Trust in the Lord despite impossible obstacles - Psalm 11

Even when it looks like there is absolutely no solution, no resolution, no getting around an obstacle, no getting past whatever trouble lies in your path - trust in the Lord in all of this. The Lord is securely on His throne and is In Charge, no matter what it is we're facing. Evil will get justice. The Lord will take care of that, for He is just and He takes care of the righteous.

The wicked don't consider God - Psalm 10

When I was reading this Psalm, it's all about 'the wicked man' and all that he does that is evil and all that he doesn't do - consider God, His laws, or anything. I read this whole Psalm and thought of Isis. I read it again and partway through thought, "This could be me! I am capable of being this wicked!" In my mind, I think, "No wayyyyy, that could never be me! I could never do such evil to people!" But I know that the sin my heart and mind is capable of doing is far beyond the wicked things I could ever imagine. If I did not know God, or turned from Him completely ["How could I EVER?!"], evil could take over. Satan could take over me and I could bring harm to others.

NO, THANK YOU! LORD, RESCUE ME! He already did - Praise the Lord!!! Hold me close, Father. I want to seek Your ways, follow Your laws, for all you've created and stated and all you have to come for me is for GOOD. I trust You. I love You.

He never forsakes those who seek Him - Psalm 9

This Psalm is a mix of praise to God for His power, justice, judgment, and being a refuge along with humbling before Him for His power to judge righteously, destroy the wicked and have mercy.

10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Verse 20 really resonated with me in this place and time. There are so many bad and wicked things going on the world, the wars happening with Isis and in Gaza. Those not seeking the one and true God are lost in sin. They think they have power and are in control. They are causing so much pain and suffering, and the root of it is selfishness, greed, and a deep, deep dissatisfaction and unfulfilled, empty feeling. What's missing is the Lord, redemption, receiving grace, and turning from sin.

19 Arise, O Lord, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. 20 Strike them with terror, O Lord; let the nations know they are but men.

My Father as Creator - Psalm 8

I love when I come across a verse that I recognize from a hymn, worship song, or movie! Silly, but it just brings a big smile to my face. :)

"Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!"

"What is man, that you are mindful of him?"

I love this Psalm, as I've always been enamored with God as the CREATOR of EVERYTHING. Every piece of creation shouts his glory and magnificence and power! It's mind-baffling and incomprehensible how things work together, both in and of themselves as well as with each other. Weather patterns, ocean currents, trees growing, the diversity of animals (and insects...yuck :) ), the freakin' human body!

It's all so unbelievable to me how *amazing* His creation is. I'm. In. Awe. So humbled by His power...and yet His care FOR ME! AND YOU! Above all of that creation! Wow.

Staying true to what is good and right - Psalm 7

We certainly go through tough times when we KNOW what we are sticking to is good and/or right, though people or circumstances rise as obstacles to what we are pursuing. Even when those obstacles seem so convincing or cause us to doubt our stand in some way, with the Lord as your shield, He can protect you from anyone or any thing.

Recently, I took my 18 month old to the doctor for his 18 month checkup. He happened to have a pretty bad cold/cough at the same time. The doctor asked to do a strep culture, even though he didn't have any of the typical symptoms of high fever over 101 or white spots in a devastatingly sore throat. The rapid strep culture was positive (92% accuracy), and he had an inflamed ear. With his already challenged immune system with severe food sensitivities, I was extremely reluctant to go the route of antibiotics, which wipe out most of the good bacteria along with the bad. Also, the doctor pointed out there could be ingredients in the medicine that he could be reactive to, as well. The doctor told me I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Take the antibiotics to kill the strep virus (which in rare cases can cause consequential health problem if not taken care of) but likely worsen is food sensitivities and weaken his immune system further to more illness...

Long story short, I filled the prescription but quickly researched how I can use the essential oils I have to treat strep and a pending ear infection. Different essential oils from botanicals (God's creation, after all!) have natural, powerful antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory properties (and MANY other properties/benefits). I followed that protocol strictly the rest of the afternoon and through the night. If he was worse in the morning, I would start the antibiotics. I prayed prayed prayed for his immediate healing. I felt in my gut SO BAD about giving him the antibiotics, knowing what I know about how detrimental they are for the rest of your LIFE, in fact, aside from all the present issues I knew would ensue.

In the morning, he was SO SO much better from the cold/cough symptoms; he seemed to feel like a brand new baby!! I praised God so much and kept up with the EO protocols for a full 10 days (just like antibiotics) until we got the second strep lab culture result (which was taken at 7 days post-diagnosis) that it was NEGATIVE for strep! Much more relief and praise and tears in thankfulness to God than my baby was delivered from illness without all the pressures to resort to the medicine.

SO this deviates a lot from the point of Psalm 7 overall, but what I took from it was most relevant for what happened in my life recently. If I'm right, Lord, please stick by me and defeat my enemies. If I'm wrong, lead me to the truth. Praise Jesus!

When you are ill - Psalm 6

When you are ill, don't you just want a little help? Don't you just want a little mercy on your day, especially when you're reallllllly sick? And if you're a mom like me, getting sick can be completely overwhelming when you want to and need to HALT but life keeps skyrocketing forward, with or without you. Maybe your spouse still has to head to work for the day and you still have needy, energetic little ones to feed and corral and entertain, as well as certain house needs that don't stop crying your name.

The last time I felt the sickest, I remember I was attempting to cook lunch for my 17 month old. I usually depend on leftovers for lunches, yet we happened to be fresh out of those. The baby was playing at my feet, pulling on my legs, bringing me toys and asking for attention and for food. I felt totally out of it and "faint", as Psalm 6 puts it...the feeling where you know in "your bones" that all you needed right then way to lay in bed and heal. I just sat down on the rug, leaning against the cabinets by the sink; Finn continued to offer me whatever toy was the highlight of the minute. I felt like I just could not stand another second and my body was just quitting using energy on standing and moving anymore! For the first time ever, I asked my husband to come home from work, which let me retire to my bed and heal with lightning speed.

Thinking back, even though I felt terrible and weak and helpless that day, I could have been nowhere near the amount of agony and groaning as David experienced in this Psalm. I wasn't worn out from groaning or flooding my bed with weeping. But no matter what, whatever ails us or troubles us or worries us, it is God's utmost care that His child is in distress. I don't remember if I prayed in those tough moments or uttered a "Jesus, help me get through this day," but along with lots of water and natural remedies, He certainly did deliver me quickly from that illness and the next day I was up and at 'em, feeling about 98%! God is so good and our divine Healer!

Psalm 6:10 "All my enemies...will turn back in sudden disgrace." That's sure what appeared to have happened. Praise the Lord!

No pleasure in evil - Psalm 5

I'm loving when I find verses (a couple so far!) that speak of seeking God or praying in the morning. It encourages me in my new-forming habit of rising early in the morning to read the Bible first thing before the rest of my to-do's begin. "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation" (Psalm 5:3). I know I'm giving my Father joy by seeking Him first before other things. Just like when my son Finn, only 18 months, seeks his mama first upon rising...like, his eyes half open and he's barely picked his head off the mattress and he's calling for me.

What's the first thing on your mind when you wake up? "Just 10 more minutes...zzzzzzz." Your to-do list running through your mind? Pick right back up with worrying about this or that?

Seek Him first! God relieves us of these things. Give your cares to God first thing, and praise Him for all you are blessed with. Wait in expectation for all God has in store, because it's good and God will honor your pursuit of Him!

There are several verses about how God responds to those who are wicked, arrogant, wrong-doers, liars, those who have rebelled against God, enemies of God. God is holy and good and righteous and the Lord over all, so those who are enemies of Him cannot have His protection and will suffer wrath. My heart aches for those who do not know the Lord!

As Psalm 5 says, I will "ever sing joy" for God's guidance and protection and goodness. He protects the righteous; I will strive to be. And where I fall short (as we inevitably all will greatly fall short), grace makes up for it - that's the whole point for what Jesus did.

Sleep in peace - Psalm 4

As much as one may call upon the Lord and ask Him to answer, at the same time one can trust that he is heard. When we ask God the same request over and over, it can feel like we're not getting through, that God's not listening, that our request is not important enough to be granted or even heard by God.

The Lord hears you. Your Father has your worries and desires close to His heart - you are His child and His utmost joy is to love and take care of you. As a child of God, He has you wrapped up in His arms and your struggles matter so much.  Just as a mommy or daddy never wants to see his/her child come to harm or encounter obstacles seemingly too tough to bear, so the Lord feels for you.

Trust in the Lord. His timing is perfect.

I love the verse, "In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent" (Psalm 4:4). At first I paid no attention to the first phrase, because I don't have a problem with anger. I don't get angry, who me? Um, hello. Search my heart? Okay, I am silent now! Yes, I certainly do get angry. The call here is not to not get angry but to not sin in that anger. Self. Control. At first you may think, "Okay, don't get mad and murder someone." That's pretty easy for me to control. But don't get mad and say something disrespectful to my husband in that anger? That probably happens more often than I'd like to admit. When I search my heart, my actions and words for sure likely spark many things that my husband simply holds his tongue or just lets go. So, this verse strikes home.

I also loved 4:8, which says, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." For me it is rare rare rare rare rare if something should ever be going on that would cause me a sleepless night or take longer than half an hour (more like 90 seconds!) for me to fall asleep at night. Over the years my trust in my Lord has become so deep, I hardly leave anything to worry. I just trust that everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen is part of God's incredibly and intricately woven plan that has mine and your best interests at heart.

The Lord is my shield, day or night - Psalm 3

I've been reading but not getting to the blogging each day. My goal to read and blog each morning is not yet consistent, not yet a habit. Naturally I am a night owl, so it's tough to make myself go to bed at 9 or 9:30 so that getting up at 5 is a breeze. But it's what I want to do (while getting enough sleep), so I'm working towards it.

Psalm 3 really drives home that we have countless enemies against us. The Lord is our divine shield, protecting us and giving us glory. God sustains us day and night. At night, we can rest easy, trusting that God will sustain us through the night.

When we call out to God, He answers. Sometimes we don't get our answer right away. Sometimes we can't make out or don't see what the answer is. Sometimes the answer is, "Yes, my precious child," sometimes it's, "No, I have something better in store for you," and sometimes it's, "Not yet, beloved, just wait." The Lord will deliver you. Trust. Rest easy. Have peace.

Pointless to take a stand against the Lord - Psalm 2

It seems God has a sense of humor. "Why do you people think you can plot against me and do things your way? You really think it will work? ...HA HA HA!.........IT WON'T! Jesus is your King, people!"  That's the nice way of putting it. The Lord gets pretty angry that anyone would think he can plan his own way or put any sort of fight up against His perfect way.

To me, reading this passage literally sounds like a call for kings and rulers (and presidents, all leaders) of the world to serve the Lord with fear and take refuge in Him through their leadership, and they will be blessed through that. As I studied it further, I noticed the very first verse also mentions "the nations" and "the peoples" plotting in vain before it talks about kings and rulers. So then I read it in a different light, thinking about me trying to be the king and ruler of my own life and my own things I'm responsible for. If I allow God to be the Lord of my life (because it's pointless to even try to be my own ruler), then through Him I can have everything I desire and be blessed for trusting Him in all things.

I know I am subconsciously trying ALL THE TIME to do things my way and be in control of the outcomes of things. "If I just do this, then..." "If I could only do it this way, then..." Serve my Lord, give it all to Him, and He'll take care of it and bless it all. Abdicate my reign on my life? Tough. Real tough.

But sounds good. I don't actually want to be held responsible for the outcome of that! Give it to God, and it'll all be perfect. Working on that!

Have delight in the laws - Psalm 1

This morning is day 1, Psalm 1. When I first opened to the Psalm, I was thinking, "Oh man, what did I commit to? This feels challenging. Psalm 1 is 6 verses. Focus on 6 verses for 15 minutes? 150 days [Psalms] of focus like this?" Obviously, there's some natural (of sinful human nature who doesn't want to be of God) resentment and distancing of myself that was coming out right there! Ever more the reason that I needed to do this, and Psalm 1 spoke to that.

It also came to me yesterday that although 150 days of a study on one book sounds like a ridiculous amount at the start, that means 150 days, which is less than half a year. From that perspective, not bad! And if my previous pastor could easily give an entire sermon on sometimes one verse at a time and run out of time to finish, I know that everything here has so much history and unpacking that I could do. 15 min per entire Psalm then sounds like a cinch. I know that God will bless my journey. He told me in this Psalm!

What I took away most from Psalm 1 is that man is blessed for delighting in the law of the Lord, for meditating on it day and night. If so, then like a tree, man will bear fruit in season and his leaves never wither. "Whatever he does prospers" (3). I am blessed for delighting in His laws and for meditating on them constantly. This can be tough - each one of us has commands from God that are tough to follow and some easy peasy. Our sinful nature wants to refuse to follow the tough stuff. Requires a choice and effort to love God more by making a hard decision and choosing to follow...with DELIGHT!

Wow. And then...whatever he does prospers?! I think of my desires and my efforts to be an amazing wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, helper, business owner, health coach, life changer... And to think that when I simply (ha) put my Lord first in all things (and part of that is following His laws), everything else will just fall into place... I've seen it and experienced it countless times in my life. Instances and examples. But all the time? "My leaves will not wither?" Nice. I want to be seen as righteous in God's eyes.

"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous" (6); my destiny is in His hands. I give it to you, Lord.

Psalm journey

One sliver of my personal goals for the new year is to read my Bible for at least 15 minutes each day [specific goal is first thing in the morning during my 5 A.M. Sessions]. On some, if not most, if not All mornings, I hope to jot down a few notes/thoughts about what I read. I started this on 1/2/14. It's now 1/8/14. Though I haven't blogged here on my personal blog about my readings yet, I'm starting today!

Not having any particular plans to study anything in particular, I thought an awesome book to read through would be the Psalms. There are 150 of them. Most mornings I've read a few Psalms in those 15 minutes, but I soon realized I was reading and passing over so many beautiful and good bits of wisdom, encouragement, praise...and not pondering on them enough and taking them in. Yes, it's good to just read and become familiar, but I'm looking for heart change and soul change.

So this morning I decided that for those 15 minutes I would study one Psalm. One. Sometimes it'll be on the short side, and I'll be able to read it many times, study the notes (I have an NIV study Bible that has notes and tips about the text), look up cross-referenced verses if I want to, and really be able to hone in on the verses that speak to my heart. I'll really be able to get to know this book better that way, as well as myself (the good stuff and the ugly stuff, which is so hard to admit but we all have it).

At this point I've read to Psalm 16, so starting tomorrow I'm going to start over and truly take in what God has to speak to me through His word. I anticipate it will be really easy to read the Psalms full of praise and encouragement and kind of tough and depressing to read the ones that are talking about God's judgment for sinners.

Let my Psalm journey begin! Thank you, Jesus, for transforming my life in the countless ways that you have. I am eternally (literally!) grateful that You guide my life and that I can leave it up to You! This world is difficult to navigate. :)