This morning the Lord took me to Psalm 18. He stopped me at verses twenty through twenty-four. In The Message it reads:
God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
he gave me a fresh start.
Now I’m alert to God’s ways;
I don’t take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I’m watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.
I love this! It is exactly how I feel. David penned it perfectly as he was reflecting on how God saved him from his enemies. We have to get to the end of ourselves before God can work in and through us as He desires. When we are first saved, we have taken the first step with God but there is more that needs to happen in our relationship. We must die to self so He can live in us. As we do, He will lead us down the path He has planned for us. When we allow the Holy Spirit free reign, we will receive new life. Woo hoo! I began reading this Psalm in different translations. When I started reading in The Passion Translation, I stopped with the first two verses and felt so blessed in my relationship with Him. They read:
Lord, I passionately love you and I’m bonded to you,
for now you’ve become my power!
2 You’re as real to me as bedrock beneath my feet,
like a castle on a cliff, my forever firm fortress,
my mountain of hiding, my pathway of escape,
my tower of rescue where none can reach me.
My secret strength and shield around me,
you are salvation’s ray of brightness shining on the hillside,
always the champion of my cause.
Yes! I am passionate in my love for Him. He is my strength and my power. The Holy Spirit empowers me to stand strong in my faith. He empowers me to knock the enemy down when he tries to put fear upon me. He empowers me to know God is not done writing my story. I love the song Tauren Wells sings about this topic.
God's not done with you
Even with your broken heart and your wounds and your scars
God's not done with you
Even when you're lost and it's hard and you're falling apart
God's not done with you
It's not over, it's only begun
So don't hide, don't run
‘Cause God's not done with you, you
When we hurt, the enemy tries to creep in and destroy. He uses people, circumstances, illness, etc. whenever he can to convince us God is through with us. That is a blatant lie. God never gives up on us. He is always there for us. He wants us to thrive in times of turmoil in His strength. I have been up for two hours praying for people who are going through tough times in life. Some physical. Some emotional. Some financial. Some spiritual. Oh how I pray for all to find His peace. I pray in times of distress people will call out to God and allow Him to be the Soothing Balm they need. I'm praying for families who are torn apart to be 'glued back together' with His love. My heart breaks to see parents with prodigals, especially with this Sunday being Mother's Day and Father's Day being next month. It breaks to hear of abuse in families and to hear of families who are struggling financially and don't have food on the table. It breaks to know families who don't have God in their lives. These days with the coronavirus are tough on everyone. They are tough on those who live alone and are self-quarantined. They are tough on families. But no matter what our circumstance God is with us. He desires to use these 'tough' times to draw us closer in relationship with Him. He desires to take our faith deeper. To do that we must stand upon the promises of His Word. II Timothy 1:7 promises His empowerment through the Holy Spirit. It is a verse that I have held tightly to over the last year. One year ago today was when we received the diagnosis of cancer in Doc's pancreas. He has gone through over thirty chemo treatments after having a biopsy that revealed stage four pancreatic cancer. Only eighteen percent of people see the one year mark. These last months have been hell on earth as I have watched him lose weight, be in pain, become so weak, spend much of his time in bed, etc. They have not been easy for either of us. We have both struggled physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and sometimes even spiritually. But I am so grateful God is My Secret Strength as Psalm 18:2 reads. Yesterday was another emotional day for me. I was grateful for a friend who prayed with me over the phone. God knew I needed her words. I was grateful when He took my headache away after a few hours and for the gifts of love we delivered to the ladies. This Psalm and this song remind me He's not done with either one of us. He will continue to use us as we allow Him. He will be our strength as we lean into Him. Woo hoo! Praise His Holy Name!
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for giving me this Scripture and song this morning that encourage me greatly! Thank You for not being done with us but instead continuing to write our story! Father, once again I ask for Your will in Doc's situation with the pancreatic cancer. I pray Your will be healing while he is on this earth but if that is not to be then I pray for mercy upon him from the pain. I pray for Your strength to be his in whatever is ahead. Lord, be glorified in all we do. Cleanse me this morning so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts in the day ahead. May people see/hear You instead of me. Thank You for Patty praying with me yesterday! May You bless her in abundance and be with her with the challenges she faces with her eyes. My heart breaks for the two men who lost their fathers yesterday. May You draw near to them and be their strength in these tough days. I wish we could be with them. Since that is not the case I pray for people to love on them with Your love. I also pray for two families in turmoil. I pray for eyes to be opened to what You desire of all involved. Lord, the enemy needs crushed in both situations. Lord, I pray for this weekend to not be one of hurt but one of love for all mothers. May You be the Soothing Balm where needed. Thank You Jesus for being My Secret Strength! Amen.
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