Psalm 22:22-24

"You who fear the Lord, praise him!

all you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,

and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

for he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted,

and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him."

Stand in awe, for He has heard your cry.

Beautiful!

Psalm 21:13 for Tuesday

"Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!

We will sing and praise your power."

It is an interesting contrast, isn't it?? Singing of the Lord's power, on this week, the passion week of Christ? Our idea of power is so different from that of Our Lord.

Psalm 20:1-2, 7 for Monday

...for GS and family, and others who are experiencing trials...

"May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!

may the name of the God of Jacob protect you!

May he send you help from the sanctuary

and give you support from Zion!"

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

be we trust in the name of the Lord our God."

What chariots and horses are you trusting in today??

Trust in the name of the Lord our God, trust in His character, His plan, and His Sovereignty.

Psalm 19:14 for Sunday

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."

May it be so, O Lord, may it be so.

Psalm 18: 31, 46

TS died last night. Please be in prayer for their family, and for those who loved him.

"For who is God, but the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God?

the God who equipped me with strength

and made my way blameless."

"The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,

an exalted be the God of my salvation..."

Psalm 18:30

"This God--His way is perfect;

the word of the Lord proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him."

It is a challenge, isn't it? To remember that God is our shield? So often I look to other things to "shield" me. May I remember that God is my shield... he is sufficient. His word is true.

Psalm 17:6-7 for Thursday

"I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;

incline your ear to me; hear my words.

Wonderously show your steadfast love,

O Savior of those who seek refuge

from their adversaries at your right hand."

I am challenged to expect God... to look for Him to "wonderously show his love". I wonder how many acts of love I miss, because I do not have eyes to see?

Psalm 16:11

"You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

I cannot read this verse without crying. God wants good things for us. We must come to him with teachable heart. Life is so different than what we want... but it is what God wants for us because He wants good things for us... and those good things are often found on the other side of trials... and in the midst of trials. We are studying James now. This book is full of teaching on trials, their purpose, and God's purpose for trials. Read it if you are going though a trial, and be encouraged, read it for a friend who is going through a trial, and encourage them.

But above all, remember...

At God's right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:8 for Tuesday

"I have set the Lord always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken."

Everyone should memorize this verse. I love this passage, and I love this verse. What a picture of strength and hope!!!

I remember when I first "found" this verse. I wrote it on a card and placed it in my car... so I could remind myself of where my security lies.

Please pray for our family friends, GS and TS. TS is battling cancer... and GS is really struggling with hope. Pray for hope for her, pray this verse for her.

Psalm 15:1-2 for Monday

"O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?

Who shall dwell on our holy hill?

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right

and speaks truth in his heart;"

This is what God requires... to walk blamelessly, to speak truth... in our heart, even. It is hard to speak truth in our hearts... it involves admitting what we often do not want to omit. Wrong motives, selfish thoughts...

I am so thankful that God desires honesty. This is where I want to live.

Psalm 14: 2 (Today =) Yay!!)

"The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,

to see if there are any who understand,

who seek after God."

God wants us to seek Him. That is how we are changed from corrupt sinners to redeemed and restored children of God.

Seek Him today.

Psalm 13:6 (Thursday)

"But I have trusted in your steadfast love,

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me."

O Lord, may I stay in this place, with this awareness, always.

Memorize this passage, friends and family, near and far.

Memorize this to quote in your fight against anxious fears that threaten your peace.

Psalm 12:5-6 (Wednesday)

"'Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,

I will now arise,' says the Lord.

'I will place him in the safety for which he longs.'

The words of the Lord are pure words,

like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,

purified seven times."

Psalm 11: 7 (Tuesday)

Opps!! I skipped Monday!!!

"For the Lord is righteous;

he loves righteous deeds;

the upright shall behold his face."

"Behold his face"

... unbelievable

... unbelievable.

Psalm 10: 1, 17 (Sunday)

"Why, O Lord, do you stand afar off?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?"

Life feels like this at times, doesn't it? I so appreciate the raw emotion in the Psalms.

But... that is not the end of the story... this is...

"O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;

you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear..."

What a great ending!!!

Psalm 9: 1-2 (Saturday)

"I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praise to your name,

O Most High."

I love that I can recount wonderful deeds, that the telling of God's goodness gladdens my heart.

Recount all of God's wonderful deeds... tell everyone of His goodness!!!

Psalm 9: 9-10 (Friday)

"The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.

And those who know your name put their trust in you,

for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you."

Beautiful, encouraging words... especially when I think about those around the world who are oppressed. The Lord has not forsaken those who seek him, what a promise!!

Something Different

Yikes!! Over a week!! My parents came to visit and we were so busy having so much fun, that I didn't bother blogging!!!

I have been faithfully reading a Psalm a day, now I want to record the verses that God used to encourage me.

But first... I did it!!! I went for a change!! What do you think??

Psalm 8:9

"O Lord, Our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

Psalm 7:17

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,

and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

Psalm 6:9

"The Lord has heard my plea;

the Lord accepts my prayer."

Beautiful, what more can be said?

Psalm 5: 11

" But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;

let them ever sing for joy,

and spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may exult in you.

This past Sunday I was witness to the power of God, and I am amazed. Simply amazed. After preaching on Matthew 25: 31-46, our pastor stepped aside and invited 40 men, women, and children, to give their "cardboard testimonies" of how God had intervened in their life, how their simple-yet-often-difficult act of placing their faith in Him had changed their life. A "cardboard testimony" is a simple phrase written on one side of a piece of cardboard, explaining what you were like before. On the other side you write what you are now like, as a result of God's intervention in you life, after having placed your faith in Him alone.

It was an amazing testimony to the power of God, to His real-ness, to His transforming power. God's power changes complacent teens, drug addicts, troubled marriages, and adopted children whose testimony showed their change from "abandoned" to "being a part of a loving family". Wow... God is amazing!!!

May we take refuge in God, may we rejoice, and may we exult in the Lord!!

Wow... how easily I stray and "take refuge" in other things... in seeing my plans fulfilled, my children doing what I want... etc. I pray that I will take refuge in God.

I love the promise that we will rejoice and that we will be protected!!!

Exult in the Lord today!!! Be the one who takes refuge in God and who loves His name!!

Psalm 4:8

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep,

for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

I have always loved this passage for the security and peace it represents. I think of a sleeping child, how they appear so angelic and pure.

Now I see that I am safe, safe from worries and fears, because God is gracious (v. 1), he hears me when i call (v. 3), he is trustworthy (v. 5), and he is the joy-giver (v. 7).

I remember praying this for my children, and I meditate on this when I struggle to sleep.

Be encouraged today, God makes you dwell in safety!!

Psalm 3:3

"But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,

my glory, and the lifter of my head."

Beautiful!! The Lord is my shield, I place my security and trust in Him. Not a clean house, obedient children, or stable emotions.

When I depend on circumstances or people for my security and sense of well being, I am frustrated and disappointed. God, please help me to remember that You are my shield, you are my glory, you are the lifter of my head!!!

I encourage you, if you have not already, to memorize this verse today. Write it on a sticky note and place it in an obvious place. Meditate on this verse today.

Psalm 2:10-11

"Now therefore, O kings, be wise;

be warned, O rulers of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling."

This is a good reminder to pray for the "rulers of the earth". Have you prayed for your rulers today??

Psalm 1: 2-3

for yesterday...

"but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers."

I love this image of delighting in the law of the Lord. I am so thankful that I have seen such a change in my own delight of God's law. Praise God!!

I love the image of a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit. Lord, help me to yield fruit!!!

Jeremiah 17:8.

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

and whose trust is the Lord.

He is like a tree planted by water,

that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes,

for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious in the year of drought,

for it does not cease to bear fruit."

Are your leaves green??? =)

Psalm 150:6

"Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

What could be better than that?? What an amazing ending to the Psalms!!

Praise God for creating us with the ability and desire to enjoy the sweet gift of friendship!! We spent Sunday with friends.... what a blessing! Friends at church, and we hung out with friends at the beach. What could be greater than that?? =)