Press On

One thing I really admire about David is his unwavering faith and confidence in God. When David was dealing with some pretty difficult things in his life and his enemies were constantly after him; he never lost sight of what was important - his relationship with God. David consistently praised God even amidst some scary circumstances. He never forgot who was ultimately in control of his life and who had the power to save him. He knew that God heard him when he cried out and he knew that God would keep his promises. Psalm 57 is no different from any of his other Psalms in illustrating David’s unwavering faith and confidence in God. He knew God would protect him. “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me. I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings” (1) He knew God would keep his promises. “I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me” (2) He knew that God would rescue him. “He will send help from the heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me. My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness” (3) Even though David was being threatened by his enemies he still praised God. “I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey –whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth.” (4-5) David had such great confidence in God and I am sure this is what helped him to keep his focus on God amidst his difficult circumstances. “My heart is confident in you, O God, my heart is confident. Wake up my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth” (7-11) I truly believe that the key to remaining faithful and confident in the Lord in all circumstances lies within David’s example. Praising God in all circumstances and never taking our focus off the one who gives us life; the one who loves us greatly and freely, is how we can remain faithful to him. This is how we can be as confident as David. This is how we can remain strong when things come our way that threaten to knock us down. This is how we can press on. Press on!

God is On Your Side

Overwhelmed; totally consumed by all that was happening around me, but mostly all that was happening to me. Fear gripped me. I was losing my footing and the threat of slipping all together was just about too much to bear. I had no idea what I was going to do. I had no idea where I was going to go. Loneliness surrounded me; so completely lost and nowhere to turn. Depression set in; there is no hope for me. I will never get out of this pit. These are the thoughts that crossed my mind again and again when I lost my job, and every time I was reminded of the mistakes I have made, and how I had failed. While I didn’t have a physical enemy in the sense that David did, I still felt as if I was being hounded day and night by my very own enemy. I will tell you that most of these thoughts are not true. That is, they are lies fed to me by Satan, meant to keep me right where he wanted me. In these days, I turned away from God. I wasn’t seeking him. I wasn’t praying to him. I believed he was angry with me and that he was punishing me. Both of which were also lies. God was not at all surprised by the sin that lead me to lose my job, my apartment, my independence. He knew it was going to happen. So, how could he be angry with me? He loves me so much that instead of turning his back on me, when I turned my back on him, he stood back and waited for me to realize how much I needed him. He sent people in my life to remind me that he was good all the time. He sent people to encourage me and to direct me to his Word. It was there that I found what I had been looking for, hope. David had hope. He trusted God. All his confidence was in him and his promises. Even when the world seemed to be against him, David never lost sight of God. He kept his eyes firmly focused on him. “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” (3-4) David knew that he could trust God to take care of him. He knew that even in the midst of seemingly terrifying and difficult circumstances, God was on his side. He was not afraid to cry out to God every time he needed him and he recognized that he needed him all the time. “My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know; God is on my side! I praise God for what he has promised. Yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” (9-11) God is on your side too. He is not against you. He is not out to make you fail. He doesn’t laugh at you when you do. If you have turned from him, he is waiting for you with open arms. He loves you deeply, no matter what you have done and no matter where you have been he will never take his love away from you. If you are overwhelmed and struggling right now, cry out to him. He hears your cries. He knows what you are going though. Are you going to continue to try to handle everything in your own strength, or are you going to trust God with your life? He will take care of you. “For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light” (13)

Overwhelmed?

Have you ever been overwhelmed? To be overwhelmed by something can also be likened to being completely submerged by it. Almost as if you are drowning. When something completely consumes or overpowers your thoughts, and your feelings. It is hard to think of anything else. Have you ever been felt this way? In Psalm 55, David says, “Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles” (1) Can you identify with David? I know I can. There have been many times in my life that I have been completely overwhelmed by my circumstances. I even felt as if I was drowning in the chaos of one problem after another and I wondered when it was going to end. Some of you may know what I am talking about. David is once again overwhelmed by those who are against him, but in this Psalm he is not speaking of yet another enemy, he is speaking of an equal, a friend. “It is not an enemy who taunts me – I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me – I could have hidden from them. Instead, it is you – my equal, my companion and close friend.” (12-13). Have you ever heard someone say, “It’s often those we are the closest to that hurt us the most.” Often when we are hurt by someone close to us, it can definitely occupy and consume our thoughts and feelings. When we are betrayed, and hurt by someone close to us, it hurts deeply, and it often takes a while to heal from that wound. David was certainly overwhelmed by the betrayal of a friend. He was wounded and hurt. Was there something else going on at the same time? Possibly. David could have felt as if he were drowning in all of this chaos, but he was confident in one thing, God. David’s strong confidence in God’s promises and saving power helped him to keep going through the storm. It have him strength and hope he needed to press on. “But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress and the Lord hears my voice. He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, though many still oppose me” (16-18). When I have felt overwhelmed I will admit that I have not turned to God first. While I never really want God to be a last resort, sometimes, that is how I treat him. It shouldn’t be that way. God should be my first resort. He should be your first resort. I admit I often choose to try to handle things on my own before I choose to turn them over into God’s hands. Do I really think I can do a better job? No. How many of you handle things the same way? The truth is that God should be who we turn to first in all things – the good and the bad. He should be the leader in all of our major decisions. He is always ready and willing to listen to us – morning, noon, and night. He is always there for us. He loves us and promises to take care of us. Why don’t we let him? “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall” (22)

"Et tu, Brute?" Betrayal of the Close Kind

Have you ever been betrayed? Whenever I think of someone being betrayed, I think about Julius Caesar and how he was betrayed by someone very close to him, Brutus. I remember having to read this play by Shakespeare in high school and then I remember the teacher selecting a group of people to reenact the betrayal scene. A not so comedic moment in history turned into a barrel of laughs as the weapon of choice, a yardstick, was plunged in between the side and arm of my classmate. As he stumbled around, over dramatically knocking things all over the place, he turned to the classmate playing Brutus and said the famous line, “Et tu, Brute?” and then he fell on the ground. While this one example was comedic, betrayal of any kind is no laughing matter. It hurts deeply. Most of the time it comes out of the blue, it’s unexpected and it knocks you on your feet. I was handed a letter from someone I considered a friend. The contents of the letter would tell me otherwise. He took it upon himself to list everything he didn’t like about me, in great detail. It was mean and it was meant to be hurtful. I cried a lot. I internalized all that he said and believed it to be true. (It wasn’t) I held onto that for a very long time, refusing to even let go of the letter, reminding myself of what others thought of me. They were all lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Meant to destroy me, and they did. I was deeply hurt by someone I trusted and cared about. This was a wound that wasn’t going to heal quickly. I am thankful that I had friends, whom I hadn’t even been friends with long, who stood up for me and told me that all of those things in the letter, written to hurt me, were not true. They told me that they didn’t see any of those things about me because they loved me. The love I felt from them helped to heal the hurt I felt at the hands of my so-called “friend”. In Psalm 54, David is once again surrounded by his enemies, but he is trusting in God to rescue him and deal with his enemies as they deserve to be dealt with. “For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing about God. But God is my helper. The Lord keeps my alive! May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them” (3-5) What constantly amazes me about David is that even in the midst of difficulty, he never forgets to praise God, the source of his strength, peace, and hope. “I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good. For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies” (6-7) Praising God in the midst of our difficult circumstances, is the key. It is our circumstances that change, not God. Our circumstances get difficult, not God. He remains the same. If you are going through a difficult time right now, stop what you are doing, stop dwelling on your circumstances and stop dwelling on the people that have hurt you and praise the God that never changes and remains the same. The very same God who holds you close, and who rescues you from your enemies. He loves you, greatly! Why not praise him for that?

Perfectionism is DEAD

Perfectionism. Yes, I’ve definitely written about it before and perhaps, I am writing about it about it again so I can get it just right. No, really, I’m not. I came to this realization a few years ago that there is absolutely no way possible that I can ever be perfect. No way whatsoever. It’s true. Boy did that ever take a load off! Here I was trying to do everything perfectly, and if anything or anyone got in my way I became angry. Some of you know what I am talking about. I tried really hard to make sure everything happen according to my plans. I became protective of my plans and anything or anyone that messed with them became enemy number one. No one messed with my plans and no one interfered with what I wanted to get done. I became angry when someone interrupted me when I was writing a paper, or playing my guitar, or pretty much doing anything. I also stopped doing things I didn’t think I could do perfectly. I stopped playing the guitar. I stopped trying new things. I didn’t pursue anything I thought I would fail at. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Does it sound familiar to any of you? I realized that I was wasting my time trying to be perfect and I was spending quite a bit of time being angry at too many people for no reason. I can’t be perfect. You can’t be perfect. It isn’t possible to be perfect unless your name is Jesus Christ and Mary is your Mother and God is your Father… just sayin’ Jesus Christ is the only person to ever walk this earth that has ever and will ever be perfect. Breathe a sigh of relief on that one! I did! Whooooosh! (That was me breathing a sigh of relief, just in case I lost you) The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standards. (Romans 3:23) That means everyone; you and I have both fallen short of God’s standards. We have sinned. In Psalm 53, David says, “But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” (3) This verse is also repeated in Romans 3:10. Not a single person does any good on their own. No one is perfect. You know what really kills me, when people who are Christians hold up other Christians as “perfect”. We place Pastors, Worship Leaders, and other Christians we see as “perfect” on a pedestal aiming for the perfection we see in them and when they fail to live the perfect lives we “think” they live, we are often judgmental and unloving towards them when they need the love of Christ the most. Have you seen this? I have. Even Pastors make mistakes. Everyone falls short of God’s standards. No one is exempt, except for Christ Himself. I have made mistakes. I have sinned. I am not perfect. I don’t live like I am. I still make mistakes. I still sin. I am not perfect, but God loves me exactly as I am. He loves you too, imperfections and all.

Thriving in the House of God

Life very rarely goes the way that I would like it to. It is a rarity when everyone and everything works together in accordance with my plans for the day, but wouldn’t that be nice? I mean if we didn’t have to deal with running late in the morning because we forgot the car needed gas, or we got behind someone who went under the speed limit, that would be nice right? If everyone was polite to one another and people thought about others before themselves, all the time, wouldn’t that be lovely? I don’t have any kids of my own, but for those of you who have kids, if you didn’t have to deal with a dirty diaper, or another mess made after you just cleaned one up, while you are trying to get out the door to get some errands done, wouldn’t that be great? The truth is, life is difficult. There are so many things that interfere with the plans that we have for ourselves, and quite often our plans don’t happen the way we wanted them to. I planned to bring a cake that I baked to a friend for her birthday. I didn’t plan on dropping it on the driveway in my hurried state to leave the house for work that morning. That kind of stuff happens all the time, doesn’t it? Unexpected things creep up on us, knock us off our feet, and put us in a daze. Illness, death, job loss, broken relationships, and financial hardships leave us scrambling for a new plan, when ours is left in shambles. Even the little things like a dropped cake take their toll on us and one thing after another can lead to an endless state of frustration and confusion. In Psalm 52, David says, “But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.” (8) To thrive like an olive tree means to stand firmly and confidently; resting securely in the truth of God's love and trusting that even when things around you are difficult, God's love for you still remains and He in his infinite wisdom has a plan for you that is far better than anything you could possibly even imagine. The bottom line is, life is difficult, but God brings us hope. He has a plan designed specifically for each one of us. We can choose to trust him and follow the plans that he has for our lives, or we can continue to stumble around in the darkness with blinders on hoping for a chance to make things work. If we trusted in God and knew without a doubt that he had everything under control, when unexpected things creep up on us, we wouldn’t fret or fear because we would know that the very God who loves us is right there with us every step of the way. He is in control when things are out of control. David knew that even though things were difficult, God still loved him. He trusted in God and his love for him. Do you? When difficult things come your way do you trust God to handle them? Are you like an olive tree thriving in the house of God?

Here I Am, a Sinner; Broken and in Need of You

Here I am a sinner, broken and in need of you. Take my life, wash my fears away. For you are the Great I Am, rest assured I feel your hand, holding me until the darkness clears. Father to the fatherless; Redeemer of my soul, my life is Yours forever. My heart will always know. Your mercy saved me, mercy made me whole. Your mercy found me, called me as Your own.” (Mercy –Casting Crowns)

I remember sitting in my car and reading the words of Psalm 51 out loud as if they were my words and my own personal prayer to God. I was crying out to him asking him to forgive me, with tears streaming down my face, and I was asking him to have mercy on me, a sinner. The very next Sunday I found myself in the Pastors office praying with him and my friend Karen. I knew I needed Jesus Christ in my life and I knew that without him I would continue to roam around on this earth lost and without hope. Since that day, my life has never been the same. I have been radically changed by a God who loves me in spite of myself. His love will never let me go, no matter what I do or don’t do. Psalm 51 reminds me of that day, but it also reminds me of where I have been. I have found myself coming back to Psalm 51 on a few occasions, reading the words out loud and praying to God once again to forgive me and have mercy on me, a sinner. Psalm 51 also reminds me of who I am in the scope of who God is. He is almighty and powerful, a great judge, who shows compassion and mercy on all who seek after him. It also reminds me how serious it is to sin and that every sin is against God, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. When David wrote the psalm he was heartbroken over the sin that he had committed against God and it shows in the very words he wrote. “Have mercy on me O God, because of your unfailing love; Because of your great compassion blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you way and our judgment against me is just.” (1-4) David knew that what he had done was wrong and he knew that only God was capable of forgiving him. David was a man after God’s own heart. He desired to follow God and obey him each and every day. Following God each and every day is not an easy task. It’s not easy to choose obedience over rebellion. It’s much easier to do what I want to do instead of doing what I know is right, but in the long run, doing what is right and following after God wholeheartedly is far more beneficial than any temporary “thrill” could possibly be. David’s heart was broken over the sin he committed but he was also heartbroken over the possibility of being sent out of the presence of God. “Don’t banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you” (11-12) It makes me wonder whether or not I would react the same way to the possibility of being sent out of the presence of God. I mean would I? Would you?

Worship in Spirit and Truth

In Psalm 50, the psalmist discusses worshipping God in spirit and in truth and worshipping God from the heart and not out of formality or obligation. Being authentic in your worship is incredibly important. God knows everything about you and sees you as you really are. If your heart is not in the right place when you are worshipping him, he will most certainly know it. There have been many times as a worship leader that I have had to take a step back and make sure my heart was in the right place before I lead the congregation in worship. There were also times when I didn’t take the time to prepare my heart, and those days, my worshipping of God felt contrived and untruthful. Worshipping God should first begin with the heart, making sure there is nothing in the way or nothing to prevent you from worshipping God the way you should and the way he deserves to be worshipped. Sin and distractions are two things that can get in the way of authentic worship. If you are more concerned with how someone else is worshipping around you or what type of music is being played during worship rather than the whole reason for the music in the first place, you may want to take a step back and make sure your heart is in the right place before you try to worship God. This is one way we can be distracted. Formality is what I’m talking about. I am also talking about self-catered worship. “We didn’t do this hymn, so I can’t worship” Or “That’s such an old song, how can I worship God with that?” I know I’ll probably step on some toes with that one. As someone who has not only lead worship but has also served on a worship committee designed to “help” the Worship Pastor pick appropriate music to worship God with, I just can’t help but to bring up the question, When did worship become about us and what we want not about God and what he deserves? If a song brings you into the presence of God and allows you to worship him like he deserves, then well, is there anything wrong with that song? I think not. When we concern ourselves with the formality of worship, we miss the point and the heart of worship – God. Second, If you have something in your life that is not honoring to God, how can you worship him like he deserves? If you are living your life far away from God, Monday through Saturday and come into church on Sunday and try to worship God, how does that work out for you? I mean, does it? I know from my very own experience if I had unconfessed sin in my heart, there was no way I could worship God authentically. I was lying to myself and I was lying to God until I confessed the sin separating me from authentically approaching his throne and giving him the worship he is due. When we try to worship God, but keep the unconfessed sin in our hearts to merely keep up appearances, we are only doing ourselves more harm in the long run. Ultimately, God is the only one that knows the condition of your heart. He knows whether or not your worship is authentic. He wants your heart in worship, nothing else. What really helps me to keep my focus on God while I am worshipping is to think about everything that he has done for me - and he has done a lot. I am so thankful for all that he has done and I would be totally lost without Him. When is the last time you took some time to really think about everything that God has done for you? If you’ve never thought about it, or haven’t thought about it in a while, take some time to focus on that. Then, making sure there are no distractions or sin in your life, take some time to worship God like he deserves and you don’t have to wait until Sunday! You can worship Him right now!

“Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory… But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God” (Psalm 50: 14, 23)

In Whom Do You Trust?

I was so excited when I finally moved into my own place. Here I was ready to be on my own. I had a well paying job that allowed me to go on vacations with my friends and it allowed me to treat myself to some new clothes and other things quite often. I was enjoying life, but then life happened. Bills started coming and unexpected things happened, leaving me scrambling to come up with the resources to pay for what needed to be paid for. Before I knew it, I had taken out credit cards and was in way over my head in debt. In less than three years, I had lost my financial freedom. A little after that, I lost my job, the source of my financial input. I had so heavily relied on my finances, and my job and there I was left in the dust, clutching bills, debt and a box of tissues, tears streaming down my befuddled face. What went wrong? I’ll tell you what I suspect went wrong. I trusted more in my “wealth” and my job than I did in the God who provided it all for me, and I took it all for granted. I took HIM for granted. All that mattered to me was my paycheck. That’s what made me feel valuable, the number typed in the little box on the check that told me what I had earned. I worked hard to get what I earned, there’s no doubt about that, and I got what I earned. As hard as it really is to admit, at that time in my life, money was the god I served. It was more important to me than the God who had given me life and breath and who valued me just because he created me and who loved me. You see, I wasn’t really aware that HE loved me. I never took the time to learn about him and to see what he was all about because I was so consumed with my temporary wealth. That’s just it. Everything on this earth is temporary. Wealth. Status. Money. Power. Fame. We all want some aspect of it, but one day it will all fade away and only one thing will remain and that is God. He is forever. He remains the same. When everything around us changes, God is still the same God who is there to pick us up and hold our hands as we walk through this fickle life. This is the whole point the psalmist was trying to make in Psalm 49. Those who trust in the temporary things of this world are foolish and are bound to fall, but those who trust in God will never fall because God holds them with his righteous right hand.

“Why should I fear when trouble comes when enemies surround me? They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. Redemption does not come so easily for no one can ever pay enough to live forever and never see the grave… But as for me God will redeem my life, he will snatch me from the power of the grave. (Psalm 49:5-9, 15)

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

“How deep the Father’s love for us; how vast beyond all measure, that he should give his only son, to make a wretch his treasure.”

“Your love is deep. Your love is high. Your love is long. Your love is wide.”

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

When I take the time to sit back and think about the love that God has for me I am astounded. It is hard for me to believe that he could love me as much as he does and I am amazed at the amount of forgiveness he has willingly given to me at the cost of his only son’s life. It has taken me a while to understand that God’s love for me is not conditional. It is not based on what I do, or what I don’t do, but instead, it is given freely and without limit. The very same is true for you as well. God’s love for you is infinite; there is no end to his love. Nothing you can possibly do could ever take his love away from you. His love is unconditional. You can’t earn it. It is given to you freely and with no strings attached. Unlike many of our relationships here on earth, God’s love for us is not based on what we do or don’t do. He loves us the same on our worst days as he does on our best days, it never changes. God never withdraws his love from us. His love is unlimited; in fact, it overflows on each of us. We have a never ending supply of God’s love at our reach each and every day. His love for us is great! It’s no small matter! God loves us immensely! Do you believe it? Do you believe that you are loved and cherished greatly? I tell you the truth that you are! You are loved far more than you could ever possibly imagine. You are loved with an everlasting love a love that will not fail a love that does not change and a love that will be with you each and every day through everything life throws your way; the good and the bad! Take sometime today to think about the love that God has for you, in fact take some time everyday to sit back and rest in knowing that you are loved greatly!

“O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your temple. As your name deserves, O God, you will be praised to the ends of the earth. Your strong right hand is filled with victory” (Psalm 48:9-10)

Worthy of Worship

“Worthy of worship, worthy of praise, Worthy of honor and glory; Worthy of all the glad songs we sing, Worthy of all the offerings we bring. You are worthy, Father, Creator. You are worthy, Savior, Sustainer. You are worthy, worthy and wonderful; Worthy of worship and praise.”

Worthy of Worship; that is the title of the hymn quoted above. (Written by Terry York and Mark Blankenship) I just love this hymn. It reminds me of the sole reason for worshipping God, because HE IS GOD. He deserves and commands our worship of him. He desires for us to worship with everything we have, not holding back any part of ourselves, but giving everything we are and have to him in acts of worship. This means all the time, not just when we are walking through good times in our lives, but also when we are walking through difficult times. Obviously, it is much easier to praise God and to worship him when we are not in the midst of a struggle, but how much more powerful would it be if we stopped and praised him in the midst of what seems like a hopeless situation, when our hearts are broken and in need of healing? Can we truly praise God then? Yes, definitely! It’s not easy to do, but it can be done. If we keep in mind that we should be worshipping God, for who he is, and not worshipping him based on our circumstances, we can indeed worship him in the even in difficult times. The psalmists do a fantastic job of reminding us who God is and they remind us to worship and praise him with all we are. When I am reminded of who God is and what he has already done for me, it is hard to avoid worshipping and praising him, as he deserves. Consider Psalm 47.

“Come everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! For the Lord Most High is Awesome. He is the great King of all the earth” (Psalm 47:1-2)

Doesn’t that make you want to get up and praise God for who he is! Our God is an awesome God and he loves each of us greatly!

“I will give you all my worship. I will give you all my praise. You alone, I long to worship. You alone, are worthy of my praise” - Jeremy Camp

Truth to Hold Onto

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge” (Psalm 46:1-3)

Wow! Those are some pretty powerful verses, don’t you think? I mean isn’t that like saying, "God is on my side. He IS for ME. There is absolutely NOTHING anyone or anything can do to interfere with HIS plans for my life. Things might look scary on the outside, but God IS in control of everything. He's got my back. Bring it on!" That’s a pretty bold statement and a powerful one too! It takes a great deal of faith and trust in God to be able to say that and actually mean it. It’s one thing to be able to say it when you are walking in peaceful times beside still waters. It’s another thing to be able to say it when the waves are crashing all around you and the water threatens to drown you. It takes great confidence in knowing who God is, to be able to know, even in the midst of a great struggle that God is indeed in control and nothing absolutely nothing will happen without him standing right beside you. I have found great comfort in knowing that God is with me, even in my darkest hours, that he is right beside me; walking with me, holding my hand and guiding me where he wants me to be; and all because he loves me greatly! Do you know that the same is true for you? All of this is true for you! Let’s revisit some of the Psalms we’ve already covered to see these truths.

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. (Psalm 32:8)

For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. (Psalm 33:4)

But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. (Psalm 33:11)

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. (Psalm 34:17-19)

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. (Psalm 37:23-24)

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord. (Psalm 40:1-3)

Wow! Now that’s some powerful truth to hold onto! When you are facing rough waters, hold on to the truth that God loves you greatly and that he is with you every step of the way. Hold on to the truths found in his Word. They can give you more hope than you ever imagined.

Love Song For a Savior

Psalm 45 is a love song written in psalm form addressing God as a king. It shows the love and devotion that the psalmist has for his beloved king. When I read it I was immediately reminded of the song by Jars of Clay called “Love Song for a Savior”, so today, take some time to sit and think about what the psalmist is saying in Psalm 45, but also take some time to read the words of this beautiful song, written by Jars of Clay.

"Love Song For A Savior"

In open fields of wild flowers,

she breathes the air and flies away

She thanks her Jesus for the daises and the roses

in no simple languageSomeday she'll understand the meaning of it all

He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens

As close a heartbeat or a song on her lips

Someday she'll trust Him and learn how to see Him

Someday He'll call her and she will come running

and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray,

"I want to fall in love with You"

Sitting silent wearing Sunday best

The sermon echoes through the walls

A great salvation through it calls to the people

who stare into nowhere, and can't feel the chains on their souls

He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens

As close a heartbeat or a song on our lips

Someday we'll trust Him and learn how to see Him

Someday He'll call us and we will come running

and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and we'll pray,

"I want to fall in love with You"

It seems too easy to call you "Savior",

Not close enough to call you "God"

So as I sit and think of words I can mention

to show my devotion

"I want to fall in love with You"

"my heart beats for You"

Are you in love with Jesus Christ? Does your heart beat for him?

Perseverence in Adversity

Things just weren’t going my way. I lost my job, I had to move out of my apartment, I was struggling financially, creditors were hounding me, my phone was ringing off the hook, and my landlord didn’t return all of my security deposit to me, even though she knew how much I was struggling. I couldn’t find a job anywhere. I was battling depression and struggling to hold onto to everything that I had believed in. Was it too much to ask for SOMETHING to go my way? I was overwhelmed and exhausted and I needed some hope. Have you ever been there? On your last nerve and something was getting on it. Down to the last ounce of strength you have and something is threatening to take it away. It can be frustrating and hopeless. Fast forward three years. Here I am now, I am still looking for a job in my field, I still don’t have a place of my own, and I am still dealing with the mistakes of three years ago. The biggest difference is this time, I have the strength that doesn’t come from within myself, but instead comes from God. I have a greater hope in God because I know that I am loved regardless of what I have done. I know that love for me is far greater than I could possibly imagine and I know that I am not alone – AND I believe all this too! What is interesting to me about Psalm 44, is that the psalmist starts out remembering how God was there for his ancestors when they needed him. He recalls how God was victorious over their enemies and how it was God alone that caused them to win the battle. “They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them.” (44:3) The psalmist moves right from this into where he is presently, in a state of distress. He has been asking for help from God, but it has not yet come and the psalmist is struggling with that. It seems to him as if God has tossed him aside and doesn’t care about what is going on. The psalmist feels alone and abandoned, but in spite of this, he knows that God is still listening to his cry for help. He has not given up, he will not give up, and he most certainly will not forget about God. “All this has happened though we have not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant. Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path” (44:17-18) Things are not going the way the psalmist would like them too and yet, he is choosing not to become angry with God and he is choosing to continue to pray to and praise God. That is most certainly not easy to do. When things don’t go my way, the first thing I want to do is say, “Fine, well then forget you”, to whoever is involved” Not only is that not a good attitude to have, but it is not a fair or godly reaction to have either. Could you imagine if God reacted that way when we didn’t do what he wanted us to? We would all be in serious trouble! The whole point is this, life is going to be full of disappointments and heartaches. It is our choice and our decision to rise above that and consciously choose to obey God in the midst of adversity. Now, I’m definitely not saying that it is easy, because it’s far from it. What I am saying is that following God and obeying him, even when it looks easier to follow the world, is well worth the struggle and is well worth the wait. I am still waiting for God to answer prayer for a job in my field, that is true, but I have spent the last three years drawing closer to him and developing relationships with people I may not have had the chance to if my prayer had been answered right away. I am incredibly thankful for that! The truth is God is good all the time and all he does is good. His timing is perfect and all things happen when they happen for a reason. This is truth I hold onto every day and this is truth I will never let go of.