Coming soon to a Gallery near you: The Gallery of the Kings!

In The Passion Translation, Psalm 138 is entitled “The Divine Presence”.  It starts out with the psalmist’s passionate declarations of worship:  “I bow down before your divine presence and bring you my deepest worship.” Ps. 138:2

But why?  What causes the writer to bow down and worship?  The answer is found in verse 3: “At the very moment I called out to you, you answered me!  You strengthened me deep within my soul and breathed fresh courage into me.”

Can you remember a time when you cried out to God, and he answered you?

Even now as I write these thoughts I remember as a young girl crying out to God one night over 50 years ago.  I did not know God at the time.  I was in a deep depression, my parents going through an ugly divorce, with thoughts of suicide always near the surface of my mind, coupled with a fear of dying that actually kept me awake at night. That night I could not stop crying, sobbing at times uncontrollably.  I remember going to the window, looking into a star filled sky and crying out to God, “God - If there is a God – help me!” 

Although I did not know it at the time, at the very moment I called out to God, he began orchestrating my rescue from depression, death, and fear of death.  One year later I looked back on my life and marveled as I realized that because of the resurrection of Jesus, I was no longer terrified of dying.

So all this to say that Psalm 138:4 tugs on my heart in a special way.  “One day all the kings of the earth will rise to give you thanks when they hear the living words that I have heard you speak.”

What if others heard the God of the universe answer their prayers, come to their rescue, like he did for me?

What if the kings, the rulers of nations, cities, and governments heard God’s voice speaking living words, words just for them, words to comfort, encourage and instruct?  What if they heard these words right from God’s mouth to their hearts?  Personalized love bombs from the One who wants to be their Father, their God?

God wants to love on the kings of the earth so that one day they will rise to give him thanks.  Not because we preached at them, complained about them on Facebook, voted for or against them, but because God spoke directly into their hearts – whether audibly or in some still small voice.  Because when they hear God speak the living words that we have heard him speak, everything begins to change!

So I say, Yes, God!  I will partner with you in praying for encounter with God for the “kings” of the earth, the great, and not so great, men and women, people that God desires to come to a knowledge of the truth, and not to perish.

Coming in late spring to a gallery near you, “The Gallery of the Kings”.  Please plan to stop by the Creative Desire Gallery at Shore Vineyard Church, 1 S. Main St., S. Toms River, NJ.  View the portraits of world leaders painted by local artists, and join me in praying Psalm 138:4 over each of them by name.

“One day _______________ will rise to give you thanks when _________________ hears the living words that _________________ has heard you speak.”

Amen & Amen!