Category: Psalms

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Looking For…

What did you search for and find yesterday? Did you have something particular – maybe an old photograph or a recipe? Were you looking for a tool in the shed or a bolt and nut that dropped on the ground? Did your search take you to the computer and a new website that you were completely unfamiliar with?

You see, I was looking for all those things. Things I needed or knew I had and when I searched long enough I found them.

This morning, while waiting on my coffee, a question came to mind. “Were you looking for Jesus”? With that question in my heart, I immediately thought of some people who did: the shepherds, the wisemen, Zacchaeus, the woman who had been bleeding twelve years, Jairus who had a sick daughter, the military leader with a sick soldier and the women who went to the tomb.

They all went looking for Jesus and they found Him!

Each of these searchers found Who they were looking for and their lives were changed.

“Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. 14 I will let you find me.” This message is from the Lord…” Jeremiah 29:12-14 ERV

I didn’t always look for Jesus in each day. Oh, I had given Him my heart when I was a child and had Jesus as my Savior but I had the impression that in the day-to-day stuff I was on my own.

Now, there’s not a day goes by that I don’t see the power of God working in my little world. Some days the things I see and experience border on the miraculous and other times it’s the simple ways.

The verses above are our promise that if we search for Him, we WILL find Him.

“In the crowd was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had gone to many doctors, and they had not done anything except cause her a lot of pain. She had paid them all the money she had. But instead of getting better, she only got worse.

27 The woman had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him in the crowd and barely touched his clothes. 28 She had said to herself, ‘If I can just touch his clothes, I will get well.’” Mark 25:28 CEV

This woman searched for Jesus in her desperation, and she was not disappointed when she found Him. We won’t be either.

Looking for Jesus is the first step. Once we find Him, we need to follow Him.

“The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need. 2 He gives me green pastures to lie in. He leads me by calm pools of water. 3 He restores my strength. He leads me on right paths to show that he is good.” Psalm 23:1-3 ERV

I don’t know what you are looking for today, but may I suggest you start with Jesus? He will lead you to all that is good!

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Nap Time

As I was searching for an image to use on this morning’s blog, I came across a picture of a napping child and the caption read “When is a child too old for a nap?”. My answer, never!

Yesterday day was busy. Not the crazy, hectic, week-before-Christmas busy but busy. Getting everything ready to travel safely and then setting up again once we were back to our permanent site.

Dave does the hard work; my jobs are little and detailed. After we were settled, I made lunch and we sat down to relax. About an hour and a half later, I woke up. Dave smiled and asked, “did you have a good nap”? Oh yes, wonderful.

If we listen, our bodies will tell us what we need and when we need it. We get thirsty and so we get a drink. We get hungry and we eat. (The trick to weight loss is to eat only when we are hungry). We rest when we are tired.

“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 NLT

Our bodies have these internal signals that are God-given and we need to listen to them so we don’t damage our health. If we push past these warnings it can be detrimental. Oh yes, I know this project MUST get done – the kids NEED to be at this activity. Just a couple more hours and I can rest. But if we keep that pace harm ourselves with physical and mental burnout.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.” Matthew 11:28-29 ERV

I was reminded of a time when Jesus took a nap. He was in a boat, in a storm, with his disciples and he laid down and went to sleep. He wasn’t up fretting or helping them row. He was resting. We need to learn from Jesus.

“Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!” 39 Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Mark 4:38-39 ERV

Sounds like good advice when we are in life’s storms. We can fret and worry and it will change nothing. But when we come to Jesus with those problems, He will speak to our storms and give us rest.

Trusting Him gives us a spiritual nap!

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What To Choose?

Yesterday afternoon we stopped by the grocery store on our way home from town. It was a day of running errands.

The last stop was the grocery store. I had gone to the deli counter and taken a number, waiting my place in line. I spoke with one woman about the number of different meats on display. When I was a girl lunch meat was limited to salmi, bologna, liverwurst, ham, pastrami and roast beef. Cheeses were cheddar, sharp cheddar, muenster, jack, provolone and Swiss. Easy choices.

My how things have changed.

I then began a conversation with another woman who was remarking on the same thing. The choices…My heart was stirred, and I felt my throat begin to tighten. For the next few minutes our conversation centered on how blessed we were. There are mothers all around the world who would love to shop freely for their families. No danger, no fear of soldiers or bombs, no threat of death or destruction of home.

We talked of the resolve of the Ukrainian people and our determination to pray for them. How blessed we are to live where we live! Are there things we don’t like? Yes. Are there things we don’t agree with? Certainly.

Is our hope and trust in our government – any government? No. Our hope and trust have got to be founded in God’s love for us and His promise to never leave us.

“I must calm down and turn to God; only he can rescue me. 2 He is my Rock, the only one who can save me. He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me. 3 How long will you people attack me? Do you all want to kill me? I am like a leaning wall, like a fence ready to fall. 4 You want only to destroy me, to bring me down from my important position. It makes you happy to tell lies about me. In public, you say nice things, but in private, you curse me. Selah

5 I must calm down and turn to God; he is my only hope. 6 He is my Rock, the only one who can save me. He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me. 7 My victory and honor come from God. He is the mighty Rock, where I am safe.8 People, always put your trust in God! Tell him all your problems. God is our place of safety. Selah

9 People cannot really help. You cannot depend on them. Compared to God, they are nothing— no more than a gentle puff of air! 10 Don’t trust in your power to take things by force. Don’t think you will gain anything by stealing. And if you become wealthy, don’t put your trust in riches. 11 God says there is one thing you can really depend on, and I believe it:
“Strength comes from God!”

12 My Lord, your love is real. You reward all people for what they do.” Psalm 62 ERV

My choice, my dependence, my confidence comes from this “Strength comes from God”!

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Full Enough?

How full is full enough? Each morning I pour myself a cup of coffee, several cups, but I only fill the cup about 2/3 full. It’s full enough.

If it were any fuller I would probably spill it on my way to the couch or if I’m not paying attention, and I’ve done this before, I spill it as I’m picking it up and then have a stain on my bathrobe. Not a good thing.

When were in a restaurant I watch to see how full the waitress fills my coffee or the water glass. I certainly don’t want to spill and make a mess while out in public. That would be embarrassing.

However, when we take the truck to the gas station and pay for a “fill-up” we want the tank completely full. So much so that a little of the fuel may spill out the neck of the fuel tank. There seems to be levels and conditions of fullness.

For the last several weeks the Lord has been dealing with me on my level of His fullness.

” I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.” Ephesians 3:19 CEV

And right across the page in my Bible are these verses.

“Christ gave these gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger. 13 This work must continue until we are all joined together in what we believe and in what we know about the Son of God. Our goal is to become like a full-grown man—to look just like Christ and have all his perfection.” Ephesians 4:12-13 ERV

Is this really possible? To be filled with ALL that God is, to look like Christ, to be full-grown? It must be or the Bible would be lying to us and that would make God’s word inaccurate and unreliable. Either all of God’s word is true or it’s a lie; we don’t get to pick and choose what we want to be true and disregard the rest.

God, the Father, wants us to grow up to be like Jesus. Jesus’ life was filled with the Father’s power. God wants us to experience His power in the same way that Jesus did. He wants us filled.

“ I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

This is God’s desire for all of us who have accepted Christ; Christ is our example of what God desires to do in our lives. The more we get to know His word, the more time we spend with Him the fuller we become. My goal is to be filled to the brim and running over with the power of God.

“You prepared a meal for me in front of my enemies. You welcomed me as an honored guest. My cup is full and spilling over.” Psalm 23:5 ERV

I’m not there yet – but I’m on my way!

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How Big Is God?

That’s a good question! How would you answer it?

This morning as I sit here trying to formulate my answer, I am reminded of the many examples of God’s greatness in the Bible. Let me share a few:

  • In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth
  • He saved Noah during the flood
  • Parted the Red Sea
  • Had the sun stand still
  • Delivered Daniel from the lions
  • Helped David kill Goliath with a stone
  • Blinded an entire army
  • Raised Lazarus from the dead
  • Stopped a storm at sea
  • Orchestrated a jail break
  • Opened blind eyes
  • Healed a blood disease
  • Turned water to wine
  • Defeated death

“The Lord is your God. He is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. He is the great God. He is the amazing and powerful fighter. To him everyone is the same. He does not accept money to change his mind. 18 He defends widows and orphans. He loves even the strangers living among us. He gives them food and clothes. 19 So you must also love them, because you yourselves were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 “You must respect the Lord your God and worship only him. Never leave him. When you make promises, you must use his name only. 21 He is the one you should praise. He is your God. He has done great and amazing things for you. You have seen them with your own eyes.” Deuteronomy 10:17-21 ERV

I guess the next question is this. How big do you need God to be?

“He made heaven and earth. He made the sea and everything in it. He can be trusted to do what he says. 7 He does what is right for those who have been hurt. He gives food to the hungry. The Lord frees people locked up in prison.8 The Lord makes the blind see again.
The Lord helps those who are in trouble. The Lord loves those who do right. 9 The Lord protects strangers in our country. He cares for widows and orphans, but he destroys the wicked. 10 The Lord will rule forever!” Psalm 146:6-10 ERV

What are you facing that is too big or too hard for God to handle?

There is a whole lot of craziness going on in our world but none of it is bigger than our God. All of it combined isn’t bigger than our God!

“God said to Moses: I am the eternal God. So tell them that the Lord, whose name is “I Am,” has sent you. This is my name forever, and it is the name that people must use from now on.” Exodus 3:14-15 CEV

As big and as great as God is He stills gives us an open invitation to come straight to His throne and find help in our time of need!

How big is God? He’s big enough to handle all my worries and concerns. My God, and my Father is big enough to handle it all!

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Pursuit of …

I have a question for you. What are you pursuing or on the reverse side of that question, what’s pursuing you?

The first answer that may come to mind is happiness. However, happiness is always changing. What made me happy at 20 is far from what makes me happy now. Some are in pursuit of a good education. Noble goal – it takes dedication, determination and deliberation.

There are those who pursue love. Admirable. We all have a desire to be loved but even that will fall short of expectation if we aren’t diligent and willing to give our all.

Being pursued isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I recall a time when I was little and being pursued by the neighbor’s billy goat. I just wanted to pet him, but he had other ideas. When I realized that his pursuit of me was not going to end well, I ran. I ran as fast as my little legs could carry me but it wasn’t fast enough. I was still butted in the bottom.

There is a pursuit that is beneficial and attainable by everyone.

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.” Psalm 34:13-15 ESV

Truth and peace are godly pursuits. Doing good is a goal we should all seek to accomplish.

“ …pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” II Timothy 2:22 ESV

The Lord has given us all a dream, a passion in life. When we let Him lead, when we follow His direction, our pursuit with end well.

“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 AMPC

Trust the Lord with your pursuits!

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Do It For Me

Yesterday all of us were touched by the sights and sounds of the invasion in Ukraine. I went to bed praying for those in the heart of this war.

I saw the images of people sleeping in subways for safety. It reminded me of the pictures I have seen of those who would rush to the air raid shelters in England during WWII. I also heard an interview with a man who heads three orphanages. He expressed his concern for the children’s safety and wondered how many more children would be coming for help.

A pastor I know opened his church for prayer yesterday and this morning I would like to encourage all of us to pray for those who in harm’s way; the people of Ukraine and those in Russia who have no desire to be involved in this war.

“‘When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, 36 and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.’

37 Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, ‘When did we give you something to eat or drink? 38 When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear 39 or visit you while you were sick or in jail?’

40 The king will answer, ‘Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.’” Matthew 25:35-40 CEV

We can be thankful that we were able to sleep safely last night, that we will be able to go about our normal routine today – work, shopping, visiting with friends. But we need to remember those whose lives are anything but normal.

Let’s pray for an end to come quickly. For the Lord’s solution, for safety and protection. When we don’t know what to pray I found the best thing to do is pray God’s word. Join me.

“I love you, Lord God, and you make me strong. 2 You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector, the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter. 3 I praise you, Lord! I prayed, and you rescued me from my enemies…You rescued me from enemies, who were hateful and too powerful for me. 18 On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked, but you defended me. 19 When I was fenced in, you freed and rescued me because you love me…27You rescue the humble, but you put down all who are proud.” Psalm 18:1-3, 17-19,27 CEV

Father, this is our prayer for those in Ukraine – protect and rescue them, in Jesus’ name.

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Just Before Dawn

You all know that I enjoy being up to the welcome the dawn. It’s a wonderful time of the day!

However, in the “olden days” as I called them as a kid, the hour before dawn’s early light could be the most dangerous time of day. For two warring nations the battle plans were being made, soldiers were maneuvering into position and the fighting would ensue at dawn.

It was the job of the night watchman to keep a sharp eye so that he could detect any movement and alert the commanders. He certainly didn’t want to be caught sleeping on watch. Lives would be lost and nations could crumble if the watchman wasn’t alert.

There was great relief when the sun rose and things could be seen clearly. Then the watchman was relieved from his duties and he could rest. That’s the picture this Psalm is painting.

“Lord, I am in deep trouble, so I am calling to you for help. 2 My Lord, listen to me. Listen to my cry for help. 3 Lord, if you punished people for all their sins, no one would be left alive.
4 But you forgive people, so they fear and respect you. 5 I am waiting for the Lord to help me. My soul waits for him. I trust what he says. 6 I am waiting for my Lord, like a guard waiting and waiting for the morning to come. 7 Israel, trust in the Lord. Lord is the one who is faithful and true. He saves us again and again, 8  and he is the one who will save the people of Israel from all their sins.” Psalm 130 ERV

The writer of the Psalm sees sin as an enemy that will attack and destroy. He is trusting there will be help to defeat the enemy. He’s watching and waiting for the morning when he knows he will see that help has arrived and he is saved, forgiven, of the sin that destroys!

Amen and Amen!

Maybe you feel like you are about to be overrun by the enemies in your life. Does it seem like a long dark night with no help in sight? Keep watching – the day will be dawning and when it does you will see that the Lord is there to save you, again.

“The Lord’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. 23 The Lord can always be trusted to show mercy each morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23 CEV

Put your trust in Him. His mercies are new every morning, great is the faithfulness of our God!

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Learning to Trust

When our youngest daughter was in first grade, we adopted a sweet Australian Shepherd named Bear. He had been badly abused. He had trust issues to say the least.

We were given the name of a good trainer and once a week I took him to class. It didn’t take long for him and me to learn to work together. The commands of sit and stay were some of the first we worked on. He needed to know that when I gave those commands he could TRUST that I wasn’t going to leave him or beat him.

Presently I feel like I’m in a sit stay stage of life. I go through these training times periodically.

I have things to do, places to go, people to meet and minister too and God is saying “Sit Still”. I have learned in the past and am learning again that it’s just as important to be obedient to that command as it is to “love thy neighbor” or “pray without ceasing”.

If you know me at all you know I always have a list – things need to be done! I don’t do SIT – STAY very well. Years ago I read a book by Tim Hansel, “When I Relax I Feel Guilty”, that describes me to a tea. Retirement isn’t easy for a “list person”. I had a very dear friend tell me that it’s just as important to wait as it is to march forward. The key is being obedient to what God is saying and when He’s saying it.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” 11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.” Psalm 46:10-11 NLT

The children of Israel had a tangible, visible sign that they followed. The Lord placed a cloud over the Tabernacle and when it moved they moved; and when it stayed they stayed.

“Sometimes the cloud was over the Holy Tent for only a few days. So the people obeyed the LORD’s command—they followed the cloud when it moved… 22 If the cloud stayed over the Holy Tent for two days, a month, or a year, the people stayed at that place. They did not leave until the cloud moved…They camped when the LORD told them to, and they moved when he told them to…” Number 9:21-23 ERV

Obedience! That’s the key. We say “Lord, speak to me and I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.” And then He speaks something so simple as to stay – rest and we sit for 15 minutes and then want to get up and get back to our normal routine. It’s hard to rest!

God’s way of doing things is generally contrary to the natural way. He told Joshua to march around a city and they would capture it – Jesus told us to achieve greatness we must strive to be a servant. Paul said when I am weak then am I strong. See – these things seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, but that’s God’s way.

“My soul, relax! The LORD is caring for you.” Psalm 116:7 ERV

I’m learning to rest AGAIN. Yes, Lord I will sit and stay, trusting You!


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Jump Start

Well, this morning it happened. I opened my computer and I had a dead battery. It booted up and immediately shut down. I had to take and plug it in for a while to get it recharged.

Maybe you’re feeling like that – you need to be re-charged! It happens to all of us from time to time and the best way to energize can be found in Scripture.

“This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” Jeremiah 8:10 NLT

Start your day thanking the Lord for the many blessings He has given you. Can’t think of any – you have a roof over your head, a computer in your lap or a phone in your hand, there’s probably food in the kitchen and clothes in the closet. Hopefully you have heat on this winter’s morning and some mode of transportation outside. You have people who love you, if you say no to that, let me remind you that I love you and Jesus loves you so that makes you special.

Recharge that battery a little more.

“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.” Psalm 19:8 NLT

God’s word is a source of joy and strength.

“Praise the Lord!  For he has heard my cry for mercy. 7 The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. 8 The Lord gives his people strength. He is a safe fortress for his anointed king.” Psalm 28:6-8 NLT

Well, now that I’ve gotten you started, take a little more time and find some more joyful recharging. Open your Bible app and search out the Scriptures or pick up that Bible that’s on the table beside you and read of God’s unfailing goodness.

No better way to start your day!

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