II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 91 - "What A Friend"

Yesterday a song Matt Maher sings called "What A Friend" was going through my head all day long. He sings about how we all have trials, temptations, heart break, isolation, fears, worries, sorrow, and devastation in our life. But only those who are in relationship with the Lord have the knowledge that...

But we can lay our burdens down
Lay our burdens down

No more betrayal
For He is faithful
He fills me up and my cup runneth over
No more betrayal
For He is faithful
How He has proven it over and over

What a friend we have in Jesus
East to west my sins are gone
I see grace on every horizon
And forever and ever His heart is my home

We not only have to 'lay our burdens down' but we must also walk away from them instead of picking them up and continue to carry them. This is hard to do in our humanness but it is not impossible. The line 'no more betrayal' struck me until I pondered about it. The enemy betrays us, God is faithful. The enemy will throw our past and our circumstances into our face to cause us to doubt. But God will not do such tactics. God is faithful to be beside us through the valleys and on the mountaintop. The enemy will attack us in the valleys and make us feel even worse. He will attack us on the mountaintop and cause us to have doubts about every little thing. The enemy can show up in places that are so unsuspecting. He can work through people who call themselves our friend. But Jesus is always a friend. The key to be able to discern people and situations is to live in the Spirit. There is clarity in such a life. Yes, there will be times where fear creeps into our life but it is not a crippling fear like those have who are not in relationship with Him. There is a peace found in hard situations that can only be found through Him. There is a reason God has me continuing to be in Psalm 91. It is entitled "Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God" in the NKJV version. This safety is where I desire to live. Once again I am standing on the first two verses of this chapter as we go to Doc's third chemo treatment.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead in this day! Thank You for Doc having the strength to go to children/teen activities last night! Thank You for the conversation Rhonda and I had with the young couple! Thank You for the work getting done at the building! Lord, You are so awesome! Your love is so great! Lord, I want to share Your love with all I meet today. The only way that can happen is for me to have a pure heart. Would You cleanse me so You can fill me? Would You put Your words, actions, and attitude in me and ooze out of me today? Would You be so great that people will see/hear You instead of me today? Father, during the night You had me praying for Mommy's with new babies and ones who are expecting. Would You bless each one of these Mommy's today in a new, different way? I prayed they would have the desire in their heart to bring their children up knowing You. May it be so. Emma, Haley, Cassie, Kaitlin, Ashley, Amy, and Caroline. May each one of them realize You are their strength...physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and most of all spiritually. Thank You Jesus for being My Friend! Amen.