Waiting for the Day
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Psalm 122:1 NASB
Let us go – In a language without punctuation, emphasis is accomplished by word placement. Words that come first are more strongly emphasized than words that come last. So you won’t be surprised to find that “let us go” comes at the end of the sentence. “The house of the LORD” (actually bet YHWH) comes before the verb. What is most important is His Temple, not my going to it.
Centuries after David wrote these words, we are waiting for the opportunity to make them true for us. Today, on my birthday, I am waiting. Although I am not yet in Jerusalem, I will soon be there, waiting at the Western wall once again, waiting to be glad to enter His Temple.
The first time I stood at the Wall, I was overcome with emotion. I don’t really know why. It wasn’t a particularly emotional day, standing in lines, hassling with tour schedules, trying to get a few photos. Then I went to the Wall. I thought about the hundreds of thousands who have stood at this Wall over the centuries, waiting for the Temple so they could once again worship God in His place. I thought about my own disobedience, my contribution in thought and ancestry that led to the genocide of His people. I thought about the broken heart of God. And I wept. For me, for my people, for Him.
How much longer shall we wait, O Lord, King of the universe, until we can once again enter into Your presence on Your mount? How much longer will we have to cry out to You? How much longer will our own struggles contribute to Your delay?
Today, on the day of my birth, I long for only His present – His presence.
Today’s Word: let us go, nelek, the Wall, Psalm 122:1
BIRTHDAY GIFT
Since it is my birthday, I am going to ask you for a present. It’s not what you expect. As you know, Irene van Niekerk’s story, a story that we started through our compassion, has reached around the globe. Here are some links to view if you wish. CLICK 1, CLICK 2. I have recently had a very long conversation with a film producer who wants to do a documentary about Irene and life in the camps. This is wonderful, but also quite dangerous. You may not know this, but South African Afrikaaners are on the genocide watch list. What is really happening there is unspeakable! Irene is part of this group of endangered people. Bringing her story to light may actually put her at risk, and doing a documentary on the camps will certainly arouse hatred and possible violence. But I must go forward. God gave me this and I will see it through. So, here’s what you can do for my birthday. You can pray for Irene. She needs God’s protection. No one else is able to do this. And you can pray that the world may know the truth.
If you think you can stand looking, here is a web site that is cataloging the genocide of the Afrikaans people. It is not easy to see. Then pray for them.
Happy Birthday, Skip. Hope you have a wonderful & blessed day.
Happy Birthday, Skip. Hope you have a wonderful & blessed day. You deserve it.
On this day that celebrates your birth, I will pray and I will keep this prayer in the foreground of my thoughts. Thank you for allowing the Lord to use you in wonderful ways! May the project continue and finish according to His timing!
Praying and happy birthday! May YHVH’s shalom be yours today and always.
Happy birthday Skip. Thank you for His Word here At God’s Table.
Happy Birthday Skip
May the Lord continue to use you and inspire you to do that which he has given you to do especially in regard to SA. I know a little about this kind of situation – terrible things that go on in Ethiopia behind the scenes (tribal differences etc.)
May you know YHWH’s heart in the matter and be led by him – it could affect Irene very seriously so tread carefully and know his leading and protection as you proceed.
Happy Birthday Skip!
Skip,
The fulness of the King’s presence be your present this day and all your days!
Praying that YHWH will govern your direction and intention regarding this film.
Praying for Irene and her people.
Happy birthday from Brazil Skip! May YHWH give you the strength, health and motivation to continue this blessed work you do!
Giving thanks to Him for giving your birth once, then twice that you might fulfill a purpose, His purpose now and in to the world to come. I pray YHWH may highlight this day of gratefulness and honoring with His presence, awareness and power in your life, thoughts, and actions. Thank you for your inspiring words and deeds. May they continue for many days and years onward until all is fulfilled for that which YHWH has for you.
Thank you for being a servant to Irene and those like her in this world. I will pray for her, her plight, and her fellow community that HaShem brings deliverance and freedom and life to them.
Amen.
“Bringing her story to light may actually put her at risk”
This is the first thought I had when I read of all the new publicity. I’ve been praying for little Irene and her family since I read your very first post about her. I began to pray with a heavy heart after “the spotlight began to shine on her” so-to-speak.
Now, because I want to give you a birthday filled with blessings, I will pray right here to my Father:
YHVH, I praise Your Holy Name. I thank You for the perfect way that You love us. I am constantly amazed at the way you continue to gift and protect and bless Your people and Your land, Israel, even in their persistent rejection of Yeshua HaMashiach. I sing prayers of joy for the people who have come to recognize that THEIR MESSIAH LIVES. Father, thank You for shielding Israel from the world’s/satan’s plan of destruction. Thank You for having a plan of saving grace for us gentiles!
Father, GOD of all, right now, I come to You again with a heavy heart for the evil taking place in South Africa. Human nature is all about sin; racism and genocide are perfect examples of how wretched a person/people can be. I ask, YHVH, at this moment. that You intervene in that corrupt government and stop this torture of the South Africans, not only white people but those who are committed to intervene and rescue them. I especially think of Irene and her family who love You, YHVH. Please show us what YOU WOULD HAVE US DO. Maybe, if her family is open and willing, we could get them out of the country. Maybe You have plans to surround that entire camp with Your angels. Do what only You can do, Father God, but be glorified by Irene, her family, other servants of Yeshua and us here in this community who “have met” Irene and seen her sweet smile in the midst of all the ugliness.
Father, I want to also thank You for the u-turn You made in Skip’s life. My husband and I are so very grateful for his teachings and this site. Today, YHVH, Holy and Perfect and ALL LOVE, please shower him with Your presence in an obvious way. Let him FEEL You smiling on him.
We praise You, YHVH and thank You, Yeshua HaMashiach, for being LIFE for us. Amen
Thank you. Just the present I wanted.
Amein and amein
Thank you Skip! May you have a long and fruitful life!
Happy Birthday Skip.
‘Y’varekh’kha Adonai v’yishmerekha.
[May Adonai bless you and keep you.]
Ya’er Adonai panav eleikha vichunekka.
[May Adonai make his face shine on you and show you his favor.]
Yissa Adonai panav eleikha v’yasem l’kha shalom.
[May Adonai lift up his face toward you and give you peace.]’
Am I the only one here who dared to look at the link Skip offerd for our eyes??
Oh Lord may you delivery those whoes lives are threatened from the evil doers who come armed to turture and kill, may God have mercy upon their souls.
As for those who act out Satans extreme acts of violence on men women children and even babies, Oh that they may stop and repent, forsurley the blood of those killed cries out for justice, and justice will & is surely coming upon this evil world. God will soon send His witnesses to confront the evil of manking on all fronts, from their disregard to His word, to the sinfull acts they carry out with impunity to any regard for mercy. God will soon pour out His bowls of wrath upon manking, in hope that they may repent and turn to Him who saves.
Come Lord Yeshua come. Lord give us your servants the boldness to confront sin, with Love for the sinner’s soul, that they may each repent from their wickedness and turn and declare you as Saviour. Amen. ps Skip, I really did not want to see these, but may the effect that they have had on me, be for a reason wherby I may be an instrument for His Glory.
Happy Birthday Skip, and thank you for bringing to our attention the horrible, horrible events in South Africa. I had to look at the genocide website in little bits, even then I could hardly function most of the morning. It appears Irene needs our prayers if the story is told and just as much as if it is not told. I have a friend who spent most of her early years in SA, and her parents still live there much of the year, even she has no idea how bad the situation is! Round them up, put them in camps and then kill them… this inhuman, irrational, blind hatred is still at work. Please know we are praying for all involved and thanking our Father that not one of these little ones is outside the reach of His care.
Happy Birthday Skip. I watched about a minute of that video. IT needs to be watched and it needs to register as to what is going on in the world. I wish that I could put it on FB to let people know about this.
Inhumane is not sufficient a word..GOD help us !
Abundant blessings of Shalom and protection upon you, Skip, as you go about ABBA’s business.
May you have wisdom and confirmation from YHWH wherever you have to go.
May ABBA place a hedge around you and Irene, may ABBA go before you, and after you, and be with you, to do what He has entrusted to you.
ABBA we lift up our voices to seek You in all these trips for Skip.
ABBA, we seek Your protection upon innocent ones in SA, hear our cries, ABBA!
Bring the guilty ones to their knees, give them no peace until they call upon You. Amein!
Happy Belated Joyful Blessed, Birthday, Skip :- )
Happy belated birthday my dear friend. I will pray for Irene, but mostly I will pray for you and your family. All my love-
Happy Birthday Skip!
MY GOD!!!!! This IS my (distant) family! The boers are of Dutch origin. Never heard about these brutal killings before! This is terrible. I’m going to contact my local christian party to see if we can raise our voice against this!