Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].
I've decided I'm going to stop being surprised when God shows up in this devotional time because He is apparently waiting in the wings for real! I wrote a poem this morning about being brokenhearted but I also ended it with hope. The hymn writer said "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." And now I'm crying for the 2nd time this morning. See that's the thing about my God. He never said you wouldn't be sad but He will heal you. He'll give you a hope and a future. You see even in my sadness, I knew better because I know Him. I know He can if its His will and since I want to be in His will, that has to be enough. God isn't forsaking you by allowing pain in your life, He's making a place to show you who He is and what He can do. That's not trivial. Its so not. I was in the midst of that this morning. And now "I'll Make It" is playing on my pandora. The chorus is "Its going to be all right now. Think I'll make it, anyhow."
Psalm 147:5
Great is our Lord and of great power; His understanding is inexhaustible and boundless.
And the next time you think God doesn't understand what you're going through consider this: He created humanity knowing we would cost Him His Son. He did it anyway. He didn't need to be worshipped. He isn't sustained by our praise. He always was and will be. So why make us knowing it would cost Him so dearly? I wouldn't have. I would have kept my son. So to lose and to lose big and be willing to lose big is something God knows well. Now because He is God, Jesus took death's sting, but He was outside the presence of the Father and the Father was absent from Him for a time. God was literally separate from a part of Himself. Lord...that makes me think of my wife. Let me get myself together. Actually no, let's walk that path. When I think its so terribly painful to be separated from her by space, time, and revelation, I have to remind myself God was separated from Himself! Like His actual self! Being separated from her is hard but I've at least got myself! Listen....let me get some perspective in my life. I've got myself and my God so I'm just going to wait on Him to bring my wife over here. I need to stop acting like He doesn't know my struggle cause chile please! Separated from myself? Nope!
Psalm 147:11
The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness.
Listen....I just want to be pleasing in His sight. I just want my worship to rise before Him and be a perfect effort on my part. I think the thing that's set apart this time in my life is that I'm actively hoping in God. Instead of thinking it's going to happen because of me, I've been acutely aware that only if it be His will will certain things come to pass. Its a place that's foundation is surrender and its so hard. The human me wants to make things happen. I wanted to actively engage and even when I did that human thing of trying to rush God's process, it didn't work. I called the admissions office of HUCM far too many times during the 87 days between my interview and my acceptance. It was the same thing I did the year before and it didn't work then. At a certain point I had to come to know that if it was for me, and He'd told me it was, that I was going to choose to step out of faith and believe. Nothing but what He said to me made me believe that I was going to HUCM. No thing. But I still bought those towels and things for my apartment before I got my decision because I believed Him. I believe God.
Psalm 147:14
He makes peace in your borders; He fills you with the finest of the wheat.
I immediately saw this as "He makes peace in your mind." <----The truth. The thing about the peace that He gives is you have to give Him your concerns in exchange. You can't be concerned and at peace. You can't be anxious and at peace. Those things can't exist in the same place. I can't hold both of those truths. So in many situations, I've chosen to give it to Him and go on about my business. I'm trusting God for the rest.
Psalm 148:13
Let them praise and exalt the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted andsupreme! His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven!
If He never does another thing for me, He's done enough. <---I remember hearing the old people say this in church and I didn't quite know what it meant but I'm coming to learn. He's done so much but He doesn't have to do anything to be worthy of worship. I love praise and worship. Its such a blessing unto my soul because it requires me to be outside of myself. Ultimately as I worship, the things of the world fall away from my mind and all I see with my eyes shut is white. I don't know why its white but its always bright when I'm worshiping. But what I love is the part where everything falls away. I can literally escape into worship.
Psalm 149:4-5
For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation andadorn the wretched with victory.
Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty [which God confers upon them]; let them sing for joy upon their beds.
We make Him happy. Isn't that a mind boggling concept? When I wrote about why He'd give His Son it because we delights in us. He knew His Son would return AND that the only way we would return to relationship would be for them to separate temporarily. Chile....its so much. I love the idea that humility honors Him. I had such pride giving God credit for my PhD because I wanted everyone to know, not by my strength or intelligence, but by Him alone. Yes I said pride. Why? Because I'm proud to be His child and His beloved.
There's so much joy in the Lord. Everything I've ever needed, I've found in Him. I have this extra cheesy smile that spreads across my face as I think about Him or sing songs about His glory. I'm desperate for Him but I need not want because He's always there with a dose of grace, mercy, everlasting love, and undue favor.
Psalm 150:2
Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness!
According to the abundance of His greatness? We'd be here into the next eternity if that was the goal but I give it a perfect effort in my worship. I'm so thankful for who He is but I'd be lying if I didn't say that when He moves on my behalf I'm completely awestruck and humbled. I actually got my second tattoo because of an act. The act of getting me into medical school: Yes, I want my thanks unto God permanently placed on my body. I actually got infinite grace tattooed on me because its the truth of my relationship pith Him: He's been nothing but gracious with me and my human ways. His grace endures in a way I've never seen and will never experience from anywhere else. His grace is sufficient. His grace is my hope and my peace and a demonstration of His love for me. Thank you.
Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
That would be me! I have breath and I will praise Him all the days of my life. I just want to hear two things in Glory:
You've been faithful over a few things...
Well done, my good and faithful servant.
And this life will have been lived well.
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