, even

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<v Speaker 2>among the rebellious. Also that the Lord God may dwell there.

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<v Speaker 2>Blessed be the Lord who daily bears our burden, the

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<v Speaker 2>God who is our salvation Seelah. God is to us

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<v Speaker 2>a God of deliverances, and to God the Lord belong

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<v Speaker 2>escapes from death. Surely God will shatter the head of

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<v Speaker 2>his enemies, the hairy crown of him who goes on

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<v Speaker 2>in his guilty deeds. The Lord said, I will bring

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<v Speaker 2>them back from Bashan. I will bring them back from

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<v Speaker 2>the depths of the sea, that your foot may shatter

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<v Speaker 2>them in blood. The tongue of your may have its

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<v Speaker 2>portion from your enemies. They have seen your procession, O God,

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<v Speaker 2>the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

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<v Speaker 2>The singers went on the musicians after them, in the

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<v Speaker 2>midst of the maidens, beating tambourines. Bless God. In the congregations,

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<v Speaker 2>even the Lord You, who are of the fountain of Israel.

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<v Speaker 2>There is Benjamin the youngest ruling them, the princes of

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<v Speaker 2>Judah in their throng, the princes of Zebulun, the princes

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<v Speaker 2>of Nethtali. Your God has commanded your strength. Show yourself strong,

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<v Speaker 2>o God, who have acted on our behalf because of

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<v Speaker 2>your temple at Jerusalem. Kings will bring gifts to you.

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<v Speaker 2>Rebuke the beasts and the reeds, the herd of bulls,

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<v Speaker 2>with the calves of the peoples, trampling underfoot the pieces

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<v Speaker 2>of silver he has scattered the peoples who delight in war.

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<v Speaker 2>Envoys will come out of Egypt. Dopia will quickly stretch

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<v Speaker 2>out her hands to God. Sing to God, all kingdoms

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<v Speaker 2>of the earth, sing praises to the Lord Seelah, to

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<v Speaker 2>him who rides upon the highest heavens which are from

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<v Speaker 2>ancient times. Behold, he speaks forth with his voice, a

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<v Speaker 2>mighty voice. Ascribe strength to God. His majesty is over Israel,

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<v Speaker 2>and his strength is in the sgise. Oh God, you

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<v Speaker 2>are awesome. From your sanctuary. The God of Israel himself

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<v Speaker 2>gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God.

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<v Speaker 2>I would like to take just a minute of our

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<v Speaker 2>prayer time and just have like a minute of silence

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<v Speaker 2>for us to ruminate on what God said through this

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<v Speaker 2>psalm through David. Before I give any of my opinions,

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<v Speaker 2>I just want you to sit with these words and

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<v Speaker 2>just maybe reread them if you have a Bible in

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<v Speaker 2>front of you, or just close your eyes and think

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<v Speaker 2>back to what was said and just see what God

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<v Speaker 2>says to you.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's pray. God. We just asked that your spirit would

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<v Speaker 1>speak to us.

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<v Speaker 2>As we think about these words of this psalm, that

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<v Speaker 2>you would pull out parts that are meaningful for us

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<v Speaker 2>in our lives today.

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<v Speaker 1>Speak to us Lord.

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<v Speaker 2>Amen. I hope you thought back to something that we

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<v Speaker 2>read together. I just thought maybe we should do that.

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<v Speaker 2>So in this passage, the things that stood out to

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<v Speaker 2>me were, like I said, this overview, this big picture

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<v Speaker 2>of God is being bigger. I loved this imagery because

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to use this imagery when I think about

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<v Speaker 2>the things that are coming against me, whether it's the worries,

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<v Speaker 2>the burdens, the enemies, whatever perceived enemies. I love where

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<v Speaker 2>it says, as smoke is driven away, drive them away.

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<v Speaker 2>And so he's saying, let God's enemies be scattered. Let

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<v Speaker 2>those who hate him flee before him, and those who

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<v Speaker 2>hate him sometimes they're those who hate us. And I

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<v Speaker 2>think that can kind of translate, and so we could

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<v Speaker 2>just say, God, as smoke is driven away, drive those

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<v Speaker 2>enemies away. Have you ever seen there are lots of

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<v Speaker 2>wildfires right now in Utah, So sometimes I can't even

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<v Speaker 2>see the mountains that are just right behind our house,

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<v Speaker 2>and much less like you know down in the valley.

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<v Speaker 2>But you just have like one good storm or wind

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<v Speaker 2>gust and it's clear as a bell. It's beautiful, and

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<v Speaker 2>so that smoke is nothing to that wind. As smoke

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<v Speaker 2>is driven away, so drive them away. And this is

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<v Speaker 2>my favorite. As wax melts before the fire, so let

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<v Speaker 2>the way I could perish before God. I just picture

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<v Speaker 2>idols like graven idols that people would use. I'm actually

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<v Speaker 2>thinking about the movie Gladiator where he has this little

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<v Speaker 2>bag of these little idols, and I don't know if

0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:17.840
<v Speaker 2>they represented his family or or something, but anyway, he

0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:22.120
<v Speaker 2>would pray to his gods and use these little things.

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<v Speaker 2>What I picture is just if one of those things,

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<v Speaker 2>those false idols, if we could just put it before

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<v Speaker 2>God and just let him melt it, that it would

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<v Speaker 2>just come to nothing, that we could see it with

0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:40.000
<v Speaker 2>our own eyes and realize how futile it is to

0:16:40.040 --> 0:16:43.840
<v Speaker 2>pursue it. Or if you think of a problem, kind

0:16:43.840 --> 0:16:47.640
<v Speaker 2>of like encapsulate it in your mind as some kind

0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:53.320
<v Speaker 2>of little wax graven image that represents your problem and

0:16:53.440 --> 0:16:56.360
<v Speaker 2>just set it there in your mind's eye before the

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<v Speaker 2>Lord and watch it melt. He's that powerful, is that powerful?

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<v Speaker 2>And I love that, love that imagery. I'm going to

0:17:04.240 --> 0:17:07.639
<v Speaker 2>use that and call back to that. And I also

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<v Speaker 2>think it's interesting that it talks about this mountain. I

0:17:12.000 --> 0:17:14.080
<v Speaker 2>had to do a little research because I didn't understand

0:17:14.119 --> 0:17:15.800
<v Speaker 2>what it was saying, and I still might not one

0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:18.320
<v Speaker 2>hundred percent, But it says a mountain of God. This

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<v Speaker 2>is verse fifteen. A mountain of God is the mountain

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<v Speaker 2>of Bashan. A mountain of many peaks is the mountain

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<v Speaker 2>of Bashan. Why do you look with envy? Oh, mountains

0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:29.160
<v Speaker 2>with many peaks, at the mountain which God has desired

0:17:29.160 --> 0:17:32.320
<v Speaker 2>for his abode. And that's referring to Zion, the Holy

0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:34.840
<v Speaker 2>Mountain of God where he meets with his people. And

0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:39.399
<v Speaker 2>an interesting tidbit is that Zion was not a tall mountain.

0:17:39.760 --> 0:17:42.960
<v Speaker 2>So while Mount Herman, which is one of the big

0:17:43.000 --> 0:17:46.680
<v Speaker 2>mountains in Bashan, in that range of many peaks, it's

0:17:46.720 --> 0:17:49.920
<v Speaker 2>like over nine thousand feet, apparently Zion is only about

0:17:49.960 --> 0:17:52.879
<v Speaker 2>twenty five hundred feet. So isn't that just kind of

0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:55.960
<v Speaker 2>in the upside down Kingdom of God? How he would

0:17:56.040 --> 0:18:00.159
<v Speaker 2>choose his holy mountain to be smaller in it. I

0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:04.880
<v Speaker 2>guess if humans fabricated where God's mountain would be, they'd

0:18:04.920 --> 0:18:08.640
<v Speaker 2>make it the tallest mountain, right, but not God. And

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<v Speaker 2>yet he is without rival, he is without equal and

0:18:12.880 --> 0:18:17.119
<v Speaker 2>Bishon and Herman, and that whole area is tied to

0:18:17.640 --> 0:18:23.280
<v Speaker 2>spiritual rebellion in ancient history, and that's why as it

0:18:23.320 --> 0:18:26.720
<v Speaker 2>goes down, it says, I will bring them his enemies

0:18:26.760 --> 0:18:28.840
<v Speaker 2>back from Bashon. I will bring them back from the

0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:31.800
<v Speaker 2>depths of the sea. So he has enemies in Bashon.

0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:37.080
<v Speaker 2>That is where spiritual rebellion happened. It's the heartland of evil,

0:18:37.680 --> 0:18:42.679
<v Speaker 2>and it's bigger than Zion. That area of mountains is

0:18:42.840 --> 0:18:47.840
<v Speaker 2>taller and many times, like high mountains were associated with

0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:52.879
<v Speaker 2>meeting with gods and deities, so it's interesting not to

0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:56.119
<v Speaker 2>be confusing. So verse fifteen, this is what confused me.

0:18:56.119 --> 0:18:58.119
<v Speaker 2>It said, a mountain of God is the mountain of Bashon,

0:18:58.480 --> 0:19:02.159
<v Speaker 2>but a better translation of that is mighty mountain. So

0:19:02.440 --> 0:19:03.320
<v Speaker 2>a mighty mountain.

0:19:03.400 --> 0:19:04.160
<v Speaker 1>But Sean is.

0:19:04.200 --> 0:19:09.520
<v Speaker 2>Great and glorious and huge. It has many peaks, And

0:19:09.560 --> 0:19:13.400
<v Speaker 2>so it's saying, why do you that have many peaks

0:19:13.440 --> 0:19:16.560
<v Speaker 2>and you're taller, why do you look with envy at

0:19:16.600 --> 0:19:19.639
<v Speaker 2>the mountain that God has desired for his abode? And

0:19:20.440 --> 0:19:25.840
<v Speaker 2>it's because God is better, and God is bigger, and

0:19:25.880 --> 0:19:29.840
<v Speaker 2>God is more powerful, and he chooses the least and

0:19:29.880 --> 0:19:33.639
<v Speaker 2>the last to be first and powerful, not the greatest.

0:19:34.119 --> 0:19:38.080
<v Speaker 2>And that just warms my heart for many reasons. One

0:19:38.200 --> 0:19:40.360
<v Speaker 2>is because I wouldn't have come up with it myself.

0:19:40.800 --> 0:19:43.800
<v Speaker 2>I get great comfort and great joy out of seeing

0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:47.080
<v Speaker 2>things in the Bible that I would never have put there,

0:19:47.520 --> 0:19:50.080
<v Speaker 2>because it's just more evidence that it's holy and divine

0:19:50.160 --> 0:19:55.800
<v Speaker 2>and inspired and other than human wisdom. And the second

0:19:55.840 --> 0:19:59.480
<v Speaker 2>reason is no matter how big something looks, no matter

0:19:59.560 --> 0:20:05.800
<v Speaker 2>how great and looming a problem or situation or worry

0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:08.680
<v Speaker 2>or burden, it's still no match for God.

0:20:09.000 --> 0:20:11.120
<v Speaker 1>And we have to take that on faith, and we have.

0:20:11.160 --> 0:20:15.080
<v Speaker 2>To picture it as a little wax figuring sitting before

0:20:15.119 --> 0:20:18.399
<v Speaker 2>God and just melting in His glorious radiance, because that

0:20:18.960 --> 0:20:22.080
<v Speaker 2>is all it is, or smoke, it's just vapor, can

0:20:22.119 --> 0:20:26.240
<v Speaker 2>be blown away at a moment's notice. So I hope

0:20:26.280 --> 0:20:30.080
<v Speaker 2>and pray that this time with God with his word

0:20:30.359 --> 0:20:33.040
<v Speaker 2>has blessed you like it has me, and I'll see

0:20:33.040 --> 0:20:34.160
<v Speaker 2>you next time.

0:20:37.880 --> 0:20:38.439
<v Speaker 1>We'd like to.

0:20:38.440 --> 0:20:40.360
<v Speaker 2>Take just a quick second to thank the team at

0:20:40.359 --> 0:20:43.159
<v Speaker 2>Life Audio for their partnership with us on the podcast.

0:20:43.640 --> 0:20:46.160
<v Speaker 2>If you go to lifeaudio dot com, you will find

0:20:46.240 --> 0:20:49.280
<v Speaker 2>dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've

0:20:49.280 --> 0:20:53.120
<v Speaker 2>got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and so much more.

0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:58.879
<v Speaker 2>That's life audio dot com.