Psalm Thirteen

I was just reading some old writings from when I was really sick and came across one entitled, The Sorrow Letter. It was a letter I wrote to my family during a time of intense physical challenges. After I read it today, I fell to my knees and wept as I recalled that dark season of the soul. I stayed on the floor crying, saying over and over, "Thank you Lord, thank you." My heart and mind were overwhelmed with gratitude that God had never left me! He delivered me finally by revealing a path to healing! The horrible disintegration of my body and mind that crushed me for so long was coming to a close. Deep waves of love covered me and I felt a kinship with Mary Magdalene, Zacchaeus, the demon possessed man and all the others that He delivered, feeling one in spirit and gratitude with them toward our Savior.

Upon arising I read Psalm thirteen, which is our study for today and the words were like a sweet friendship that held my soul and whispered to my heart, "I know how you feel. You're not alone with your pain or your tender worship. I understand." This is the letter I wrote from my bed of pain many months ago:


I have been left behind. Friends, family, life goes on and I feel like a forgotten comrade. My body is wracked with pain, my mind feels like it is disintegrating. I have no health left and I just rot in this bed, slowly dying.  Am I so worthless that all roads have led to hopelessness? Am I so unimportant that visiting me is not even a thought? Everyone is so busy, too busy for a person dying a slow death. I make no difference in their lives now, so why should I think they would even notice if I was gone? People pour out all their energies enabling the selfish and have nothing left for those who would cry if someone showed them the smallest kindness.

Hurried acts of service are appreciated but intimacy would be cherished and also be a sweet balm for a hurting soul. I’ve become nothing but a liability just as I was told when I was young. Writing was all I had left but I am having a very difficult time even doing that now. My mind won’t work like it used to and now it appears it’s just me, my pain and my bed.  I’m grateful that I have a home, and a  bed to slowly die in but doesn’t anyone care that I’m dying? All I have is God but I don’t see or feel Him in my darkness and I want so bad for Him to come and sit with me and tell me how much He loves me as He holds my painful body. I remember when I used to feel Him. If only I could feel His arms around me again when I collapse and cry. Jesus......no one is going to save me so why don’t you bring me home????? Please bring me home.

I’m sorry to everyone that I don’t have a perfectly packaged illness that you can all understand! I wish it were a disease that my mind and yours could wrap itself around but it’s not. It is a real and painful and scary reality that is horrible but unexplainable. The doctors diagnose me but have  no idea what to do with me. They have no answers. I would rather know that I was dying than to just slowly rot away like this. If I had a choice I would want to live and be able to play with my grand-babies and spend time with good friends and family but I physically can’t do those things anymore and I’m getting worse everyday. Medicating is my only relief but I hate taking it because of how it makes me act and feel. No one knows what’s wrong with me and it appears to be a mystery that causes nothing but fear, shame and confusion! I can’t be alone anymore like this, alone with no hope, in constant pain and no escape. Bring Your forgotten daughter home Lord, be merciful and bring me home. I want to come home.

Brian is such a faithful husband with an incredible servants heart but how can he live this way? How can you watch the person you love suffering and disintegrating each day right before your eyes!?  How can you take them to doctor after doctor and keep coming out with no answers! He's scared and lost in this darkness with me. This is a plea to anyone that has any love for me, pray for my deliverance, even if it’s through death. And, if God won’t take me then would all of you just send me greeting cards, so I don’t have to feel so alone. It would mean a lot to me. I'm too weak to talk on the phone and I can't even email or write, but to receive a card in the mail would remind me that there is love out there, a sweet kindness for me, like a cool hand on a fevered head. I can’t keep up anymore but please don’t leave me behind. Your remembrance of me would be such a joy to my heart. I’m only reaching out to my most inner personal circle with this. Please don't tell my son how bad I am.

Dee

This letter was written at my darkest moment, after years of staggering pain and no medical answers. I had nothing left, no where else to turn, it was, to me, my final cry. I don't know why we are taken to such dark places BUT I do know that God is there with us. Others will have all kinds of judgements such as, "You needed to have more faith." or "There must be some sin you haven't confessed!" Well, that sounds a lot like Job's friends! Only God knows why I suffered and I can finally say that I'm okay with that. All those years of pain brought forth files of writings, songs, poems, stories....All those years were to me like the Apostle Paul's years in Arabia.... time alone with Jesus. I learned empathy, kindness, gentleness, divine love...so many things that I did not possess on my own. I rode a Psalm wave that took me from heights of fellowship with my Lord to depths of sorrow that only He could console, then everything in between! No one but Jesus knows our life and heart and no one can fix it but Him! Our job is not to try to fix others, but to bring others into the presence of "The Savior" so He can re-create our sinful selves to His glory. I thought being dragged through the depths of life meant I wasn't worth anything, BUT, I finally heard God's voice say to me, "You weren't dragged, I knew you would follow Me."

Psalm 13....

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O Lord, my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, "I have overcome him, and my foes will rejoice when I fall. BUT, I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.

I share this personal story with you because I felt so alone during that dark season and I know that hiding this trial will never bring glory to God! Who of you suffers and feels alone? Let me encourage you with this insight....your life is a psalm and although each of your stories begin with lamentations, the Holy Spirit brings a "BUT"!  We cry out, BUT God is good, we hurt, BUT God soothes, we feel crushed, BUT God restores, we give up, BUT God picks us up! It's natural and human to question God, Gideon did it, Moses did it, Peter did....BUT we must put a time limit on it and learn to more quickly call to account THE WORD OF GOD! It is only GOD'S WORD that delivers us, for He is the Word! It is the "BUT" that will get you through the dark seasons of the soul!

Exercise:

Write down on one side of a piece of paper all the struggles you have. Then, find a scripture that will be your "BUT" to all of those problems. Make copies of it and put them in your night stand, your car, your purse or wallet, on the frig, the bathroom mirror.....You will make it through dear one, one "BUT" at a time.

Scriptures for thought:

2 Corinthians 2:14, BUT thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ...Do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us eternal glory that far outweighs them all!

Read Job :) especially when God speaks! If He can calm the storms, He can calm YOUR storms!

Psalm Twelve

As long as we align ourselves with the ways of the world, tweaking our behavior and responses so as to blend in, we can never understand Psalm twelve. David again has a heavy heart and calls out to his Lord expressing his disgust with the people who surround him closely who are not genuine but fake. "The godly are no more! The faithful have vanished!" he charges, "Everyone lies and speaks with false flattery, deception is their motive!" Only someone who is "set apart" from this behavior or is a victim of it would call it out with such fervency. He files a claim with God that these wicked boastful people profess that, "They will triumph with their tongues; that they own their lips and proudly scoff, "Who is our master?".

Such boasting, lies, deception and false flattery is an abomination to God! Psalm 18:27 states, "You, oh Lord, save the humble but bring low those who's eyes are haughty." Proverbs 6:16 says, "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up dissension. Most of us want to think of the extreme of all of those listed but the truth is that God hates snootiness, pride, jealousy, envy, self-seeking, rudeness, records of wrongs, any kind of lying, hatred and unforgiveness, trouble makers and those who prod with hurtful or antagonistic innuendo's or accusations, gossips (anyone who has to whisper to say something they wouldn't say to the person they're talking about), meddling, followers of wrong, slandering, exaggerators of the truth, embellishers with intent to exacerbate already hot situations, haters, robbers of hope....Many of us water down these sins to a dilution that we can live with, but at any level, they are not pleasing to God.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7:12), and if you live by that command through the power of the Holy Spirit, you will be on the right path. Would you like acquaintances or friends to talk behind your back? Do you want people whispering about you? How about someone making up false stories about you? How would you feel if someone got others to rise against you? Or how about someone who told your secret and caused severe pain, loss and embarrassment? It's never pretty when the tables turn! But to those who over-power the innocent, weak and needy, verses 5 & 6 are where God announces, I will now arise. I will protect them from those who malign them!" David concludes in verse 6 & 7, "The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. O Lord, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.

Do you want to be a protector of righteousness or someone who God must protect others from? No matter how innocent you think your behavior or intentions are....think of how you would want to be treated or spoken of, before you lean in and begin to whisper.

Proverbs 5:21, "For a person's ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all their ways."

Colossians 3:1-2, "Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts and minds on things above and not on earthly things."

Romans 8:5, "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."

1 Corinthians 13:4-8b, "Love is patient, kind, it does not envy nor boast. It is not proud, rude, self-seeking or easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

That, children of God, is how He loves you and wants you to love others! Tweak your behavior toward His ways.... not the worlds.

Psalm Eleven

Have you ever been trusting God in a difficult time but there were people around you that kept making your situation seem bigger than your God? Their negative view and lack of faith seemed like a magnet that would draw your attention away from the power and faithfulness that you knew God wanted to display through your trial. David, the author, faced this dilemma when he showed up and Saul and his army were paralyzed by fear because of the giant, Goliath. They saw only how big their enemy was and not how big their God was!

In Psalm eleven, David is facing what seems to be his counselors who are telling him to flee from his enemies and their wicked schemes. They paint a picture of their fears and describe it as being surrounded by their opponents and their arrows are coming! These men of no faith won't be satisfied until they convince him that he should be afraid too! But, David poses a rhetorical question, "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" He goes on to profess the faithfulness and might of the Lord God that he serves...."The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord is on His heavenly throne!" David does not proclaim fear, defeat, abandonment or thoughts of retreat....he stands firm and confident in his God and he sets those around him straight by speaking the truth!

Circumstances and feelings can overwhelm us if we let them but we must not let them! We must claim the truth and profess it as David did in the final verse, "For the Lord is righteous, He loves justice; upright men will see His face!" David also makes it crystal clear in the center of the Psalm that God despises the wicked but loves His own children who live in His righteousness! Verse one states clearly the heart of our author, "In the Lord I take refuge." The WORD OF GOD will send your enemies fleeing, it will deliver you, comfort you, realign you, stabilize you, empower you, give you peace, fill you with waves of His love, guide you, protect you, send you out and bring you home. His Word never fails for in John, chapter one it reads, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." THE WORD OF GOD IS GOD!  THE WORD OF GOD IS REAL AND LIVING! THE WORD OF GOD LOVES YOU, DIED FOR YOU, ROSE FOR YOU, LIVES FOR YOU AND FIGHTS FOR YOU!

Children of His, you cannot live apart from Him. He is the Vine and you are the branches, apart from Him you can do nothing! (John ch.15). Don't listen to the voices of the fearful and disillusioned but tune your hearts into the words of your Savior and God, "Put on the full armor of God....so you will be able to stand your ground.....put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is THE WORD OF GOD! (Ephesians 6:10-18). Precious sisters and brothers in Christ, remember that it was THE WORD OF GOD that sent the devil fleeing! Your circumstances have NO power over you as long as your mind is fixed on the truth of His word! Know scripture and believe it! We will always have trials and the word tells us that we should joy in sharing in the sufferings of Christ! No matter what your going through it cannot crush you! 2 Corinthians 4:9 of GOD'S WORD says, " But we have this treasure in jars of clay (our human body), to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed!" Nothing, nothing, nothing can prevail against you when you STAND ON THE WORD, which is God himself! Read your bibles, go to church and spend quiet time before Jesus. Give Him what is right...not what is left.

God WILL rise from your storm!

Suggested reading: Gospel of John, 2nd Corinthians, Job 40:6-14, 1st Samuel Ch.17

Life IS a storm, God IS IN IT and you are NOT ALONE. Stay attached to Him!

Psalm Ten

I just finished my post about Psalm ten and in a flash it was erased! I'm sitting here with my face in my hands crying. You see, when I write, it is like pouring my soul out onto a page and right now I feel devastated and robbed! I'm going to pull myself together and start again because the theme was about not letting your feelings trump the truth and I have to take my own medicine right now. Lord, give me grace to write your words.

Psalm ten begins with a cry from the heart, "Why, Oh Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" The psalmist is distraught in heart and mind and his thoughts are only focused on the injustices he sees all around him. Everything seems cruel and unfair and he opens his heart and thoughts up as he empties his complaints out before God. A pouring out of the soul, an exercise of decompression...his mind is on overload because he is trying to work it all out in his own might. 

Nothing makes me seeth more than injustice! You can feel your gut scream, "Why!" as you wallow in your complaining. It's as if you can see yourself surrounded by it and you are helpless and alone while the enemy closes in. "It's not fair!" "Why are the selfish and evil persons of the world having what appears to be all the power?" I can picture a kind and thoughtful child being bullied by brutes who are wicked and slanderous. Or a man being brow-beaten at work by an insensitive and egotistical boss. I picture a wife or child who fears the man who comes home after work and intimidates and beats them. Life seems so cruel.

Verse 10 says, "His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, "God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees." This verse conveys the blind arrogance of the selfish oppressor and the devastation he leaves behind. But in verse 12-13 the oppressed cries out, "Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"? Here is where the oppressed begins to take his eyes off himself and he begins to call on God! Then, in verse 14-15 we see a confidence arise, an epiphany of the truth stir up the reality of God's power and might! The psalmist begins to boldly proclaim  the truth that he knew but had covered up with anger and rage, "But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless! Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out!" The victim looses his weak and ineffective voice and empowers himself with God's truth!

The psalm concludes with praise and affirmation to the King of all things! Verses 16-18 read, "The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from His land. You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more." Child of God...you are not unprotected or alone, even though it may feel like it. There is a spiritual battle going on over you day and night for your body, mind and more so for your soul! Claim God's word  of victory...the Holy Spirit is in you, the angels are around you and God goes before you! This time of trial will end, and if you let Him, God will make you more than you could have ever dreamed. A proud warrior, although scarred from life's injustices is who you will grow to be! No longer a broken, frightened, angry victim but a victor who will one day walk with his God who also bears the scars of injustice.

Well, I stopped crying before I even finished the first paragraph! I felt the Holy Spirit guiding my hands as I typed the new message. I adored the first thing I wrote! It was poetic and graceful to read but God had another plan. This post is nothing like the first draft that was lost but I know with full assurance that this is the draft that God wants to go out! Someone reading this needs to hear from God and I am honored that He somehow deleted my words and replaced them with His! If this message doesn't seem to apply to you right now then please click on the icon below and email it to someone who it might be appropriate for.

Romans 12:14-21, Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." (stir his conscience). Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

We are called to hate evil but not the evil doer. Be obedient to that and God will contend with those who contend with you. (Psalm 35:1)

The Fallen Sparrow

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows! Matthew 10:26-31

Yesterday while gardening with a friend, she told me of a tiny sparrow that had fallen from it's nest and died. It reminded me of the time, at our old house, when we had the privilege of having a birds nest right outside our kitchen window. We were able to watch every stage of the tiny sparrows lives! They would wake from their slumber and poke their innocent heads up to start chirping for their parent, and as sure as rain the mother would come to their call and bring nourishment. I recall one day as they were getting older they mustered up the courage to start bending over the nest to see the world around them. One of the babies seemed to be the braver of the four and it jumped up to perch itself on the side. It tottered and wavered as it tried to find it's new balance and the other small siblings seemed to be cheering it on, "Oh be careful! Don't fall! What's out there? You can do it!" Soon they began to take turns and as I watched them, all I could think of were the times I saw my own son as he tried new things and I stood by worrying with concern.

The next day as I went out to garden I found one of the tiny sparrows lying on the ground. "Oh Lord" I cried, as I stood feeling sad and confused. "Why?", was all I kept saying as I held it's stiff and lifeless body in the cup of my hands. And no sooner after I buried the tiny lost creation in the ground did I begin to parallel my life to its. "Do You Oh God, really watch over us? How do I begin to see Your care and love in my life when there is so much pain and loss?" I felt such an overwhelming feeling of abandonment, as if there were no purpose in anything and the planet was just a cyclical compost pile for life's wreckage's. If this tiny sparrow could drop to it's death then where do my pain and failures fall? Is there an eternal loving lap where our sorrows could lay?

To this day I've never forgotten that tiny lost life, but one thing rose from it's death and that's the lesson that God spoke to my heart upon every remembrance of it... "I love you my child, for neither life nor death can ever separate you from My love! Just as I know every feather upon that sparrow, I know every hair upon your head! I was with your mother when she fell ill and I was there when her body died. I held her hand as I brought her to my side in the heavenly realms. And all the while I was comforting you, your sisters and your brother and especially your dad, who I helped as he raised all of you. I have been there with you, next to your bed of sickness and all your days of pain. Though my tiny sparrow's life ended the day he fell, you have survived all your falls because it was my lap you fell into. There has not been one fall that I have not been there to catch you and cradle you. I wiped your tears as you wept and gently pushed your bangs away from your eyes as I swiped my hand over your hair to calm your troubled soul. And although some of My children I call home earlier than they or their loved ones think is the right time, I am with them and I am with those who must remain for awhile longer.

Sorrow and Suffering accompanied Me as I worked my ministry on earth, so they will be with all my children, not as de-constructors of your spirits as you often think, but as constructors who will forge My image in each of you! Pure love is not the absence of sacrifice, it is the loving hand of a Creator whose calculated blows form the Sculptors image in His creation! Think of the marble statues of times past, the precise cut of a priceless diamond... those are strikes against the creation that bring forth beauty, worth and purpose! The trials in your life are not random or useless, they are times in the fire that make your metal able to be formed into an instrument of My peace. Your purpose on this earth is to trust Me to prepare you, to go forth and be My laps for a hurting world! You ask, "Where is God, when times of deep sorrow or trouble come?" I tell you, "I am here....in each of My children." So surrender all to Me and walk out into a world that is filled with brokenness and let Me love through you!

This world and all it's pain will pass away one day and My children will never know sorrow, loss or brokenness again! No more tears, no more worries, no more pain....just light and love and joy. Do not fall now from a hopeless heart, for your reward awaits you in heaven! You are not alone, not forgotten and whatever you go through....I go through it with you....for My cheeks burn from the tears you shed. NEVER DOUBT MY LOVE. Rise now, take up your bed and go comfort the hurting with My great love that I have loved you with!

Suggested reading: There is Hope for the Hurting by Robert Lee, Enjoying God by S.J. Hill

Psalm Nine

We should never feel oppressed or forgotten because THE WORD OF GOD SAYS..."The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know His name will trust in Him, for He, the Lord, has never forgotten those who seek Him!" Because of that assurance, HIS WORD TELLS US..."I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High!

This morning the Lord gave me a sweet message. As the thunder crashed during a rain storm, my heart felt close to God. It reminded me of when I was frightened at night as a child, I would hear my father snoring and that sound reassured me that he was right there and that I wasn't alone. If anything happened, my dad would be there and that made me feel safe and protected. The thunder was God's "sound" that brought me that same comfort and peace! It also made me think of His great power and might, as it is written in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter eight, when the disciples said, "Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"

Sister's and brother's in Christ...The same power that raised Christ from death is available to us! Think about that! The WORD OF GOD is there for us to claim this truth! If you're new to reading your bible, I suggest starting with the Gospel of John in the New Testament, then read chapter eight of Romans and you will not want to stop receiving this living water! We spend a lot of time talking to God but the bible is one of His ways to talk to you!

Doesn't that just blow your mind! The God of the universe wants to be with you, talk with you and never leave you! He wants to guide you, comfort you, give you wisdom, discernment and victory! He wants to sit with you when you don't feel well, cheer you on at your ball game, keep you company on long drives and sit in the sun with you! He wants to go before you and make a way, he wants to hear you sing, see you dance, and sit on your kitchen stool as you cook! He will sit in prison with you, help you find your way home, hold you when your parents are arguing and be your only true friend when others diss you. If you get trapped in a mine...He will be there. If you end up alone on a space mission....He will be there. When everything around you falls...He will be standing right there to help you. He's on your side and He loves you more than you'll ever be able to comprehend! Spend some quality time with Him today.

Luke-warm

Note: I seem to be full of things to say again from God, so I'm going to slip some of these posts in between the daily Psalms study that we're doing :)



God says in Revelation 3:15,16, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are luke-warm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

God desires us to be either refreshing or therapeutic, to bring hope and joy or healing and restoration to a hurting world. He despises when we are indifferent or luke-warm and ineffective. No one wants a luke-warm drink, our truest desires want either an ice cold liquid to quench and refresh us or we want a hot liquid to sooth and heal us! Isaiah 26:19 says, "Wake up and shout for joy!" I witness more often than not, people who are going through life like slugs slimming along rather than living a life filled with meaning and purpose. They complain and watch their lives fade to black as they neither have joy in their hearts or a fire in their belly for anything! They just exist and expect that all their problems should be taken care of by God, with no effort on their part. They don't serve others, they don't go to church or take their family there. They don't try to self-improve or try to develop their character or knowledge for loving or living or interacting. They either blame others and wallow in self-pity or just exist in limbo not giving anything much thought. Most often they never even consider that they may be their biggest problem! Who of us who remains stagnant can expect good things?

The bible tells us who we can be "in Christ" if we draw near to Him with an open and obedient heart. The bible also tells us that people will know us by our fruits. Galatians 5:22-23 describes those fruits that can be evident in our character and lives...Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a gives a detailed description of what love is to behave like...Love is patient, kind, it does not envy nor boast and it is not proud. It is not rude, self-seeking, easily angered, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil and lies but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. Love never fails. How is anyone to know this great knowledge and profound truth if they don't read their bibles, go to church or have fellowship with other believers that are seeking the same? And, if someone won't stretch out of their comfort zone to grow and learn then they probably aren't taking their spouse or children to church or Sunday school, which will result in another generation of luke-warm and lost people who have no passion.

Are you cool and refreshing? Hot and therapeutic? or are you just luke-warm? Bath tubs are nice when their luke-warm but you can't be blessed or be a blessing while just sitting there can you? So, you have a choice, stay the way you are and complain the rest of your life or change your behaviors and patterns and step out into a vibrant and full life! Who wants a dessert that isn't sweet? A soup that has no flavor or saltiness? Bland is not acceptable in life, so it should never be acceptable in our lives! God has so much color, flavor, depth...that He wants to bless you with! Just ask, believe and get excited about what He will do!

Romans 8:31b-32, "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" God is making it clear through this scripture that NO ONE can be against you if God is for you! So, all that is left is YOU! Only you can be against you when God is for you! No matter what your circumstance is, you can meet with God right there in it! Whether it be over-seeing an exciting project or laying in a sick bed, God can use you and teach you exactly where you are! Remain comfortable where you are and how things are or get passionate about something and start life with a new attitude. Just as there is only "you" that can make that change, there is only "you" that can be blamed for not making it. If you can't change your situation at the present moment then change your attitude or your habits or your vision of your future.

God loves you just the way you are! But, He loves you so much, that He won't leave you that way :)

Ephesians 5:14-17, "Wake up, Oh sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!" Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise but as wise; making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Proverbs 3:21-23, Preserve sound judgement and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then, you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.

Proverbs 12:1, Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is a fool.

Proverbs 12:15, The way of a fool seems right to them, but a wise person listens to advise.

For more profound correction and knowledge read the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament.

I was watching The Church Channel and this Pastor gave me a brand new view of what "hope" means! I always used that word like, "Gosh, I hope that works out?" or "I hope so?". There was always a question mark at the end of my "hope" sentences, but that's not how God wants us to live, think or believe! He wants our hope to be pregnant with anticipation for the arrival of our visions and His will! Here are some notes I took this morning to share:

1. Conceive a concept or dream that is pleasing to God!
2. Believe that God is on board and He knows the best way to accomplish it!
3. Your hope in that vision should be pregnant with anticipation!
4. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, so feel excited and confident!
5. See yourself and all your ideas in the dream, along with meditating on God's goodness and faithfulness!
6. Receive in God's timing all that you hoped for! 

This is NOT new age stuff! I am a biblical girl and never stray from that. I have lived a luke-warm faith when it came to hopes and dreams, all the while watching those who dared to dream Godly visions have their purposes come to fruition. I always felt defeated before I ever started when it came to believing. I could be upset that I wasted many years in this area of my life but I'm not going to. I have a new, exciting, hopeful dream that I am going to trust God with and I'm looking forward to how the new paradigm shift in my mind is going to affect my health, lifestyle and future!

God did not waste my years of unbelief and despair, He used them to have my complete attention on Him and prepared me for this day when I would finally see the truth about how much He wants for us! "Where there is no vision, the people perish...Proverbs 29:18 says. And in the gospel of John, Christ says, "I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly!" Life takes us through many seasons and journeys, and just like the seasons, everything that happens has purpose and abundance. What dreams do you have that are waiting to be conceived? Do you want them to bring refreshment and healing or just be luke-warm with no impact or impression? Of course we want our life to bubble with an effervescent excitement about what's to come! It all starts with one question...."Do you believe?

Easter Morning!

It is Easter morning and because Jesus rose from the dead, we never have to feel hopeless! No matter what life has thrown at you...the loss of a loved one, the betrayal of a soul mate, financial ruin, loneliness, depression..... We never have to be crushed under it because Christ gave us a hope that surpasses earthly happiness and contentment! He gave us a hope that is a light in our darkness, a hope that comforts and brings true peace to our souls! He is love and He is ALL we ever "need". From the ashes of our crushed dreams and broken hearts can rise our Savior like a fountain of hope, if we will just believe.

Psalm Eight

This is one of my favorite Psalms because the Holy Spirit spoke through David's heart about how special and valuable we are to God! At Good Friday service, the Pastor said something that blew me away, he quoted a scripture from the book of Hebrews 12:2, "For the joy set before Him (Jesus), He endured the cross." Then, he looked out at us in the congregation and said, "YOU were that joy!" Yes sisters and brothers, Jesus endured the cross, not just the physical torture but He carried our sins upon Himself to where His Father had to look away from Him, all because He was thinking of spending eternity with US! Jesus had never known separation from His Father (separation from God is what hell is) and because God is holy He could not look upon His beloved son while our sins were being paid for by Him! The darkness that fell upon Golgotha that day was the wrath of God being poured on our precious Lord and Savior Jesus, FOR US. Jesus finally cried out, "Father, why have you forsaken me!", not because of the physical pain but because He was separated from His Father due to our sin! He endured it though, till the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom, representing that sin would no longer separate us from God, because our debt was paid in full by the blood of Jesus!

Psalm eight starts and ends with praise..."Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! In between those praises are words of how God wants us to have hearts like innocent children,  how He has trusted us with all of His creation, to respect it and care for it, and David at one point asks God, "Who are we that You are even mindful of us, that You would care for us?" Well, I think Hebrews 12:2 says it all, we are His children, the joy set before Him. He sacrificed everything for us because He wants to spend eternity with us! Right now, God allows the sun to shine on the good and the bad, but a day will come, either by our physical death or His return for us, that the chaff and the wheat will be separated! Those who believe in His sacrificial love will go and spend eternity with Him in the light! Those who choose not to believe, will be separated for eternity from the light of life.

Choose this sacred holiday to open your heart to God's love, to Jesus. Invite Him into your heart as your Savior and to be Lord of your life! For God so loved YOU that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life! John 3:16

Why should we ever say, "I don't deserve God's love...not after the things I've done." When THE WORD OF GOD SAYS..."You have made man a little lower than the heavenly beings and You have crowned him with glory and honor." Psalm 8:5. God doesn't bless you because you deserve it, He blesses you because you have accepted His Son's gift of pardon! Because of the blood of Jesus, our sins that are red as scarlet are now white as snow! (Isaiah 1:18). Our transgressions are removed as far as the east is from the west! (Psalm 103:12) In Christ you are free and clean!

Psalm Seven

Psalm Seven is a cry for defense! When someone or a group of people spread gossip about you that is false and you yourself are helpless, remember that your God is a just Judge who will punish those who persecute the innocent! You may not physically see the work that God is doing but trust His Word that those who contend with you, must contend with Him!(Psalm 35:1)

Today's Psalm gives us the confidence and armor to stand firm in our faith! The writer (David) "knows" that God is his refuge but he still "feels" frightened. We will always feel fear, yet we must know with full assurance how to take up the Word of God (the sword of the Spirit) and use it with unshakable faith! In verses 3-6, David asks God to search his heart for innocence or guilt so that he can pray with a clear conscience before the Almighty King. Our righteous God searches the minds and hearts of all people then judges accordingly to our good or evil intentions.

We never need to feel unprotected or insecure because THE WORD OF GOD SAYS, "God Most High is my shield! It is He who saves the upright in heart!" My God says, "Those who are pregnant with evil, conceive trouble and give birth to disillusionment....the trouble they cause will recoil back on them and their violence will come down upon their own heads!" So, let's give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness! Sing praises to His name for we serve a just God!

Today is Good Friday....Remember that Jesus didn't have to die, He chose to die.....for you.

Psalm Six

In Psalm six are the words of utter desperation and wailing from the heart of one of God's own. Oh Looooord, David cries, from an anxious, frightened and weary state of mind and body! "Don't be angry, don't discipline me in Your wrath! Heal me, Lord of mercy, for my bones are in agony and my soul is in anguish!" He turns to the only One that he knows will be merciful and that has the power to heal him in a complete way! David is worn out from groaning and weeping, his couch is drenched with tears, his eyes weak from sorrow. Yet, in verse 8, he rebukes the taunting of evil and claims his inherited victory in God! "For the Lord has heard my weeping and my cry for mercy! He accepts my prayer and now my enemies WILL turn from me ashamed, dismayed and in disgrace!" David confessed with Godly sorrow, the Lord heard and then accepted his prayer. Because of this God defeated his enemies and David finds deliverance and freedom from his sorrows!

Verses 8 & 9 are perfect quotes for us to use when we are feeling as David did, weak, frightened, convicted, anxious, weary, desperate, in agony and anguish, sorrowful..... We can boldly proclaim, "FOR THE WORD OF GOD SAYS, (verse 8), "Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. (Verse 9), The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer!" God is faithful to His children and He is ever-present with unfailing love for us at all times. Why should any of us ever say, "God cannot love me when I'm broken, full of shame and anxious with fear?" when we know from His Word that we are unconditionally loved because of His mercy and grace!

Let God examine your heart, then, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal areas that need to be confessed. That act of contrition will free you up so God can hear your prayers! Then take His Word (the Sword of God), and go defeat the enemies of God's children in the name of Christ our Lord! When we empty ourselves of self then God fills us with Himself! When that happens, we can boldly say, "No weapon formed against me shall prosper!" (Isaiah 54:17). Hallelujah!

Psalm Five

Gleaned from Psalm Five:

Can those who are deceitful, those who lie, have any power in our lives? Absolutely not! FOR THE WORD OF GOD SAYS: The Lord God gives ear to our sighing and listens to our cries and prayers. We can lay our requests before Him and wait in expectation because He is faithful to the righteous.The enemies of God are exposed in open fields with no protection, for the arrogant cannot stand in the presence of the Almighty. God's children can be glad though, and sing for joy for the Lord spreads His protection over them! He blesses the righteous and surrounds them with favor like a shield!