It’s a struggle, isn’t it – loving righteousness? As the hymn says, I am “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.” Yet the Psalmist indicates there is great reward.
When I am caught in sin, my tendency is to draw away from God and from his chastening. Have you noticed it with your kids. When the little ones are corrected, they push away when you try to hug them. The correction was for their good, and you do it because you love them, but their instinct is to push away.
In Romans 7 Paul talks about this war within us, the war between our desire to obey the law, and the law of sin and death in our members. Who will deliver us from this struggle? Paul gives us the answer in Ro 7:25: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
I think my sea otter friend in the picture is reminding me of a passage in “The Valley of Vision” that always helps me put things in perspective. It says: “My trials have been fewer than my sins, and when I have kissed the rod it has fallen from thy hands.”
Dear Lord, help me to love righteousness, and when I am chastened let me kiss the rod of correction – don’t let me pull away – let me fall into your arms of love. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 45 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Will RogersMost of us “little fellows,” as Will Rogers says, get along just fine. We struggle from time-to-time with job loss, keeping food on the table, and other hardships, but overall, we are confident that we can make a better life and enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures. We assume that the government will be helpful and not stand in the way of hard-working folks.
Well, it just “dills my pickle” that some of these big Washington liberals, who have never missed a meal, think they know what is best for the “little fellow.” They don’t seem to have any confidence in the foundational principles laid down in the Constitution.
The problem is that the changes they are making or want to make, make life more difficult for the “little fellow.” Jobs are lost in the auto industry, private aircraft industry, oil industry, insurance industry, travel industry, etc. Gas prices are going up along with everything else, and all they can say is that we should get used to the “new normal.”
Will Rogers always talked about common sense and I believe Washington needs a big dose of it about now. If they don’t wise up soon, some of them will be replaced in the next election.
The image was taken directly from movie stills at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
Dear Friends,
There have been quite a number of posts from Systems of Merritt, Inc. over the past few months, and unlike many posts in the blogosphere, these have more of a timeless quality. Please feel free to browse back through the older posts, and share them with your friends and family. With the variety of topics, there is sure to be something that will bring a smile to someones face, or be an encouragement in a time of need.
![If we dare not lean our heads upon his bosom with John, yet if we can venture in the press behind him, and touch the hem of his garment, we are made whole. Courage, timid one! thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. E2-14</p> <p>[bosom – The chest or breast of a human being.]](https://systemsofmerritt.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/spur016i.jpg "Spurgeon Daily Quote")
Are we timid about our relationship to the Lord, or do we dare approach him as a close trusted friend? This Spurgeon quote refers to two passages from the Bible.
The first passage is from John 13:25, John’s account of the “last supper.” Meals during those ancient days were an intimate family affair. Without modern furniture, it was common to comfortably recline upon the floor around the prepared meal. The participants would be physically close as they reach for the food in front of them, engaging in casual conversation.
The closest I can come to imagining such closeness and conversation today, would be to picture two young children laying comfortably together in a field of grass, gazing up at the clouds or stars. As close friends, they are free to speak their minds without fear of criticism.
The second passage is from Mark 5:27. The passage talks about a woman with a long-term health problem who approaches Jesus by making her way through a large crowd of people (“press” of people as Spurgeon says). She manages to get close enough to touch Jesus’ clothes, and is healed. Even with all the people crowded around him, Jesus knew she had touched him. He individually called her out of the crowd and said to her: “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace…”
According to Spurgeon, whether we are an intimate friend of the Savior, or timidly approach him in fear and trembling, he knows us! He loves us! He saves us from our sins!
Dear Lord, Even if I come to you with timid trembling hesitation, help me grow in confidence as you turn and look at me, and encourage me with the words: “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
A refuge is a place of safety and shelter. It is a place that offers protection from any dangers that may affect us from outside. It is a place where we can find rest.
An example of refuge for many of us, would be the arms of our parents when we were young. They were arms that would comfort us when upset, and protect us when threatened. It is the instinct of a parent to protect a child from harm by wrapping their arms around the child, in times of trouble.
To a young child, the arms of the parent are strong. To the child, a father’s arms are the strongest in the whole world. The same arms that can lift heavy weights and wield hammer and tong, can gently lay a sleeping child to rest.
In this picture, there is power to destroy in the waves and rocks. No ship would dare to venture there. On our TV sets, we can witness first-hand the power of nature in natural disasters. We can see and feel the fear from events such as earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, tsunamis, and great storms.
Yet even in the midst of such violent natural disasters, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” If God cares about us in the midst of big events, perhaps He even cares about all the little things that happen to us.
Dear Lord, Wrap me in your arms, not only during the times of turmoil, but also during the little trials that come during each day. Be my refuge during them all. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 46 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Apple just approved the Daily Psalm ASV (American Standard Version) upgrade.
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Sometimes is doesn’t happen right away – turning mourning into dancing. A deep grief, difficult situations, or failure can take a while to work through.
An encouraging word from my precious wife, kids or friends helps a great deal. After time, the sackcloth is loosed and I can begin to dance, like the sea otters dancing in the water in the picture.
Helping others also works its wonders in my own heart. It helps me to be clothed with gladness, as the Psalmist says. Notice that praise and thanks are products of this change from mourning to dancing.
Dear Lord, help me to dance, and help me to be an encouragement to others, so that we may sing your praise and give thanks to you forever! Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 30 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
A group of students from Taylor University were in Egypt for the spring semester, but their stay was cut short by the recent unrest. One of the young ladies is a friend of our family, and we followed the situation closely. We prayed for her safety as Americans were evacuated from Cairo, and the group was finally able to flee to Turkey.
The unrest in Egypt made it dangerous for foreigners and religious groups to stay. Innocent people had been killed at their place of worship. In an instant, you could become an enemy of an angry crowd because of your race or religion. You could be harmless and helpless, as the fawn in the picture, but still become the object of hatred and violence.
I’m sure that Psalm 18 becomes relevant to these students, with the possibility that violence could erupt around them at any moment. They were rescued from violent men and saved from their enemies.
The Psalmists response is praise. Exuberant praise! “O Lord; I will sing praises to your name.” I’m sure these students and their parents are praising God for their deliverance from possible harm.
Our deliverance might not be quite so dramatic, but should our praise be any less? If God can deliver us from small things, then He can deliver us from any thing. We can especially praise God each day for delivering us from our sins through Jesus.
Dear Lord, I praise you for my deliverance and protection. I praise you especially for your great salvation through Jesus Christ your son. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 18 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
As I read through the Psalms, it always amazes me how instinctive it is for the Psalmist to passionately set his thoughts and prayers upon God, no matter what the circumstances. My instinct is to try to figure out how to deal with the situation first, then ask God for help.
The Psalmist says: “I remembered you, O God.” Remembering comes from several places. The most important is God’s word. As we read, study and meditate on God’s word, it becomes part of us, part of our memories. This helps us to respond to situations from God’s perspective.
Remembering also comes from recalling how God has worked in our life, and the lives of others. For that we can continually praise Him, especially for salvation through Jesus, God’s son!
Dear Lord, Help me to grow in grace each day. Let my instinct be to turn to you for help in every situation, and let your praise be on my lips for all you have done for me. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 77 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
![Psalm 143:4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart is [Or desolate] appalled within me. 5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands. 6 I stretch out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah.](https://systemsofmerritt.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/nasb8i.jpg "Daily Psalm NASB")
There have been a few times in my life where I’ve been really thirsty. You know how it feels – throat parched, tongue thick, mouth feels like cotton. Fortunately in our modern world, water is usually nearby at a fountain or faucet.
I’ve seen movies and read books about people who have suffered from severe dehydration and thirst. Perhaps the person is lost in the desert, like the one pictured on the left. There’s nothing but barren rock and scrub brush. No streams, no ponds, no springs, no water anywhere.
I think the Psalmist captures the feelings of a thirsty wanderer in Psalm 143. The spirit is overwhelmed with the thought of finding water. All thoughts are consumed with the search. The mind drifts back to times when the glass was full, thirst was quenched, water was flowing in abundance. Then there is the mirage, the pool of water just ahead of us. We stretch out our hands and stumble toward the illusion.
Can I thirst for God, like the body thirst for water? Does it consume me, does it move me to long for Him and meditate on his blessings in my life?
Dear Lord, let me thirst for you and long for you in all I do. Help me to find the water of life in your scriptures and in the preaching of the gospel, in prayer, in worship, and in service to your people. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 143 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Here’s a review for the Daily Psalms iPhone applications in The iPhone App Review.
Will RogersIn Rogers’ day, disarmament was a leading issue. In the period after WWI, there were numerous peace conferences. Rogers would attend and report on the proceedings with his characteristic wit and humor. Rogers saw the futility in nations trying to regulate how many battleships and weapons a country should have, and that it was no guarantee of a peaceful future.
Today the weapons are bigger, nuclear, and more destructive. Today we talk about nuclear disarmament. But the issue gets more complicated. Do we demand Israel exercise restraint when attacked? Do we ignore nuclear Iran’s threat to wipe Israel off the face of the earth? Should we unilaterally disarm, in hopes that others will follow?
The U.S. is a good country, and a strong U.S. presence around the world tends to be the most effective way to keep peace. Our national interest is served and the world is a better place. A weak U.S. will make the world a more dangerous place where rogue nations think they can dictate international policy that is a threat to the U.S. and our allies. Which way are we headed?
Image Information: The image of Rogers is from his 1921 silent film Guile of Women. Rogers plays a Swede named Yal who travels with a friend to America to seek his fortune. After misfortunes in love and business, his girlfriend finally arrives from Sweden.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
Will RogersWill Rogers attended peace/disarmament conferences during the 1920s and early 1930s, mostly for the humor value. He would telegraph his observations back to U.S. newspapers, such as the January 28, 1930 quote seen here, that ran in his Daily Telegraph syndicated column.
As a keen observer of legislative politics in the U.S., Rogers knew that international politics would hopelessly bog down any “peace” progress with procedures and committees. Rogers also knew that anything approaching common sense would never come out of any conference, therefore dooming any results or treaty to failure in any practical sense.
He was right in 1930, and he is still right today. Starry-eyed dreamers hold up worthless treaties and declare “world peace” while compromising the ability of the U.S. to keep the peace with strong defensive capability backed up with unmatched offensive technology.
Such a display of weakness has encouraged rogue nations to aggressively pursue their own weapons programs that threaten entire regions of the world. Common sense left when the conference met to appoint a commission to appoint a delegation to appoint a subcommittee.
Image Information: Will Rogers loved just about anything that involved horses. He had a polo field built on his property in California and would play matches with his friends, as can be seen in this picture.
The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
There is perhaps no more beautiful expression of a desire to seek God than “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Once the image is in your mind, you can never forget it. Musicians have crafted it into their melodies (see Sons of Korah below) so we can sing it in the congregation or hum it to ourselves.
Yet the Psalmist, just like all of us, struggles with the question “Where is your God?” We pour out our hearts with tears as doubts creep in and our desire to seek God grows chill. What can I do?
I can remember happier days. Days when my heart was on fire, days when worship excited my soul. Those memories of God’s blessings can help carry us through the times of doubt, but why do we have to go through the valleys? Perhaps, because during time in the valley, my faith can grow even stronger. As my soul begins to thirst after better days I can “pant for streams of water.” I can be drawn toward Christ, the living water (John 4:10).
Dear Lord, Let me thirst for you. Let the dry times increase my desire for you, not diminish it. Let me remember past blessings and praise you for all you have done for me. Let me drink of the living water. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 42 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Below is an extra treat! The Sons of Korah have put Psalm 42 to music. Listen to a sample below and purchase your own copy at the iTunes store by clicking on the button.
| Psalm 42a – Rain Album |  |
We don’t have to look far back into history to find oppression of innocent people. The holocaust during WWII certainly comes to mind along with many other cases of the brutal treatment of people whose only crime was being born in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Bible specifically records the oppression of …
In this wonderfully uplifting Psalm, we find our two themes of praise and remembrance again. It seems that when I get focused on myself and my problems, that I forget to praise God and remember his blessings. We also find in verse 8 the remarkable thought that God is a forgiving God, though he punished …
Will RogersWhen you get used to something, it’s kind of hard to give it up. Can you remember the day your were born? One minute you are nice and warm, perfectly content and at peace. All of a sudden you are painfully squeezed through an opening so small it’s a wonder anyone could survive. Next …
The Psalmist must have found great comfort in God’s house. He delighted being there among others who were offering their praises up to the Lord. The passion of the Psalmist for God’s house and presence is truly amazing. His flesh cries out for the living God! He desires a place near the alter. He wants …
Will RogersHave you noticed that Congress seems to live in the land of “good intentions?” Some call it an “alternate universe.” It’s a place of love, happiness and prosperity. How many times have you heard our legislators proudly proclaim that their legislation will bring world peace, end poverty, end hunger, end unemployment, put a chicken …
Timeless Will Rogers Humor & Wisdom Brought to you by Systems of Merritt, Inc. Get your daily dose of common sense, humor, encouragement and inspiration. Share Will Rogers quotes and images with your friends. . Will Rogers Daily Quotes iPhone App More than 365 unique Will Rogers quotes and images! -Click button to buy at Apple …
There is hardly any place in Scripture that conveys such passion and exuberance for God as Psalm 103. Words can hardly describe the praise we would give to the Lord from our inmost being, from the depths of our soul. Even Mr. Billy Goat seems to be quite excited in the picture, as if he …
Will RogersI suppose you could say that interest in taxes is on everybody’s mind these days. These topics dominate the political talk shows and dinner parties, and for good reason. Nobody knows what in the world the lame ducks are going to do about taxes. Businesses don’t know what their tax liability is going to …
As you read the Psalms, it becomes clear that God defends and protects the poor. Psalm 14 indicates that restoration and better days are ahead. In fact, if you are responsible for oppressing the poor, God takes note of it, and is not pleased. Poor in terms of possessions is not the only thing that …
Will RogersYou’ve heard the expression: “He was spending money like a drunken sailor.” As I’ve watched congress over the past few years, I don’t think a drunken sailor can even outspend a seemingly sober Congressman. Both seem to lack any common sense whatsoever when it comes to money, and the Congressman’s recklessness is worse – because …
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