The Lord took me to Psalm 44 this morning. In The Passion Translation it is divided into three sections. The Past, The Present, and The Future. When we look to our past, we see how God empowered us to get through 'tough' times. We see how He loved and encouraged us through them. Our past has many victories that can only be attributed to God. Verse three of this Psalm is key in how we can live in victory. It reads: Our forefathers didn’t take the land by their own strength or their own skill or strategy. But it was through the shining forth of your radiant presence and the display of your mighty power. You loved to give them victory, for you took great delight in them. God's presence is where victory is realized. His presence is where peace is found in the midst of the storms of life. We must not lose our focus on God when going through 'tough' times but instead lean into even more. There will be times we will be overwhelmed but God never leaves us. There will be times when we feel alone but that is never true for all who are in relationship with Him. There will be times when trials will come our way and we will blame the enemy but not all trials come from the enemy. Some are permitted by God to take our faith deeper. No matter what happens God is with us. Matthew Henry wrote: The church of God cannot be prevailed on by persecution to forget God; the believer's heart does not turn back from God. I am reminded of yesterday's sermon based on I Thessalonians 1; The people in Thessalonica had great faith, shared His love freely, and took in the hope of eternal life with Him. It does not matter what our past is, where we are today, and where we go in life. God is ready to be in relationship with us. Even if we think He was not in our past He was watching us. Even if we think He is not with us today He is. Even if at this moment in time we don't know where we will spend eternity He does. I like how Matthew Henry puts it. The mercy of God, purchased, promised, and constantly flowing forth, and offered to believers, does away every doubt arising from our sins; while we pray in faith. Woo hoo! I will be more intentional in living with great faith, sharing His love, and believing in the hope of eternal life. I will be more intentional in allowing the God of my past and present to be the God of my future. I am reminded this morning of the words to a song Toby Mac sings called "Promised Land"...
I won't give up on this race
Broken but I still have faith
That this old life is all part of a plan
And I can feel it in my soul
One day I'll stand before the throne
With nothing left but hope in these two hands
Through all these seasons, I'm still believin'
You're my promised land
In all my grievin' I'm still believin'
You're my promise land
Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday with the love shown to me by my congregation, the rest You provided in the afternoon, and the fun in the evening! Thank You for loving me so greatly that You desire to be my present and future! Thank You for the laughs last night with Rickey and friends over the phone! He is such a bright spot in my life. Thank You for the conversations with my Momma throughout the day! I pray You will be with her this morning as she goes for an appointment. I am thankful for the van and driver but it breaks my heart that she has to go to the doctor alone. Lord, these are some 'tough' days but I know You are in control. Empower me through them. Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You so I can see things through Your eyes and hear Your direction. Lord, I pray the same for so many going through difficult situations in life. My sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; Ben and Colleen; Steve; Tony and Madeline; Joni; Wanda; Melanie; Cait; Mike; Joan; Terri Hall; Sharon Sebolt; the Pottenger Family; Carrie; Simone; Savon; Kandi; Serena's husband; Norma Hall; Donna; Chrissy and her cousin; some young ladies with anxiety; a man in rehab for anger issues; Tim and Kathy Kilgore; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; a friend who needs protection in a hostile workplace; ones dealing with verbal attacks from 'friends' and loved ones; a teen in a volatile home situation; many with COVID; and so many others. I continue to pray for healing for: Little Ivy; Laurie's back, Little Jensen who needs a heart transplant; Ashley; Pastor Kevin; Pastor Bill; Sharon's niece Amy; Gay and Doug; Rickey's singing partner Tim; and Ed. I pray for good results for a young man having a stress test today. Thank You for the good report on Frank's recuperation from surgery! Lord, I ask for a healing in my spirit over hurt I am experiencing over words spoken over me. Thank You for being My Promised Land! Amen.
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