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My God is…Drawing me up from a desolate pit Psalm 40:1-3

21 Oct
Left December 2010 - Right October 2013

Left December 2010 – Right October 2013

Psalm 40:1-3 – I waited patiently for the Lord;

he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.

I waited patiently for the Lord

Three years ago I was talking to my friend and reflexologist, Lynn, and told her that I thought 2013 was going to be a good year for me. I just had a feeling that something was going to change in 2013. I didn’t know what it was going to be, but I really felt it was going to be good and a big change. I think I thought it was going to have something to do with my blog. Would I be discovered? Would I actually work toward my goal of being an author/speaker? That wasn’t it (although there are a few months left!). I waited patiently to find out what kind of change would be coming my way.

He inclined to me and heard my cry

For most of my life I have been insecure. I have thought that I don’t quite measure up. I struggled with self-worth and still have a tendency to talk poorly about myself. I am the butt of my own jokes. I minimize my accomplishments and maximize my failures. I have always had a strong relationship with the Lord, but things have been changing for me. When we made our move to Oregon, I packed on the pounds. This was no surprise. It was a sort of cycle I had. Whenever we moved I would lose weight before the move and put it on as the stress of moving, meeting new people and such would become overwhelming. This move was different. It was the first time we were moving someplace with no end date. We didn’t know when or if we would ever move again. I think I felt settled for the first time in a long time. It didn’t happen right away, but as I gained friends and became comfortable in my surroundings, I was finally in a position to work on getting past some things I’d been holding on to for too long.

He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, 

Even now, thinking about the pain and sadness I felt almost everyday brings tears to my eyes. There were a lot of things that had to change. God led me to a counselor. She was amazing, and just what I needed. I confessed more of my life to her than I had revealed to anyone. God shed the baggage from me. God taught me to forgive fully and allow those who love me to love me without me doubting their truthfulness. God also supplied me with a doctor and we worked on balancing my hormones and getting me healthy. God gave me the opportunity to reduce my hours for work. God allowed me to connect more with my family, friends and those who needed my support.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

For years (37 or so) I was not enjoying all the Lord had given me. I probably still don’t have it down totally, but God is still working me towards righteousness. So what was so big about 2013? What changed? So many things changed that led up to 2013, but in 2013. Starting in January I began the quest with my friend Carol to take care of ourselves and lose weight. I have lost almost 50 lbs (49.7 to be accurate). People ask me how, and sadly my response is a lot of exercise and Weight Watchers, but the truth is without God I could not have done it. It is all those things He changed in my heart that led up to this place. I didn’t think I could ever weigh this weight again. I don’t think I’ve been this weight since my sophomore year in college.

Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

Full confession. When I was writing this blog post, most of it was full of “I” did this or “I” did that, and suddenly I realized I was not praising God. I was praising myself. The truth is I don’t believe it was me alone. I believe the Lord has been with me each and every step from counselor to weight loss. God is the source of all that is good in my life. I pray that my life does bring glory to God. That people will see the work the Lord is doing in my life. They will see the transformation and know that God is the reason and maybe, by the grace of God they will put their trust in Him. Oh that I should be so blessed as to know the Lord had used me in that way. That really does make me cry (in a good way).

 
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Posted by on October 21, 2013 in My God is drawing me up from a desolate pit, Psalm

 

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My God is…Opening the eyes of the blind Psalm 146:8

30 Sep

Psalm 146:8a – The Lord opens the eyes of the blind

Have you ever been blind?white-cane

I have MS, and often times people ask me if I went blind in one eye (Optic Neuritis) as one of my symptoms. I didn’t. Over 55% of people with MS experience blindness from Optic Neuritis and often as their first symptom, but I didn’t have that at all. And I’m grateful. I think not being able to see with my eyes would be a major adjustment and extremely scary.

Full Definition of BLIND

1 a (1) :  sightless (2) :  having less than 1⁄10 of normal vision in the more efficient eye when refractive defects are fully corrected by lenses
   b :  of or relating to sightless persons
2 a :  unable or unwilling to discern or judge <blind to a lover’s faults>
   b :  unquestioning <blind loyalty>
3 a :  having no regard to rational discrimination, guidance, or restriction <blind choice>
   b :  lacking a directing or controlling consciousness <blind chance>
   c :  drunk 1a
4 a :  made or done without sight of certain objects or knowledge of certain facts that could serve for guidance or cause bias <a blind taste test> — compare double-blind,single-blind
   b :  having no knowledge of information that may cause bias during the course of an experiment or test <physicians blind to whether the test drug is administered>
5:  defective: as
 a :  lacking a growing point or producing leaves instead of flowers
 b :  lacking a complete or legible address <blind mail>
6 a :  difficult to discern, make out, or discover
   b :  hidden from sight :  covered <blind seam>
7:  having but one opening or outlet <blind sockets>
8:  having no opening for light or passage :  blank <blind wall>
God opens the eyes of the blind
In the New Testament, we can find many instances where Jesus heals the blind. In those days to be blind meant you were at great risk. Everywhere you turned there were dangers. Even in your own house you would be in danger of touching an open flame. Jesus knew that being blind was an awful thing for these people. He had compassion on them and healed them. Those healed were grateful. They couldn’t help themselves from telling people they met. A lot of times the blind were also beggars at the gate of the city, so many would even recognize them and marvel at their healing.
Blind Bart
I enjoy reading about the healing of Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). Bartimaeus was not going to let Jesus pass by the gate without healing him. Bartimaeus was so sure that Jesus was who He said He was, that he was positive Jesus could and would heal him. He yelled out. He made a scene. He even got scolded, the scriptures even say “sternly”. He was so persistent and unwilling to be ignored or passed by that Jesus turned and told His disciples to call Bartimaeus over. I love what happens next. Bartimaeus throws off his coat and runs to where Jesus is. He can’t wait to see Jesus. Bartimaeus asks Jesus to make him see again. Jesus says to Bartimaeus that his faith had made him well, and Bartimaeus could see. But this story doesn’t end there. There is one more line in his story. When Bartimaeus was healed, he followed Jesus.
Unable or unwilling to discern or judge
Even though the closest I have come to being blind was being blindfolded, I do understand the second definition to blind. Sometimes we’re blind to the truth. We are unable or unwilling to discern or judge what is right in a certain situation. Sometimes our stubborn is because we are unable to see (blind) to the other persons situation. Is there someone you can’t or won’t try to see their perspective. It’s hard to fight this kind of blindness. It’s hard to get past old pain. God can heal this blindness too, and then our relationships have a chance to heal (even if you’re not in them anymore).
Having no opening for light or passage
There is an even more dangerous kind of blindness. Many people are blind to the love of the Lord. They can’t or won’t receive God’s love for what it is. They can’t see the light. They won’t let in the Holy Spirit and even try hard to keep all things about God far from them. Sometimes we allow things to blind us from the relationship the Lord wants to have with us. We allow our busy lives, self-centered ways and laziness pull us away from the Lord. We know that if we are in relationship with the Lord. If we open our eyes and see Jesus, our lives will change. Change can be scary. But Bartimaeus gives us a great example of how we should respond to the opening of our eyes. We need to run to Jesus and follow Him.
Ask God to heal your blindness
 Dear Lord, Open our eyes Lord. We want to see Jesus. Help us to see Him in our lives and grow our relationship with Him. Help us to not get distracted, blinded by the insignificant things of this world that occupy our minds. Help us instead, with clear eyes, to look on you and know you as our Lord and Savior. Help us to throw off our coats and follow you. Amen
Are you blind to God?
 
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Posted by on September 30, 2013 in God is a Miracle Worker, God is a Revealer, My God is opening the eyes of the blind, Psalm

 

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My God is…Listening Psalm 66:16

02 Sep

Psalm 66:16-20 –

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.praying
I cried aloud to him,and he was extolled with my tongue.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer.

Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me.

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.

All you who fear God, that’s an interesting caveat to put on a phrase. Why was the Psalmist wanting to talk to those who fear God, and not others? David was about to witness to them about what the Lord had done for him. That isn’t something that those who don’t trust God readily accept, encourage or understand. They see the work of the Lord’s hand as coincidence or fate. But as Christians, we are free to share, called to witness to the mighty acts of God and give Him the glory in our lives. Usually telling someone about God would come before talking about what He’s done for you. Though sometimes your story might be so compelling that it makes the perfect opportunity to start the conversation about who God is and that He came to save all who would believe in Him.

I cried aloud to him, and he was extolled with my tongue.

David cried out to God. What did he say? The second half of that sentence says he extolled God with his tongue. Do you know what extolled means (I looked it up just to be sure)? It means “to praise highly”. Here David is giving us a good example of how to pray. I know many people who say they don’t know how to pray, so here is a tip from David. Praise God for who He is. Basically that’s what I’m trying to do with this blog. I focus on one attribute of God and I praise Him for who He is. In this post it is that I have a God who listens. My prayer may start like this “Dear God, I praise you for being a God who listens, who hears me when I call.”

If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

David is giving another example of what we should do in prayer, confession. When we pray, it’s important to get everything that will distract you from God out-of-the-way. Everything that is blocking your relationship with Him should be confessed (don’t worry you don’t have to list them all by name). In my prayers, the next thing I would do is say something like, “Lord, please forgive me for being self-focused and not putting you first while loving others as I love myself.” If you have specific sins you want to confess, of course the Lord wants you to bring those to Him so that He can forgive you so you no longer have to be distracted when you talk with Him. He doesn’t want you thinking about that when you and He have so much more to talk about.

But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer.

What a beautiful thing to be able to approach our God with our prayers. We are able to talk to the one in charge of everything. We went to Washington D.C., and when we got back the other kids asked my boys if they got to meet the president. Of course we didn’t. But we have something even better. We’re able to talk to the creator of the universe, the one who truly holds my life in His hands, our Lord and Savior. In my prayers, after I praise God and confess my sins, I talk to Him about what is on my mind. Sometimes I focus on a specific verse, but other times I just tell Him what’s troubling me or doesn’t seem to be going the way I think it should. It might sound something like this, “Lord, I’m really struggling with my relationships right now. I know that because it is in more than one relationship it likely has to do with me. Lord help me to see where I need to make changes and how I can be a blessing to those you have put in my life.”

Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.

David has given us such a great example of prayer here, and I don’t think he’s even praying (though he may have used his poetry and songs as prayers). After praising God, Confessing my sins and making supplication (asking Him for His aid in my life or someone else’s), I try to thank God for answered prayers, blessings etc. Here David Thanks God for not rejecting his prayer and for continuing to love him no matter what David had done (and if you think your sins are bad, you should read about David in 1 and 2 Samuel). For me this part of the prayer might sound like this, “Thank you Lord for all you have done for me and my family. Thank you for providing my boys with opportunities for education and development of their faith life. Thank you for continually providing for our needs even when it seems impossible. Amen.”

God is not rejecting your prayer

Sometimes people think they’ll pray wrong. While I told you that I often like to include Praise, confession, requests and thanks, I just as often leave out parts (maybe everything but my requests). God doesn’t reject our prayers. When we come to Him trusting Him in all things, He will be listening. He will hear your prayer, and He will never remove His steadfast love for you.

 

 

 
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Posted by on September 2, 2013 in My God is Hearing, My God is inclined to me, My God is listening, My God is nearby, Psalm

 

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My God is…Cheering me up Psalm 94:18-19

23 Aug

Psalm 94:18-19 – When I thought, “My foot is slipping,”Jesushuggingcryinggirl
your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.

I thought, “My foot is slipping”

Have you ever wondered how you ended up where you are? How could things have gotten this bad? Sinning can be a slippery slope. Sometimes one sin can lead to another which leads to another. That happens pretty regularly with lying. If you lie, you may find yourself lying over and over to cover your past lies. I’ve never been very good at lying for that very reason. It took too much work to cover each one up. I’d rather face the consequences of the first one then get tangled in the web of deceit. Our emotions can be a slippery slope too. We can start feeling bad, and then we start keeping track of all the bad that goes on in our lives. We like to compare the list with others so we can prove our day is going worse than theirs. But that slippery slope has another side. The side that goes away from sadness, away from sin. God is the way to get away from the slippery slope.

Your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up

When we start to slip, or even to lean over the edge, God is there with His steadfast love to help us stand strong with Him. He can help us turn back from our sin. He can help us to come out from under our dark cloud. He can heal us from our infirmities. He can comfort us.

When the cares of my heart are many

I have a tendency to feel overwhelmed, especially emotionally. I think too much and my internal dialogue can go crazy if I’m given time to think too much. I am sure I know what everyone else is thinking, how they feel about me, how every conversation will go and whether or not it will end up poorly or well. This can lead to a lot of anxiety. I can imagine all sorts of things. Given that, social situations can become scary. I’m the same way about finances and work. If I think of something in the middle of the night, there is almost no way for me to get back to sleep. Why? Because I’m über focused on myself and my problems.

Your consolations cheer my soul
Definition of CONSOLE: to alleviate the grief, sense of loss, or trouble of : comfort

Trusting in God. Believing in His consolations. These are the things I (we) need to focus on when things start getting out of control. God is bigger than our problems, and He can find amazingly creative ways for what we’re sure will happen to change. God wants to cheer our soul. He has given us promises to look forward to, and mercies we can remember. God has the power to change things, but too often we’re holding on so tight that we won’t hand it over to Him and truly trust that He’s got this. He’s got our problems in His hand and is going to help us through these tough situations. He’s going to comfort and console us. He’s going to help alleviate the grief, and heal our sense of loss. When we change our focus from how things are affecting us, and instead focus on God (getting into His word, spending time in worship etc), we are reminded of all the Lord has done for us and we can learn to turn all our cares over to Him so that we might enjoy a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). The promise of eternal life with God is something to cheer us and console us. God sacrificing His own Son so that we might live eternally, He loves us that much. That comforts me.

Do you need cheering up?

 
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Posted by on August 23, 2013 in My God is Cheering me up, Psalm

 

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My God is…defending my cause Psalm 43:1

16 Aug

Psalm 43:1 – Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause Pupil being bullied in elementary school
against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust
deliver me!

Vindicate me, O God

My last blog post was about God vindicating His people. So you might wonder why I would choose a verse from scripture that also has God vindicating me. Well, I have been inspired by a blog post I read by Sharla Fritz called, “How to be a Hero: Defend Someone“. You’ll want to take a read of that, it really got me thinking about my dad. I don’t know if I have personally ever heard my dad say something bad about someone. I know he has, because he has confessed calling an ex-boyfriend of mine a jerk, but that’s pretty much the extent of it. He’s a believer in the “If you can’t say something nice…” wait, he’s not actually. My father doesn’t just refrain from saying mean things, he has told me he works at always finding something nice to say about people when their names are brought up and they’re not present. Sharla Fritz points out in her blog,

“Defending someone when they are not around is an act of heroism.  You are rescuing their reputation, you are saving their dignity. When you stand up for another person, you are protecting their character. A true ally will shield another’s good name. There is no shortage of people who are anxious to tear others down. Be the person who turns the conversation around.”

Defend my cause against an ungodly people

God is our great defender. We can trust that God will bring any falsehoods told about us to light, and that He will arm us with the words we need by the Holy Spirit.

Luke 12:11-12

11 When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how[a] you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.”

No matter who is accusing you, chastising or berating you, you can trust and pray for the Lord to show you the words to use. Every time people treat us badly, we’re given an opportunity to reflect God’s glory by responding differently than others might.

Being defensive

I don’t know about you, but I can be defensive. I don’t like to be wrong, and when someone points out one of my failures (or two or three), I’m more likely to point out ten of theirs. But it never pays off. Being defensive, trying to defend ourselves with human reasoning and logic deflate our argument. Say someone says you’re pig-headed, telling them five reasons you’re not, is…pig-headed. Our pride often gets in our way of being witnesses for God. When we’re able to defend others, see another’s position, humble ourselves, we’re able to show what is most important in our lives, God. Being defensive is a sure sign that your pride is involved and you can’t be putting God first, because at that moment you’re only thinking about how you’ve been wronged, misrepresented or mistreated. You’re thinking about yourself. But with humbleness and acceptance, turning to God and allowing Him to take the responsibility of defending us, we’re freed to show others love even when they don’t deserve it (do any of us ever truly deserve it?).

Lord, Help me to put my pride aside. Help me not to defend myself, but allow myself to be a witness to you in all circumstances. Help me not to put my pride first. Help me to think of Your will above my own. Help me to defend others and to only say nice things about people. Help me to refrain from being catty, unkind and boastful. Keep my thoughts pure and focused on you. Help me choose humility over pride. Forgive me when I fail. Amen.

Do you get defensive?

 
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Posted by on August 16, 2013 in My God is defending my cause, Psalm

 

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My God is…Vindicating His People Psalm 135:13-14

14 Aug

Psalm 135:13-14 – Your name, O Lord, endures forever,Salvation
your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
For the Lord will vindicate his people,
and have compassion on his servants.


Definition of VINDICATE

1 obsolete : to set free : deliver
2: avenge
3 a : to free from allegation or blame
   b (1) : confirm, substantiate (2) : to provide justification or defense for : justify
   c : to protect from attack or encroachment : defend
4: to maintain a right to

To set free : deliver

The Lord sets the prisoners free (Psalm 146:8a).

As humans we are all in chains to sin, but God didn’t want that to be our future, so He sent Jesus to set us free from our prison of sin. We no longer have to be slaves to the things that have entrapped us in the past. We are free to be His and freed to be used by Him for His glory. In the short-term (the here and now) He can help us with the addictions we face, with the tumultuous relationships, with the fear of failure and all the other struggles we face as humans. When we die, we will also be set free from death and be able to take part in the promise we’ve been given of eternal life with God in heaven. God has set us free from the bondage of sin so we might enjoy freedom here on earth and eternal freedom with Him for eternity.

Avenge
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19
God has your back. You don’t need to get back at those who have done you wrong. I’m sure we all have some people we know have wronged us. Truth is the devil often likes to use the frustration we feel from those relationships and wants to use them to distract us from focusing on the Lord. Instead, if we continue to focus on the Lord and not try to avenge the wrongs done to us, we will be able to find peace in the Lord. We can also rest assured that they’ll get what’s coming to them. The Lord will repay. He’s got your back and He has mine too.

To free from allegation or blame
Let it be known to you therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.Acts 13:38-39
When we compare our lives to the law of Moses, it becomes clear quickly that we are sinners. That we fall short of what God called us to do in the old testament. We who were not able to justify ourselves by our own actions have been set free by Jesus. He has given us forgiveness of sins through His sacrifice of His life on the cross and His resurrection three days later. He took the sins on Himself, making us righteous even though we didn’t deserve it. It reminds me of Jesus’ prayer on the cross – “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” I think when I sin, it’s like He said that prayer not only for the soldiers who were casting lots, but also for me and all my sins.

Confirm, substantiate
I think this is part of why I love looking up words that are used in scripture. Not only is God freeing us from blame and avenging wrongs, He is vindicating us through His actions. Through miracles in days of old, through testimonies in scripture and those we hear now and through our personal relationships with Christ, God confirms and substantiates our faith in Him. What we believe will all be proven true on the last day. We will be vindicated on the day that these scriptures Philippians 2:9-11) are fulfilled:
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

To provide justification or defense for
Galatians 3:6-9 – Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,”  so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham.  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.”  For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.
God has provided the justification we needed by giving us faith in Him. We who believe in Him are no longer slaves to sins, but have been given a clean slate because of the faith worked in us by the Holy Spirit.

To protect from attack or encroachment
In the Old Testament, there were many attacks on the people of God. When they put their faith in God, they were never disappointed. We too can trust in God to protect us from the attacks the devil wages on us (often through those we expected to be able to trust). God has our back and will vindicate us. Keep your focus on Him that you might not lose site of all the Lord is doing for you each day.

To maintain a right to
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1
Because of the love the father has given us we are able to maintain a right to call ourselves children of God. We are His children and we have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven. We have a right to it, not because of what we have done, but because of the righteousness of the one who sacrificed that we might live, Jesus Christ.

Do you want vindication?
 
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Posted by on August 14, 2013 in My God is Vindicating His People, Psalm

 

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My God is…examining humankind Psalm 11:4

05 Jul

Psalm 11:4 – The Lord is in his holy temple;

Excuse me, Your God is Showing.

Excuse me, Your God is Showing.

the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold, his gaze examines humankind.

It always feels like…somebody’s watching me

Unlike the creepiness expressed in Rockwell’s song, “Somebody’s Watching me“, this verse was David talking about the confidence he found in knowing his God knew what was going on. David was being encouraged by some to go on the move, because the enemy was close at hand. They wanted him to move away from the trouble instead of facing it head on.

I’ll be moving, I won’t be able to

When I was living in Missouri, I learned about Stephen Ministry, a group that trains to be a sort of peer counselor for those who need someone to talk to no matter what the reason. I had heard about Stephen Ministry long ago, because my Grandma Goldie was one once. When I learned more about it at my church, I thought that was something I might be interested in doing. You had to do 52 hours of training, and commit to a year of service as a Stephen Minister if you were going to sign up to be one. I thought perfect, we’ll be moving for my husband’s internship next year, maybe they would let me do the training even if I couldn’t serve. They graciously agreed. I did the training, and even started into the next year, knowing they wouldn’t assign anyone to me, because I would be moving soon. In the classes we had learned about closure. I was asked how I dealt with ending relationships that were not healthy or had run their course. I said, “I move”. My husband was in the Air Force, and we always knew when the next move was going to happen. We always had an end date for living somewhere. My husband was now out of the military, and he didn’t get placed in an internship that year. We had to stay another year. That meant I had to serve. I had one plan, but God had another. He knew what was going on, and how I needed to grow. He had been watching me.

His eyes behold, his gaze examines humankind

God looks on us from His throne, and knows what is going on in your life. He knows if you’re addicted to pills, food or alcohol. He knows if you verbally abuse your children when you’re alone with them. He knows if you’re struggling to get out of an abusive relationship. He knows if you’re working hard to turn your life around. He knows if you’re struggling with an illness. He knows if you’ve had a huge success at work. He knows, and He cares. He’s watching. He’s paying attention to what goes on in your life.

In our verses above, David tells those encouraging him to run that God’s eyes behold. David knew that the enemies he faced were not getting away with anything the Father in Heaven didn’t know about. God could see what was going on, and David was sure he didn’t need to turn around and run, because He had the Lord on his side. He had the one who could conquer the enemy on his side, and because God was already watching, examining what was going on, David was assured the Lord would work good on His behalf.

God is watching you, not in a big brother kind of way, but in a caring and concerned way. He knows what’s going on in your life. He wants you to be like David and trust Him to take care of it. Know that He’s got your back. He’s on your side. He knows what’s going on and is going to work it for good.

 

 
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Posted by on July 5, 2013 in My God is examining humankind, Psalm

 

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My God is…fighting for me Psalm 35:1-3

24 Jun

Psalm 35:1-3 – Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;My God is fighting for me
fight against those who fight against me!
Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to help me!
Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers;
say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me

Definition of CONTEND

intransitive verb
1: to strive or vie in contest or rivalry or against difficulties :struggle
2: to strive in debate : argue
transitive verb
1: maintain, assert <contended that he was right>
2: to struggle for : contest

What are you contending with? What are you fighting against? Is it something worth fighting for? In our lives we fight over a lot of things. We have a lot of things to contend with on a daily basis. Sometimes we feel like we’re contending with traffic, spouses, children, work and so much more. Sometimes we create the drama and contention ourselves. We see others as against us and everything becomes a battle. That’s not what God wants for us. He fought the battle against sin and won.

fight against those who fight against me

What if you didn’t fight? What if you took a step back and didn’t feel the need to prove that you were right or to fight for your way? What would happen? What if you trusted the Lord to fight your battles for you? I wonder if you’re thinking right now, but what if He doesn’t help me? When we give things over to God, we get a bit impatient. We want to see results quickly. We want the other person to admit that we were right and they were wrong. We want them to suffer for the unkind way they treated us. God’s way may not look like that. He may work in different ways. He may make them learn a lesson, but it might not be that you’re smarter, right or cuter than them. He may want them to learn humility, kindness or patience. Maybe He’s teaching that to you as well.

This weekend, my son was in a baseball tournament. They won their first game, but as they were about to start the second game, the coaches realized there were kids from a higher league on the other team. They asked the coaches from the other team about it and they denied that they were upper league players, but one of the kids admitted it. My son’s team began the game under protest. My son (a right fighter of sorts) was very upset that they were cheating. I told him to let his coaches fight this battle. Well, toward the end of the game, the manager of the tournament came over and had the other team forfeit because they had played using inappropriate players for this tournament. The coaches had fought the fight for their players. God does the same thing for us. At first it didn’t look like their “protest” was going to get the team anywhere. You couldn’t tell that it was being sorted out. But it was. The game was played as normal, but the outcome was anything but normal. Our team lost, but they won. Our lives are not always as clear-cut as we would like them to be. People try to cheat and steal to get ahead. They’re willing to tear you down to build themselves up.

say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

But our salvation, our saving grace is not from us, it is from our Lord. He can sort out all of our problems, and when we allow Him to take the lead in our battles, they often get over more quickly and turn out better than we could have expected. So back to that question, what would it look like if you didn’t fight battles, but instead handed them over to God? Would you get walked all over, or would the Lord take up the battle for you and allow you to have victory over the evil in your life? I believe that if you give your troubles to Him, He will be your salvation. He will be trustworthy. The beauty is that when God fights your battles, He’s not worried about your pride. When I get into a fight or an argument, usually it is because I am beating a dead horse trying to prove that I am right. My pride gets in the way of progress. I am willing to bleed to death if I could just get the other person to say, “You’re right Jill”. But to be honest, usually when I’m in a fight, I’m not right. I’m fighting because I’m embarrassed I made a mistake. Or I might be fighting because I felt slighted (another pride and entitlement issue). But it is not because I’m trying to protect others, provide for others or correct some other injustice. I am more selfish than that. So if I stopped fighting and hand my frustration over to God, I can promise you it would come out better than me taking care of it on my own.

What do you have to contend with?

 
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Posted by on June 24, 2013 in My God is fighting for me, Psalm

 

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My God is…the protector of widows Psalm 68:4-5

17 Jun

Psalm 68:4-5 – 

Sing to God, sing praises to his name; a-grandma-looking-at-ocean
lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds
his name is the Lord –
be exultant before him.

Father of orphans and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.

I have a 50/50 chance

I have a 50/50 chance of becoming a widow. Actually it’s probably more than that, because my husband is 7 1/2 years my elder (any statisticians out there want to give me my odds?). With the probability being relatively high that I may one day become a widow, this verse means a lot to me.

Who loves me more than my husband?

I can’t think of anyone who would be quicker than my husband to come to my rescue. If I were in danger, if I were in pain, if my car broke down, my husband would be there (or make a true effort at least). He would be concerned about me. When you’re in a good strong marriage, you can rest assured that someone’s got your back. You and your spouse are a unit. You work together for your common good (in a perfect world). So what happens when your spouse isn’t able to help you?

If my husband had been there

When I had my initial MS attack, my husband was in the Middle East. It was a very scary time for me, but my husband wasn’t able to be the guy I lean on. So who did I lean on (besides my friend Kara)? I leaned on God. Not right away though. First I yelled at Him for being so inconsiderate as giving me a disease that can debilitate a person. I was frustrated and scared. But then I had a sort of “coming to Jesus moment”. I was crying in my kitchen over my newly diagnosed condition, and I prayed to God. I prayed something like, why did you do this to me? At first my prayer was gilded with anger, then acceptance, “Lord if I’m going to have this, make me strong so I can be a witness. If I need a walker, it’s going to be the most blinged out walker, a cheerful walker.” Then my prayer turned to peace. I felt as if God said to me directly, don’t worry about your earthly body. It’s temporary. One day you’ll be with me in heaven, and none of this will matter. Now of course I didn’t hear His voice, but I felt His answer. If my husband had been around, I may have relied on him instead of God, and I never would have experienced the peace I felt that day.

She’s got to have a man in her life

My grandma was an amazing woman of faith. She loved the Lord above all else. Her husband died when he was about 70. She was around 62. She died when she was 96. Sadly my grandma didn’t feel good as a widow. She always felt better if she had a man in her life. Someone to lean on. She craved the companionship a relationship brings. I don’t know if it was the era in which she was raised or the family in which she was raised, but I believe she felt her calling was to be a wife, a partner…a companion. I’m a lot like her. Since my dating years, I have not been out of a relationship for long. I often found approval through relationships.  I’m grateful I have the best husband now, but I pray that if one day I become a widow, that I will crave companionship with the Lord more than that of men. That I won’t feel that I need them, when I know who protects me.

Father of orphans and protector of widows

God protects those who can’t protect themselves. He protects the vulnerable. He looks out for the little guy. So whether you’re a widow or orphan right now, or someone who is emotionally or physically vulnerable, the Lord is your protector. Turn to Him. Trust Him. He loves you and will fill the gaps that you feel in your life. Read scripture and hear his words for you. Know that you have a Father in heaven who has your best interest at heart. Cling to His promises (like I cling to the promise of eternal life when I think about the debilitation that could come from MS). Know that in the end you will be with Him in heaven. He has your back, and will see you through to the end. Trust in Him.

Are you an orphan or a widow?

 
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Posted by on June 17, 2013 in My God is the protector of the widows, Psalm

 

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My God is…Multiplying his wondrous deeds Psalm 40:5

10 Jun

Psalm 40:5 – You have multiplied, O Lord my God, glass-of-water-sky
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be counted.

You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us

Sometimes people tell me that they haven’t really had anything bad happen to them in their lives. They haven’t suffered a tragedy, loss of a loved one or loss of a job. Some might say their lives are truly blessed, but I always think “watch out”!!!! Why? Because I think that as we go through life, the Lord allows us to have troubles and trials so that we might grow in Him. The verse above was written by David after a victory in battle. I find that when I have come through something that looks insurmountable, I have feelings very similar to what David is expressing here. If I have just had a problem resolved or heard about one resolved for a friend, I might say, “God is good.” God is good all the time, but when we’ve been going through something, we see more clearly how much we rely on Him and His Goodness.

Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
    they would be more than can be counted.

Have you ever been dehydrated? Have you ever felt like you were just going to die if you didn’t get something to drink soon. I think that’s how it sometimes feels while we’re going through trials. We may not feel like the Lord is around, or that we’re in dire need of a drink of the Lord. We’re dehydrated in our faith. We’ve got nothing left to give. But God does. He’s got what you need to be nourished and sustain you. He’s got the refreshing life-giving water that will rejuvenate you. Then when you get that dose of the Holy Spirit (through scripture, worship, praise music, revelation, prayer etc) you’re amazed at how good it tastes. How good the Lord is. You had momentarily forgotten, but now you must sing His praises at every turn. He is more real to you now than ever before. Like an ice-cold glass of water when you’re feeling dehydrated. You are soothed, comforted and amazed. You’re sure someone has given you special water. It tastes better than any other drink you’ve ever had. When we come out of a trial we are also often more aware of the blessings we had all along. The goodness and mercy of our Lord. His favor for His children. We are blessed beyond compare.

Are you dehydrated?

 
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Posted by on June 10, 2013 in My God is multiplying his wondrous deeds, Psalm

 

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