Psalm 21: Great Sand Dunes National Park
1 The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!
2 You have granted him his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
3 You came to greet him with rich blessings
and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days, for ever and ever.
5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings
and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord;
through the unfailing love of the Most High
he will not be shaken.
8 Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;
your right hand will seize your foes.
9 When you appear for battle,
you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
and his fire will consume them.
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
their posterity from mankind.
11 Though they plot evil against you
and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.
12 You will make them turn their backs
when you aim at them with drawn bow.
13 Be exalted in your strength, Lord;
we will sing and praise your might.
The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ps 21:1–13.
Theme: God is our source of strength, God grants victories in battle
Best Verse: 7 For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.
Command to Obey: --
Sin to Avoid: --
Promise to Claim: If we trust in God we will not be shaken
Application to Make: Turn to God in distress, in war, don't rely on your own human strength.
Something New About God: God is the source of true strength.
Reflection: Life is hard, all people suffer because the human condition is a combination of sin, death and God's curse on creation. Further, people suffer because they are fools / lack wisdom. Finally, Christians suffer for the name of Christ. In the midst of this suffering, God is our strength. No matter what the world throws at us, be it war (in David's case), or any type of distress, if we trust in God, we will not be shaken. To trust in God I must commit myself to him, I must spend time with God, I must do quiet time - read scripture, journal about it, pray to God.
Great Sand Dunes National Park: On Monday we returned to Great Sand Dunes National Park. The kids love the dunes and it is one of the few dog friendly parks - dogs are allowed on leash to the top of the first ridge-line. Hiking from the parking lot to there and back was about three miles - be sure to bring water, snacks, and warm clothes! The wind on the dunes is always worse than the parking lot - the wind is why the dunes exist!
If you have kids, an absolute must see is Colorado Gators Reptile Park, which is about 30 minutes from Great Sand Dunes National Park. The San Luis Valley has a number of natural hot springs, the reptile park is built on one that creates a micro environment for reptiles that would otherwise only be able to live in the tropics to thrive in Colorado. They have hundreds of alligators, and let the kids handle the safe reptiles. They are rescue, so most of their reptiles are abandoned pets.
