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Category Archives: Psalm

My God is…the God of Power and Might Psalm 89:5-8

Psalm 89:5-8 New International Version (NIV)

The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,
your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.
Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

Oooooh! Aaaahhh!

Every Forth of July you can hear around the country the same thing. Children, families and adults alike looking up into the sky and oohing and aahing. Fireworks are amazing things. They’re beautiful, exhilarating, loud, and dangerous. We look up into the sky and see these amazing colors bursting in the air. We’re amazed.

Fireworks are dangerous

To tell you the truth, I’m kind of chicken. I got nervous when my boys would climb the jungle gyms at the park. I couldn’t watch. In my brain the first thing that comes to mind seems to be the danger than could occur. My focus is not on the fun of the moment, but the potential disaster. I’m sort of pessimistic (my husband says I’m the most cheerful pessimist he knows). So with that information, you won’t be too surprised when I tell you fireworks make me nervous. Why? Because they are powerful. Even the small ones (ok maybe not the black worms that you light and they foam out of the small pill the started out as) make me nervous. They bang and pop somewhat unexpectedly. While this seems to bring everyone else great joy, I’m always thinking of the emergency room visits that people will be making that night, and how to avoid one in our family.

Fireworks are beautiful and exciting

Ok, so please don’t email me telling me I need to go back to counseling, but I have to admit that while on the one hand fireworks freak me out, I also enjoy them. I like how beautiful they are and enjoy the brilliance of the unexpected delights I’ll see. You sort of know what you’re going to get when you light your fireworks, but not exactly. Each one is different. The city fireworks are amazing. Laying on your back seeing them burst overhead.

In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared

In our verse above, we hear that God is greatly feared among the holy ones. Not because He’s dangerous, but because He is more awesome than anything else. He is more powerful, more truthful, more consistent, more everything good than anything else in the whole world, universe or beyond.

For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?

So while you’re enjoying the fireworks this Fourth of July, looking up to the skies and seeing the bright array of colors and hearing the loud booms, remember our Lord. Our God is more awesome than all of this; more exciting, more powerful and more amazing. He is more amazing and awesome than even the stars in the sky. Nothing can compare with the awesomeness of our God. Maybe even throw some oohs and aahs His way as you are amazed at what those He created have made.

 

 

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My God is…a leader Psalm 23:1-3

Psalm 23:1-3

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Great Leaders

Have you ever known any great leaders? Have you read any books by great leaders? What makes you want to follow the leader? Where are they leading you? Sometimes we’re disappointed by earthly leaders. We follow them hoping they know a better way. We want our political leaders to help our State, Country and World run better. For things to go more smoothly. We want them to make our lives easier, more exciting and more profitable. Then we find out they want those things for themselves, and when push comes to shove, they often choose themselves over the common good.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing

God has given us everything we need. He’s given us life, and more importantly eternal life. We lack nothing that is of true value. He supplies what we need. Like the sparrows, he knows our every need and supplies it. He knows each hair on our head. He cares about and for us, so we can be confident that through Him we lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures

What kind of God makes us to lie down in green pastures. Have you ever lied down in green pastures? Imagine yourself, in a park near a lake. The grass is green and soft. You lie down, close your eyes and take in some deep breaths. That’s what the Lord does for you. He makes you lie down in green pastures. What an amazing God that He wants that for us. He’s not concerned about our position in the world or becoming successful. He’s concerned about your well-being, the well-being of your soul. If you have ever laid on the grass with your eyes closed, it’s likely you know the peace it can bring. If you haven’t, you may want to give it a try!

He leads me beside quiet waters

So while you’re lying there on your back in the grass, you begin to hear the water on the lake lapping up on shore. The calm sound of the waves brings you peace. It brings a rhythm to your breathing and to your heart. God is so good. He knows the power of relaxing and being refreshed. Not just from laying on the grass near quiet water, but truly from resting in Him. Knowing Him and trusting Him with all the things that are going on in your life so that in the midst of turmoil you can find that same peace you might have felt near the lake. A peace that surpasses all understanding.

He refreshes my soul

Does your soul need refreshing? God refreshes our souls. He provides the peace that is necessary for our body mind and soul to be refreshed so that we might go on doing His will in this world. He as our leader doesn’t just tell us where to go, He actually changes our soul. Like a cold glass of water on a hot summer day, the Lord, through His word, Promises and Salvation provide us with a refreshment that no water could ever provide.

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake

God’s word will not mislead you. You will not be sold one bill of goods and be given another. His promises are true and can be counted on. He is not some up and coming politician who will soon disappoint. He is forever, trustworthy and true. He is a leader we can follow, and He will not lead me down any wrong paths. He will keep my way true.

Is your soul refreshed?

 
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Posted by on June 26, 2012 in My God is a Leader, Psalm

 

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My God is…My Help Psalm 40:16-17

Psalm 40:16-17

But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!

“What’s the worst that can happen?”

So many times I have found my self wound up tight. Worrying and concerned about this and that. It doesn’t really matter what it is I’m worrying about, because it’s all the same. I imagine horrible outcomes. “What’s the worst that can happen?” My mom would ask me. My mom used to try to get me to have a more realistic outlook by having me actually list the worst thing that could happen. I think she was trying to get me away from thinking vaguely about how badly something was going to end, but instead be realistic and see that I wasn’t actually going to die if something went wrong. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

I’m a bit fatalistic

I’m pretty aware of the fact that I’m a sinner and that I screw up. That has often kept me from even attempting things that may be difficult. I didn’t want them to turn out badly, so it’s better I just don’t try. What if I did try and fail. Horror of horrors! The problem with this way of thinking is that I’m relying on my own thoughts, strengths and abilities. But I have access to someone who is perfect, who can do it right and can see me through.

God has a better way

You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! When I am willing to hand over my concerns and worries, I’m always surprised (yes it takes me a while to learn things), at how much better God’s way is than my way. I think sometimes when we try to take control, we block the opportunity to see small miracles. I was reminded of that the other day with my son’s glasses. The result was so much better than I could have imagined. The insurance came through in record time, three hours. There have been times I’ve been on hold with the insurance company for that long. I couldn’t believe the Doctors and the insurance would all work so well together to get it taken care of so quickly. I do consider that a minor miracle. Others offered assistance if the insurance didn’t come through.  If I had tried to control all of that on my own, I would have ended up paying more than we could afford at the time. But in God’s way, everything worked out better than I could have expected. His ways are better.

But the Lord takes thought for me

What a wonderful blessing we have in our Lord. We have a God who takes thought of us. He thinks about you. He thinks about me. He is interested in everything about us, from the safety of our children to the trip to the grocery store. Inviting God into everything you do, through prayer, allows you to open your eyes so you can see His miraculous works.

You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God

I love this verse. It makes the Psalm writer so human. Just like us he’s impatient, asking God not to delay in being a help and deliverer. The beauty of this verse is that God doesn’t mind that we ask Him not to delay. He understands our needs and wants. I don’t know if the Psalmist was afraid he would not be able to let go of the problem if the Lord didn’t take care of it quickly, but I know I sometimes have that problem. I think it’s awesome to pray that God would not delay. He cares and wants to answer our prayers, so why not ask for all of what we need, even if part of that is to have some relief from our worry in a quick manner.

Great is the Lord

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” I find that as I let go of control over things I have no control over, I find God’s hand at work in my life. I can see more clearly how He’s in control and taking care of my needs. And remembering the way that He cared for my greatest need, being saved from my sins on the cross and rising again that I might spend eternity with Him, certainly makes me say over and over again, “Great is the Lord”.

Who is your help?

 
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Posted by on May 8, 2012 in My God is My Help, Psalm

 

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My God is…the One who lifts my head high Psalm 3

Psalm 3 

Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him. ”

But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.

Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!

I have an unusual laugh. Some say it sounds like a machine gun. I’m guessing some find it very annoying. In fact I’m sure of it. I remember coming into a new job. I climbed the stairs looking to find the woman who was going to train me. She was one of the people who had interviewed me. As I approached the office, I heard her say something like, “Wait till you hear her laugh, it’s crazy”. What to do! Should I turn around and walk out? How will I stop myself from crying? Should I walk in as if nothing has happened, when I feel so hurt?

But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

I chose the last option. Said a little prayer, put a smile on my face and walked in and introduced myself. The words she had said were still lingering in the air. You could see they all realized that I would likely have heard what was said. I prayed again, and the Lord lifted my head. He helped me to get through that first day. Of course I went home and cried, telling my wonderful husband between hyperventilating type breaths how much the people at my new job hated me.

Eventually I became a real part of the office. The people in the room that day came to accept me for who I was. The problem that first day? They didn’t know who I was. To them, I was loud with a funny laugh. I even became friends with the woman who said those things.

The Lord lifts my head high

Embarrassing moments happen all the time (at least to me). Sometimes they don’t even have to happen for me to drop my head in shame. I just think about what might happen and I start to feel down, letting satan get a foothold in my life. I begin to doubt my gifts, abilities and sadly even my Lord.

Avoiding eye contact

When my boys do something wrong, they walk into the room, avoiding eye contact with me looking at the ground. Sometimes they’re even shedding a tear or two. “Look at me”, I’ll say, as I lift their head so our eyes can meet. We talk about what went wrong and how to fix it. Then I look in their eyes, pronounce forgiveness for their sins, and tell them that I love them.

When we do things that are stupid, selfish or sinful, I think we avoid eye contact with the Lord. We start shifting our gaze from Him, because looking at His perfection reminds us how we’ve fallen short. But God doesn’t leave us shifting our eyes from side to side. He lifts our head high so we might look in His eyes and see His love. The love He showed by sending His son to die for us that we might be forgiven of our short comings and sins, and instead of death, spend eternal life with Him.

Keep your eyes on Him

Yes when you look at Him, you may be reminded of your sin, but keep looking, don’t turn away. God wants to tell you how much he loves you.

Are you avoiding eye contact with God?

 

 

 

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My God is…my Light Psalm 119:105

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.Christian Family at the Cross Istock File #: 1673165 © Mike Kiev

The only thing I know about the dark is you can’t see in it.  ~ Roy Hobbs, The Natural

In one of my favorite movies, The Natural, there is a great discussion about the dark, between Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford), and the owner of the baseball team, after Hobbs enters the owners office to find it very dimly lit. The transcript below shows the conversation between the Owner and Hobbs. (If you prefer you can watch it here).
Owner: Please pardon the absence of light. You see, as a youngster I was  frightened of the dark…and I used to wake up sobbing in it as if it was  water…and I was drowning in it. As you will observe, I have…disciplined myself against that fear…that now I much prefer…a dark room.

Hobbs: The only thing I know about the dark is, you can’t see in it.
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Roy Hobbs said it best. It’s true you can’t see in the dark, whether it’s literal darkness or spiritual darkness. Spiritual darkness is the absence of the light, the word, Jesus Christ. The devil wants to keep us in spiritual darkness. He wants to keep us from turning to God. He wants to make it hard to find our way. I dare say he would like us to be like the owner of the New York Knights in the Natural.

The devil knows we fear the dark, but he hopes if he can keep us in the dark long enough, sobbing and drowning, that eventually we would prefer the dark. It is a slippery slope. As we push out the light of Jesus Christ, sadly our eyes adjust, and we get used to the darkness. But in that darkness we cannot see properly. We can’t see the truth.

I’m not afraid of the dark

I’m not afraid of the dark, because my Lord Jesus has claimed me from the dark through my baptism and dying on the cross to rescue me from the punishment of my sins. He made it possible for me to see the light through His Holy Spirit. It is important to keep your focus on the light. You need to make sure your life is full of light through God’s word, Jesus Christ. Spending some time with Jesus each day helps to squelch out the darkness and draw us closer to the light.

Are you going to the Dark Side?

Yes that’s a reference to another great film – Star Wars. The Dark Side is always pulling at us trying to pull us away from good, to pull us away from God. We have to protect ourselves with the full armor of God.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6: 13-17

Are you in the dark?

 
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Posted by on April 27, 2012 in My God is My Light, Psalm

 

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My God is…My Joy Psalm 43:3-5

My God is My Joy

Psalm 43: 3-5  Send me your light and your faithful care,
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me

I’m almost in a panic. Most people who know me would probably not think I’m shy. There’s something quite misleading about the loud shy ones. I am shy. I am nervous around people I don’t know. I get scared to break out of my comfort zone. I remember being told by someone I went to high school with that they had misread me. They thought I was a snob and wouldn’t talk to everyone. I wouldn’t talk to everyone, not because I was a snob, but because if I didn’t know you, it didn’t seem like it was worth the risk. I couldn’t handle the rejection. I’m not sure that much has changed.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? 

This weekend I’m going to be presenting a portion of Deb Burma’s “Beautiful Feet” retreat. I have wanted to have an opportunity to speak and get used to being in front of a crowd. I want to be confident, but then my cowardice and shy side starts to get the better of me. Thinking about it now nearly puts me in a panic. I feel called to be a writer and a speaker. A year ago I was doing neither. Now I’m writing two or more times a week. I am looking for opportunities to build my speaking skills and pray that soon both the writing and the speaking will used to the glory of God. I want nothing more than my whole life to be used for Him. (Did I really write that down – God can do some scary things when you give your life to Him – EEEK).

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

The Lord knows what He’s doing. He has given me opportunity and encouragement along these paths. I need to put my hope in Him and not rely on myself. I may not be the world’s best writer or speaker, but the Lord can make my speaking and my writing to be more than my words. Because I use scripture in my writing and speaking, the Holy Spirit is present, and His word will not return to Him void. I can trust and put my hope in Him. Most who know me would say I have the gift of speaking (or talking on and on and on). I hope that I do and that I put my hope in God and praise him with all that I do.

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.

God is my Joy and my Delight. I’m amazed every time I come to write my blog how I’m given a new verse telling me about who my God is. He is so multifaceted. He’s everything we need. I do delight in Him. He is my joy. Each day I find there are things that He points to, flowers, friends, verses in scripture. I am amazed at how involved He is in my life. Everyone has at least one gift from God. Do you know what yours is? I believe that when you start using that gift to God’s glory, He will use it to draw you closer to Him, so that you might have joy and delight in Him. You may find yourself seeing God in the details of your life. Take joy that He is there, and put your hope in him.

Have you seen God in the details?

 
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Posted by on April 24, 2012 in God is My Joy, Psalm

 

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My God is … God Psalm 46:10

Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

Be Still

How often are you still? Do you stop? Ever? Many of my friends hardly ever stop. Even when they do stop physically, their minds are still racing, and they don’t truly get any rest from their hectic lives. Being still takes focus. It’s not easy at all. You can start to feel guilty, wiggling around thinking about all of the things not getting done while you’re “being still”.

What do we miss in our hectic lives

In Psalm 46:10, God says to “Be still and know that I am God”. What a blessing of being still! For many years I had worked a 40 hour a week job. I actually worked a lot more hours than that, because I had a virtual commute. It always sounds so wonderful. I got to work from home! But that has its pluses and minuses. Yes I could run and get my boys when I needed to, and if something came up I could take care of it. The truth is, usually those things didn’t come up, but instead I would be more likely to allow my work to impede on my family time. I would be doing fine, playing a game or watching a movie with the boys when I would think of one more thing that I could get done before tomorrow (so that day would be “easier”). I would work on that while I was “with” my boys. I would not be fully present in either, not accomplishing anything of value in the end. The next day was not easier, as I had plenty more to worry about that day.

Each day my minds raced. I wanted to be sure that my work was visible even though I wasn’t in the office. I wanted to make my work successful for the business, my bosses and myself. I wanted to do well, so I could feel good about my work. What really happened, because I never took down time for my brain is I was not my best. When I would over work myself, in the name of dedication, I would push myself beyond what was useful for any of us.

Clearing your mind

I don’t know about the other women out there, but clearing my mind is a foreign concept to me. Even when I am sitting still in a quiet room, my mind is not clear. I may be having 25 different thoughts in less than a minute. My mind is all over the place. Do you remember the scene in Ghostbusters when they’re told to pick what will destroy them by what they think, and their plan is to clear their minds so that nothing will destroy them? That was always such a ridiculous scene to me, because I couldn’t even conceptualize emptying my brain. Is that a man/woman thing, or just a problem I have? I’m not sure, but if it had been me out there, we would have had 20 or more things to fight off with our proton streams.

 

And Know that I am God

Being still, clearing our minds takes practice. One of the great benefits of having the hours you spend for work reduced is you have time to practice being still. Since I reduced my hours (and recently had them reduced again for me), I have been given the opportunity to work towards being still and knowing He is God. I have started to use the prayers I learned at the prayer retreat I went to (the Jesus Prayer and Lectio Divina) to get me closer to being still. Then I will sit after those prayers and just try to “be” in God’s presence. I’m not saying I’ve perfected it, but the promise to know God better is one worth doing.

Do you know how to be still?

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2012 in My God is God, Psalm

 

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My God is…my deliverer Psalm 140:6-8

Psalm 140:6-8 I say to the LORD, “You are my God.” Hear, LORD, my cry for mercy. Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle. Do not grant the wicked their desires, LORD; do not let their plans succeed.

You are my God, Have mercy on me

Definition of MERCY

a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment <begged for mercy>
b : imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder
2a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
b : a fortunate circumstance <it was a mercy they found her before she froze>
3: compassionate treatment of those in distress <works of mercy among the poor>
At the beginning of this week, my husband and I had the pleasure of going to a Prayer and Renewal Retreat. My husband had attended before, so he was in a different phase, but in Phase one, I was taught about two types of praying I hadn’t experience before: Lectio Divina and the “Jesus Prayer“. In the Jesus prayer, a phrase similar to the one in our text is used: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
We all need mercy
Because of sin, I need of mercy. The Psalmist wants God to be a deliverer. This is no call for a UPS man. This is a call for someone to help you escape the inevitable. Think about when people ask for mercy. Picture it. I’m picturing the six-fingered man from the “Princess Bride” about to get killed by Inigo Montoya.
When I’m in a pinch, I’m always a bit more willing to make amends. I might say things like, “Lord, get me out of this and I’ll never do it again.” I want to bargain with God. I want him to deliver me from the pain I’m afraid is coming our way. I often forget to acknowledge the way He has already had mercy on me.
My God is my Deliverer
On the cross, Jesus took away all of my sins. Paid for all of my short comings, failings and mistakes. He did it because He loves me. He had mercy on me. I was in a pinch. I couldn’t have survived without Him, but because of His mercy, I’m not getting what I deserve, Hell. I’m getting the best of the best, a life with the one who loves me more than anyone else does. My Lord Jesus Christ.
What deliverer do you count on?
 
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Posted by on February 3, 2012 in My God is My Deliverer, Psalm

 

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God is My Mighty Rock Psalm 62:6-8

Psalm 62:6-8

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

My God is My Mighty Rock

When someone goes through rough times, you might hear them say something like this, “Carol was my rock during that time.” It is really hard to go through the tough times in life by yourself. It’s almost as hard when the people you think you should be able to count on don’t come through for you.

Mighty means Powerful or Extraordinary

When we say someone is our rock. It means we can count on them. They added stability to an otherwise crazy time. They gave us a foothold, a safety net, a foundation. But people are people. They don’t always know what we need, and even if they do, they can’t always give it to us. But there is one who can.

God isn’t just my rock. He’s my mighty rock.

He is the only thing that’s worth building my life on. My powerful, extraordinary God is solid. I can count on Him in all kinds of trouble. If I build my life on Him, I have built my life on something solid, something secure, something strong. God doesn’t sway in the wind, wash away in a flood or disappear when things get hard. He supports, encourages and sometimes maintains us so that we can survive and learn to know Him more.

Solid, Unmovable, Reliable

What are the things you count on most? What do you trust to always be there? Has anything ever let you down? I’ve told the story about when I found out I had MS. I told about how my husband wasn’t there when I found out because he was away at a school for the Air Force. This led to an amazing moment with the Lord, one I never want to forget and would never trade in. But I wasn’t happy about my husband not being there.

I had put my trust in my husband.

My husband had earned it. He had supported me through some really tough times, he was my rock. He was who I went to when I was feeling insecure. He was who I trusted with my raw emotions. He was the one who could help me keep going when I wanted to give up. But he wasn’t there. He wasn’t there when I needed him the most. My life had changed. I was facing a debilitating disease, and had strange confusing things happening to the way my brain worked. I was worried I couldn’t care for my boys on my own. I felt abandoned. The truth is, no human can be there for you all the time. They can’t be all that you need them to be.

But there is one who is greater than all of the humans in the world.

One who can be there for you when no one else can. My God, the God of the Bible, Jesus Christ who saved me from my sins not only wanted to preserve me from death and an eternity in hell, but also wants to have a relationship with me. He wants me to be drawn closer to Him, that I might know what it feels like to be able to rely on Him, trust Him and be blessed by Him. He is my mighty rock. I trust Him. I trust Him with my life. I trust Him with my death. I trust Him with everything in between.

Who do you count on?

 

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