The Rev. Dr. Hugh H. Morgan When he pastored Tarkenton Memorial Church in Athens, GA I was greatly blessed by God when He gave me a godly Christian teacher in the third grade at Gibson Grammar School in Birmingham, Alabama by the name of Mary Livingston. She was a Southern Baptist and introduced our class to the process of memorizing Scripture. And I mean a whole chapter at a time. The first Psalm she had us to memorize was Psalm 1.
God has given me an incredible ability to memorized. Had I been guided and supervised more closely, I think I could have memorized the entire New Testament. I must confess, I never attempted to do that, but I have know people who have. I remember John Swails telling us that when he was recuperating for a broken leg, he decided to memorize the Book of Romans. He was a great Bible teacher and preacher and he could keep me spell bound. I would hang on to every word he taught.
I remember when I was considering resigning my commission as an Air Force officer and chaplain, God guided me to Psalm 139. It was this Psalm that helped guide me in making one of the biggest decisions in my life.
As I was preparing today's Hugh's News it occurred to me that this is a good time to share this Psalm with you. I have shared it before, but it is good to share it again. When I was growing up in a preacher's home, I loved the Bible stories my Dad would tell Mary Evelyn and me. I would always say, "Daddy, please tell it again." I never get tired of hearing Bible stories and anointed preaching.
So, here goes my teaching on Psalm 139.
Psalm 139 is a good psalm to read. I have memorized it without trying as I read it over and over when I accepted the call to go to Southwestern College as president. This psalm became a Rhema word for me. I hope it will be for you.
Let me quote it from The Living Bible, the translation or paraphrase I memorized:
Psalms 139
139:1 O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit or stand. When far away You know my every thought. 3 You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. 4 You know what I am going to say before I even say it. 5 You both precede and follow me and place Your hand of blessing on my head.
6 This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe! 7 I can never be lost to Your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! 8 If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, You are there. 9 If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, 10 even there Your hand will guide me, your strength will support me. 11 If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. 12 For even darkness cannot hide from God; to You the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to You.
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother's womb. 14 Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it. 15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! 16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!
17 How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking about me constantly! I can't even count how many times a day Your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, You are still thinking of me!
19 Surely You will slay the wicked, Lord! Away, bloodthirsty men! Begone! 20 They blaspheme Your name and stand in arrogance against You--how silly can they be? 21 O Lord, shouldn't I hate those who hate You? Shouldn't I be grieved with them? 22 Yes, I hate them, for Your enemies are my enemies too.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything You find in me that makes You sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
TLB
Now, let me go one step further to share with you the insights God gave me as I consider this Psalm in light of leaving the Air Force Chaplaincy at a key time in my calling and career to be an Air Force chaplain. Here it is:
Psalm 139
Titles for each paragraph in The Living Bible
God gave me this Scripture and the outline when I was considering making a decision to resign my commission in the Air Force and become the third President of Southwestern College
1974
Dr. Hugh H. Morgan
The Searching of God’s Presence
1 O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit or stand. When far away You know my every thought. 3 You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. 4 You know what I am going to say before I even say it. 5 You both precede and follow me and place Your hand of blessing on my head.
The Scope of God’s Presence
6 This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe! 7 I can never be lost to Your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! 8 If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, You are there. 9 If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, 10 even there Your hand will guide me, Your strength will support me. 11 If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. 12 For even darkness cannot hide from God; to You the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to You.
The Satisfaction of God’s Presence
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother's womb. 14 Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it. 15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! 16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in Your book!
The Security of God’s Presence
17 How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking about me constantly! I can't even count how many times a day Your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, You are still thinking of me!
The Severity of God’s Presence
19 Surely You will slay the wicked, Lord! Away, bloodthirsty men! Begone! 20 They blaspheme Your name and stand in arrogance against You--how silly can they be? 21 O Lord, shouldn't I hate those who hate yYou? Shouldn't I be grieved with them? 22 Yes, I hate them, for Your enemies are my enemies too.
The Supplication of God’s Presence
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything You find in me that makes You sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
TLB
It my prayer that you come to know Jesus Christ Who is the Son of God. If you do not know Him as your personal Lord and Savior, today is the day for you to be saved. The Bible teaches that there must be "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21, KJV). Only God can give you the ability to repent--to turn from your sins and turn to God. You must confess you are a sinner and need a Savior. You cannot save yourself. Jesus Christ died on the Cross outside the City of Jerusalem, was buried and rose again so you might have eternal life and be forgiven of all your sins. He died in your place, and paid a debt you can never repay. Receive His gracious offer this day.
When you pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart and life and save you, tell someone. The Bible teaches us to confess with our mouth what God has done in our lives.
I would like your testimony too. Send me an email at: [email protected] I promise to write you back.
God has given me an incredible ability to memorized. Had I been guided and supervised more closely, I think I could have memorized the entire New Testament. I must confess, I never attempted to do that, but I have know people who have. I remember John Swails telling us that when he was recuperating for a broken leg, he decided to memorize the Book of Romans. He was a great Bible teacher and preacher and he could keep me spell bound. I would hang on to every word he taught.
I remember when I was considering resigning my commission as an Air Force officer and chaplain, God guided me to Psalm 139. It was this Psalm that helped guide me in making one of the biggest decisions in my life.
As I was preparing today's Hugh's News it occurred to me that this is a good time to share this Psalm with you. I have shared it before, but it is good to share it again. When I was growing up in a preacher's home, I loved the Bible stories my Dad would tell Mary Evelyn and me. I would always say, "Daddy, please tell it again." I never get tired of hearing Bible stories and anointed preaching.
So, here goes my teaching on Psalm 139.
Psalm 139 is a good psalm to read. I have memorized it without trying as I read it over and over when I accepted the call to go to Southwestern College as president. This psalm became a Rhema word for me. I hope it will be for you.
Let me quote it from The Living Bible, the translation or paraphrase I memorized:
Psalms 139
139:1 O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit or stand. When far away You know my every thought. 3 You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. 4 You know what I am going to say before I even say it. 5 You both precede and follow me and place Your hand of blessing on my head.
6 This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe! 7 I can never be lost to Your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! 8 If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, You are there. 9 If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, 10 even there Your hand will guide me, your strength will support me. 11 If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. 12 For even darkness cannot hide from God; to You the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to You.
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother's womb. 14 Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it. 15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! 16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!
17 How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking about me constantly! I can't even count how many times a day Your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, You are still thinking of me!
19 Surely You will slay the wicked, Lord! Away, bloodthirsty men! Begone! 20 They blaspheme Your name and stand in arrogance against You--how silly can they be? 21 O Lord, shouldn't I hate those who hate You? Shouldn't I be grieved with them? 22 Yes, I hate them, for Your enemies are my enemies too.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything You find in me that makes You sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
TLB
Now, let me go one step further to share with you the insights God gave me as I consider this Psalm in light of leaving the Air Force Chaplaincy at a key time in my calling and career to be an Air Force chaplain. Here it is:
Psalm 139
Titles for each paragraph in The Living Bible
God gave me this Scripture and the outline when I was considering making a decision to resign my commission in the Air Force and become the third President of Southwestern College
1974
Dr. Hugh H. Morgan
The Searching of God’s Presence
1 O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit or stand. When far away You know my every thought. 3 You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. 4 You know what I am going to say before I even say it. 5 You both precede and follow me and place Your hand of blessing on my head.
The Scope of God’s Presence
6 This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe! 7 I can never be lost to Your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! 8 If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, You are there. 9 If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, 10 even there Your hand will guide me, Your strength will support me. 11 If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. 12 For even darkness cannot hide from God; to You the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to You.
The Satisfaction of God’s Presence
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother's womb. 14 Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it. 15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! 16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in Your book!
The Security of God’s Presence
17 How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking about me constantly! I can't even count how many times a day Your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, You are still thinking of me!
The Severity of God’s Presence
19 Surely You will slay the wicked, Lord! Away, bloodthirsty men! Begone! 20 They blaspheme Your name and stand in arrogance against You--how silly can they be? 21 O Lord, shouldn't I hate those who hate yYou? Shouldn't I be grieved with them? 22 Yes, I hate them, for Your enemies are my enemies too.
The Supplication of God’s Presence
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything You find in me that makes You sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
TLB
It my prayer that you come to know Jesus Christ Who is the Son of God. If you do not know Him as your personal Lord and Savior, today is the day for you to be saved. The Bible teaches that there must be "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21, KJV). Only God can give you the ability to repent--to turn from your sins and turn to God. You must confess you are a sinner and need a Savior. You cannot save yourself. Jesus Christ died on the Cross outside the City of Jerusalem, was buried and rose again so you might have eternal life and be forgiven of all your sins. He died in your place, and paid a debt you can never repay. Receive His gracious offer this day.
When you pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart and life and save you, tell someone. The Bible teaches us to confess with our mouth what God has done in our lives.
I would like your testimony too. Send me an email at: [email protected] I promise to write you back.