God's Ways Are NOT My Ways: Psalm 42:11

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

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

Psalm 42:11 NIV

In the book of John, Jesus tells us we will have trouble in this world. It's a guarantee. On any given day we could probably be able to name several troubles in our own lives, and troubles we see happening around the world. Without even researching, I can say with certainty that the troubles in our world are increasing in intensity and visibility as we get closer to "go time." "Go time" = heaven is coming!! This thought also comes from the Bible. Yet in Psalms, David reminds us (and God does too), that we can put our hope in God, and even praise Him, in the midst of troubles.

Last night I found soul downcast and disturbed. In the same breath, I can't help but say that I had a beautiful day yesterday that was full of blessing, and I wanted for nothing. Yet, as predicted by the Savior, I had troubles. As I went to bed I found myself reacting passive aggressively, and aggressively, to my circumstances. This morning I had clarity about what went down, and was able to see with better perspective how I want to react in the future. I want to be able to react with understanding and JOY. JOY is one of those words that even though we can look it up in the dictionary and quote a definition, it's a word that describes a spiritual thing that will be a little bit elusive until we reach heaven. To fully understand the depth of that word, and be able to fully express with words what it means, is a little bit impossible. BUT, I know that if I find joy in anything other than the Lord, it will be a short-lived emotion! However, my desire is to be filled with Holy-Spirit Joy in the evening. This is infringing on a generational sin! Not only that, but to suggest that it is possible to have JOY past 8pm, God will have to break a law of (my) nature. I'm a tried and true morning person, and my father's daughter. After the dinner dishes are done, I'm toast, ready for bed. To have to do any kind of chores, ready books at any length, be social, is quite difficult for me. YET, I know Jesus was raised from the dead, and so certainly God, if given the opportunity, can fill me with JOY after 8pm. The Lord is gracious and I am been an active participant in JOY in the evening, and I will fight for it to be a regular occurrence.

"Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." So, putting faith into action, I'm going to be asking the Lord for help in redeeming my 8-11pm part of my life and filling it with JOY. I have every HOPE that it will be accomplished, because I can put my HOPE in the living God. His promises are as good as done. It will take some active participation on my part, and is my new learning target.

I can become an active participant in being filled with JOY in the evening, no matter the circumstances.

Walking by faith,
Becky

Dancing, and Singing (in bed)

Psalm 149:3-5
"Let them praise His Name with dancing and make music to Him with tambourine and harp. For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds."

Have you sang for joy in your bed? I've sang for joy in my bed, in the shower, as I'm running, as I've danced in my kitchen. This Psalm says to dance and make music with instruments!! It says that the Lord delights in His people. It says he crowns the humble with salvation and that the saints rejoice in this HONOR and will sing in their beds. I love singing, making music, and dancing. Like I've written and said before, worship is a total body, mind, and emotion experience...but it is more than an experience. It is an act not based on what it accomplishes for me. It is in response to the work of God in my heart and my life. My heart LEAPS when God proves His love and faithfulness to me in ways I know only He knows. My heart LEAPS for joy when I can see His work in my heart...when the selfishness leaves, the pride leaves, and instead I'm left with humble awe at the work of His hands. Have you experienced this before? When there is no fear...just trust left in its place. God, the ultimate provider! He provides so perfectly and God longs for us to fully trust His provision...to not worry or doubt Him. Matthew 6:25-33. Do we really believe, in the age of everything-at-our-finger-tips, that God is still our provider? Do we believe, in the age of grocery stores or everything-else-you'd-ever-need grocery stores? Do I still believe in God my provider? Do we seek to steward well what He's given us? Do we seek His wisdom and His kingdom first?

If I can sing for joy in my bed, if I can delight in the honor of being chosen and saved and delighted in by God, I can not be fearful or worried at the same time. Is it possible? I don't find myself experiencing those two things at the same time.

God you are perfectly holy, loving, gracious, just, righteous, merciful, and you have honored us with salvation through Jesus Christ. I praise your Holy Name and sing songs and dance before YOU today. I will sing songs of joy in my bed tonight, tomorrow, and forevermore.

Whom do I worship?

Psalm 25:1
"To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God."

Psalm 55:16
"But I call to God, and the Lord saves. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice."

Psalm 85:8-9
"I will listen to what God the Lord will say; He promises peace to His people, HIs saints– but let them not return to folly. Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land."

Psalm 115:2-8
Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?" Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel; feet but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them."

Psalm 145:1-7, 18-21 (God leads us in true worship, recommend this whole Psalm)
"I will exalt You, my God the King; I will praise Your name forever and ever. Every day I will praise You and extol Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend Your works to another; they will tell of Your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and I will meditate on Your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of Your awesome works, and I will proclaim Your great deeds. They will celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness."

"The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will speak in the praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise His holy name forever and ever."

These Psalms prompted me to look at what my heart is pondering the majority of the time, what am I worshipping. Lately, honestly, is the impact of the things I write. I find myself looking to the praises of man. That is the last thing that I ever intended when I began to write consistently. Yet, how easily do I go back to my folly. I am just so human. Pastor Ron, who is now singing praises with the angels and saints, used to say, "If salvation were up to us, we'd never make it." I'm thankful for verses like Ephesians 2:8-9 that tell me it is God's gift and it isn't dependent on anything I could do. It is totally out of my hands. HOWEVER, my heart is brought low when I consider how quickly I treasure things that don't save me, are made by men, cannot speak, cannot see, cannot smell, cannot feel, cannot walk. Which means, God CAN do all of those things, and He invites me to treasure Him; to be sustained, provided for, and brought near to Him! So today I set aside and make plans to treasure and worship my Savior. I set aside those things which are empty, and treasure instead, praise instead, worship instead, SPEAK ABOUT instead, my Savior. His nearness is my good, and according to those last few verses, He is near to all who call on Him. So I call on Him, the One who is worthy, the One who is able to answer.

Lord, I praise you and extol Your great works. I praise YOU that You never change in my ever changing self and world. Be Thou my vision and bind my wandering heart to Thee. I will speak about Your great works so that those around me will say of You, that You have saved me. It is You that has rescued me from harm. It is You that has provided to graciously and abundantly. It is beyond what I expect or deserve. Praise be to Your HOLY NAME. 

You Know Me

Psalm 21

"O Lord, the king rejoices in your strength.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!
You have granted him the desire of his heart
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah"

Close. Tight. I know Him, and He knows me. We have gone to battle together. We've had adventures together. I know His strength and rejoice in it. He knows the desires of my heart and has seen fit to give them to me. He has heard my request. I have the freedom to ask, and He has not withheld them from me.

"Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord through...through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken."

Presence. God's presence with me. He calls me to trust Him. I trust. He always keeps his promises and continually, continually, continually confirms His faithfulness to me. Because of God's unfailing love I WILL. NOT. BE. SHAKEN. (James 1:5-7) He calls me to ask. (John 16:24) He invites me to be close enough to ask without hesitation. To ask, because He is...faithful in His love.

"Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might."

Psalm 51
Confession. He presses in, convicts, leads me in confession.

"Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place."

He invites me to be honest with myself and with Him. Then I ask..cleanse me, for You are holy, I am not, and this thing that stands between us causes us pain.

"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

And He does. (1 John 1:9)

And then we go deliver...

"Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you."

And then, here's the thing. Here is what allows the closeness that God desires and my soul thirsts for...

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you do not despise."

(What does a humble heart look like? This resounds in my heart when I'm tempted to revel in a deed, a thought...Philippians 2:6, Who, being in the very nature God, [Jesus] did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant...")

Psalm 91
Almighty God. El Shaddai. Powerful protector, loving provider.
"If you make the Most High your dwelling–even the Lord, who is my refuge–then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." (v.14) 'Because he loves me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue him. I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.'"

Again. Closeness. Relationship. I trust Him because He is faithful. He protects, provides, because we share a love and closeness. We are family. We are family with NOTHING between us. No judgement. No condemnation. No lies. No hidden agendas. No deception. Only truth. Only love. Because of His mercy on us and our sin. Because of His good favor towards us. Because we love Him. Because we trust Him. He provides protection and salvation. But only because of Jesus (Romans 5:8).

Psalm 141
v. 1-2 "O Lord, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice."

Again. Closeness. If God is faithful, my first response will be to call out. "Father!" He will hear. My voice calling will be like incense. It will be a sweet sound, just like the sound of my own children are sweet in my ear. My hands raised will be like an evening sacrifice. It will be a cherished thing to my Abba Father.

v.3-5b Lord, you know my thoughts and words (Psalm 139). "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers..." Discipline me, Lord. Keep my feet in step with yours!

God's presence. He invites us to be close. He invites us to trust. He invites us to trust His character and find Him lacking in nothing. He invites us to set down our sin, the things our heart worships other than Him. John 8:11 "Go now and leave your life of sin." When we do, we are called the children of God. Our Father, El Shaddai, is the perfect Father.