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Psalm 150: A Call For Praise
by Melani Pyke on 4/15/2010 9:45:21 PM
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I like the concept of this painting. I would like to further develop the composition and redo it as a large canvas, maybe even a mural, and add more detail including a wider variety of musical instruments.
We've come to the end! I hope that Psalm-A-Day inspires you to take whatever resources you have, whether in the arts, business, family life, community, etc. and set aside a few minutes or a couple of hours each day to improve yourself and use your thing to encourage others.
Thank you for allowing me into your inbox every day. An extra-special thanks to those of you who have helped with this project by praying, sending encouraging emails back, and purchasing paintings. Your support is much appreciated, and makes a difference. Any feedback now that we've come to the end also helps me to plan the next project. One last "thank you" to everyone who came out to our Thursday night leadership group, and helped make it a success.
So what's next? Proverbs? Maybe.
I'm looking for locations to exhibit the Psalms collection in 2012, (so if you know of any venues that would be appropriate, please let me know,) and also taking orders for custom paintings. I'd like to choose a few of the mini psalms paintings to create full-sized paintings. And spring cleaning. Finding the surface of my desk would be a good place to start...
Psalm 150 (Amplified Bible) 1PRAISE THE Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power! 2Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness!A)">(A) 3Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp! 4Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes! 5Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! 6Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
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Psalm 149: Sing a New Song
by Melani Pyke on 4/14/2010 8:57:05 PM
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When we sing and dance for the glory of God, it releases his power to defeat the enemy. I painted a worship leader guy, and I wasn't sure at first about a green background but actually I like it, since green reminds me of fresh new things like spring grass, and Psalm 149 encourages us to "sing to the Lord a NEW song."
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Psalm 148: Praise and Splendor
by Melani Pyke on 4/13/2010 8:50:00 PM
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For those of you in the Niagara region, you can see my interview on channel 10 on The Source all this week until Saturday. Here's the link to see it online:
http://www.tvcogeco.com/niagara/gallerie/the-source/2362-the-source-april-12th-17th/17574-psalm-a-day
(I can't quite bring myself to watch it in full; I cringe and keep thinking stuff like "Ooh, I should've said it this way, not that way," but it went okayish overall.)
Psalm 148 is a joyful song of praise for God. It reminds me of his delight when his creation (even snow and hail and cattle!) praises him, and how much he delights in having a relationship with us. And how to illustrate that? I've shown the earth, with everything figuratively standing up to praise him, and there he chooses to have a relationship with us, as symbolized by the hands.
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Psalm 147: His Word Runs Swiftly
by Melani Pyke on 4/12/2010 4:55:49 PM
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With a half of a carcass of a chocolate chicken beside me, I started with a messy base layer of yellow ochre before I even knew what I would paint. You can still see the golden glow peeking through the subsequent layers. Oil paint would have made smoother gradations, but the rough texture of the acrylics give the rocks a more wild, rustic look. Lastly, I painted the beams of light using a thin layer of white, which hint at the supernatural. Psalm 147 tells us a lot about God's character: He builds up, he provides, he gathers, he sends, he reveals, he strengthens, he stirs up, he delights, he covers, he supplies, he makes, and he sustains. Verses 15-18 remind me of how God controls the elements, and that if we put our trust in him, he comes quickly and his influence is widespread, just like rushing water or a summer storm, which is how I came up with the image of a waterfall.
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Psalm 146: Good God
by Melani Pyke on 4/11/2010 9:09:48 PM
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Okay, so this psalm mentions fish, as in, God created them. But then it talks about how God sets people free. He lifts us supernaturally out of our circumstances, like freeing an ordinary fish from being confined to water only. We are free to fly.
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Psalm 145: Hungry
by Melani Pyke on 4/10/2010 9:51:37 PM
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Psalm 145 (New International Version)
A psalm of praise. Of David.
1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.
5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made.
14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
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Psalm 144: Fleeting Shadow
by Melani Pyke on 4/9/2010 9:00:57 PM
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I was especially struck by verse 4 today, "Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow." I wanted to make an airy painting that made you feel the breath, and sense the flightiness of a shadow. The figure making the shadow represents God, and we are like the shadow.
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Psalm 143: Wilted
by Melani Pyke on 4/8/2010 10:04:23 PM
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I've once again used a flower to represent the human condition described in the psalm. Psalm 143 made me think of a flower that wilted as daylight faded, yet it left its leaves outstretched in anticipation of the sun rising again soon. As verse 6 says, "I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land," and then verse 8, "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love."
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Psalm 142: Free From My Prison
by Melani Pyke on 4/7/2010 9:16:24 PM
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Psalm 142 is a cry to God for help, and my painting comes from verse 7, "Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me." It made me think that with God on our side, we can break free from any prison as long as we choose to make our heart right, like have pure motives, and use our freedom for good and not for evil.
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Psalm 141: The Door of My Lips
by Melani Pyke on 4/6/2010 8:37:26 PM
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Today's painting is mainly drawn from verses 2-3, which mention a prayer being like incense, and then asks God to guard the mouth, since our words carry power, both for good and evil.
May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
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Psalm 140: Unseen Protection
by Melani Pyke on 4/5/2010 9:44:58 PM
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Psalm 140 compares evil men to serpents and poisonous vipers, and asks for God's protection in their midst. It mentioned traps along your path, so I combined the snakes and the path and painted a carpet of snakes across the ground, with someone's bare feet walking across it confidently, since God is on his side.
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Psalm 139: Wonderfully Made
by Melani Pyke on 4/4/2010 10:13:05 PM
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From this beautiful psalm, I've tried to include the idea of God making us, knowing us intimately, and having a plan for our lives, using the image of a sculptor's hands. With the background like a desert, I've also hinted at God's thoughts being more vast and numerous than grains of sand, (verses 17-18.)
Psalm 139 (New International Version)For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. 1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD. 5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, a]">[a] you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to b]">[b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you. 19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! 20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
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Psalm 138: A Prayer
by Melani Pyke on 4/3/2010 8:45:08 PM
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To me this psalm reads like a heartfelt prayer, so today it is my prayer, too. It's a prayer of praise for God, a prayer for the government, and a prayer of gratitude that God will help me through my troubles as well as fulfill his purpose for my life. I didn't intend this to be a self portrait, but she ended up looking a little bit like me.
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Psalm 136: Thanks Again
by Melani Pyke on 4/1/2010 3:34:27 PM
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Psalm 136 reminds us to give thanks to God for the great things he has done for us. I thought the sun would be a good symbol for something that gives and governs life, since it is mentioned in verse 8.
Psalm 136 (New International Version) 1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever. 4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever. 5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever. 6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever. 7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever. 8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever. 9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever. 10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever. 11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever. 12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever. 13 to him who divided the Red Sea a]'>[a] asunder
His love endures forever. 14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever. 15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever. 16 to him who led his people through the desert,
His love endures forever. 17 who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever. 18 and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever. 19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever. 20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever. 21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever. 22 an inheritance to his servant Israel;
His love endures forever. 23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever. 24 and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever. 25 and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever. 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
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Psalm 135: He Brings Out the Wind
by Melani Pyke on 3/31/2010 9:18:10 PM
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Today's painting is based especially on verses 6 and 7, which remind us of God's greatness and control over everything. The painting makes me look for a shape of something in the cloud. I can see sort of a face, but now I wish I had put something in there intentionally.
6 The LORD does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths. 7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
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Psalm 134: Praise and Blessings
by Melani Pyke on 3/30/2010 8:47:19 PM
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I used Gerber daisies to symbolize praising God, reaching up to heaven, as Psalm 134 inspires us to do. I used rain to symbolize the blessings that come back down to us. Psalm 134 (Contemporary English Version)(A song for worship.)Praising the LORD at Night 1Everyone who serves the LORD, come and offer praises. Everyone who has gathered in his temple tonight, 2lift your hands in prayer toward his holy place and praise the LORD. 3The LORD is the Creator of heaven and earth, and I pray that the LORD will bless you from Zion.
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Psalm 133: Together in Unity
by Melani Pyke on 3/29/2010 9:00:05 PM
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This song celebrates unity, and oil running down and dew falling could make interesting imagery for a painting. Even as I put the brush to the canvas, though, I didn't know what I was going to paint. I started with mountains, mentioned in verse 3, and then a city, to represent people living together in some sort of unity. Reminds me of Vancouver, and what better city to represent unity, with its unique mix of cultures and landscapes.
Psalm 133 (New International Version) A song of ascents. Of David. 1 How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
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Psalm 132: Resplendent
by Melani Pyke on 3/28/2010 5:03:47 PM
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Psalm 132 mentions King David, and also the Messiah, the coming king, who would be a decendant of David, hence the crown. Psalm 132 also talks about the ark of the covenant coming to its resting place, and of a place for God to dwell, or rest. To show resting, I've rested the bottom of the crown on the bottom edge of the canvas. I wanted my old crown to look like new art, though, so I used pure colours and rough chunks of paint. The title comes from the description of the crown in verse 18.
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Psalm 131: Stilled and Quieted
by Melani Pyke on 3/27/2010 8:30:31 PM
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Psalm 131 (New International Version)A song of ascents. Of David. 1 My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me. 2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.
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Psalm 130: With You There is Forgiveness
by Melani Pyke on 3/26/2010 9:28:16 PM
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This is a beautiful song of forginess. First some colour symbolism: Psalm 130 mentions forgiveness, so I've painted the bottom half black and red to stand for the old ways of darkness, and the top half light and green like new growth. Then I wanted to show the soul waiting for the Lord from verse 6, so I painted a man worshipping.
Psalm 130 (New International Version)A song of ascents. 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; 2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy. 3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning. 7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption. 8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins
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Psalm 128: Around Your Table
by Melani Pyke on 3/24/2010 8:59:00 PM
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I've taken verse 3 for today's painting, which compares your family to prosperous plants. Family is a blessing from God.
Psalm 128 (New International Version)A song of ascents. 1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways. 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your sons will be like olive shoots
around your table. 4 Thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD. 5 May the LORD bless you from Zion
all the days of your life;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem, 6 and may you live to see your children's children.
Peace be upon Israel.
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Psalm 127: A Gift
by Melani Pyke on 3/23/2010 9:02:20 PM
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This one is based on verse 3, which reminds us that children are a gift from God, and also verse 2 which mentions God granting sleep to those he loves. (A sleeping baby, therefore, is the ultimate blessing!!)
Psalm 127 (New International Version)A song of ascents. Of Solomon. 1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain. 2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to a]">[a] those he loves. 3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth. 5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
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Psalm 126: Restored
by Melani Pyke on 3/22/2010 9:01:02 PM
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The Israelites in exile were brought back to Jerusalem. The joy described here makes me think of families reunited after being apart, which is what I have tried to show in my painting today.
Psalm 126 (New Living Translation)A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. 1 When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,a]">[a]
it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy! 4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
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Psalm 125: Surround
by Melani Pyke on 3/21/2010 9:18:03 PM
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Verses 1 and 2 say that if we trust in the Lord he willl surround us and protect us, like mountains surrounding a city, or as I pictured it, us in His hands.
Psalm 125 (New International Version)A song of ascents. 1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore. 3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil. 4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart. 5 But those who turn to crooked ways
the LORD will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel.
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Psalm 124: Escaped
by Melani Pyke on 3/20/2010 12:13:12 PM
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I've taken phrases like "the raging waters would have swept us away" and "we have escaped like a bird" to show in my painting today. God gives us freedom like a bird, and calms the raging waters that we may find ourselves in.
Psalm 124 (New International Version)A song of ascents. Of David. 1 If the LORD had not been on our side—
let Israel say- 2 if the LORD had not been on our side
when men attacked us, 3 when their anger flared against us,
they would have swallowed us alive; 4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us, 5 the raging waters
would have swept us away. 6 Praise be to the LORD,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth. 7 We have escaped like a bird
out of the fowler's snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
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Psalm 123: Alert to Commands
by Melani Pyke on 3/19/2010 9:45:21 PM
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I had to read this short psalm a few times before I came up with a way to illustrate it. It talks about a servant/master relationship, so I had to think of what the equivalent of that would be today. This is like a boss/employee relationship, where the employee respects his boss and looks up to the boss for guidance. This image seemed to want to be painted in the same magazine-illustration-style that I used yesterday, which is fun to do and gets the message across without the painting being bogged down with details like facial expressions, which are left for the viewer's imagination.
Psalm 123 (The Message) A Pilgrim Song 1-4 I look to you, heaven-dwelling God, look up to you for help.
Like servants, alert to their master's commands,
like a maiden attending her lady,
We're watching and waiting, holding our breath,
awaiting your word of mercy.
Mercy, God, mercy!
We've been kicked around long enough,
Kicked in the teeth by complacent rich men,
kicked when we're down by arrogant brutes.
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Psalm 122: Let's Go
by Melani Pyke on 3/18/2010 3:46:55 PM
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I chose verse 1 as a base for my painting today: "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.' " I pictured this with a couple of people inviting a friend into taking part in something wonderful.
Psalm 122 (New International Version)A song of ascents. Of David. 1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD." 2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together. 4 That is where the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
to praise the name of the LORD
according to the statute given to Israel. 5 There the thrones for judgment stand,
the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure. 7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels." 8 For the sake of my brothers and friends,
I will say, "Peace be within you." 9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
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Psalm 121: Your Shade
by Melani Pyke on 3/17/2010 8:54:29 PM
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I used a tree to symbolize God's presence, and when I started to paint, it reminded me of Moses at the burning bush. I painted the hill, (mentioned in verse one,) which is like seeking God for help even when he seems far away like a hill in the distance. Shade as a symbol of God's protection is mentioned in verses 5-7, so I've shown this with the shadow of the tree.
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Psalm 120: War and Peace
by Melani Pyke on 3/16/2010 8:37:54 PM
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It was verse 7 that struck me today. It allows me to feel the frustration of someone taking a stand for peace in the midst of a crowd that's already decided to have a war. This applies to daily life like choosing not to participate in workplace gossip, and family arguments. We can take a stand for peace without fear, though; this psalm also says we can rely on God to answer us when we call on him for help. I've symbolized war with a bird of prey, and peace with a dove. Psalm 120 (New International Version)A song of ascents. 1 I call on the LORD in my distress,
and he answers me. 2 Save me, O LORD, from lying lips
and from deceitful tongues. 3 What will he do to you,
and what more besides, O deceitful tongue? 4 He will punish you with a warrior's sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom tree. 5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech,
that I live among the tents of Kedar! 6 Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace. 7 I am a man of peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
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Psalm 117: Praise God
by Melani Pyke on 3/13/2010 9:05:46 PM
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Small but mighty, Psalm 117 only has two verses. When I read it in the Message version, I got the idea of painting applause, to remind us to give appreciation to God for all he has done for us.
Psalm 117 (The Message)
1-2 Praise God, everybody! Applaud God, all people!
His love has taken over our lives;
God's faithful ways are eternal.
Hallelujah!
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Psalm 116: He Turned His Ear To Me
by Melani Pyke on 3/12/2010 9:30:29 PM
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What's with the weird ear? I was painting from verses 1-4, which says that God hears us nomatter how much trouble we're in. What looks like a stack of sweet-potato-fries on the right hand side is actually supposed to represent "The cords of death entangled me" from verse 3...
Psalm 116 (New International Version)
1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came upon me;
I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD :
"O LORD, save me!"
5 The LORD is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
6 The LORD protects the simplehearted;
when I was in great need, he saved me.
7 Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you.
8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.
10 I believed; therefore I said,
"I am greatly afflicted."
11 And in my dismay I said,
"All men are liars."
12 How can I repay the LORD
for all his goodness to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD, truly I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant ;
you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD—
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD.
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Psalm 115: Not Us But You
by Melani Pyke on 3/11/2010 9:38:08 PM
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Psalm 115 (New International Version)
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
2 Why do the nations say,
"Where is their God?"
3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
4 But their idols are silver and gold,
made by the hands of men.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but they cannot see;
6 they have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but they cannot smell;
7 they have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but they cannot walk;
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
8 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.
9 O house of Israel, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
12 The LORD remembers us and will bless us:
He will bless the house of Israel,
he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear the LORD—
small and great alike.
14 May the LORD make you increase,
both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
16 The highest heavens belong to the LORD,
but the earth he has given to man.
17 It is not the dead who praise the LORD,
those who go down to silence;
18 it is we who extol the LORD,
both now and forevermore.
Praise the LORD.
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Psalm 114: "The Sea Saw Them Coming..."
by Melani Pyke on 3/10/2010 8:04:11 PM
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Today's psalm describes the parting of the red sea, and reminds me of God's power, especially when it says "Tremble O earth, at the presence of the Lord..." I've tried to paint this feeling of awe. Psalm 114 (New Living Translation) 1 When the Israelites escaped from Egypt—
when the family of Jacob left that foreign land—
2 the land of Judah became God’s sanctuary,
and Israel became his kingdom. 3 The Red Seaa]">[a] saw them coming and hurried out of their way!
The water of the Jordan River turned away.
4 The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs!
5 What’s wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their way?
What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away?
6 Why, mountains, did you skip like rams?
Why, hills, like lambs? 7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob.
8 He turned the rock into a pool of water;
yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock.
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Psalm 113: He Lifts the Needy
by Melani Pyke on 3/9/2010 8:04:53 PM
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I like this little psalm. It makes me think of a huge open sky "From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets," and of the poor and needy being raised up and blessed, "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap," and tells us a lot about God's character.
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Psalm 112: Great Delight
by Melani Pyke on 3/8/2010 8:44:54 PM
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I love how this psalm describes so many different was that righteous people will be blessed. Verse 4 in particular caught my eye, and that's what I've based my painting on... a girl looks up at the light.
"Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man."
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Psalm 111: The Beginning of Wisdom
by Melani Pyke on 3/7/2010 8:19:58 PM
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Hmm, what do I paint today? Psalm 111 praises God. Verse 10 tells us how to be wise. What's a good symbol for wise? How about an owl. Owls make me think of night. What else does Psalm 111 make me think of, that I could mix with an owl? The psalm talks about how glorious and majestic God is, which makes me think of a beautiful sky: infinite. I could paint an owl flying in the sky, or make an owl shape out of the clouds, even better.
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