Psalm 71:1
In You, O Lord, do I put my trust and confidently take refuge; let me never be put to shame or confusion!
I need thee, Oh I need thee. Every hour. Nothing breeds more confusion than trying to understand the logic of God. He's doing things and moving mountains and hiding me from storms I didn't even know existed. That thing I prayed about that never ever happened because it wasn't my heart's true desire? That was God. That thing that happened instantly when I asked Him to show me a direction to go? A display of God's faithfulness. That time I thought I decided to drive a different way home and missed all the traffic? God. When my great grandmother died and I laid in this very bed and God gave me the revelation that He loved her more than I did? Talk about a wake up call. I'm just going to trust Him because it always works out for my good.
Psalm 71:5
For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust from my youth and the source of my confidence.
My youth was filled with religion. I'm a cradle AMEZionite. But I wasn't in relationship. I knew God and I'd heard His voice even but I didn't know Him. Now that I look back on that I'm shocked that I knew that was the voice of God even when I didn't really know Him like that. There was just something so different about it. So wise and so calm. I liken it to the way I talk to my littles. He talked to me like that when I didn't really know Him. As I grew out of religion in college and leapt into relationship headfirst, my interpretation of His voice has changed. He's probably still as patient but I'm much more impatient with myself. When I want to want to do His will but I don't, I make my own self mad. But you know what? He's faithful and He's always the same. He is the same God of my youth that spoke to me and I knew it instantly. The thing about being in relationship for me is that I hear Him all the time. I ask for things and confirmation all the time and its like a conversation. I often find that His responses are just as a quick as a text and I know I can go to Him anytime. That's my God and I love Him.
Psalm 72:4-5
May he judge and defend the poor of the people, deliver the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor,
So that they may revere and fear You while the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
God has a heart for those without. Many mistakingly think God is the God of the rich because they "have it all." Well first of all, that ain't true. I know plenty of well off folks who lack in so many key areas. Secondly, the favor of God manifests in many ways. You can have no money and 10 kids and your truest desire might have been to be a mom. That's a rich lady! You can have all the money and no friends, no family, and no fun. There are many ways you can be financially blessed and still poor. You can also be a needy child despite having a two parent household. I know I am. I need mountains of emotional support and I get that from friends. That's a big area in which God has delivered me. I'm an introvert but I've for friendships going on 15 years! That's a long time. I've got deep down friends. Friends that know me and who I choose to let in on a daily basis. I've had the same mentor for 12 years. And let me tell you.....I need my mentors. There's nothing like looking at your own life to see God's heart towards you.
Psalm 72:12
For He delivers the needy when he calls out, the poor also and him who has no helper
emotion. I'm a pharmaceutical scientist. My job is drug delivery. I need to get the drug to the target site and avoid all other structures to have the desired affect. More specifically my job is to make sure my drug doesn't go to places it shouldn't and cause havoc. God is like this too. He is the ultimate delivery man. He's UPS on Holy Spirit. His blessings show up exactly when they need to in the areas of our lives where we need Him and many where we just want Him. His deliveries are always on time. Scientifically we call that the therapeutic window. Spiritually I call that blessed, blissed out, and favored.
Psalm 72:14
He will redeem their lives from oppression and fraud and violence, and precious andcostly shall their blood be in His sight.
When I think about the shooting deaths of my fellow Tarheels, this verse gives me such comfort. Despite that fact that they weren't Christian, they were people of faith and they were God's creations. They too were His beloved. I've had an ongoing and beautiful relationship with a young man from middle school who is a devout Muslim. He spent his youth in the middle east, where he's from, learning the entire Quran. Yup, he knows the whole thing. Think about the dedication to religion required to memorize an entire book! The other thing about him is he's just a good guy. He's married to a beautiful Muslim woman of faith. He keeps a fist length beard according to the tenets of his faith and his wife covers. He's is outwardly and inwardly Muslim. We've had many lovely exchanges about faith over the years and I have to say my own faith has been strengthened by these conversations. I consider it a blessing to have a friend who is as devout in his faith as I am AND is of a different faith. Also, I'd like to say for the record that covering is a part of Abrahamic faith in general. Women in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam cover their heads. Nuns do it, married Jewish women do it, and Muslim women do it. I've done it. Every winter in Nebraska, I became a hijabi. I loved it. Covering is beautiful as an aesthetic and as a religious practice.
God sees exactly what happened in the murder of these students and the violence visited upon them and their community of faith isn't unknown to an all seeing God. He knows the pain they feel being persecuted for their faith. He too is outraged. The Word of God says that He will have the last say. And that brings me comfort.
Psalm 72:19
Blessed be His glorious name forever; let the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen and Amen!
His name is to be exalted above all others. I call His name so often, my non-Christian friends in the lab now say Jesus when something isn't going quite right. They many not know that that's a whole, entire, and complete prayer in my faith but that's exactly what it is and that's what they are saying. I love watching how my faith slips into the mouths of others.
Psalm 73:22-24
So foolish, stupid, and brutish was I, and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.
Nevertheless I am continually with You; You do hold my right hand.
You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to honor and glory.
Despite my human failings, God is ever present with me. I know I'm foolish and often not that bright. I just can't call myself stupid cause an ex did while I was on full academic scholarship to college and that's a nope. Without His influence, I was awful. Even though I strive to do good now, I'm still nothing more than mediocre. Its hard but its a fact. I'm just not as awesome as my self esteem tells me I am. With God though, I'm more than I could ever hope to be. God directs my path constantly and holds my hand. I love that its the right hand in scripture cause I'm left handed. My good hand is still free...maybe that's what gets me in trouble. Anyway, He's got me and I've got Him. That's the game.
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.
My heart fails often. I'm a soft person. I'm terribly emotional and very sensitive. I can be reduced to tears just sitting on a couch holding a baby and thinking about future kids. Y'all I'm a sap for real. But my flesh is also weak. I'm fasting quite a few things right now and its a hard walk sometimes. I haven't failed but Lord knows my mind has wondered off into married people territory a few times and I've had to run down the street a few blocks to bring that sucker back in line! Listen, y'all don't know my struggle. She's that fine. No seriously, she is. But anyway, that's still not where I'm supposed to be. Thankfully, God ain't like me at all. He's always stable. He's always firm. I don't say hard because He isn't hard in that mean kind of way. He's like this is right and this ain't, but I see you struggling with the right so come sit by me in your feelings until you get yourself together. Yea, that's really how me and God do sometimes. I have to sit right beside Him in my feelings just like I did in church when I couldn't stop playing with my sister during the sermon.
Psalm 74:16
The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have established the [starry] light and the sun.
Again, I love confirmation. And I needed this word. First of all, this is definitely where I'm supposed to be devotional wise with God right now. He's given me sooooooo much in Psalms over this season. He's been so faithful through His Word with confirmation after confirmation of many of the steps I'm taking. I love feeling like I'm literally being led by Him. Its such a tranquil space to exist in. Moreover, its been kind of difficult to keep up with this devotional but I know its worth it. I spend many of my days getting up at 4:45, quite literally with Jesus to go help out my mentor and my own soul. Yes I'm talking about my 11 week old side kick. Auntie loves her baby, she surely does. But that makes for a very sleepy Auntie. I may have fallen asleep in the Word but I've read every single night and gotten on my knees each and every day. I may not have it in me, but He's literally carried me through my prayers. You know what might change your life? Get on your knees and say "Lord teach me how to pray." Chile........
Psalm 75:2
When the proper time has come [for executing My judgments], I will judge uprightly [says the Lord].
He's coming y'all. Be ready.
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