12-21-12

the world is supposed to end today.

so, i took the opportunity to do weird, crazy things this morning.

things like math.

after looking at today's date - 12-21-12 - i did some math.

12-21 became 12+21 which equals 33.

crazy, huh?

the craziness continued when i turned to Psalm 33.

noticeably within the date, the next pattern in the numbers appeared ... 1-12.

so i read Psalm 33:1-12

Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord;
    it is fitting for the pure to praise him.
Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre;
    make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.
Sing a new song of praise to him;
    play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.
For the word of the Lord holds true,
    and we can trust everything he does.
He loves whatever is just and good;
    the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.

The Lord merely spoke,
    and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
    and all the stars were born.
He assigned the sea its boundaries
    and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
Let the whole world fear the Lord,
    and let everyone stand in awe of him.
For when he spoke, the world began!
    It appeared at his command.

The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations
    and thwarts all their schemes.
But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever;
    his intentions can never be shaken.

What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,
    whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.

after that the next pattern emerged from the date ... 12-21.

of course i read verse 12 - 21 then.

What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,
    whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.

The Lord looks down from heaven
    and sees the whole human race.
From his throne he observes
    all who live on the earth.
He made their hearts,
    so he understands everything they do.
The best-equipped army cannot save a king,
    nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—
    for all its strength, it cannot save you.

But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
    those who rely on his unfailing love.
He rescues them from death
    and keeps them alive in times of famine.

We put our hope in the Lord.
    He is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.

then, all that remained was verse 22 - which ought to be our prayer today - whether or not the world ends.
       
          Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
                      for our hope is in you alone.

now, i'm just hoping we have more of these apocalyptic scares because working with numbers isn't something i normally do and this was just too easy today!

(all scripture quotations from the New Living Translation)