Scripture Quote – Page 10

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Blue Hydrangea Gift Bouquet from Caroline

Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! ~ Psalm 47:6

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. ~ Psalm 104:33

Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ~ Ephesians 5:19

…Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ~ James 5:13

We are encouraged to make a joyful noise unto the Lord! From experience, I’ve found singing helps keep one out of trouble (lessens idle talk). It can also bestow unexpected blessings.

My Grandma loved to sing, and would sometimes just belt out an old-time hymn from her Protestant past. Leaning on the Everlasting Arms was a particular favourite… whilst grocery shopping.

The first time my kid brother and I heard her do this, we simultaneously dove to hide on the shopping cart’s lower rack, along with the 20 pounds of potatoes.

As time passed, we grew too large to cower with sacks of vegetables or bags of flour. So, my brother and I strategized to flee at the first hint of songburst, and from a safe distance, we’d observe fellow shoppers part like the Red Sea, deserting the aisles when they heard her coming.

Driving home, our grandma would innocently remark on how quickly the Lord helped us finish shopping at the supermarket!

I recently came across this ageless hymn she loved. It made me smile, and I can almost hear a shopping cart’s squeaky wheel accompanying her forte voice, singing that simple refrain… 🎵 Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. 🎵

Although my grandma was baptised into the Orthodox Church at the youthful age of 89 and learned yet more hymns, I’m grateful she also helped me appreciate the simple lyrical compositions found in some of the old-time Protestant hymns.

Memory Eternal, Faith!

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms was published in 1887 with music by Anthony J. Showalter and lyrics by Showalter and Elisha Hoffman. When writing letters of consolation to two of his former pupils whose wives had died, Showalter was inspired by the phrase The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. ~ Deuteronomy 33:27

A great acapella recording by one artist singing all four voice parts.

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Refrain:
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
O how sweet to walk, In this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Refrain
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Refrain

Wings of Prayer

Faith in God is the wings of prayer. ~ St. Isaac the Syrian

As it is not possible to walk without feet or fly without wings, so it is impossible to attain the Kingdom of Heaven without the fulfillment of the commandments. ~ St. Theophan the Recluse

A Christian needs two wings for flying and walking into heaven: humility and love. ~ St. Paisios

…For the bees do not visit every flower in the same manner, neither does the honeybee attempt to fly off bearing the burden of the entire flower. Rather, once it derives that which is needful from the flower, it leaves the rest behind and takes flight. ~ St. Basil the Great

Gracious words are like an honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. ~ Proverbs 16:24

We all receive God’s blessings equally. But some of us, receiving God’s fire, that is, His word, become soft like beeswax, while the others like clay become hard as stone. And if we do not want Him, He does not force any of us, but like the sun He sends His rays and illuminates the whole world, and he who wants to see Him, sees Him, whereas the one who does not want to see, is not forced by Him. And no one is responsible for this privation of light except the one who does not want to have it. God created the sun and the eye. Man is free to receive the sun’s light or not. The same is true here. God sends the light of knowledge like rays to all, but He also gave us faith like an eye. The one who wants to receive knowledge through faith, keeps it by his works, and so God gives him more willingness, knowledge, and power. ~ St. Peter the Damascene, 8th century

Wings of Divine Love

I said, O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. ~ Psalm 55:6

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. ~Psalm 91:4

Birds fear the sight of a hawk, and those who practice humility fear the sound of argument. ~ St. John Climacus

As it is not possible to walk without feet or fly without wings, so it is impossible to attain the Kingdom of Heaven without the fulfillment of the commandments… Faith is the healer of the soul, flying on the wings of hope and warmed by love. ~ St. Theophan the Recluse

The Heavenly Jerusalem

Altar mosaic in St. Sophia Orthodox Church, Canada: “Heavenly Jerusalem” based on 5th century church mosaic from Santa Maria Maggiore, the largest basilica in Rome, depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary as protectress.

The Most Holy Mother of God prays for us ceaselessly. She is always visiting us. Whenever we turn to her in our heart, she is there. After the Lord, she is the greatest protection for mankind. ~ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. ~Hebrews 12: 22-24

The Lord bless thee out of Zion: and may thou behold the good things of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. ~ Psalm 128:5

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead: and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction, But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble: They shall judge nations and rule over peoples and the Lord shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth and the faithful shall abide with him in love; Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect. ~ Wisdom of Solomon 3: 1-9

In loving memory of Cam and Andrea

“May they journey hand in hand to the heavenly Jerusalem.” *

* Quote by dear Anastasia

Wrapped in Light

Inspiring local sunset accompanied with a natural quartet of peaceful, lapping waves, tangy seabreezes, soft rustling cliff grasses, and the yodeling of gulls flying home to roost for the night.

Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. Thou coverest it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. ~ Psalm 104:1-6

The word inspire comes from Middle English enspire, derived from the Latin inspirare, which means to breathe or blow breath into. Inspire was originally used in the sense of divinity imparting a truth or idea to someone.

Watching the sunset above inspired my soul with a few recollective breaths of memory verse, from Psalm 104.

Stars and Moon

Moonlight and Starshine on water over Finlayson Arm BC, with hovering (turquoise green) luminescent moth – intent on its early morning rounds.

Enjoy the annual Perseid Meteor Shower which peaks August 11th to the 13th, from midnight until dawn. The waxing crescent moon will make the sky darker, and up to 40 meteors an hour will be visible.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the Lord! ~ Psalm 148

Almsgiving

Widow with the Two Mites – Mosaic, St. Sophia Orthodox Church, Canada

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow putting in two mites *. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. ~ St. Luke 21: 1-4. [* Mites, from the Greek lepta, meaning very small copper coins]

Almsgiving above all else requires money, but even this shines with a brighter luster when the alms are given from our poverty. The widow who paid in the two mites was poorer than any human, but she outdid them all. ~ St. John Chrysostom

Feeding the hungry is a greater work than raising the dead. ~ St. John Chrysostom

He who gives alms in imitation of God does not discriminate between the wicked and the virtuous, the just and the unjust, when providing for men’s bodily needs. ~ St. Maximos the Confessor

Love the poor, and through them you will find mercy... If you give something to one in need, let the cheerfulness of your face precede your gift, and comfort his sorrow with kind words. When you do this, by your gift the gladness of his mind surpasses even the needs of his body. ~ St. Isaac the Syrian

The bread you do not use is the bread of the hungry. The garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of the person who is naked. The shoes you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot. The money you keep locked away is the money of the poor. The acts of charity you do not perform are the injustices you commit. ~ St. Basil the Great

The Trees of the Wood

Sunset in west coast mountain woods, arbutus tree in foreground.

Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because he cometh to judge the earth. ~ 1 Chronicles 16:33

Words are truly the image of the soul… Though you speak to yourself in secret, your words are examined in heaven. ~St. Basil the Great

What we say remains unto eternity. ~ Gerontissa Gavrielia

Enter eagerly into the treasure house (the heart) that lies within you, and so you will see the treasure house of Heaven. For the two are the same, and there is but one single entry to them both. The ladder that leads to the Kingdom (of Heaven) is hidden within you, and is found in your soul. Dive into yourself, and in your soul, you will discover the rungs by which you are to ascend. ~ St. Isaac the Syrian

Aroma of Christ

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? ~ 2 Corinthians 14-16

Grace is Like a Bird

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. ~ Psalm 91:1,4

Birds fear the sight of a hawk, and those who practice humility fear the sound of an argument. ~ St. John Climacus

Try your best not to give in to anger. Anger drives grace from your soul. Grace is like a bird; when something scares it, it flies away. ~ Elder Sergei of Vanves

We should follow the example of the birds. They’re always joyful. Whereas we’re always bothered by something. ~Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica