Psalm 43 - "Well Done"

This morning the Lord woke me to "Well Done" and then He took me to Psalm 43. After reading it in different versions I began digging into it verse-by-verse. Sometimes we feel like we are beat up by the enemy. There are times where we wonder how much more we can take (vs 1). Our faith will show how much we can take from the enemy. If our faith is weak, we will cave into the evil ways of him. If our faith is strong, we will stand strong in God's strength no matter what the enemy throws at us. There are times where we try to make deals with God when we feel like we cannot handle what is happening in life (vs 3-4). We will say things such as, "If you take this away, I will go to church for the rest of my life" or "If you do this, I will do whatever You ask." God is not a God of making deals. He desires our obedience at all time. The answer to getting through tough times is to pray. The answer is not found in going away from God but instead is found in leaning into Him. We find strength in Him. Verses three and four in The Message read:

Give me your lantern and compass,
    give me a map,
So I can find my way to the sacred mountain,
    to the place of your presence,
To enter the place of worship,
    meet my exuberant God,
Sing my thanks with a harp,
    magnificent God, my God.

As we lean into Him, He will direct our path. He is ready with open arms to allow us to bask in His presence instead of fretting over the ways of the evil one. He accepts us with love, grace, and mercy. He lavishes us with His love so we will know He is the One to worship. The ending part of verse five says:

Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

Yes! We can praise Him even through the tough days of life. How? By leaning into Him. By accepting His strength. By allowing Him to guide us. When we do this, we will hear the words "Well Done" at the end of our time on this earth.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace. Father, I pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I know as I accept You fully, I will be ready for anything the enemy puts before me today. Woo hoo! Bring it on enemy. I am ready. I have my full armor on so nothing can deter me. Those are some pretty bold words to say because the enemy does not like them. So be it. Father, I know You will go before me and pave the way for whatever is ahead. I also know You are paving the way for others going through tough days to lean into You.  I praise You for good results for my sister's heart cath; hearing of improvement of one in an accident and with John as he battles leukemia and a new mother who was in ICU. I continue to pray for Doc to lean into You as he goes through these painful days. I pray for my friends who are battling 'C' and those awaiting test results to do the same. May they all lean into Your strength in a way they will receive Your empowerment over their situation. Thank You Jesus for being My Protector. Amen.