my lips shall praise You

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.
Psalms 63:3 NKJV

There is so much we can praise God for. He is good, just, and righteous. He created us and made this world for us. We are blessed daily in ways we may not always recognize. Even moments that seem against us can actually be blessings meant for our good.  I remember in 2008 having a car accident that put me off work, unable to walk for three months. I spent everyday of my recuperation at my parents house for about two of those months until my parents left on a trip.  At the time, I was frustrated that I could not care for myself or my children. I was frustrated that I had to rely so heavily on my husband and my parents, and that I was hurting and injured. But, this was a time that placed me in a position where I got to spend time with my mother, talk with her, and connect with her in a deeper way. Unbeknownst to me, I needed this time with her as she was to pass away on that trip. I look back and feel so blessed that God orchestrated what seemed to be a trial into a blessing.

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.  For thou, Lord , wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Psalms 5:11‭-‬12 KJV

There is a protection that comes only from God. We can place our trust in Him and rejoice knowing He is our defender and protector.  We can rejoice and shout for joy even in the midst of trials knowing we are covered by the blood of Jesus.

We may be facing uncertainty, struggle and trial, but God is already working out the answer. He is carefully orchestrating what needs to take place. While we may be surrounded by fear and worry, we can find peace. We do not need to worry because He is right here taking care of us. When a job suddenly ends, or a doctor report comes back negative,  we can still have faith that never wavers. When we face terrible, painful loss, our Savior can comfort us and carry us through. When fear and anxiety about what the future may hold tries to take over and break us, we can call on the Name of Jesus and be filled with His loving presence.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 KJV

We can find strength to keep going, keep fighting, and keep trusting. We can praise and worship instead of fearing the future. We have God on our side. We can humble ourselves, present our petitions before God, and leave it at His feet. He is our strength and can be our song. We will walk through all circumstances and emerge with a victorious testimony.  When all seems lost in our perspective, there is hope in Christ Jesus.  He is already gone before us. He knows the plans he has for us and has set in motion the things needed to keep us and bless us.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV

Even when we are weak, He is strong. We can rest assured that there is nothing that surprises God, nor weakens Him in the face of trouble.  We can rejoice and shout a praise when every one expects  to hear fear and mourning. When we could have a right to complain, we can choose to praise.  We can praise God because of who He is. He is always good. He is always righteous. He is always loving us. He is always right on time in every circumstance, good and bad.  He already knows what we need before we even ask.

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Matthew 6:8 KJV

I choose to rejoice when the cares of this life threaten to overwhelm me. I choose to give a shout of joy in the face of adversity. I choose to trust in Jesus,  because I know He has a table spread ready for me with all that is good for me.
Lord, help me always to find Your peace as I trust in You.  May I ever rejoice and give thanks regardless of what life hands me.  Help me, Lord, to not waver, keep my praise, and my faith ever placed in You.

where He leads

I wake up pretty early and it is usually dark when I sit down to eat breakfast, and read my Bible. I like to sit where I can look out the back window and watch the sun rise.  It is always beautiful to see the colors slowly rise and take over the darkness. It is like a glimmer of hope rising from the blackness of night. I began to talk to the Lord about my day, about the needs I know of and asked him to show me where he wants me to go and do. The words of this hymn came to my mind this morning as I watched the sunrise.

“Where He leads I’ll follow, follow all the way. Oh, where He leads I’ll follow, follow Jesus every day.”

I have always liked that hymn. It reminds me that we can listen to His loving words, we can go to him, and we can trust that He will lead us. Hymns seem to hold a lot of wisdom and truth found in the word of God.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I may be the only one, but there are times I don’t really know what or where I am going. I know I am seeking God and I know He has a plan. He promised a plan for our lives. We don’t always see it or even have a clue about what it might be. This is where trusting God really comes in. We have to place our faith in Him, hold His hand and know that He is leading us in the right direction.  This can feel uncertain, unnerving, and even maybe make us feel a bit lost at times. But, God already knows where we are supposed to be and what we are going to be doing. He has a plan already laid out. We need to take that next step and walk in the faith we have, place all our faith in Him and just keep walking.

Psalm 63:8

My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.

He will always keep us when the path ahead looks confusing, treacherous, or even just hard to see.  I know God is leading. I think about Abraham when God told him to go from the land of Uz and just start walking. God promised him that he would be the father of many nations and everywhere he walked would be given to him for his descendants. Abraham did not see this fulfilled in his lifetime but God kept that promise. He may have wondered at times if this promise was right. He may have feared at times. He may have even felt lost, but he kept walking in faith of that promise. He didn’t have an heir until he was 100 years old, but he kept going, knowing what God had promised.

We can keep going in faith, knowing that God is leading. We can follow where He leads. There is a peace that comes as we know we are walking in His will even when it doesn’t seem clear. His ways are higher than ours and He already prepared the way for us. The road ahead may appear dark, but there is light on the horizon. There is clarity and victory. There is a destination that is sure. There is a God leading us when we hold to His unchanging hand. He knows the way. Trust Him. 

promises

As a new year begins, I see possibility. We have a whole new year ahead of us that holds promise and possibility.  Some may look back at the year before and recall good times and bad times. It may have been a rough year or a good year. It may have held joy and pain. But a new year is upon us. As I laid down on the last night of the year,  I felt like God was speaking to my heart about His promises. I was reminded of all the promises His Word holds for us. I am excited to renew my desire to read through the Bible and hold on to His promises for me and for all of us who seek Him.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV

He is faithful and just. His word will be done. God has promises for all of us.  I know when I trust in His promises, it will take place just as he said.  I think about David being anointed king of Israel long before he was actually placed in the position of king. He had a promise in word only. He had to live in that promise, trust that promise and hold onto the Word of God as his life was threatened and as he hid from Saul. He encouraged himself when he felt alone. David had a promise.  He knew God had a plan and a promise for his life. He could have given up. He could have become frustrated or angry with God.  Even when he couldn't see how it would work out, he kept his eyes on the promise of God. He walked through trouble and trial. Some times seemed hopeless and that all would be lost, but David held on to the promise in faith.

We need to keep our eyes on the promise of God. He has plans for us to walk in. He has set out a path for us. Even when we cannot see how it will work out or may feel all alone, keep our eyes on the promise. We may not see the answer to our problems. We may be tempted to give up, feel hopeless or frustrated,   But God says He has a promise. He will not give up on us. He will not go back on His word. He will fulfill His promises.

As I woke up the next morning, the following verse came to my remembrance:

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14 KJV

We need to keep our eyes on the prize of His calling.  We need to press in and press on as we have great promises. Our faith needs to be set in action and motion needs to take place. We can miss out on promises when we do not put our faith in action. Pressing toward a mark means we are taking action. I cannot press toward something without actually moving or acting upon my belief or faith.  We must put our faith into action and move forward toward the goal, or mark. We have a calling and a prize. God has promises to apply to our lives as we move and apply our faith in Him.

We all have promises from God for physical and spiritual needs. We have promises in His Word and promises He has spoken to us from ministry or spoken to our hearts as we poured out our desires to Him. We can find peace in knowing He will fulfill His promise. And as David kept his eyes on the promise, we can live in the promise, act on the promise, take that next step forward, live in faith. This is a new year in which we can claim the promises of God in our lives. We have expectation and promise from our Lord. We have a new year to look forward and press forward in the promises of God. May we all keep our eyes on the promises and press on to that mark. There is more in Jesus for your life. Press on, keep faith, take that step forward. Claim the promises of God.