“Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears, they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain.” (Ps.84:6. TPT)
Father reminded me recently that there are two verses in scripture which have the gematria 2721, the number of our house on Parkview. These verses capture the calling we feel we have had in this place over this season.
One of the verses is Ps.51:15 which says, “O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.”
At our home fellowship last Sunday we revisited my song “All Day Long” taken from Psalm 71, with the chorus
Declaring your splendour
Proclaiming your righteousness
Announcing salvation
Singing your praises ……….all day long
I discovered that the Hebrew word translated “shew forth” means to declare, to proclaim and toannounce,
It also means to be “courageous and conquer.”
As one of the group pointed out, as we have in this place, followed the Lord’s instructions to Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:17, ‘Stand still!’ (Park)…. in the position God has given you, shewing forth his praise….. we have indeed as a worshiping fellowship now seen (Viewed) ‘the salvation of our God.’ – at least three times.
Firstly in the Minnesota Criminal Court, secondly in the Health Insurance Court and now in the past week for a third time in the Local City Court as the authorities seem to finally have made peace with us….. and our troubled neighbor is in the process of selling her house and moving on!!!
The word translated ‘lips’ can also be translated ‘edge’
Brian, a biologist then brought up ‘The Edge Effect‘ described in the above video.
It seems that the crucial element to creating a rich diverse ecosystem full of life is to create space for the sun to shine in! We also connected ‘The Edge Effect’ to “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” which comes forth from our mouths.
These two images of the sword in our mouths and the sun on our faces are seen in Rev.1:16.“…..out of his mouth came a double edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all it’s brilliance.”
Today as we went on our weekly bike ride this new understanding of “The Edge Effect” made our ride through the beautiful Minnesotan countryside even more interesting and glorious.
When we arrived at the coffee shop, we found ourselves sitting opposite an anxious lady, masked and alone, waiting for her comfort food pizza. We struck up a conversation with her. We spoke of the beauty of her bright eyes, (visible above the mask) and we three shared together about the wonderful blessing of the nearby Parkway running through God’s creation. As we said our farewells, her spirit seemed lifted, by the sword from our mouths and the sunshine from our faces.
When each morning God enables us to ‘open our mouths‘ and we ‘show forth his praise’ as we remain in joyous communion with him ‘all day long’ , our ‘Living on the Edge’ can prove a life giving environment into which those who Father brings ‘across our path’ can enter, as we are
…..“always ready to give an account for the hope that is in you.” (1 Pt.3:15)
As we set off for home, I remembered another Edge Effect, example that was given in the Hebrew Lexicon – ‘the edge of the ocean’ . I thought of the hymn writer’s lines,
“Thou who fullest all things, in thee living moving, evermore are we
Shoreless sea unsounded, mystery and WONDER, sinks my soul in thee.”
I in thee, no longer bound in self’s dark prison
And the life that fills me moves me, Christ arisen.”
…..and of the words of another contemporary jazz icon,
……….What a WONDERFUL world!
We paused on the path savoring more deeply still the endless WONDER of
‘Living….. on God’s edge.’
“Don’t apologize darling, you are a WONDER too !” : – )