Be bold and brave.  Grow like the pine.  Work and ride and play that you may be strong.  Talk straight.  Love your brother.  Give half to your friend.  Honor your mother that you may honor your wife.  Pray and listen.”
              –Zane Grey  (The Rainbow Trail)

    “For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind. He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth. The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies is his name!”
              –Amos 4:13 (NLT)
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Last week “I Pitched My Tent in Beulah Land,” but right now I’ve decided to find my “Dwelling in Beulah Land.”  That chorus just won’t stop, going on three weeks now.  As you read the words to this grand old song, ask yourself if you are dwelling in Beulah Land.  And to change things around, I must start with the chorus first.

                        “I’m living on the mountain, underneath a cloudless sky (praise God!)
                         I’m drinking at the fountain that never shall run dray;
                         Oh yes! I’m feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply,
                         For I am dwelling in Beulah Land.”
                                 –C. Austin Miles

The things of this world and its vain system have no hold on me.  I’ve taken off finally to the “High Lonesome.”  Nope, don’t mean I’ve gone back to the high country to escape the things of this evil world, but I’m living on God’s mountain.  The noise of the masses along with their lure is removed from my ear.  There’s something much better than falling under the control of the monolithic idol of technology and the screams of despair.

         “Far away the noise of strife upon my ear is falling,
          Then I know the sins of earth beset on ev’ry hand:
          Doubt and fear and things of earth in vain to me are calling,
          None of these shall move me from Beulah Land.”

The world is in chaos and confusion reigns.  Man’s opinion seems to override reason and truth.  There is despair and despondency and people look in vain to the gods of this world.  There is safety and security upon the mountain.  As long as I keep seeking and living within God’s Word none of the junk of this world lures me back.  The mountain is where I’ll stay.

         “Far below the storm of doubt upon the world is beating,
          Sons of men in battle long the enemy withstand:
          Safe am I within the castle of God’s Word retreating,
          Nothing then can reach me ’tis Beulah Land.”

My storm is the tempest raging in the world.  Across the land people are moaning and groaning.  They dislike anything that goes against their dreams of fantasy.  They suffer cruel anxieties and can find no rest, no hope.  That is because they are self-centered, dreaming of being autonomous and trying to rid God from their thoughts.  I find no alarm from what they say or do.  They do not beckon me; they have no hold on me.  They may try to find fault, but they cannot unless they completely deceive themselves.  Not for me to be riled and fret for I’m going to live on the mountain.

         “Let the stormy breezes blow, their cry cannot alarm me;
          I am safely sheltered here, protected by God’s hand:
          Here the sun is always shining, her there’s naught can harm me,
          I am safe forever in Beulah Land.”

Instead of the evil in the world, I choose to look at the wondrous works of God.  Instead of being wearied by man’s vain philosophies, I choose to contemplate the voice of the Lord as it comes from His Word.  Instead of following the maze of man’s wonderings, I choose to follow the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit.  Don’t go looking for my address down there among the pagan and heathen.  Nope, I up on the high slopes living on the mountain.  Enjoying the life He has given me.  I am blessed beyond measure.

         “Viewing here the works of God, I sink in contemplation,
          Hearing now His blessed voice, I see the way He planned:
          Dwelling in the Spirit here I learn of full salvation,
          Gladly will I tarry in Beulah Land.”

Come on friends, look at that chorus again.  Makes the toes start to wiggle.  I may no longer be able to clog in the kitchen, but I can sure shuffle in the living room.

                        “I’m living on the mountain, underneath a cloudless sky, (praise God!)
                         I’m drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry;
                         Oh, yes!  I’m feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply,
                         For I am dwelling in Beulah Land.”
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This day in the Texas Revolution:  The Goliad Massacre–Fannin and nearly 400 Texas are executed by order of Santa Anna, while at the same time Houston and his army are camped near San Felipe de Austin.

I like a man who will insist on doing right even in difficult times.”
              –Stephen Bly  (Hard Winter at Broken Arrow)

    “Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”
              –Proverbs 21:3 (HCSB)
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Here we are back at Psalm 18 (HCSB).  Right off the bat David proclaims that he is righteous (similar to Job).  Verse 21, says that he has not turned to wickedness.  Another version, “I have not turned from God to follow evil.”  It is one thing to trip, fall into sin, fail, and a completely different thing to follow after sin.  Take a look, meditate, and contemplate these verses throughout the week.  They are powerful.

    20 – The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; He repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
    21 – For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not turned from my God to wickedness.
    22 – Indeed, I have kept all His ordinances in mind and have not disregarded His statutes.
    23 – I was blameless toward Him and kept myself from sinning.
    24 – So the Lord repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
    25 – With the faithful You prove Yourself faithful; with the blameless man You prove Yourself blameless;
    26 – with the pure You prove Yourself pure, but with the crooked You prove Yourself shrewd.
    27 – For You rescue an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes.
    28 – Lord, You light my lamp; my God illuminates my darkness.
    29 – With You I can attack a barrier, and with my God I can leap over a wall.
    30 – God—His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

When I read this it seems that David is almost bragging on his God, and stating facts about his own life.  Because I did this, God did that.  We can say the same things, but only if we act in the same manner as David.  When we keep His commandments and keep our hands (feet, eyes, mouth, etc.) clean he will repay us accordingly.
    One thing I see in these verses that is not openly stated, but is definitely implied is the concept of obedience.  “I kept”, “I was blameless”, “I have not turned”.  David obeyed the commands and precepts of the Lord.  He did things in the proper manner.  Another aspect seen which relates to obedience is faithfulness.  When David was faithful, God was faithful.  
    There is also the idea of light.  Verse 28, we live in darkness; we all have darkness; the world is darkness, but the Word came bringing light. (see John 1:1-8)  The light of the world has come in the person of Jesus Christ.  No longer is the world completely dark, but there is now a great Light.  Man cannot escape the light.  The only way he may avoid the light is to cover himself.  He can hide from the light, but in his hiding he is only proving that there is a Light shining brightly.
    With the Lord on our side, victory, security, and safety are ours.  We have that assurance.  God is always faithful and loyal to us, in return we should be faithful and loyal to Him.  One other thing to notice:  this is not defensive, but offensive in nature.  If I am obedient and faithful, if I do my duty when I then “can attack a barrier…[and] leap over a wall.”  The RSV states, “crush a troop…”  I like verse 29 in the NLT, “In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.”
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Today in the Texas Revolution:  On March 24, General Antonio Gaona departs Bexar eastward towards Nacogdoches.

Don’t pray for more years….  Pray for better years.  Don’t pray for good times, or easy times.  Pray for strength.”
              –Brad Dennison  (The Long Trail)

    “For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.”
              –Psalm 48:14 (NKJV)
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On this fine morning….  Oh it has to be for this is the day the Lord has made, we are to rejoice in it! He gave us this day to learn, to grow, to live and to worship Him.  Why then moan and groan over the day.  It’s a day given to you.  A person never knows how many are left, so walk with God.
    I remember sitting on the edge of a rim over-looking a canyon or gorge several times in my life.  As I sat there on this one particular evening, the sun was setting, but I could see a storm brewing up on the other side of the gorge.  It became dark early as the storm moved in my direction.  It now covered the gorge and then a beautiful sunset turned into a storm.  The wind came up and whipped dust around.  Then there were spatters of rain, nothing hard, but because of the wind they felt like little pebbles.  I thought of how the storms sometimes rage in our souls.  The storms come along and they weather us (I see that every time I look in a mirror).  Just before it turned dark there was a break on the horizon and a last glimmer of the sun thrust through.  When darkness finally fell I looked and saw the full moon rising.  The storm had passed, the sky was clear, and that moon was shining brightly.
    As I looked and pondered, I felt the God of the storm speak to my spirit, “Look out at that gorge; that is what I do when I break down strongholds, and the mountains that rise up against Me in your mind.”  The Lord will send storms that will rain down upon us and rage; the wind will howl and we feel we are being blown away, but then there comes the end to the storm.  The calmness, and you notice that part of you has been blown and washed away.  Weathered for sure, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He is the God of the storm that seeks to weather us.
    Perhaps you were as the Hebrews when they were thrust into the wilderness under the leadership of Moses.  They wanted freedom, yet they wanted the security and food of Egypt as well.  They had trouble facing the wilderness, as perhaps you have, and wanted the storms of life kept away from them.  They were satisfied with the pleasures of Egypt.  They may have been slaves, but when they found themselves in the wilderness, they wished to be back in slavery.  That is what many people prefer rather than facing and finding God in the wilderness.  It is one of those attitude battles of life:  Satisfaction versus Struggle.  
    Walking back in the dark from that sunset and the storm I watched as the moon continued to climb in the sky.  Friend, the wilderness and the storms are necessary for real life.  Snuggling down in my blankets for the night with the final flames of the campfire flickering out, I heard the wail of the coyotes saluting the full moon.  A lonely, mournful, eerie sound of the wilderness.

The desert had a power over men, linking their destinies or pulling them far asunder.”
              –Zane Grey  (Captives of the Desert)

    “And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
              –Exodus 16:3 (NKJV)
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Every so often I get songs going through my head.  They’re there in the night when I happen to wake up, and again in the morning as I yawn and get out of bed.  In between slumber and waking up I find them wandering through my brain.  Sometimes they just occur like a jingle from a commercial.  However, sometimes they bring a real truth and thought to me.  Well, for the last couple of weeks I’ve had a couple of songs running rampant, so whichever is the case I’m going to share one with you.  
    This one was written back in 1908, by Margaret J. Harris.  I have no clue the last time I heard this song, probably way back when I was a kid attending Boulder First Assembly of God.  

         I long ago left Egypt for the promised land,
         I trusted in my Savior, and to His guiding hand;
         He led me out to vict’ry through the great Red Sea,
         I sang a song of triumph, and shouted, I am free!

Yeehaw!  That’s cowboy lingo, for “I am free!”  The people wanted a deliverer and Moses entered the scene, but they were only a few days on the way when they started to complain.  Look at the echo scripture, “we had this in Egypt, we had that in Egypt, woe is us now we are going to die in the wilderness.”  Remember, Egypt is a type of the world in Scripture, a place of sin.  Far too many Christians today are enjoying the pleasures of Egypt.  I wonder how many of them want to be taken out of their pleasures?

         I followed close beside Him, and the land soon found,
         I did not halt or tremble, for Canaan I was bound;
         My Guide I fully trusted, and He led me in,
         I shouted hallelujah, my heart is free from sin.

Yippi-ki-yay!  That’s cowboy lingo, for “Hallelujah”!  When we stay close to Jesus, sin and its allurements will diminish.  No longer will we want anything to do with the lifestyle back in Egypt.  When we trust Him with our lives, the things of this world grow dim.  The more we want of Jesus the less we want of the world.

         I started for the highlands where the fruits abound,
         I pitched my tent near Hebron, there grapes of Eschol found,
         With milk and honey flowing, and new wine so free;
         I have no love for Egypt, it has no charms for me.

The lure and lust of Egypt has gone.  That’s why I get so puzzled when half the time on facebook I see Christians with a bottle in their hands (and no, it’s not sody-pop).  They talk more about their last hangover, or how good this tastes, or what they did over the weekend.  But, that’s not my style.  I want to be close to the Lord; I want to make sure that Egypt has no charm for me.  Remember, the appearance of evil should not be seen around us.  We should not allow things to tempt the weaker brother/sister.

         My heart is so enraptured as I press along;
         Each day I find new blessings which fill my heart with song;
         I’m ever marching onward to that land on high,
         Someday I’ll reach my mansion that’s builded in the sky.

                        You need not look for me, down in Egypt’s sand,
                        For I have pitched my tent far up in Beulah land.

I’m trying to work my way as far as I can away from Egypt’s border.  I’m like the writer of this song, marching onward.  Egypt, get behind me.  Hmmm, instead of sand, I plodding on ground, fertile soil.  Oh, sometimes a rock gets in the way.  It is supposed to be holy ground, so I’m doing my best not to bring any of Egypt with me.  What’s that?  Did you hear it?  There’s no more pounding of nails in my home on high.  Friend, don’t you be lookin’ for me down in Egypt’s sand!
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Today in the Texas Revolution:  Battle of Copano–Gen. Urrea captures the port of Copano.  The Mexicans used it to obtain reinforcements and send the injured and prisoners to Mexico.