"Where morning dawns and evening fails, you call forth songs of joy."Ps. 65:8
The beauty of God's words broke through my busy thoughts and dry mental analysis and breathed something in my soul. So I had to share. Having struggled to feel connected with God, to get anything out of the word lately, it was a delightful surprise to have that part of me awakened. Being a lover of sunrises, this one is easy for me to grasp.
I was awakened. Reading on, I felt hope revive- Joy, even.
"The streams of God are filled with water." His streams, not ours. Being in a serious drought, here in S California, I remembered reading elsewhere about the River of Life flowing from the throne of God whose leaves bring healing to the nations. I thought of the Pool of Bethesda, and I finally got it, that this may have been one place where heaven was opened and a stream flowed. Having been blessed to have been filled with such joy that laughter erupted.(embarrassingly, but too joyous in His love to care.)
And I saw that there were, in the Spirit, pools- areas where I could discern God moved. ( I think in the places where people were whole heartedly seeking Him) But again, I digress. Why I love blogging- who ever digresses on Face book?
"The grasslands of the desert overflow, the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks,
And the valleys are mantled with grain;
They shout for joy and sing! "
Inspiring me to cry out in my heart with a response-
"Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord.
to him who rides the ancient skies above who thunders with mighty voice. " Ps. 68:32
Rereading the psalm that I'd speed read through before with new eyes, I saw that He knew what I was going through, that He'd put up a divine stoplight to my busy mind.
Are you even hearing me? I see prayers answered elsewhere, and help so the kids in my class, grand kids don't suffer- but why not for me?
"O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come."
He hears. He does hear.
I remember in Psalms 22- that prophetic psalm that told long before all that he would suffer on the cross in detail, including, "... they have pierced my hands and my feet..."
in that Psalm where Jesus quotes on the cross when He cried out in mortal anguish, "My God, My
God, why have you forsaken me?"
That psalm ends for all of us who have felt this way," "you who fear the Lord, praise him!
.....For He has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him,
But He has listened to his cry for help."
He heard. He hears. He cares.
Ps. 66 then told me more of what me, and so many others are going through.
" For you, O God tested us;
you refined us like silver,
You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. ... but you brought us into a place of abundance."
" Come and listen, all you fear God;
let me tell you what He has done for me." In remembering all the love and all the answers to prayer over the years, heaviness is lifted, like the fog that blocks that sunrise.
So how do I live there? V. 1 reminds me, no commands me, like a mighty war cry,
" Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious!
Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you!."
I remember that it is in Praise, in putting my focus on Him, that the Walls of depression, hopelessness, etc. come down!
"If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.
Praise be to God,
Who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld His love from me." (Psalm 66:18-20)
The beauty of God's words broke through my busy thoughts and dry mental analysis and breathed something in my soul. So I had to share. Having struggled to feel connected with God, to get anything out of the word lately, it was a delightful surprise to have that part of me awakened. Being a lover of sunrises, this one is easy for me to grasp.
I was awakened. Reading on, I felt hope revive- Joy, even.
"The streams of God are filled with water." His streams, not ours. Being in a serious drought, here in S California, I remembered reading elsewhere about the River of Life flowing from the throne of God whose leaves bring healing to the nations. I thought of the Pool of Bethesda, and I finally got it, that this may have been one place where heaven was opened and a stream flowed. Having been blessed to have been filled with such joy that laughter erupted.(embarrassingly, but too joyous in His love to care.)
And I saw that there were, in the Spirit, pools- areas where I could discern God moved. ( I think in the places where people were whole heartedly seeking Him) But again, I digress. Why I love blogging- who ever digresses on Face book?
"The grasslands of the desert overflow, the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks,
And the valleys are mantled with grain;
They shout for joy and sing! "
Inspiring me to cry out in my heart with a response-
"Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord.
to him who rides the ancient skies above who thunders with mighty voice. " Ps. 68:32
Rereading the psalm that I'd speed read through before with new eyes, I saw that He knew what I was going through, that He'd put up a divine stoplight to my busy mind.
Are you even hearing me? I see prayers answered elsewhere, and help so the kids in my class, grand kids don't suffer- but why not for me?
"O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come."
He hears. He does hear.
I remember in Psalms 22- that prophetic psalm that told long before all that he would suffer on the cross in detail, including, "... they have pierced my hands and my feet..."
in that Psalm where Jesus quotes on the cross when He cried out in mortal anguish, "My God, My
God, why have you forsaken me?"
That psalm ends for all of us who have felt this way," "you who fear the Lord, praise him!
.....For He has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him,
But He has listened to his cry for help."
He heard. He hears. He cares.
Ps. 66 then told me more of what me, and so many others are going through.
" For you, O God tested us;
you refined us like silver,
You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. ... but you brought us into a place of abundance."
" Come and listen, all you fear God;
let me tell you what He has done for me." In remembering all the love and all the answers to prayer over the years, heaviness is lifted, like the fog that blocks that sunrise.
So how do I live there? V. 1 reminds me, no commands me, like a mighty war cry,
" Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious!
Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you!."
I remember that it is in Praise, in putting my focus on Him, that the Walls of depression, hopelessness, etc. come down!
"If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.
Praise be to God,
Who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld His love from me." (Psalm 66:18-20)
