Psalm 18-20

Still reading everyday and it is becoming a habit.
Slacking on writing about them but it is that season of craziness!

There are things in my life right now that are causing our family great stress. I am so thankful for these psalms that remind me I can call out to God for help and that He is my rock.

Psalms 15,16,17.

Chapter 15

Theme:How to live a blameless life.

Chapter 15: 5 - He who does these things will never be shaken jumped out to me. It made me think about being able to stand firm through the storms of life.And deepened my desire to attempt living by these guidlines.

But man, what a tall order this one is eh??


16-The joys and benefits of living a life in companionship with God.


We must learn to seek God's face and not just His hand. Seeking God for Who He is, not just for what He can do for us, assures us "fullness of Joy" Psalm16:11 and is vital to our victory as believers.


17- The goal of life to know God and see God oneday.

Verse 15
And I--in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness

This one confirmed my desire to wake up in the morning and see His face.

Advent.

Psalm 14

Okay, I was so tired this morning this was a dud of a devotion time for me. I showed up physically, but mentally I was still asleep!
Sigh.
Did anything jump out to you in this chapter??

I reread it tonight and these verses filled my heart with sadness.

The LORD looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

He is looking to see if there is anyone who seeks Him.
Oh, i want to be counted in that number don't you?

Psalm 13

I noticed right away that David asked over and over "HOW LONG LORD????"

I have been that desperate, haven't you??
"How long must I endure this?"
And yet David quickly went from great distress to a calm assurance by the last verse.
I want to get there that fast, don't you?

God is really hammering us on the trust issue in these last few Psalms. I am praying that He is doing a mighty work in each of our lives as we faithfully meditate each day.

Psalm 11-12

Psalm 11 speaks of God's stability in the midst of panic. Because we can trust Him we can face our problems!


11:5- God doesn't shield us from difficult circumstances in this life.

He examines,tests, and refines us all. I know this, and yet can't seem to stop trying to defy the tests and challenges that come my way.



Chapter 12-

My Bible says the theme is -The proud and lying words of people versus the true and pure words of God. A call for protection against those who try to manipulate us.


James 3:5
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

Ugh, mastering our tongues is a tough one isn't it?? That is part of the reason I want to start my days with gathering from His word.
Anyone else battle with it??
Tips to share of how you are working on it?

I love quotes so I often write out quotes on my desktop and around my house to try to put good stuff in, and remind me of how important our words are.

This one has been on our fridge for over a decade now- Warning this verse may cause nausea!

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless!
James1:26

OUCH!!

Now, I must admit when I first copied this quote down and decided it should take up residence on our refrigerator it was not for my benefit ;)
However, while I may have thought I was posting it for others, I know now that it most certainly was a memo from God addressed to me!

Can I get an amen?

Psalm 10

Psalm 10: 12 - 18: David prays that God will do something. In verses 16-18 David tells his people that God will do something. God will frighten the wicked away. David knew that after fighting foreign countries (look in Psalm 9) there was unrest in his own kingdom. King David tried to stop it, but he knew that only God would really stop it.

Something to do:
When there is trouble pray to God about it. There may be unrest in your own country. Pray to God about it. You may feel frightened. You may not feel safe. Pray to God about it. Then read Psalm 10:16-18. Believe that one day it will be true. That is the promise of God to you.

Twila Paris - Do I Trust You, Lyrics

I have not heard this song for years, but the words always spoke to my heart.
I think it goes perfectly with the last Psalm where we questioned- Am I trusting Him at all??

Psalm 8 and 9

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.

Psalm 9:10

So many times I have struggled with simply trusting Him. This verse makes me question then -Do I really know Him?? If I do, shouldn't the trusting part come easily?

The second part about this verse that made me take pause (selah) was - For You O Lord do not abandon those who search for You.

How many times have I felt like God wasn't as close as usual? Even becoming frustrated that I couldn't FEEL (there is that word again) Him near.
But here is another reminder that He is always close. He doesn't retreat or abandon us, but it is us who have to seek Him.

Hmm, would love to chat with you (40 ladies) who are following along about your thoughts. Remember this was to be a community to share and learn from each other. I don't want this to just be a place I write and you read-zzzzz!
Comment, ask, engage!
I would love to even open it up to have some of you write the posts so let me know if you would be willing to do that. I promise I'll comment!

Our Mess!

Corrie Ten Boom writes, “Only Heaven will reveal the front side of God’s tapestry of our lives.” Right now, we can only see the back of the tapestry. It looks like a mess. Nothing makes sense. Colors are random. Knots are everywhere. There is no rhythm or pattern. That is what the backside of a tapestry looks like. But when that tapestry is completed and flipped over and hung out for all to see, the comments are no longer, “This does not make sense”, but rather, “Wow, how incredibly beautiful!” And this, I believe, is what Heaven will reveal.

Psalm 6&7

Psalm 7:9 -God tries our emotions???

In this this context the word means to test until purified.

Does anyone else want to be purified but doesn't want to ask to go through the testing of our emotions??

Emotions are fickle aren't they?? We have to learn to do things despite how we FEEL!
We have to learn to control ourselves even if we feel out of control!
I once read three things to do when you you are being emotional-
1. Do not allow yourself to fall under condemnation
2. Do not try to figure out what is happening (love this!)
3. Say "This is one of those times when my emotions are being tried. I'm going to trusr God and learn to control them."

"Trying times are learning times. They are testing times,and I always say,"Pass your test this time so you will not have to take it again"-Joyce Meyer

Psalm 5 - Chuck Girard with lyrics

That song has me sitting in the backseat of my parent's car as a girl listening to the Maranatha singers-lol!!

So this is the verse that hit me over the head (a little too hard to be honest)

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up".

In my Bible The Amplified Version it words it like this-
In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].

Great, now I don't only have to get up early, but I need to prepare for this meeting???

Just keeping it real ladies.

While meditating on this scripture I came across a very thought provoking sermon that I wanted to share with you.
http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/b2b01.shtml



Yes it is long, but I found it so rich. I hope it speaks to you as well.

How can we be praying for you this weekend??

Psalm 4

ANSWER ME when I call, O God of my righteousness (uprightness, justice, and right standing with You)! You have freed me when I was hemmed in and enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me and hear my prayer.

Thank you God, for listening and answering my prayers. Help me to remember when I'm distressed that I can still can wrap up and rest in Your peace.

Does that sound good to anyone else right now??
Are any of you distressed?? Feeling hemmend in??

Psalm 3

“Lord, How they are increased who trouble me!”

Bahahaha!! Did the first verse resonate with anyone else??

After that, verse 3 spoke to me about how the Lord will lift our heads when we are downcast. Oh, I can go there can’t you? When we are like that it isn’t just our heads that are weighed down it’s our eyes, our shoulders, our hands, our speech, and our hearts.
But I can picture God gently cupping my face and lifting it until my eyes can’t help but look up to Him.

Psalm 2

Soo tired today. Seems that I'm gathering at mid morning instead of daybreak!

Psalm 2: 8-9 really stuck out to me.

Psalm 2:8-9 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

Probably because there was a chorus we used to sing back in YFC days that had those words- remember girls?? I had to find it on youtube to share.





But I remember singing this song as a young girl and thinking only of what I could get from it. Simply, I imagined If only I asked of God He would give me a big fat inheritance and all the nations would be mine! I understood it to mean that God my father, would give me the whole world if only I'd ask.I never stopped to think that if this verse really meant that, then I would have to believe that those living in poverty and desperation obviously weren't asking for their inheritance.

Unpacking this passage years later and with the help of Bible commentaries I now understand that in vs. 8 the Father is speaking to the Son. The entire earth and all the nations upon it will come under the authority of the Son of God. What is it that Jesus has to do for this to be accomplished? Only this – He simply needs to ask the Father!
The timing of this event brings us to the seventh and last trumpet in the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 11:15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.”


Everything was created through Jesus Christ and He is also the heir of all things. (Hebrews 1.2) And the day will surely come when He asks of the Father to receive His inheritance and from the presence of the Ancient of Days Jesus shall be given all authority and power over the heavens and the earth.


Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts and questions about this Psalm.
And is there any area you need this community to pray for you?? Being motivated just to spend time in the Word? Health? Family? Feel free to share so we can lift eachother up in prayer across the miles.

Psalm 1

Author: David, Asaph,the sons of Korah, Moses, and others

Date: 1000 BC-300BC

Everyday Life Principles:
The psalms are full of practical advice and they are easy to read and pray.
When you need encouragement, instruction, or comfort, read the Psalms.
Express your heart to God freely and fully, just as the psalmist did.

Because the Psalms were originally intended and used as worship songs for congregations or individuals,many of the Psalms address God directly.

It is a book full of honesty and heart!

Dear Heavenly Father, quiet our thoughts today lord,and remove any dust from our eyes so that we may see and hear cleary from you.

Amen.


Psalm 1 promises prosperity to those who delight in God's law and who meditate on it day and night. So if we give God and His word first place in our lives we can expect to prosper.

Wow! This passage should motivate us all to dig deep and get rooted.
Note the recurring biblical principle: First the root, then fruit. First the Word with obedience and then the bearing of fruit. The sad truth is that so many Christians are more concerned about the leaves and the fruit at the expense of neglecting the root, but the roots are the most important part. Unless Christians spend time daily in the Word, and allow the Spirit to feed them, they will wither and die.

Fruit:
Whatever is on the inside must eventually be seen on the outside. Applied to the spiritual life, this means that when our roots are deep in the Word, we will be given whatever we need, whenever we need it. If we need love, from the Word of God will come the strength to produce the fruit of love. If we need a forgiving spirit, from the Word of God will come the strength to forgive. If we need courage, we will produce the fruit of courage. If we need patience and perseverance, the Word of God will produce it in us. This sort of supernatural life is available to every believer, but it will only be fully realized over time as we continue to walk with the Lord and to delight in his Word.
We prosper in the sense that no matter what happens, we will find strength for the day and hope in the midst of the hardest difficulties. We bring forth godly fruit in good times and bad times. Why? Because we are planted deep in the good soil and our roots reach out to the water of the Word of God. Finding constant nourishment therein, we then can face whatever life throws at us.


The first Psalm tells us that even if you plant that tree by the stream, it will only yield its fruit “in season”. A tree doesn’t blossom the day you plant it, or next week, or even the next year.

You aren’t going to get to the majesty of being a mature Christian by saying a few words and then BAM! you’re there. It takes some time to grow. It takes some time to blossom. And it takes some time to show good fruit.

What stuck out for you in this passage??
What word or phrase made you take pause?
What will you take away with you today?

Do It Anyway!

"The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak"



I'm just going to say it-
There have been days when I don't get much out of my quiet times. Days when sadly, I have wonderful intentions to spend time with Him, only to nod off.
Days, I don’t even bother showing up.
And days when I have bought the lie that I just don't have enough time to spare.
Oh sister, please tell me you've been there.
Tell me you've been bored to tears while smoothing those delicate pages.
Tell me that you struggle too.
I think if we are all honest, we would have to admit that there are days when reading the Bible is about as exciting as doing laundry.
Sigh.
On those days while marinating in guilt, I let the enemy whisper vicious lies into my heart.
I leave my quiet time feeling defeated and certain that God is disappointed with me.

Even when I'm doing a good job digging into the word the enemy shoots his arrows. Like the McDonald's slogan (so sad that I know it) he whispers "You deserve a break today!"
Like a break from God would ever be just what I needed. And yet, I find myself buying it!
I am hoping that this is finding you all collectively nodding at the screen, instead of wide-eyed and shocked at all the ways I lack.
So what is a girl to do when she is bored, weak, guilty and tired?
DO IT ANYWAY!




Persevere despite how you feel!
Cry out to God to help you in your weakness.
"Honour my efforts as pathetic as they are" is a prayer I have repeated time and time again.
And you know what I've found?
He responds faithfully to our heartfelt cries.

(Isaiah 41:10 NKJV) Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Mercy, I need to be strengthened don't you?
Could you use some help?

And don't view the times you haven't felt anything or have even fallen asleep as a failure. The enemy would love nothing more than to have you just throw your hands up and quit. Instead, know that God is so proud of his child's desire to show up. And if you fall asleep, think of it as falling asleep head on His lap. You could have fallen asleep somewhere else, you at least did it in your father's arms.

The good news is if you commit to spending time with Him rain or shine, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health (you can see where I'm going with this right?) the good days start to outnumber the bad ones. Eventually you cross that threshold and just like anyone who has trained his or her body to (gulp) actually crave exercise- you will crave your devotional time.And once you get a taste of what it is like to have that thirst quenched-you'll be hooked!

The more you show up and get into the word, the more His word gets into you!! And I don't know about you, but I need His words in the place of mine just to make it through the day.

"One day of exhilaration in the Holy spirit is worth a thousand days of struggle!"
~Bob Sorge

Things in life that have eternal value always come at a high price!
Boredom, time,and weariness are all small prices to pay!

Do it anyway!

Praying for our upcoming journey together,

Kare

You're Invited

Welcome friend,

How I wish we could sit together and share in person.
How I wish we could meet in our jammies, curl up on the couch and speak wisdom and encouragement into each others lives.
But geographically that doesn’t work…or does it?

You are invited to tiptoe out of bed a few minutes early in the mornings and take a spiritual journey with me.
Light a candle, grab a warm mug, and curl up in God’s promises.
Where is the spot that calls to you?? Join me from your window seat, your comfy chair, your rocker on the front porch, and let’s share in a community of friendship and faith. This is a place to share your thoughts about the passage of the day and gain insight from others. This is a place to voice your struggles, your faith questions, and a place to be able to reach out and squeeze another’s hand when they need it. Will you take this journey with me? Will you pray for the outpouring of blessings it will bring?
Come as you are. Be real, be honest, we like you better like that anyway.

I will be honest and tell you this will be a challenge for me as I am a girl that loves my zzzzzz’s. But I have come to see the truth in the following quote:

“Read it because it’s manna and and you’ve got nothing to give if you haven’t gathered, and you have to gather it at daybreak if you are going to gain from it the daylong” ~ VosKamp

Will you join me in this season to gather?

Invitation and heart extended,

Kare