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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He Will Be With You

 

Do you ever read a verse of scripture and the tears begin to flow? That one verse that never fails to make you tear up. It holds so much meaning and so many memories for you, that as you read it you find your vision blurring, your eyes watering and before you know it, the tears are streaming down your face.

I have a verse that never fails to do this to me.

Isaiah 43:2 KJV - 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.

This particular verse was a great comfort to me a couple of years ago when I was going through a very difficult period in my life. I read it over and over. I wrote it up on a piece of card and even to this day, the tear stains are plainly visible on it. The writing is smudged, but I know exactly what it says.

As I struggled through my long days, riddled with anxiety and depression, I clung to the promise this verse held. I will be with thee. The waters won’t overflow me. The fire won’t burn me. I will be with thee.

I read the verse aloud, over and over and over. I read it like a prayer. I claimed it as a promise.

I know that this verse was given to the people of Israel, but it is just as important and meaningful to us today.

In the past few hours, I have been struggling with troubled feelings and emotions. I knew I needed God’s help to get me through the day and so, I went to my list of tried-and-true promises in the Word of God to lift my spirits and soothe my soul. And right at the top of the list was this verse in Isaiah. And yes, the tears began to flow, and as I write this, they continue to do so.

I decided I needed to look again at this verse and the surrounding verses. During my trial, I didn’t really look at verse 1, but today I found a treasure awaiting me there.

Isaiah 43:1 KJV - But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

Did you see it? Fear not. I have redeemed thee. I called thee by thy name. Thou art mine.

Who said this? The Lord. The creator of the universe. The one who formed you. The one who made you in his image. It’s him who tells you not to fear. Fear not. It’s a command. He reminds us that we are not to fear because we have been redeemed. He paid the debt we could never pay. And he calls us by our name. He knows us. And we are his. He knows my name. He knows your name. We are not just one of millions. He knows us individually and he cares about each and every detail in our lives.

He commands us to fear not and then he follows it up with a promise. I will be with thee. Don’t fear the water, the rivers, the fire. You will be kept safe. You are mine.

And why are we kept safe and how? Because he is God.

Isaiah 43:3a KJV - For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:

We are kept secure because of who is making the promise. God. The creator. The Saviour. The redeemer. The promise maker and the promise keeper.

I know that for me, I needed to be reminded of this verse today. And maybe you’re struggling today too, and you need this promise.

So, open your heart, and let God’s love wash over you. Let him fill you with his peace and comfort you as only he knows how to. Read over the promise. Let the tears flow. God sees each and every tear you cry. Don’t be afraid to let them spill over as you praise him for his goodness and thank him for all the times he has led you through the darkness and brought you back into the light. Give him all the glory for the miracles he has worked in your life. Praise him for the times the waters did not overflow you and the fires did not burn you. He has redeemed you and he knows you by name. You are precious in his sight. He cares for you and he will never stop caring for you. He loves you with an everlasting love.

1 Peter 5:7 KJV - Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Jeremiah 31:3 KJV - …… Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Fear not! God is with you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 God Sees A Different View

Have you ever done any needlework? Any cross stitch or long stitch? It’s been a long while since I attempted cross stitch. Sadly, my oldest daughter’s Beatrix Potter birth sampler is still sitting in a box, unfinished, after 25 years! (Time got away from me, as well as patience and also good eyesight)

Anyway, why am I talking about this at all? Because I wanted to remind you that God looks at things from the other side.

When you do any type of needlework, you’ll notice that the underside of your piece of work is very ugly. The threads are all jumbled and knotted and go every which way. There is no rhyme or reason to it. It might be colourful, but it’s downright ugly! And if this is the only side anyone ever saw, well, it wouldn’t be something you’d hang on your wall.

But, as you stitch, something amazing begins to happen. The right side of the tapestry you are weaving or stitching or embroidering, becomes a thing of beauty. The threads begin to form a picture, or words. The colours blend together into a lovely piece of art.

When we finish a project like this, we don’t want people to see the underside or our work. No. We want them to see the beauty.

Now, lets relate this to our trials. When we go through difficult times, all we see is the underside. We see the ugliness. The hurt. The pain. We see jumbled threads. Knots and mistakes.

But, God sees it from the other side. God is working in our lives to produce a work of art. He is faithfully, patiently, refining us and purifying our lives to become more like him.

We only see the trial as it looms so large in front of us. We’re hurting and we can’t see the point in it. We can’t see the sense in the trial God is putting us through. We don’t understand why we have to go through the agony.

But God always has a plan. He has the pattern in front of him and he knows what the picture will look like at the end. He knows just what colours to use. He knows what size needles to use. He knows the thickness of the fabric needed. He sees it all from the other side. He watches the growing happen. The blossoming of a life slowly opening up to his will and his way, and beginning to produce the fruit of the spirit.

He sees where our trials will lead us, if we only submit to his working and wait on him to weave the tapestry of our lives. He sees the bigger picture. He knows just what difficulties he needs to bring into our lives in order for us to become more like him. He knows what hardships he needs to send so that we will become more sensitive to his leading and more compassionate toward others.

He slowly breaks down the walls of resistance that we have built around us. He opens our eyes to seeing the needs of others instead of selfishly living for ourselves. He comforts us in our trials, so that we can learn how to comfort others.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

So, take heart if you’re going through a difficult time. Your heavenly Father knows all about it. He is right there beside you and he wants to see you grow. He wants to produce a work of art. The trials you face are working for your good.

Romans 8:28

 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Do you love God? Then it will work for good. Do you seek to do God’s will? Then it will work for good. Do you submit to God’s leading? Then it will work for good.

The trials that he sends will work for good.

If the threads or the fabric resist our hands as we stitch, the pattern won’t turn out like it should. If there is resistance, the picture becomes marred, skewiff or just plain messed up! The resistance results in a tapestry that is not as beautiful as it was meant to be. It’s not the same as the original design.

And so it is with us, if we resist God’s working in our lives. Through trials and tribulations, God seeks to mold us and beautify us. He wants to rid our lives of the sin, the bad attitudes, the ungodly character, but if we fight against him, things don’t go to plan. He is not able to weave the picture he has in store for us. Not only is the underside ugly, but the right side is not so pretty either.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

It's so hard to get to the place that the Apostle Paul was able to come to. It’s not easy to take pleasure in our trials. But God promises that his grace is sufficient. And he also promises that when we are weak, he is strong. And not just when we are weak. God is always strong. His power is abundant and everlasting.

I recently heard this quote:

“Either God is God, or he’s not. And either God is good, or he’s not”

And we, as Christians, know that God is God, and we know that he is good. So why do we fight against his workings?

Do you believe that God is God? And do you believe that God is good?

Then, believe dear sister, that he has it all under control.

Your trial, your sickness, your heartache, your burden, your betrayal or whatever else you may be going through right now.

God is God and God is good! He will do what he knows is best.

And the tapestry he is weaving will be beautiful. God will bring beauty from ashes. We can choose to view the right side of the trial. We can choose to turn it over. Our circumstances may not change, but our view will. The storm may still rage about us, but God will bring the calm. He can and will bring peace.

Isaiah 61:3

 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.                                                         

 

 

 

 

Stop Filling Your Mind With Junk!

 

Can I be real with you for a few minutes? I’ve had just about all I can take of the Covid news, posts, memes, videos, conversations and so on!

This morning, as I read my Bible, it was like something just snapped. A little voice inside my head said, “Enough is enough!”

And straight away, some very well-known verses in Philippians came to mind.

Philippians 4:6-8

 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. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Now, I haven’t said a whole lot about this crazy pandemic, but I feel like it’s gotten to a point where I want to put my two cents in, for what it’s worth.

I have to be honest with you, I am sick and tired of hearing about Covid related talk from well-meaning Christians, who after listening to a good and Godly sermon and sharing in a time of worship together, seem to have nothing better to do than discuss the latest news stories and mandates and lockdowns.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I know we have a serious situation on our hands, and I’m not trying to downplay it in anyway.  I know that we need to be informed. I understand that it’s important that we stand for what we believe in and obey the commands of the Lord, but is anybody out there feeling like somewhere, along the way, the Devil has used this whole pandemic thing to distract us and take our focus off things of eternal value?

The Devil is a cunning and deceitful being, who loves nothing more than seeing Christians lose their focus and their God-given roles and start putting all their energies into other things that are not as important as winning the lost.

I feel like the Devil is looking around, gleefully rubbing his hands together, watching the discouraged, distracted Christians spout their opinions to anyone who’ll listen, instead of just focusing on preaching to a very lost, and on their way to hell, world!

Hey, I’m not perfect and there are times when I don’t redirect the conversation back to the things of the Lord when I probably should, so I’m preaching to myself as well.

Anyway, back to the verses in Philippians. I think that all the news we hear on a daily basis is making so many people, Christians included, fearful and anxious. But these verses remind us to bring our requests to God and he will bring the peace into our lives and hearts that we so desperately crave.

We are not to be anxious about anything! We’re to pray about everything! And how do we do this practically speaking? By filling our minds with the right things. Stop filling your mind with junk!

Philippians 4 verse 8 gives us a list of what we should be thinking on.

 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Just have a look at the list in light of the Covid news feeds and endless misinformation.

Is it TRUE?    Nope!

Is it HONEST?  Huh! Not likely!

Is it JUST? RIGHTEOUS? VIRTUOUS?     Definitely not!

Is it PURE?    A no brainer! Nope, again!

Is it LOVELY?   No. Not at all!

Do you get the point? The Bible tells us to set our minds on good things if we want to find peace. If we want to rid ourselves of the anxiety and fearfulness we are feeling, we have to tip out the junk in our minds, and replace it with good, hearty, Godly things! We need a diet change.

Endless news feeds, overwhelming stories of despair and hopelessness are not the things we should be continually dieting on.

Meditating on the Word of God is paramount now, more than ever before!

The lost world is in need of words of hope. They don’t need to hear Christians continually talking about the pandemic. This world is in a pandemic alright. It’s called SIN. It’s a sin pandemic. You don’t even have to look out your back door to realise that!

What the world needs is Jesus!

I was not only convicted by these verses, but also a little bit steamed up when I began to think of the testimony that some, not all, Christians are portraying.

I, personally, want my daily walk to be one that draws the lost, not repels them. I want them to see something different in me. I want them to see that I don’t live in fear. I want to be able to give the world words of hope.

1 Peter 3:15

 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

The world is sick of hearing about the pandemic too! What they need to hear from a child of God is a reason for the hope that is in us. But why would they even ask if all they see is despair and debate and disunity?

So, here’s a challenge for you? The next time you are fellowshipping after church, see if you can make a conscious effort to NOT mention ANYTHING about Covid at all, and steer any conversation about it, back to the things of the Lord. Talk about what you heard in the sermon that day, or what God has been teaching you in your personal quiet time, or maybe share a blessing you were given that week.

I dare you! Have a Covid free, God honouring, Bible based discussion with your fellow brethren, and see if maybe, just maybe, you leave church with a spring in your step and joy in your heart!

Philippians 1:27-28

 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

                                                                                    

Psalm 136

A Song of Praise

 

If you’re wondering why I haven’t written as many blog posts over the past 2 weeks, it’s because, not only were we quite busy with our workload, but also my parents were able to come over to the NT for a visit.

It was great to see them and let them spend time with their great-grandkids and experience a little of our daily life here.

On the day they flew into the NT, I found myself sitting at a truck stop in Darwin for a couple of hours while waiting on Dave to arrive, as I had dropped my truck off at the mechanics.

Not wanting to waste my time mindlessly surfing the net, or scrolling through Instagram, I found myself reading Psalm 136. Now, I have to confess, this is not a psalm that I’ve spent a lot of time studying, as I tend to get caught up in the “his mercy endureth forevers” and gloss over the rest of the psalm as I drift off into a daze over the repetition.

But this time, I actually READ it. Really read it. It’s amazing how God’s word can come alive to you at the strangest places, if you just take the time to read it, open your heart and let the Word of God speak to you.  

Read it with me and then I’d love to share with you some things I found. (You might want to grab a cuppa, because I fear this post will be a lengthy one! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

Psalm 136

1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

² O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

³ O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁴ To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁵ To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁶ To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

⁷ To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

⁸ The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:

⁹ The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹⁰ To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹¹ And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹² With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹³ To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁴ And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁵ But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹⁶ To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹⁷ To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁸ And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²⁰ And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²¹ And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²² Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²³ Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

²⁴ And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²⁵ Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²⁶ O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

 I know that was a long passage to read, but so full of amazing truths about God.

Firstly, I want to explain a little about why there is so much repetition in this Psalm.

We see that in each verse the phrase ‘his mercy endureth forever’ is sung. This is a beautiful example of what was called responsive or antiphonal singing.

As God’s people gathered together to worship, a Levite, or leader, would call out or sing a reason to give God thanks, and then the congregation would respond with, ‘his mercy endureth forever’.

In Jewish tradition, this particular Psalm was called the Great Hallel or Great Psalm of Praise. It was a worshipful time of rehearsing God’s goodness aloud and God’s people being encouraged to praise him for his love.

What an amazing sight it must have been and what a beautiful sound would have echoed through the air, to hear God’s people singing God’s praises with all their hearts. Praising him for his goodness to him. Back and forth the song went. What a pity we don’t have many songs like this in our church services today.

We don’t know exactly who wrote this Psalm, although many attribute it to King David. We do know that it was sung many times in history. One instance was at the dedication of Solomon’s temple.

2 Chronicles 7:3, 6 KJV - And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. ...

And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

It was also sung in David’s psalm of praise.

1 Chronicles 16:7, 34 KJV - Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. ...

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

It was also used at least 4 other times in scripture. It was a popular hymn among God’s people. Maybe it was like the favourites we sing in our church services today. The ones that get picked every Sunday night and sung loudly, and played enthusiastically by over excited pianists (not mentioning any names)!

Whatever the case, it was a song of worship and one full of truth.

Let’s look at another verse that mentions it.

Ezra 3:11 KJV - And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

Here, it was sung at the dedication of Ezra’s temple. But notice, that whenever it was sung, it was always in the context of public praise or declaration.

Now, onto the truths I found while studying through the Psalm, at a truck stop in Darwin, surrounded by the sounds of coffee machines, cups clinking, trucks rolling by, automatic doors opening and closing, phone in hand, Bible app open and a handy piece of scrap paper to scribble on. Let’s get to it!

In verses 1 to 4, we read of who God is. We learn something of his character.

He is good. He is God of Gods. Lord of Lords. He does great wonders.

In verses 5 to 9, we see his work as Creator.

By wisdom he made the heavens. He stretched out the earth above the waters. He made great lights. The sun to rule by day and the moon and stars to rule by night.

In verses 10 to 15, we read of his mercy to his people.

He smote the firstborn child of the Egyptians and brought the Israelites out of Egypt with a strong hand and a stretched out arm. He divided the Red Sea and made Israel pass through the midst of it. He overthrew Pharoah and his army.

In verses 16 to 22, we see God’s mercy from the wilderness to the promised land.

He led his people through the wilderness. He smote great kings and slew famous kings even Sihon, King of the Amorites and Og, King of Bashan. He gave their land for an heritage.

And lastly, in verses 23 to 26, we see God’s mercy and ongoing deliverance to the people of Israel.

The verses tell us that he remembered the people in their low estate and redeemed them from their enemies and gave food to all flesh.

Can you see now why the people responded so joyfully with, ‘his mercy endureth forever’? The people realised that God’s mercy, his grace and love was never-ending and would always be given to his people.

The Israelites had so much to praise God for. He had come through over and over and showed his might and power in such astounding and miraculous ways, that there was nothing to do but to praise the Lord. His mercy really did endure forever. Despite their failings and shortcomings, God’s mercy and love was still present.

And it is still true today. We could replace the reasons with our own and end with the phrase, ‘his mercy endureth forever’, and we would have our own personalized worship song to sing unto the Lord.

How awesome would it be if some of our creative writers were able to pen a Psalm of praise like this, that really resonated with our modern life, and we were able to sing it worshipfully to God in our song services?

A reason to give God thanks would be sung out and the congregation would answer with a declaration of praise to God. We have our own stories of deliverance in this present day and age. God still works in the lives of his people today and his mercy is still enduring and will endure til the end of time when we will sit at his feet, humbly, awestruck and worshipful, giving all praise to him. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll get to sing this beautiful Psalm to him in person!

I want to end with an interesting little story about this Psalm. God bless.

And never forget….

“His mercy endureth forever”

 

“One night in February 358 A.D. the church father Athanasius held an all-night service at his church in Alexandria, Egypt. He had been leading the fight for the eternal sonship and deity of Jesus Christ, knowing that the survival of Christianity depended on it. He had many enemies – for political even more than theological reasons – and they moved the power of the Roman government against him. That night the church was surrounded by soldiers with drawn swords. People were frightened. With calm presence of mind Athanasius announced the singing of Psalm 136. The vast congregation responded, thundering forth twenty-six times, ‘His love endures forever.’ When the soldiers burst through the doors they were staggered by the singing. Athanasius kept his place until the congregation was dispersed. Then he too disappeared in the darkness and found refuge with his friends. Many citizens of Alexandria were killed that night, but the people of Athanasius’s congregation never forgot that although man is evil, God is good. He is superlatively good, and ‘his love endures forever.’” (Boice)