We Stand on Guard For Thee

  • From Sea To Sea We Stand On Guard For Thee!

    This post From Sea To Sea We Stand On Guard For Thee! is Part 2/3 in the: We Stand On Guard For Thee! Series.  You can click here to find Part 1 and Part 3. You don’t have to be Canadian to enjoy them, but it might help 😀

     From Sea To Sea We Stand On Guard For Thee!

    “Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”
    Habakkuk 2:2-3 NIV

    Apparently, I’m not a very detail oriented person.

    For the first time in my life…and let’s just say that’s been more than 20 years 🙂  I noticed that the Canadian Coat of Arms has a unicorn in it!

    Canadian Coat of ArmsI started to worry about what the founding fathers of Confederation might have been doing when it was created in 19211 until I learned how the unicorn was a symbol for Scotland and also a part of the UK coat of arms.  So, I’ll let Scotland wonder about their unicorn…but even more astounding than a unicorn on our coat of arms is the banner holding the inscription of our Canadian Motto:  ‘A Mari usque ad Mare’ which translated from the Latin means “From Sea to Sea”. Every Canadian is familiar with this phrase; we’ve heard it countless times, but I doubt everyone knows where Canadians got the inspiration for the slogan?

    Samuel tilley

    On a morning in the late 1800’s a man named Samuel Tilley had an encounter with God during his daily devotions. When Tilley read Psalm 72:8 which says,

    “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” KJV

    Tilley felt like the words leapt off the page as he read.  He understood that God was speaking to him about this new country of Canada he was helping to form. Tilley shared this revelation with the other Founding Fathers of Confederation and they all could see how the words of Psalm 72:8 described the Canada they had begun to dream about.

    It was as if God was listening to their conversations {insert a sarcastic look here}. Their dream was for a country to go from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean; from the Saint Lawrence River to the North Pole.

    By July 1,1867,  when Confederation papers were signed, our nation was a far cry from the dream of From Sea To Sea with only four provinces; out of the future ten provinces and three territories, initially united to create Canada. A Royal Proclamation in 1921 with the release of the Coat of Arms embedded Psalm 72:8 into the DNA of our nation, but it took 82 years for Canada to fulfill its God inspired geographical goals when the last province of Newfoundland joined in 1949.

    I really see the Founding Fathers of Canadian Confederation to be just like Habakkuk and the people of Israel from the verse above.

    • They took a revelation from God and adopted it as their motto when is was merely a statement of great aspiration, but with nothing to back it up.
    • They wrote down this revelation so it was plain for others to see by etching ‘A Mari usque ad Mare’, From Sea to Sea on our Coat of Arms.
    • They ran with it.  If they didn’t I wouldn’t have Psalm 72:8 memorized today!

    Generations followed and kept speaking the destiny of From Sea to Sea, until it came to be.

    Has God revealed something to you about your future?

    Does it seem hard to believe it could ever become a reality?  Let Canada’s history be an encouragement for you today.  Begin to declare over your circumstances the truth of God’s revelation and run with it…until you see it come to be!

    Prayer

    Father…I thank You for speaking to me.  You reveal your dreams through mine.  As I ask for your guidance help me to hear your revelation clearly and not be afraid to run with it.  Let me speak out promises You’ve given until they are the reality You desire and help me not forget You when the dream becomes the norm.  In Jesus Name…Amen

    [tweetthis]They kept speaking the destiny of “From Sea to Sea”, until it came to be.[/tweetthis]

    If you liked the refreshing in this #SoulH2O devotion, you’ll love my latest Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women. 

    #Dare2Share

    Post in the Comment Section below and bolster the faith of someone else!

    Drawing From The Well - Brown and Blue

    1. Habakkuk 2:2-3
    2. Psalm 72:8
    3. Zechariah 9:10
    4. Ezekiel 12:25
    5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arms_of_Canada Website Accessed: 2017-11-13
    6. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/a-mari-usque-ad-mare/ Website Accessed: 2017-11-08
    7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Leonard_Tilley Website Accessed: 2017-11-08
    8. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-samuel-leonard-tilley/ Website Accessed: 2017-11-08
    9. https://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/province/dominiondates.htm Website Accessed: 2017-11-08

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  • O Canada, We Stand On Guard For Thee!

    I felt like I got hit on the head at church this week!  As Pastor Nathan talked about honouring the men and women who fought for the liberties we often take for granted, I had so many AHA moments and began feverishly writing.  Sorry pastor, but I really didn’t hear what you spoke on after that point, but I hope you feel happy knowing you inspired this series 🙂  For today and the following two or three Mondays, my Soul H2O Devotions are a product of the revelations at church in a Series I’m calling: We Stand On Guard For Thee! You don’t even have to be Canadian to enjoy them, but it might help 🙂

    O Canada, We Stand On Guard For Thee!

    “I will stand at my guard post
and station myself on the lookout tower.
I will watch to see what He will say to me
and what I should reply about my complaint.”
~Habakkuk 2:1 HCSB

    MARTINA AT WIMMFor our Women In Music & Media (WIMM Canada)  June event I booked the most adorable member of #LeafNation…Martina Ortiz-Luis! For those of you who don’t know her, Martina is the full-time anthem singer for the NHL‘s Toronto Maple Leafs. She’s leaving arena’s awestruck with her stellar performances and astounding voice of both national anthems: O Canada and The Star-Spangled Banner…not bad for a sixteen year old! This amazing girl came and inspired all us women working in media with her voice and her heart.

     

    As we celebrated Remembrance Day (the Canadian version of Veteran’s Day) at church and sang our national anthem I was struck by the words in a very profound way. I thought about the state of our nation and felt like we had not kept up our end of the song to the Canadians who first sang the lyrics.

    Oh Canada- We Stand on Guard For Thee
    ***PINTEREST PINNABLE***

    The line in our anthem where the early settlers included a request for God to keep our land glorious and free is where I feel they were counting on us to partner with God to see that achieved. Sadly, we’re beginning to watch those freedoms crumble as we forget to fulfill our role to Stand on Guard For Thee. 

    Just like the Israelites in Habakkuk’s day, we’re all called to find our position and guard the spiritual condition of our country.

    HABAKKUK 2:1

    Looking into the history of our National Anthem I was filled with pride as I read the intentionality of our former leaders to pass along their faith to the next generation.  Actually, there was another ‘Canadian Song’ written for our Confederation in 1867 that #LeafNation wishes was still around since it was called The Maple Leaf Forever! The chorus’ words express a desire to see God bless our nation forever.

    Chorus:
 The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear,
 The Maple Leaf forever!
 God save our Queen and Heaven bless
 The Maple Leaf forever!

    O CANADA ORIGINAL

    The words to the original O Canada Anthem were written in 1880 by a French poet and judge. Although the English translation is much different it holds the same hope that faith will guard our nation and keep it free.

    May we as Canadians carry the cross for our generation and Stand on Guard For Thee!

    Prayer

    Father…
    I thank you for the nation of Canada.  I’m blessed to be a recipient of freedoms I didn’t fight for and liberties I don’t deserve.  I ask that you would help me to not forget the cost of these privileges.  May I uphold my part to see faith in Christ passed on to the next generation of Canadians.
    In Jesus Name…Amen

     

    [tweetthis]I will find my position and stand guard for the spiritual condition of my country.[/tweetthis]

    Click Here for PART 2 or Here for PART 3

     Drawing From The Well - Brown and Blue

    1. Habakkuk 2:1
    2. Micah 7:7
    3. Ezekiel 3:17
    4. Psalm 85:8
    If you liked the refreshing in this #SoulH2O devotion, you’ll love my latest Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.
    1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Canada Website Accessed:  2017-11-05
    2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Maple_Leaf_Forever Website Accessed:  2017-11-05

    BLOGGER PRAYERS-GREYYOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP WITH:
    MONDAY     Monday Meditations – Laura J. Davis, Soul Survival – Donna Reidland,
    TUESDAY Cheerleaders of Faith #RARaLinkup – Kelly Balarie,
    WEDNESDAY Coffee For Your Heart – Holley Gerth, Word Nerd Wednesdays — Liz Giertz
    THURSDAY Heart Encouragement Thursday – Crystal Storms, Chasing Community – Barbara Bradford Ottinger
    FRIDAY Dance With Jesus Linkup – Susan B. Mead, Grace and Truth Linkup – Arabah Joy, Counting My Blessings – Deb Wolf, Fresh Market Friday – Crystal Twaddell ELLEN’S PICKS– Ellen Graf-Martin

     

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