Water Everywhere and Nor Any Drop To Drink

"Save me , O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I have come into deep waters where the floods overflow me. I am weary with crying; my throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God." Psalm 69:1-3

How in the midst of water up to your neck could you be thirsty to the point your mouth is parched dry?.... How in the midst of information overload could we not have the Word that brings living water of true life?

Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.

--Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, part II, stanza 9

Just as drinking sea water hastens dehydration and leaves you thirsty; when we drink of the world's wisdom it only leaves us empty. May we quench that God given thirst with the only thing that really satisfies, the living water of Christ. Living Water that is the only source of wisdom, healing and peace.

Excellence from the Heart - Mark

From We to Me: Let's Get Personal

Testimonies are powerful when we hear what God has done for a group of people far away, but they seem even more powerful when it directly happened to the individual that is sharing.

"Everything on earth will worship You; they will sing Your praises, shouting Your name in glorious songs...Come and see what God has done, what awesome miracles He does for His people!" Psalm 63: 4-5

"Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to Him for help, praising Him as I spoke....Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer and did not withdraw His unfailing love from me." Psalm 63:16, 20

Both are powerful, but the intimate confessions of a life changed goes straight to the heart. Not only will it strengthen your witness, but will strengthen your worship. For God so loved ME and I will worship Him!

Excellence from the Heart - Mark

I Shall Not Be Moved

Not the anthem of the church member who doesn't want to leave their pew, but heart cry of David and hopefully each one of us.

"Truly my soul waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and salvation. He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved....My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved" Psalm 62: 1-2, 5-6

We see the progression: as we wait for God in "quiet trust", reflecting on His ability to save and protect - We will begin to see God for who He is and our position "In Christ" - We then wait in "Astonished, Dumbfounded" silence to see what this awesome God is going to do next.

We move from the hope that we will not be greatly moved (shaken) vs 2 to the confidence in Him that we will not be moved (shaken) vs 6. Stand firm in the assurance of His ability and His strength.

Excellence from the Heart - Mark

But As For Me...

"But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning. because of your unfailing love. For You have been my refuge, a place of safety in the day of distress. O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you , O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love." Psalm 59:16-17 (NLT)


"But as for me".. that is the place to which we all must come. A place where we decide that in spite of the circumstances and in spite of what others do, I will praise the Lord. We come to that place as David did, when we acknowledge to God, "You 'have been' and you 'are' my refuge of unfailing love."

"But as for me"... I will trust in that refuge.

Excellence from the Heart - Mark