Psalm 42 - When Can I go?

1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" 4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. 5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and

6 my God. 7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. 8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me-- a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?" 11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

The question that David asks himself in verse 2 is a question every believer should ask themselves; When can I go and meet with God?

It is important to establish a time each day that allows us to quench our thirsty souls (as David describes it) and get refreshed with the Lord. If we don't set up a time, we end up basing our relationship with God on convenience and desire. Under the condition that it is convenient for us to spend time with Him, we might consider it – that is, if we feel like it. There are many times that are inconvenient and many times we won't feel like it, but we can't parch our souls for too long before we realize we need to be serious about this question: When can I go and meet with God?

Joyce Meyer says something convicting, “Don't try to work God into your schedule, work your schedule around God. Make time with Him a priority.”

I believe that this discipline will turn into delight, as we are continually reminding ourselves that there is truly nothing sweeter than being refreshed in His presence.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that you would help me to put you first in my time. I pray that I would be faithful to set aside a time each day to meet with you in prayer and Bible reading. Thank you that during those times you will strengthen me for my day and give me grace. In Jesus name, Amen. 

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Psalm 40: Lord, do I have to? 

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. 5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. 7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come-- it is written about me in the scroll. 8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." 9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O Lord. 10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me. 12 For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. 13 Be pleased, O Lord, to save me; O Lord, come quickly to help me. 14 May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. 15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame. 16 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The Lord be exalted!" 17 Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

The boldness of King David in sharing his faith inspires me as he speaks in verses 9 and 10. He makes it known and does not apologize for sharing the goodness of God with those around him. I think at times we all struggle with thoughts of, “I don't know the scriptures well enough,” or “I don't have all the right things to say about God” so we choose to keep silent for fear that we won't do God justice. Many times I have felt a nudging to open my mouth and share my faith, and I have moaned in my head, "Lord, do I have to?" Everyone would rather be the person who is comfortably at home praying for the people out there spreading the good news, but rarely do you find someone completely bold in sharing their faith at all times. 

David starts out this beautiful Psalm, not with scripture knowledge or theological backgrounds but by simply sharing what God has done in his life; “He lifted me out of the pit...he set my feet upon a rock...he gave me a firm place to stand...” One of the most famous hymns (and has now been turned into a more contemporary Christian song) was created out of these words. We should never underestimate the power of simply sharing what God has done in our lives. We may not have a lot of Bible knowledge, church experience or pastoral pedigree, but no one can every argue or refute a personal testimony. Many times, our it is our personal stories that are able to reach people in a way that a scripture or pastoral advice could.

Revelations 12:11 says we overcome the enemy by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimony. Next to the blood of Jesus, our testimony is the most powerful tool we have to overcome the enemy and make an impact for the kingdom of God!

We might not feel qualified at times, but we must be reminded that no matter what our background or pedigree – we all have a story to tell, and one that holds more power than we give it credit for! This is why I encourage readers to post comments, because each and every person has something unique to share in their experiences that can bring encouragement to someone else.

In the last years of his life, Renoir had arthritis so bad that a brush had to be strapped to his hand so that he could paint. When asked why he continued to work in such conditions he replied, "The pain passes, but the beauty remains."

Sometimes it is the uncomfortable that can bring the beautiful. It might not be something we get to see here on earth, but we may get to heaven and see that one life touched. And seeing that one soul would only confirm that the momentary discomfort we felt was well worth it!

Prayer: Lord, I pray that you would help me to be bold in sharing my faith with others. I pray that I would not be afraid to tell others of the great work that you have done in my life. In Jesus name, Amen. 

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Psalm 39: Thoughts become words

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Psalm 38: Only one ingredient

1 A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance. O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! 2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply, And Your hand presses me down. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin. 4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness. 6 I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. 7 For my loins are full of inflammation, And there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart. 9 Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. 10 My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me. 11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, And my relatives stand afar off.

12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long. 13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth. 14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth is no response. 15 For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God. 16 For I said, "Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me." 17 For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. 18 For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin. 19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied. 20 Those also who render evil for good, They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good. 21 Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

Books on prayer are some of the most popular and bestselling Christian books, because let's be honest; everyone at some point feels like they don't know how to pray. At first we start out fumbling over our words and assuming that placing a thee or thou in our requests will make us sound a little more impressive to God.

As I was talking to one of my sisters today, she was saying how sometimes when she prays she just cries, rambles and then ends by thanking God for listening. But it is in her time of brokenness that she leaves uplifted and filled with peace. Many people are on a valiant quest on how to have a successful prayer life, but I think both my sister and king David in this Psalm are right on track. They are just simply real.

In the midst of David pouring out his heart to God like a train wreck (let's be honest this wasn't one of those “full-of-faith and thankfulness” type of Psalms), he stops and just says (vs. 9) “Lord all my desire is before you; and my sighing is not hidden from you.” In other words, I don't have to put on a mask, pretend to have faith in this situation, or even candy coat my prayers --- you know my heart, my thoughts and my desires! I would be a fool to try and put on a face for you, because nothing is hidden from you!

God knows when we come to him stressed out, zero faith, negative in the peace department, and borderline sinful in our thoughts towards certain people (uh, hum...children?!). Yet we still try to pray with eloquence in efforts to somehow cover it all up.

There is only one ingredient to a successful prayer life – and if you are smart, you will write it down and post it in the place you most commonly pray so you don't ever forget:

SINCERITY!

Be like David and let it out! Be real. Be sincere. Be honest. To lay a solid foundation for any relationship there must first be honesty. It is the same in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. We might feel ashamed of the thoughts, emotions or questions we wrestle with sometimes...but that is why we bring it to God! He is the only one who can help us! In His presence is the only place to be that will truly bring peace, clarity, wisdom, freedom and hope.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you hear my prayers regardless of if they are articulate or well spoken. I thank you that you see my heart and my sincerity. Help me to pray with a sincere heart and not out of obligation or routine, In Jesus Name, Amen. 

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Psalm 37 - Getting Fat, exponentially!

1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil. 9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. 10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. 11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. 12 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; 13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. 14 The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. 15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. 16 Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; 17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. 18 The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever. 19 In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. 20 But the wicked will perish: The Lord's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish--vanish like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; 22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off. 23 If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. 25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. 27 Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. 28 For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. 29 the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. 32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; 33 but the Lord will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. 35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, 36 but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. 37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. 38 But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. 39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. 40 The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

During the first two trimesters of the pregnancy your body changes slowly and begins to develop curves in new places. You gain weight at a gradual and consistent pace and the baby is doing a lot of developing. However it is the last trimester that awes me the most because just when you think your belly can't get any bigger and the baby couldn't possibly grow anymore, there is exponential growth. Where before the baby is growing about one pound per month, the baby now begins to grow a pound per week!

Verse 4 says “Delight yourself in the Lord

and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Sometimes it's hard to continue to delight ourself when we are stuck between the lines of verse four. We have been delighting, seeking, praying, worshiping, knocking, trusting and believing...and have not yet reached the “desires of our heart” place yet. I was encouraged in being reminded that the exponential growth comes before the birth of something new.  I am reminded that God allows some growth to take place in our hearts and character before he brings the full promise to pass. Without first growing our character, we wouldn't be strong enough to handle the new thing he wants to do in our lives. We must be ready. 

We reach our new beginning only after we have gotten fat enough to birth it! Even though all you may feel is the stretching, the growing, the aches and pains – the Lord sees something going on beneath the surface – a fatness and blessing that is just about to reach some exponential growth. The growth is uncomfortable, but it is such a good thing! 

Don't stop delighting yourself in the Lord. You don't want your new beginning to come prematurely and be puny! It might be uncomfortable, but you are only getting fat because you are about to birth your hearts desire – and that is one area you want to be chubby!

Prayer: Lord I thank you that you  have a reason for all the stretching and growing going on inside of me right now. Thank you that you are challenging me in my character so that you can prepare me for something greater you want to do in my life. In Jesus Name, Amen. 

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Psalm 36 - Don't flatter yourself

1 An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. 3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4 Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.

5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. 7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 10 Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 See how the evildoers lie fallen-- thrown down, not able to rise!

I once observed a man ask a pastor if he would ever commit adultery. I assumed that the pastor would say, “Absolutely not! Never!” But instead he made a comment that will never leave me. He replied, “If I said it would never happen, I would be saying the same thing every married man says! All I can say, am I capable of it? Yes. Our flesh is capable of doing all sorts of things we never intended to do. I must always remember that greater men than me have fallen. This is what reminds me to remain in His Grace daily.”

I think the most congregations would opt for the pastor who would assuringly reply “Absolutely not!” Yet I would rather put my trust in a man who is humble enough to admit that even he could fall. I probably butchered most of the quote, but I will never, ever forget “greater men than me have fallen.” It is so true how many heroes of the faith we have seen fall into sin. It is a continual reminder for me to never be too prideful as to think I am not vulnerable to the enemies devices.

Speaking of the sinful heart, David says, “For in his own eyes he flatters himself, too much to detect or hate his sin.”

Can't we all remember a time where we thought to ourselves, “I am a strong Christian. I can handle it.” We flatter ourselves into thinking how strong or solid we are in our faith that we allow ourselves a little bit of compromise. 

The second part of the verse is a reminder that when we pridefully compromise, we are deceived. We can't detect it, so we therefore can't hate it. We don't even see it sometimes! We all know from examining the life of Lucifer who became evil because of a little pride in his heart that he wasn't even aware of! How dangerous pride can be!

This Psalm encourages me to continue to daily strive for a humble heart. I want to be a woman who continually recognizes how weak I am, and be reminded of 2 Cor. 12:10, “For when I am weak, then I am strong!”

Prayer: Lord, please help my heart to stay humble and guard me from falling into pride. I pray that I would never be so prideful to think that I can handle temptation on my own. I pray that I would daily recognize how weak I am without you and that I would depend on your strength. In Jesus Name, Amen. 

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Psalm 35 - Becoming a watchman 

1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. 3 Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." 4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. 5 May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away; 6 may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. 7 Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, 8 may ruin overtake them by surprise-- may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin. 9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation. 10 My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, O Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."

11 Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. 12 They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn. 13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, 14 I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother. 15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing. 16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.

17 O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. 18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you. 19 Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye. 20 They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. 21 They gape at me and say, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it." 22 O Lord, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. 23 Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. 24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, O Lord my God; do not let them gloat over me. 25 Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!" or say, "We have swallowed him up." 26 May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace. 27 May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, "The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant." 28 My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.

 Many times in the Bible the term “watchman” is used. A watchman is someone who is posted at the gate or wall of a city to stand guard, look for and report any coming attacks. I believe God has given us as Christians the ability to become watchman over our lives, our families and our churches.

Sometimes I will have discernment about a situation or individual and brush my feelings off as “I am just being judgemental or reading into things.” At times, it is the Lord who is giving us a special insight or intuition about something and He wants that prompting to lead us to prayer. When we brush it off and ignore it, we sometimes later regret it when the enemy comes invading our city that we were supposed to be protecting.

Verse 23 of this Psalm reminds us who fights the battle for us, “Contend for me, my God and Lord.” It does not say contend with me, but it says contend for me! The only way we can truly let the Lord fight our battles is when we pray. In order to be a watchman over these precious areas of our lives, we must report back to the King!

 The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

In other words, our battle is not with people it is with the devil! And the only way we can fight him, is to get on our knees!

There is an African antelope called the “Gnu” that whenever it feels threatened, it gets on his knees first. It springs best from a kneeling position, so before making a move it first kneels. What a great example of how we must handle situations when we feel threatened. We kneel first in prayer before making a move.

I have been pondering this thought in my mind lately, “The more I fight the battle in the spirit, the less I have to fight the battle in the natural.” Perhaps God is stirring this thought inside of me to remind me to be a watchman for my family and for others. If I can stand atop that city gate and look into the horizon at what's coming, I can report back to the King and prevent any unnecessary conflict. What an honor God has given us to partner with him in His work here on earth, and what an advantage we have in serving an all-knowing and all-powerful God!

In what areas can you be a watchman in prayer? 

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that you can give me insight into the enemy's plans and attacks so that I can pray. I pray that I wouldn't brush aside the feelings you give me when you prompt me to pray. Help me to be a watchman over my friends, family, church and world. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Psalm 34 - Shoo fly, don't bother me

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Psalm 33 - What's in the mailbox?

1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 2 Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. 4 For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. 5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. 6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. 13 From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; 14 from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-- 15 he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. 16 No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. 18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

Have you ever asked God to stop someone's plans? I have. There are many people who we care about deeply who make decisions that force us to bite our tongue and just pray! Sometimes it can be discouraging when we have these people at the top of our prayer lists every day, and then we hear the latest report that they seem to be spiraling downwards.

Verses 10 and 11 are very encouraging. People can make all the plans they want, but it is the plans of the Lord that stand firm. Don't be discouraged if there are people in your life who plan on making wrong decisions. Let them plan away! Think about how many of your plans were thwarted by the Lord.

The part that we must be careful about is not praying our plans for those individuals lives, but praying His plans. This is why the Lord's prayer includes, “Not my will, but yours be done!”

There is this beautiful song I have been listening to lately, the chorus says:

Jesus only did, what He saw you do...

Where you go, I'll go

What you say, I'll say

What you pray, I'll pray

The song is all about Jesus' relationship with the Father and how he only responded at the direction of the Father. It makes you really think about how you are responding, and if you are simply responding, praying and speaking on autopilot, or if you are really responding out of direction from the Father.

Verse 9 in this Psalm is also a very powerful follow-up to the promise of His plans standing firm: “For He spoke and it came to be, He commanded and it stood firm.” When God speaks, it means that there is a tangible manifestation of those words about to come to pass. I picture God drawing a blueprint and finalizing His plans. The finishing touch is the title—the word that He will use to turn it from a blueprint to a reality. He speaks the word, but have we heard it yet? Have we heard his plans? Have we heard His promises? Do we really know what He is trying to do in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I pray that I would be in tune with your voice as you guide my prayers. Help me to know and do your will and to pray according to your will and not my own. In Jesus name, Amen.

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