Where Do You Find Encouragement?

What or Whom do you turn to in order to find encouragement when you are discouraged? Have you ever waited for something so long that it seemed like it would never happen? That can be a very discouraging situation to be in. Psalm 22 is so cool to me because in the beginning, David is waiting again for God to answer his cry for help. Instead of becoming extremely discouraged, it seems as if David remembers two things. First, David remembers what God has done in the past for himself as well as for his ancestors. He remembers how God has rescued those who were in danger and how he heard the cries of those in need.
“Yet you alone are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced.” (3-5)

David knows that God is the only one who can rescue him from his enemies. God is his only source of help. “Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me.” (11)

God hears the cries of his children and he does not ignore those who call on his name. David knows this and praises God for it! It is almost as if he is reminding himself of this as well. “For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy, he has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help. I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.”(24-25) Wow! That is just so encouraging to me!

When David is discouraged, he looks to God – the only one who can help him - for encouragement. He looks upon the things that God has done for him and his ancestors, in the past, and he looks upon the things that God has promised to do in the future. God is David’s source of encouragement and strength. What or Whom is yours?

“… All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with and everlasting joy.” (26)

God is For You (Part two)

In heavenly armor we’ll enter the land. The battle belongs to the Lord. I just love that song! Bouncing off of my last post, If God is on our side, who can be against us? He gives us victory! He equips us for everything he plans for us to do and he enables us to do it all for his glory! “How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! He shouts with joy because you give him victory!” (1) In Psalm 21, David was rejoicing in the Lord because he had given him victory over his enemies. God had given him his heart’s desire and he saved his life from evil plans of his enemies. David knew, if God was on his side, that he would be handed victory over his enemies. He trusted God to come through with all the promises that he had made to him. I find great encouragement in this! When storms in my life threaten to beat me down and drown me, having confidence and assurance in the Lord will enable me to stand firm. If God is for me, who can be against me! The same thing goes for the plans that God has for my life. Nothing, absolutely nothing can interfere with the plans that he has for me. They will happen, and even though I have no clue where he is leading me, or what in the world will happen in my life, I know that God is still God and he is still on his throne and NOTHING can change that! I hope that all of this is an encouragement to you. Where ever you are in your life right now, if God is for you, who can be against you? Victory will be yours, trust God to fight the battle for you. He will win.

God is For You

“Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord our God. Those nations will fall and collapse but we will rise up and stand firm.” (Ps 20:7-8) Israel’s security was often threatened by armies that were much greater in number and in materials. These armies had chariots and horses that were ready to go and aide them in battle against the Israelites, but what the Israelites had was far greater than anything device man could come up with. I am reminded of the song that goes a little bit like this, “If God is on our side, who can be against us? If God is on our side, we won’t be afraid. Though the mountains may fall and the sky will crumble, there ain’t nothin’ gonna stand in our way.” So, if God is on our side, and he is, there is absolutely nothing that will stand in our way. I am reminded, once again about King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. Here he was preparing to fight against two very large armies, who were his enemies. He was afraid because in comparison to all that his enemies had, it looked like he was going to be toast. He managed to get the whole army of the Lord to pray to God for direction. God was on his side. He had nothing to fear. After all, the battle was not his, but God’s and God in all his might and strength could defeat anyone without lifting a finger. What is so cool about this story is that this army of Israelites didn’t have to lift a finger to defeat their enemies. They sent out basically their worship team and as soon as they started singing, the enemy armies started fighting each other! The whole point to all this is that God is far more powerful than anything man can trust in. This is what David was referring to in Psalm 20. No weapons that are fashioned against us will stand up against God. If you are in a battle right now, remember the battle belongs to the Lord, and if I just put a song in your head, well then sing it! Praise the God who is always on our side! Read 2 Chronicles 20, you will be blessed! If he is on our side, who can be against us?

Be Still and Know That I Am God

I absolutely love photography. Other than playing my guitar and singing, there really isn’t another thing I really enjoy doing more. I have been quite the shutterbug for a while now. I love to take my camera with me just about everywhere I go – hiking, on a bike ride, on a drive in the car – you get the picture (Haha! No pun intended) There is not a single person on this earth who sees exactly the same way I do through my lens. I love to capture photos of extraordinary things as well as all the ordinary things. There is beauty all around us, if you look hard enough! I am pretty sure God designed it that way! Beauty can be found in a mountainous landscape, a waterfall, and a flower, but it can also be found in a rusty old barn and an abandoned church. The earth is filled with beauty! As someone recently pointed out about my photography, it is like capturing the voice of God saying “Be still and know that I am God!” In Psalm 19, David writes this;

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or a word, their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth and their words to all the world…” (1-4)

It is pretty clear to me that God has created everything we see around us. All of it designed to show his power and his glory. This even includes us! Everything was created for a reason and with a purpose – to point us back to our Almighty God – Creator and Artist of all that is in the world! Take some time to stop and smell the roses (or another flower). Take in the breath-taking beauty of a sunset or sit under a willow tree and feel the gentle breeze. If you listen quietly, you may even hear a voice saying; “Be still and know that I am God!”

Waiting on the Lord

“Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord. We will wait upon the Lord. We will wait upon the Lord.” Waiting – we’ve all done it. We’ve waited in lines, for phone calls, for test results, for lots of things. John Waller even wrote a song about what he was going to do while he was waiting. Now, he wasn’t talking about waiting in a line, or waiting for a phone call, or test results or anything like that. He was waiting on the Lord. So was David. In the majority of the Psalms I have covered, David was waiting on God to follow through with the promises he had made to him. He was waiting for God to remove his enemies far from him and to rescue him from his enemy’s grasp. David waited, and waited, and waited. He begged God to rescue him and pleaded with him to save his life on numerous occasions. He even asked God how long he was going to have to wait. Finally, in Psalm 18, David’s waiting is over.

“I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.” (3) “He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of the deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me… He led me to a place of safety and rescued me because he delights in me” (16-17, 19)

David knew all along that God would rescue him from his enemies and he trusted in him to do so, but what he struggled with, and what I often struggle with, is WHEN God was going to do what David knew to be true. When? When God? How many of you have asked this question? How much longer do I have to wait until you will provide me with a job? Or a husband? Or children? Or a house? (etc… fill in the blank…) God has not promised me, or anyone else, any of those things, but he has PROVIDED some of those things. (Just a little side note) It was finally time for David to see what God had planned all along. “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.” (30)

David spends the whole psalm thanking God for what he has done for him. He showed humility in giving credit where credit was due – to God. It is so interesting to me that David also takes the time to acknowledge, not only the victory over his enemies that he is finally seeing, but also his source of strength while he was waiting. “I love you, Lord, you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior, my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies” (1-3)

He knows that God has equipped him to get through his time of waiting. “God arms me with strength and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep me from slipping.” (32-36)

You see, God will always provide for those who love him, his children. Why? Because He loves us. He provided for David by giving him strength and endurance to get through all the waiting and he does the same for us. Waiting is not easy. There isn’t a single passage of scripture that even remotely says that it is easy to wait on the Lord. It is much easier, to wait in line to pay for your items at Wal-Mart, than it is to wait on the Lord, but God will give you everything you need while you wait on him. It may not be what you want, but it will always be what you need. It is always good to wait on the Lord. You never know where he may be leading you. “While I’m waiting, I will serve you. While I’m waiting, I will worship. While I’m waiting, I will not faint. I will run the race, even while I wait”

Power of Prayer

One Saturday evening, I was at church with a few other ladies working on setting things up for Sunday morning. While we were in the middle of laughing and carrying on, one of the women suddenly stopped and said “I don’t know why, but we need to pray for my husband right now” We all stopped what we were doing and got on our knees and started to pray fervently for her husband. We had no idea why we were praying or what we were praying for, but we knew that we needed to pray for him at that very minute. When we were finished praying, we went back to work, preparing for the service. Later on that week, we found out why we needed to pray right then and there. My friend’s husband was serving with the Marines in Iraq and right at the time she felt the need to pray for her husband, he was getting ready to drive over a road-side bomb with his whole convoy. At the exact same time we started praying, the bomb was noticed and the convoy was diverted. This, folks, is the proof I have that prayer is indeed powerful.

Have you ever had someone come to mind out of the blue? It is probably because the Holy Spirit was trying to tell you to pray for them, or even to encourage them. Urgent prayer needs. We have all had them. Someone is sick, or dying, or in an accident, or in danger and we get on our knees and pray. Sometimes that person is us.

In Psalm 17, David has urgent prayer for his safety. His enemies are relentlessly pursing him, but David has vowed to continue to trust in and follow God, at all costs. David is pleading with God to protect him, save him and examine his heart. He knows that God will find him pure and blameless and he knows that God will protect him. Do you know what David also knows? He knows that God will answer his prayers. He knows that God listens to him when he prays and he knows that the prayers of someone who is found to be pure and blameless are powerful, because God is powerful and mighty to save.

“I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies” (6-7)

David trusts that God will protect him even though to the world his circumstances seem pretty bleak. The very same is true for each of us. God will protect those who love him. He will rescue us from the muck and the mire and he will bring us face to face with him, so that he may receive all the glory and the honor that is due to him. His love for us is greater and stronger than anything this life may throw in our direction. God’s plans for us will always prevail. God will always be victorious. Lay your burdens at his feet. He will take care of you.

You're Not Alone

“Who is this person that I see staring right back at me? Do I know her? Does she know me? Who is this girl that I see? Her eyes look as if she has cried many tears from all her pain and suffering throughout the years; too much pain, too many tears. Has any laughter touched her years? Has she been alone all her life? Is her heart only full of heartache and strife? Did she have a shoulder she could cry on? Someone she could depend on? Someone to keep her spirits up while was down? Someone to turn her expression to a smile from a frown? Someone to comfort her when times were bad? Someone to hold her when she was sad? Was she alone in the world as a sad and lonely girl? Recognizing her face I start to cry. The girl I see is I. The only thing between us, a mirror. Now everything is much clearer and I realize now, she was alone, for the reflection I see is my own.”

I wrote those words when I was in high school, a time in my life when I felt so completely alone. I struggled with feeling like no one cared about me and I had no one to turn to and no one I could rely on. Thoughts of hopelessness consumed me and I thought daily about taking my own life. I truly believed that no one even cared about me, let alone all the pain I was dealing with and I believed that no one would care if I were gone. At this time in my life, I had no clue who God was and how much he loved me. I had no idea that in him, I would finally come to find the hope and love I had been longing for. I felt totally isolated. When we walk through times in our lives that are painful or hard for us, it is extremely difficult to make it through alone. It helps to know that someone is walking through it with you, doesn’t it? When I have faced difficult times in my life, there have been times when I had no one to turn to. High school was definitely one of those times. In Psalm 16, David is still dealing with his enemies and all that comes with fearing for your life and safety. He trusts God and is relying on God to protect him. He praises God for who He is and he is thankful for the promises God has made to him. He knows they are true! He knows that nothing can stand in the way of God. In my opinion, the biggest source of hope for David comes from verse 8;

“I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me”

David finds great hope in knowing that where ever he is, God is right with him! I can definitely find hope and peace in that! I am miles away from where I was in high school. I know that I am loved by God and that he is with me all the time, ready to help me, protect me, encourage me, and guide me. I have been blessed by people in my life who genuinely love me and are always willing to listen when I need someone to talk to. They are truly a gift from God! I encourage you today, if you are in a place in your life where you feel alone, to hold on to the words of David. God is always with you. He is right beside you and he is ready to wipe away your tears and hold you in his arms. He loves you greatly and you are very important to him. Trust Him to hold you and your life in his hands.

Father God, help me to remember each and every day how much you love me. Help me to remember that I am not alone and that you are right here with me. Help me to remember that nothing, absolutely nothing will happen in my life until you are ready for it to happen. Thank you, Father, for your ever present help in my time of need. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Give Us Clean Hearts

Isn’t interesting how the people we spend time with largely changes over time? I remember saying in high school that I was going to be friends, with the group of friends I had, forever. Well, here it is 10 years later… GASP! And I don’t really even talk to any of them, let alone spend time with them. The group of friends I spend time with today is a direct reflection on how my life has changed since the days of high school. Rather than following my own sinful desires, which quite frankly is what I did in high school, now have a relationship with Christ and those things aren’t of much interest to me. My pattern of life has changed and so has my character. Therefore, those I spend time with have changed based on how I have chosen to live my life. I love spending time with my friends. I don’t think there is a single one of us that doesn’t. I certainly hope my friends enjoy spending time with me. =) Did you know that God desires to spend time, or fellowship with us? He desires to spend time with us in all aspects of our lives. We were created so that we could fellowship with God through worship, prayer, and reading his Word. God has given us the ability to do all these things, but he also desires that our hearts be in the right place when we do these things. God cannot look upon sin, so if we try to come into his presence with sin in our hearts, we will not be able to. He desires for us to come to him confessing any sin that we may have in our hearts, so that we can then come into his presence and truly worship him as he deserves. This is the whole point of Psalm 15. David tells us who can come into the presence of God and who can fellowship with him.

"Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts.Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever."

David mentions this again in Psalm 24 in verses 3-6;

"Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob."

God desires fellowship with us, but our hearts need to be in the right place first. Take some time today and ask the Lord if there is anything standing in the way of your fellowship with him.

Plans Fail. God Does Not.

There have been so many times in my life that I have made plans to do something; plans to go somewhere, or do something, with someone or by myself. I have made plans for vacations and I have made plans for my future. Sometimes, things just haven’t happened according to the plans that I set up. Illness, death, weather, and other unforeseen circumstances have interrupted what I took the time to plan. Other times my plans have been executed gloriously and without a hitch. The things of life have definitely gotten in the way of the plans I had for myself. I planned on becoming a successful X-Ray Technician and work in a hospital for years. I planned to get married and have children of my own. I planned on owning a house and being able to travel the world. I planned on being successful in all aspects of my life. But, you know what? Life didn’t happen that way. I became an X-Ray Technician, but I only worked there for three years until my position was terminated and I was left jobless and with a stack of bills piling up. I still don’t have a job in that field and it has been three years already. Marriage went out the window and then so did having children, for now anyways. The plans I made for my life have not happened. I’m sure some of you know how frustrating that can be. Why didn't things go the way I wanted them to? Well, for starters, my decision to be consistently late to my job at the hospital I worked at resulted in the consequence of losing my job. I had bills piling up because I was irresponsible with money. I never planned to be where I am at right now, but where I am at right now is where God has planned for me to be. There are all sorts of things that can get in the way of the plans we make for ourselves. I have gotten in the way of the plans I had for myself, and so has sin. Other people can also get in the way of the plans we have for ourselves as well. This is what David was referring to in Psalm 14. “The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed, but the Lord will protect his people” (6). The second part of that verse is the most important. There are so many things that can get in the way of the plans we make for ourselves, but absolutely nothing can interfere with the plans that God has for me and there is nothing that can interfere with the plans that God has for you. David knew that ultimately, God was in control and he trusted that the plans and promises that God made would happen. Proverbs 19:21 says “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail” Now that’s a plan to hold onto! The next time you find yourself in the midst of interrupted plans, take some time to thank God that his plans for you are way better than anything you can come up with and trust that he will keep his promises to you, because he will.

Praise God for He is Good

“How much more can I take, until my heart will break? How much more can I see, until I’m a shell of me? My heart aches from the pain. Oh, God I cry out your name!” Those are just some of the words that I penned to a song written when I was going through a difficult time in my life about three years ago. I felt as if my whole world was crumbling around me and I was clinging to God with all I had. In Psalm 13, David must have felt the same way. Until today, I didn’t realize the similarities between this song I wrote, crying out to God, and Psalm 13. It is interesting to see just how much David’s writing parallels my own. “O, Lord, how long will you forget me? How long will you look the other way? How long will I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?” (1-2)

“Please save me from myself. I’m stuck inside my own Hell”, my song continues. “Turn and answer me, O Lord, my God! Return the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die” (3)

“I know you have a plan for me, so right here with you is where I’ll be. I’m holding on to you with everything I’ve got”, I continue. Like I mentioned earlier, I was holding on to God with everything I had, because at that time in my life, he was the only thing that was certain in my life. I knew that God had a wonderful plan for me, and even though it was hard, at times, to believe it. I was relying on him far more than I had before. I think David was doing the same thing. “But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me” (5-6)

I will be one of the first to admit that trusting God and praising him in the midst of difficult circumstances is definitely not easy, but God is always good and his plans always prevail over our own. God’s plans even prevail over the plans our enemies make against us. There is nothing in this world that can interfere with what God has planned for us. Where ever you are today and in whatever circumstances you may be facing, take some time to praise God for who he is and for what he is doing in you.

I think this verse is definitely worth repeating:

“But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me” (5-6)

You Are God

I love the song by Charlie Hall, called “You are God”. It reminds me that God is in control and that he has everything in his hands and that I can trust him. I find it interesting that I have more difficulty with trusting in God, than with trusting in other people. I am not even all that confident in other people. Sure there are definitely some that I would trust with my life, but there are others I am still not so sure about. I have been burned way too many times by people who have filled my head with nice flowery beautiful promises, also known as manipulative lies, meant to get what they wanted from me. Their plans were always designed to hurt me, but God’s plans are meant to benefit me. David understood this and he had great confidence in God and in his Word. In Psalm 12, David sees that the wicked are boasting in their sin and in their arrogant boasting, they are still triumphing over the helpless and needy.

“They say, ‘We will lie to our hearts content. Our lips are our own – who can stop us?’ (4)

David received assurance, that even in the midst of this great trial, God would free the helpless from the grasp of the wicked.

“The Lord replies, ‘I have seen the violence done to the helpless and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them as they have longed for me to do’” (5)

David knew, that even though there were wicked people all around him, that the word of God was true and it would triumph over them.

“The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.” (6)

The number seven is often used in the Bible to reflect ultimate perfection; it can’t get any better than that. God’s promises are true, pure, and perfect and nothing can interfere with them. Even the greatest threat that we can possibly think of cannot interfere with God’s promises or plans for our lives. “You’re closer than our troubles. More present than any danger…. You fight for us, you make us brave. You are God. You are God” (You Are God by Charlie Hall)

God is Always on His Throne

“And I will bring praise. I will bring praise. No weapon forged against me shall remain. I will rejoice. I will declare. God is my victory and He is here.” (Desert Song – Hillsong) It takes an incredible amount of confidence and trust in God to be able to stand firm when everything around you is crumbling to the ground. This is essentially the theme of the song written by Hillsong. Though trials and difficult circumstances may come, God is still on his throne and he is still in control. When times are good, God is still on his throne and he is still in control. This is the very same confidence David had when he wrote Psalm 11. He knew that even though things didn’t look like they were going to work out, that God was still in control. Even when others tried to discourage him, he stood his ground. “I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!” (Psalm 11:1)

David responds to those who tried to discourage him in such an awesome way, declaring to them it didn’t matter what they said to him he knew that ultimately, God was still on his throne and those that were against him would get what was coming to them. “But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining everyone closely. The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked, punishing them with scorching winds.” (11:4-6)

I know I can definitely find some confidence in that! God is in control of ever tiny aspect of our lives. He has us right where he wants us - in his hands.

Is it Time YET?

It is so very easy for us to say that we will remain faithful to God and hopeful in all circumstances when we are not in the midst of a storm. I can recall several times when I have even said that I would remain strong when the waters got rough. It’s a totally different story when you are in those rough waters struggling to keep your head above them. It’s a totally different story when you are caught in a storm that seems to last and last and LAST. I know this first hand. After three years of being caught in the same, seemingly endless, uphill battle I can honestly say that some days are good and some days are FAR from good. It is incredibly hard to remain encouraged when you are waiting, and waiting, and waiting for answers to prayers, or for something, anything, to go in a positive direction. It is hard to wait for the long, anticipated results. But you know what? God never said that following him would be easy. In fact he says the opposite! (Matthew 17:24-25) In Psalm 10, David finds himself in despair. He is discouraged because while he believed that God is in control, all-powerful, mighty to save him from his enemies, he is not seeing it yet! David was becoming restless! He longed to see the Lord in action. He knew the Lord was capable of destroying his enemies in an instant, but he hadn’t done so yet. How many of you have ever found yourself believing that God would take care of something, only to get discouraged when you didn’t see it when you wanted to see it.? Uh, yeah, I think that would be everyone. It doesn’t matter how many people tell you that God works on his own timing, you still want to see things happen right away, don’t you? I’m right there with you. It is hard! I have been learning over the past several months that trusting God with everything in your life is not a once and done event. It is a daily surrendering of your life, will, hopes, dreams, and future (and everything else) into the hands of God. After all, he is the one who is in control and he is the one who CAN swoop down and take care of things in an instant! YOU cannot! As much as you would like to have control over every tiny part of your life, do you really trust your sinful fallen self not to make a huge mistake? Why not place your trust in God who makes no mistakes. I mean really, he can’t! It’s not in his character to make mistakes. He is all-powerful, all knowing, and 100% perfect. Seriously, I think I would rather let him handle everything. Wouldn’t you?

“Lord you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them” Psalm 10:17-18

Encouragement With a Side of Coffee

Life can be totally overwhelming. There is work to be done. There are bills to be paid, phone calls to make, errands to run, and people to meet with. There is always serving to do, diapers to change, mouths to feed, oil to change, and so on. In my life, I have been completely overwhelmed with my circumstances. I have been frustrated with not being exactly where I would like to be at my age, in my life. I have been disappointed, discouraged, and down-trodden. I have been unable to see the “light at the end of the tunnel”; almost as if I was in a cave - a deep, dark endless cave where not even an ounce of light can trickle in. It is hard to remain joyful there!! One afternoon I was meeting with a friend of mine over coffee. I had only just met this friend, but from the beginning, her unwavering faith in God was such an encouragement to me. We talked for a while about some superficial things – the weather, work, family, etc; and then she asked me how I was doing. I started out wanting to say that I was good and that everything was going well, but I stopped myself, because things weren’t going well. In fact, I felt as if things were falling apart. I started talking to her sharing little by little and adding more information when she wanted to know more. I was on the verge of tears. When she stopped me and said the words I will never forget. She looked into my eyes, which were starting to become blurry from crying, and she said. “Jessica, you have so much in your life to be joyful about. Just because things aren’t going very well right now, doesn’t mean you have nothing to be joyful about. You can be happy because you have Jesus. You can be happy because he loves you. You can be happy because he has a plan for you. You can be happy because you have people in your life who love you…” As the list went on and on, slowly I found myself feeling lighter as if a weight was being lifted off of me and I even found myself smiling. What I didn’t really realize until then was that I was so busy and so busy focusing on all the things in my life that were not going as I had planned that I was forgetting all the good things I did have in my life. Sometimes we get so caught up in what is going on in our lives that we forget that God is in control and that nothing comes to us that has not been through his hands first. Life can be totally overwhelming, but when we rest in God and who he is, trusting that he is in control over EVERYTHING; from the bagel you put in your mouth to the new job you are offered. God has his hand in it all. Take some time today to focus on what God has done for you and thank him.

“I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart. I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High” Psalm 9:1-2

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you do not abandon those who search for you” Psalm 9:10

Made in the Image of God

“Who am I that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt?” This is how the popular song, “Who Am I”, written by Mark Hall from Casting Crowns, begins. David is essentially asking the same thing in Psalm 8. “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” The same questions are raised in both the song and in the psalm written by David. Who is man that God would even bother to think of him? Why is man so significant to God? In comparison to God, who is forever, we are but a blip on this world’s radar and yet, God thinks so fondly of us. “I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow.” Why would God think so highly of us? Well, he does for several reasons, but most importantly, God created man in his own image. (Genesis 1:26-27, 5:1) Even David mentions this, “Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:5) God loves us because he created us. He labored over us and made each one of us according to his plans for us. He equipped us for what he wants us to do in life and who he wants us to be. David is in amazement over God and his concern with what, in comparison to a Holy God, is insignificant and so he spends the whole Psalm praising God for who he is. I don’t know about you, but I find it quite comforting to know that not only did God sacrifice his only son, Jesus, to show his great love for mankind, but he also created us in his image. It seems that not only did he want us to call him our Father, but he wanted us to know, without a doubt, that we are his children, created in his likeness, and designed to praise and honor God for who he is. When did you last praise God just for being who he is?

“Oh, Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!” Psalm 8:1