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Psalm 114 reads as follows from the NIV version of the Bible: 1 When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, 2 Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion. 3 The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; 4 the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. 5 Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back, 6 you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs? 7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water. The theme of this psalm revolves around the demonstration of power in one major event, which is described in the final verse, where the rock was turned into flowing streams of waters in the presence of onlookers. While this is what is actually happening, the earlier verses of the psalm are described an approach of the Lord or his coming to change the rock into water as a mounting or building crescendo of power taking various forms as the approach comes nearer. As he approaches to bring about the turn, even high profile symbols of nature and power, cower in the other direction. With the actual event that affects the people, is isolated to the final verse, the prior verses operate as a picture of a crescendo of power. The prior verses all operate as a crescendo or building or buildup to the finale, which is turning the rock into flowing streams. This is in a sense, although a wonder in that rocks do not transform themselves into a gushing source of water, a straightforward event in its effects, now those that are thirsty in the parched land, have water before them while they were previously lacking and the input given is one of supply being given.rrttt The shakeup of this happening, gives a mounting presence to the appearance of the Lord in this event or answer, as a show of might and power in the approach or towards the event as it will soon unfold. The appearance, could also have been sudden, the timing could have been such where all these events unfolded simultaneously. The crescendo could have been unified and happening all at once. The happening, while having several elements to it which can include behind the scene events from the perspective of the viewer, will have a blending of these elements to where it makes sense in the overall picture of what is happening. There may be a chain of events, a chain of events happening all at once or over some stretch of time, but the events will blend into an overall picture of wonder. As the Lord is coming, even the seas tremble, the mountains get out of his way, and the mightiest rivers flow in the opposite of their normal direction. The mention of the Nile here is the mightiest of all the great rivers in the known world then and is itself one of the great wonders of the world.. Sometimes in seeking the answers to prayer, the behind the scenes elements aren't really contemplated in their possible awesomeness and power. Those who witnessed the turning of the rock into streams of water in the desert may not have seen the majestic approach of the Lord. There was not a full view of the overall happening as they were maybe just standing by the rock and didn't experience what was happening in the distance as the power of the Lord approached them and what was happened out there was more behind the scenes for them although it was right up front for nature itself and the great mountains. There is more than meets with the eye. In first Kings Chapter 19 it says,” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” The approach of the Lord can be majestic, overwhelming and powerful and based on his experience this is what Elijah was looking for. While it may be otherwise as in the case of Elijah where he expected the Lord in the whirlwind, and found his presence in the whisper, he was actually on track in how he thought the initial approach might be. The new approach of the whisper was a surprise to Elijah. He was a great prophet of the times and he knew from experience what this psalm is saying, that there can be majestic proportions to how the Lord may approach but it would never be known in advance as to how this might be in a given case, this time the surprise was that the Lord did approach in the manner of a whisper. The power was still in the whisper as strongly as it would have been in the whirlwind, or other overwhelming demonstrations of power. Correlating this with your own prayer life, you yourself can whisper a prayer that might in turn trigger the whirlwind. Whispered prayers can echo with the same powers that are depicted in this psalm, that even the seas would tremble. Elijah did not know what it would be, but he had ideas of what it could be, but the ways of the Lord know no limits. One of the lessons of his story is that power, can be in the smallest of forms, just a whisper from the Lord can change everything and in the context of the power of prayer, just a whisper by you in prayer can change everything. This indeed is also a metaphor for prayer itself, which to a degree models the power of the Holy Spirit, in that a whispered prayer to the Lord can change everything and be a mover and shaker for the whole planet. Even if the Lord shows up to an individual in the whisper, the reality is the still the approach of the Almighty and everybody and everything we make room and get out the way, even the stars in the heavens. There are some visions of this in the Bible, where there are passages that refer to legions of angels approaching with the chariots of the Lord. This psalm gives pause to consideration and a second look as to what is really happening with the point blank presence of the Lord and the appearance of a wondrous answer or help. In the case of Daniel and his answered prayer 21 days later, there were mighty angels behind the scenes of the impending answer. Daniel did not know of these behind the scenes happenings, with regards to his prayer, He was only made aware of them when the angel informed him directly of these behind the scenes events all precipitated by his prayers. Even as in Daniel's case of the delayed answer, your prayer can have that behind the scenes power that results in an answer now, or later on. It is good also to be aware that it is often unknown what has been generated by a prayer, especially with regards to the prayer of intercession. But behind the scenes, something majestic may be happening as is depicted in this psalm. With an answered prayer there will often be accessories to the event or things that go along with it. These accessories can be clearly seen and known, there only needs to be a sensitivity and awareness to all that is happening in its totality and in its manifold parts as what happens takes place as an unfolding event that may have a number of elements attached. The Lord may give accessories to what he is doing within a given answer that surround as representations of power and within the event several happenings are taking place. With the changing of the rock into a fountain of water, several other things were happening with this wondrous or miraculous event as it is occurring. Accessories could include a song, clear days, angels, additional signs of sights in the sky, witness of others and so on. A key is to sometimes look for several elements, either unfolding right before your eyes or taking place in unison which is also possible with the wonder. A given answer can have more than one characteristic and this will often be the case as several aspects present into the situation. With healing, there may be a word that goes with the healing; there might be several pieces of information that you are given and gather with regards to what you need to do, there may be the physical feelings of special warmth that flows with the presence of healing, there may be an inner witness, the witness of others, or a vision involved. There could be several events both before and after or during that take place in the unfolding. It is also possible that the crescendo can be very rapid or seem to appear suddenly or out of nowhere as in the case of Elijah where the whisper can upon him out of nowhere. Whatever this great gift is, it is something that goes along with the great gift, that accompanies it, or revolves around it and with it and this could be several things as the Lord often works by given attachments to his wonders, gifts, or miracles. The wondrous sights may be several in the moment, as for the sky and sea, may both bring forth wonders at the beach side and within this blend of events is a special communication or witness given. These approaching wonders might be a set of combined wonders that blend into an ever greater overall wonder. The wonders may occur side by side in the form of a blend. The actions involved might appear all out once or in a series or really any other format, but the quality will be that of wonder or wonders. Wonders are defined as connections that could otherwise have not been forged through known natural means. Angels may be involved and angels sometimes will be doing several things in the moment. But whatever they are, they should be seen as part of the total package in the crescendo of power and wonders.
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