They are His Billows

Psalm 42:7

Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

I read this poem today, by Annie Johnson Flint, and it was so timely and beautiful, I needed to share it and some thoughts I had on Psalm 42.

They are HIS billows, whether they go o’er us, 
Hiding His face in smothering spray and foam; 
Or smooth and sparkling, spread a path before us, 
And to our haven bear us safely home. 

They are HIS billows, whether for our succor 
He walks across them, stilling all our fear; 
Or to our cry there comes no aid nor answer, 
And in the lonely silence none is near. 

They are HIS billows, whether we are toiling 
Through tempest-driven waves that never cease, 
While deep to deep with clamor loud is calling; 
Or at His word they hush themselves in peace. 

They are HIS billows, whether He divides them, 
Making us walk dryshod where seas had flowed; 
Or lets tumultuous breakers surge about us, 
Rushing unchecked across our only road. 

They are HIS billows, and He brings us through them; 
So He has promised, so His love will do. 
Keeping and leading, guiding and upholding, 
To His sure harbor, He will bring us through. 
—Annie Johnson Flint

No matter what we go through, we have to remember that God sends the trials we need to help us grow. They are HIS billows. He knows that strength comes from trials. The tree that grows where the winds blow and the branches bend almost to breaking, is often stronger and has deeper roots than the tree that grows in a sheltered valley, away from the wind and storms. God can bring beauty from ashes, and he can grow character through hardship.

Look at Psalm 42 with me.

Psalm 42:1-11

1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

 3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

8 Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

I love that the Psalmist is so honest about his feelings, and he speaks aloud to God, pouring out his heart to him. He lets God know that he thirsts for him, but he also tells God all about his troubles and the doubts he has for his deliverance.

And then we find him talking to himself and rebuking himself for being cast down and disquieted. Sometimes, we just need to talk to ourselves and speak firmly. We need to give ourselves a little talking to. Ask ourselves why we’re depressed, stressed or whatever the case may be. Talk to God, pour out our hearts to him and let his love wash over our souls. And then we need to remind ourselves of God’s goodness.

Remembering past victories is a good way to do this.  Look back over your life and remember the times that God held you up and walked with you through a particular trial, staying beside you and strengthening you until you were out the other side and stronger for it. Remind yourself of the times where God’s amazing, miraculous grace, mercy and deliverance shone through and there was no doubt in your mind that God loved you.

In verse 6, the Psalmist remembered what God had done for him in the past and he verbally praised him. In verse 4 it says that he went into the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise. So, he encouraged himself by meeting with other believers and praised God together. Another important thing to do. Share with others the victories and God’s goodness to you and praise him.

We have to take time to instruct our soul and not let our circumstances dictate our thoughts. Easy to say, not so easy to do. But oh, so important.

God is our hope and although, at times, HIS billows threaten to overwhelm us, they are HIS billows, and they have a purpose. He will deliver us. But he may let us go through some hard times in order to strengthen us and deepen our faith and trust in him. We need to hold on, trust him, wait patiently, and hope in him.

God didn’t bring you through the storm only to abandon you, he wants to make something beautiful of your life. Trust His billows, he will deliver you and he will not leave you.

 

(If you are interested in reading Matthew Henry’s Commentary on this Psalm, I have posted it below).

 

 

Matthew Henry Commentary

42:6-11 The way to forget our miseries, is to remember the God of our mercies. David saw troubles coming from God's wrath, and that discouraged him. But if one trouble follows hard after another, if all seem to combine for our ruin, let us remember they are all appointed and overruled by the Lord. David regards the Divine favour as the fountain of all the good he looked for. In the Saviour's name let us hope and pray. One word from him will calm every storm, and turn midnight darkness into the light of noon, the bitterest complaints into joyful praises. Our believing expectation of mercy must quicken our prayers for it. At length, is faith came off conqueror, by encouraging him to trust in the name of the Lord, and to stay himself upon his God. He adds, And my God; this thought enabled him to triumph over all his griefs and fears. Let us never think that the God of our life, and the Rock of our salvation, has forgotten us, if we have made his mercy, truth, and power, our refuge. Thus, the psalmist strove against his despondency: at last his faith and hope obtained the victory. Let us learn to check all unbelieving doubts and fears. Apply the promise first to ourselves, and then plead it to God.

 

                  Tears and Fears and Precious Promises 

Last night, once again, God used his Word to comfort my troubled soul. These past few weeks have been very difficult. Due to our government’s latest round of rules and mandates, we have struggled with decisions that need to be made, finding fear begin to rise up in us.

As I sat at the piano, attempting to worship God through song in our time of singing at our weekly prayer meeting, the trials I was facing began to overwhelm me. I played most of the hymns with my eyes closed, as the tears welled up and threatened to spill over. Some of my favourite songs were being sung, but the burden was so heavy that I couldn’t sing. I could only read the words, and mouth them in my head, not having the strength to sing them aloud.

As I sat down and opened my bible to hear the Word from the Lord, my Bible fell open and I looked down at a bookmark I had made quite a while ago for my ladies Bible study group. It was an acronym for the word CALM.

C- Consider the bigger picture

         A- Acknowledge God is in control

L-  Look for the lesson

M-  Make it a point to praise

I knew God was trying to remind me of his goodness, and his love. So, I turned to the Psalms, which I am apt to do when my heart is overwhelmed. And Psalm 34 called to me. I began to read the words as the tears that had been welling up began to overflow, and spill down my cheeks.

I made a hasty exit and spent the next half an hour, sitting on the gutter next to the car, reading the Psalm over and over, crying and praying all the while.

There is so much comfort in Psalm 34. The reason I started this blog was to encourage women in their walk with the Lord through sharing what God shows me through his Word and teaches me as I struggle, like we all do, to navigate through life and make wise choices, facing the same battles that Christian mothers, wives, daughters, grandmothers all face. This Psalm was such a blessing to me and a comfort to my troubled soul, that I want to share with you just a few encouraging words I found in the treasure chest that is God’s Word.

As you read through the Psalm with me, take note of all the promises you find. (Please don’t skip over it. Reading the Word of God is so important)

Psalm 34:1-22

1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

The very first verse of the Psalm begins with a reminder to praise God. At all times. Well, that was a hard one as I sat in despair. God’s praise should continually be in my mouth. That means always. Even when I don’t feel like it. Even when life is difficult. We ought to be praising God for his goodness to us daily, regularly, at all times.

As I read down to verse 4, I found the comfort I needed. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and he delivered me. He heard and delivered me from my fears. And not just some, the verse says ALL! What a blessing it is that the Lord not only hears our prayers, but he delivers us from our fears.

Look down to verse 6. Once again, after crying out to the Lord, we are saved from our troubles. Heard and saved. The poor man, the needy, the afflicted, the weak. Saved from his troubles.

I love verse 7. It says that the angel of the Lord encamps around us. Literally, he pitches a tent. An encircling protective presence around us so that we will be delivered. He makes camp. And he keeps his strong arm about us, watching over us, protecting us.

In verse 8 we are encouraged to taste and see that the Lord is good. And we are told that we will be blessed when we trust in Him. God doesn’t want us to merely take his word for it, he wants us to experience personally, through our trials, the goodness of God. We are to taste and see for ourselves how good and how satisfying God is. When we trust in him, we will be blessed.

In verses 9 and 10, we are told that if we seek the Lord and fear the Lord, we won’t want any good thing. We won’t lack what we need. It’s interesting that it says we won’t lack any ‘good thing’. Often what we perceive as good is not what God sees as good. He has good things in store for us and that is what he gives, not what we deem best.

Let’s skip down to verse 15. This is a very well-known verse. It gives us a picture of God always watching and hearing. His eyes and his ears are open. God hears and sees the tears you cry. As I sat there, crying out to God, he saw the tears that rolled down my cheeks. He heard my voice and listened to my prayer. And once again, in verse 17, he heard and delivered. And that little word ALL is there again. Not just some, but all!

Verse 18 reminds us that God saves the broken hearted, the crushed in spirit. He is near to them. He draws near, even when we have no strength to draw near to him, he comes to us. He comes to us in our brokenness, and he saves us and delivers us from our afflictions (verse 19).

And lastly, in verse 22, he redeems us and he rescues us.

As I sat on the gutter, feeling lonely and abandoned, God used this Psalm to touch my heart. As I read over and over the precious promises, I was encouraged and reminded of God’s goodness to me. I realised, that although God may choose to let me go through this trial, and not pluck me out of it, he would walk beside me the whole way.

It’s often been said that although we don’t choose what trials we go through, we do choose how we go through them. It’s up to us to decide how we will respond when life gets hard, and trials abound. Will we trust God although we can’t see the way ahead, or will we fret and worry and fear?

Often, when we are going through a difficult time, we retreat, we isolate, we wallow in our misery without reaching out. But God wants us to encourage each other and seek help from our family and friends. (Another time I’ll write some thoughts on the importance of a support system and Godly friends).

Sitting there, reading over the Psalm, verse 3 began to leap off the page and one word in particular kept drawing my attention.

Psalm 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

Do you see what it is? Together! Yes, I felt like God was telling me, almost audibly it seemed, to go back inside and seek fellowship. Together. Exalt his name together. Magnify the Lord together!

And so, with my prayers heard, my tears dried up, my soul comforted, I went back inside and found a dear and precious saint, a woman of God, to pray with. I shared with her my burdens, and I also shared examples of God’s goodness from that very week. And you know what? God encouraged my heart once again. We shared God’s blessings and praised him together.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

God was there in the midst. As we prayed together, my soul was comforted, and my heart was encouraged.

What a blessing the word of God is to the weary soul. I know that this particular trial is not over and although we are not ‘delivered’ as such from it, I know that we can face it without fear and with power and strength given by God. His promises hold true, and we can trust him.

Run to him when you’re overwhelmed. He is your rock. He is sure. He is stedfast. Unmoving. A shelter and a refuge.

Psalm 61:1-4

1 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

 3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

 4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

 

 

 

Controlled and Consumed

 

Is anyone out there sick and tired of being sick and tired? Are you tired of living in fear? Is fear beginning to control you? Are you just wanting the world to stop so that you can hop off? Anyone longing for heaven?

Yes, and yes and yes.

Fear can at times be a good thing. It is an emotion that signals our bodies to respond to danger. Fear or uncertainty can cause us to look deeper, do more research, ask more questions, pray a whole lot more. But fear can become debilitating and can also control us.

Often what ends in fear and anxiety, had its start in concern. We begin by being concerned about an issue. Just a small concern, not too overwhelming, just a niggling thought in the back of our minds. And then as time goes on, and as we read more, see more, hear more, we become controlled by the fear. The issue that was once small and insignificant, suddenly rears its ugly head and we find ourselves controlled by it. And slowly it begins to consume us. We become so consumed by fear that we can’t think logically or practically anymore. We lose faith in what we trusted in and our behaviour starts to change.

Often our fear will cause us to go to the world for wisdom, instead of to the only one who has all the answers, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our fear drives us to seek counsel, but in all the wrong places. And fear can make us selfish too. We become so concerned for ourselves, that there is an inward focus. It becomes all about me. All about us. Others are forgotten and self is at the forefront.

It’s so hard to trust in God, in a supreme being, who we can’t see, that we often long for something tangible, some person that can help meet our needs.

How many times do we read in the Bible of men and women calling out to God, as they realized that he was their only hope of salvation? How many times do we, as Christians, seek everywhere but the one place we should be looking? God becomes a last resort, when every other avenue has been exhausted.

Oh, how I wish that every single step I take, every decision I make, every hurt I feel, every heartache I experience, every trial I go through, would be faced without fear because of my complete trust in the Lord. How I pray that God would always be my first port of call. The one I run to, when my heart is overwhelmed. The rock I cling to during the storms of life.

But all so often, it is not the case. Let me draw your attention to a Psalm in the Bible that is an encouragement to me and a reminder of what is needed.

Psalm 130:1-8

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.

 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Although this Psalm is written by King David and is personal to him and also the people of Israel, it is just as applicable to us today. This passage reminds us to look expectantly and with hope, to the Lord. It also encourages us to wait patiently on the Lord. Patience is often where I fall down. I’ll wait, but I won’t do it patiently. Yes, it’s something that doesn’t come naturally, we have to learn it and work on it and have God work it into our lives.

These verses also tell us to hope in the word of God. The Word of God is sure. It is unchanging and it is God breathed, inspired, and given to us from God himself.

And lastly, we are told to wait and pray with longing in our hearts. We are to watch for the salvation of the Lord.

Fear pushes patience down and out of sight. Fear drives hope away. Fear changes our focus. Fear squashes faith.

But faith in God can change all that! If we can take our eyes off our circumstances and put them on the Lord, if we can claim the promises found in his Word, and pray and wait and hope, we can change how we feel and how we respond.  The fear we hold inside can be replaced with peace and although the circumstances may not change, our focus will, and our behaviour will.

As we cling to the Lord, and put all our faith and trust in him, he will replace the fear with peace. He will bring calm in the chaos. Our anxieties will melt away and fear will be chased out.

Begin by remembering who you are in Christ. Focus on what God has promised you as a child of God. Think about who he says you are. Here are a few to get you started. You are Loved. Forgiven. Chosen. Adopted. Blessed. Justified. Redeemed. Free.

As his child, you are all of these and more! What a comfort to know that we don’t have to let fear control us. We need not be consumed by anxiety. God can calm even the most troubled soul and he can bring peace.

Philippians 4:6-7

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Although the world around us is falling apart, I can walk in faith and not by sight. Looking at the chaos with my own eyes is depressing. It’s fear-causing. It’s somewhat terrifying. But looking through the eyes of faith, sifting everything through the Word of God, praying about everything, asking God for wisdom in every situation and seeking guidance for each decision, brings peace.

Don’t let the fear of the unknown control you. Don’t let fear own you. Don’t let it take up residency in your heart. Don’t let it make camp in your home. It’s not welcome. Faith, yes! Fear, NO!

Isaiah 43:2

 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Isaiah 41:13

 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Praise Continually

 

I need to preface this post by admitting that not only 12 hours after beginning to write this, I failed in the very thing I was trying to encourage others to do. I found myself with my bottom lip dropping, frustrated, stressed, a misery to be around and certainly NOT filling my mind with thoughts of praise and worship, speaking or singing my praise to the one who gives me the very breath I breathe.

 Yes. I failed. Again. And as I sat there, going through the endless mounds of tedious paperwork, God spoke to my heart and reminded me of what I was in the process of writing. He convicted me of how hypocritical I was being, preaching without practicing. I bowed my head in shame and asked God to forgive me and my miserable attitude and I began to praise. I began to thank him for every little thing. I realised how very blessed I was and how much he has given me. Over and above what this wretched sinner deserves. And you know what? The misery left. The cloud lifted. The burden rolled off my shoulders.

Oh, what a blessing it is to lay it all at the foot of the cross. To cast our burdens on him. To open our lips and praise the Almighty God and Saviour!

 And so, as you read on, please know that I am far from perfect and although I try to write words of encouragement and share verses that I pray will be a help to others, I stand in need of reminding too and I am preaching to myself.

 I pray that God will speak to your heart, and you will be encouraged to praise him and that he will heal your broken heart, lift your weary head, set your feet upon a rock and give you wings to soar above the clouds!

This morning, I read a short devotional by Charles Spurgeon that was too good to keep to myself. It deals with the subject of praise.

I’m finding as the days go by and the world descends into chaos, it seems that Christians have lost some of their joy. It’s hard to keep up with the smiles and joyful spirit when everything around us is falling apart. But God commands our praise. There are so many verses in the Bible on praise. In fact, the word praise is used 248 times in the Bible. (If you are interested in more on this subject, I wrote 5 blog posts a couple of years ago entitled Praise in Song - http://holmestead7.blogspot.com/  , beginning in February 2018)

We are to praise God continually, having a heart like the Psalmist.

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

When we praise the Lord, we are bringing glory to his name.

Psalm 50:23a Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me:

Bringing glory to his name is to be our ultimate goal as a Christian.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

This is how Spurgeon puts it:

” It is not left to our own option—whether we shall praise God or not. Praise is God’s most righteous due, and every Christian, as the recipient of His grace, is bound to praise God from day to day. We have no commandment prescribing certain hours of song and thanksgiving, but the law written upon the heart teaches us that it is right to praise God; and the unwritten mandate comes to us with as much force as if it had been recorded on the tables of stone or handed to us from the top of thundering Sinai.

Yes, it is the Christian’s duty to praise God. It is not only a pleasurable exercise, but it is the absolute obligation of his life. Do not think you who are always mourning, that you are guiltless in this respect, or imagine that you can discharge your duty to your God without songs of praise. You are bound by the bonds of His love to bless His name so long as you live, and His praise should continually be in your mouth, for you are blessed, in order that you may bless Him.”

Isaiah 43:21 KJV - This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

“If you do not praise God, you are not bringing forth the fruit which He, as the Divine Gardener, has a right to expect at your hands.”

It’s so important to praise God. And whether we do it in song, or on our knees in prayer, or in public testimony, it needs to be done.

Don’t let this world’s tumultuous times discourage you from praising God. Start today. Start right now. Begin speaking words of praise and thankfulness to the Lord for all he’s done for you. Don’t let your focus be continually drawn away from heavenly things. Don’t let the world dictate to you what you should think on and talk about. Fill your heart with praise to the Lord and let him lift your spirits. Don’t live under your circumstances. Rise above them and soar like an eagle, letting God’s love and mercy carry you far above the dark clouds. Begin to praise him for every little thing you can think of and watch your joy meter rise.

When we sing our praise to God, it is an expression of worship. Worship is more than just a song. Our praise in song to him is an expression of our worship. When we sing, wholeheartedly and sincerely to the Lord and for his glory, with a worshipful heart, it is beautiful to him.  For me, singing praise to God is a very important part of my worship. But it is not the only way to worship. I love this simple definition of worship I heard today.

“Worship is our love expressed to God as a response to his grace toward us”

We respond to God’s love with worship and praise of him, whether in song or in prayer or a different way altogether, how you choose to worship is between you and the Lord. Personally, I love the examples in scripture of God’s people singing praise to God and worshipping him with their voices and musical instruments. They were such times of joy.

Let’s not walk around with our heads hanging down. Let’s not sing in our church services like we have nothing to be thankful for. Let’s turn conversations around that dwell on the negative circumstances and the woeful situations we find ourselves in. Let’s turn them on their heads and praise God instead.

 Lift up your heads. Raise your eyes. God is still on the throne. He is still in control. He is still our help. Our refuge. Our shield. Our rock.

Psalm 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

Don’t be afraid to praise God when others around you are not. Let’s spread praise! Let’s make it contagious! If we start to praise instead of grumble, if we let our voices sing God’s praises, if we share God’s goodness with those we meet, we could just spread it!

In our churches, we could be joy spreaders. Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching? It’s easy to catch the complaining spirit and spread it around, and so it is with joy. It’s hard to be around a joyful, praise-filled Christian, without some of it rubbing off on you! Pretty soon you find yourself singing a little louder, smiling a little broader, sharing a bit more boldly. Joy is contagious! Praise is infectious. Let’s start a thankfulness pandemic!

I’ll leave you with this beautiful and direct, instruction from Spurgeon.

“Let not your harp then hang upon the willows but take it down, and strive, with a grateful heart, to bring forth its loudest music. Arise and chant His praise. With every morning’s dawn, lift up your notes of thanksgiving, and let every setting sun be followed with your song. Belt the earth with your praises; surround it with an atmosphere of melody, and God Himself will hearken from heaven and accept your music.”    C. Spurgeon