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Diamonds.

It is interesting to look at them & slowly shift their position. They are multi-faceted, reflectors of light that constantly reveal a new pattern, a new characteristic.The cut of the diamond is what makes a diamond sparkle & shine. Quality cut enables a diamond to receive light & then bounce it back against the walls of its facets so that you are amazed at the rainbow of color & sparkle.

Scripture does this as well.

Scripture can reveal a new characteristic about God that causes us to know Him that little bit more. Scripture causes us to be amazed by Him, stand in awe of Him. Scripture shows us a new facet that increases our love for Him.

                                            Enter – Psalm 113.

A short, nine verse psalm that pulled the curtain back & taught me something about my God this morning that I so appreciate. I will let Scripture speak for itself… 

“1 Praise the Lord.

Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.

2 Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.

3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.

4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.

5 Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,

6 who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?

7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

8 he seats them with princes,
with the princes of their people.

9 He settles the barren woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord”    

Did you catch it? While our God is great, worthy of our praise both now & forevermore, is exalted about the heavens & sits enthroned on high……..

                                                He stoops down to us!       

How amazing is that? He sees us & draws near to us in our distress. Can you see the picture that Scripture is depicting for us? Like a loving parent that squats to speak face to face with a child, to hear a child, to comfort a child. That is what our God is doing for us – He is stooping down to us.

“Stooping” according to dictionary.com means:

  • to bend the head & shoulders, or the body generally, forward & downward from an erect position
  • to descend from one’s level of dignity

In other words, God is reaching down towards us to help us in our situations. And who does He stoop towards?

  • the poor, to raise them from the dust. What is making you “poor” today? Where is your deficit? Sure we may have a financial need but we can also be spiritually bankrupt.
  • the needy, to raise them from the ash heap. What has left you feeling rejected? Sent to the rubbish heap? Devoid of hope.

He stoops so that He can raise us up. In raising us, He seats us with those of position, of honor among Him. He settles the barren – those who feel without significance & without joy or hopeless  – and causes them to bring forth fruit.

So today, the very fact that our God is stooping towards us should cause us to praise Him.

“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”  (v. 3).

 

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