fear

God is FOR us, Psalm 56

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God is FOR us

God IS for us

God is for US

GOD is for us

We should repeat this phraseology – God is for ME – and God is for US – with the emphasis of GOD. 

God is FOR us – God IS for us – God is for US – GOD is for us… 

With God, how can we not be alright – even better than alright – even if it takes endless rough spots to get through. And some people’s rough spots are tougher than others and some people are more strong – but the weakness that leads to depending upon God is the best weakness of all. For GOD IS OUR STRENGTH – and GOD is for us.

David – the king and the shepherd – he went through tough times and whether we relate and whether people have actually tormented us – the prayer can be the same – “Be merciful to me, O God…” David realized that with God and in God that he would be OK – even unto torment and death. I pray we are not there but for those times that we fear – we ALSO can cry out to the Lord – for the times we wonder – for the times we hurt… God collects our tears – God plans our steps – God doesn’t change and always carries us.

For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the light of the living?

If we are still here today, God has a purpose for us. We can keep going – God is FOR us.  Survive, Thrive, Be Alive.

Amen

Psalm 56 NKJV – Prayer for Relief from Tormentors
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.


Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;
Fighting all day he oppresses me.
My enemies would hound me all day,
For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?

All day they twist my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
They gather together,
They hide, they mark my steps,
When they lie in wait for my life.
Shall they escape by iniquity?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God!

You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?
When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me.
In God (I will praise His word),
In the Lord (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God;
I will render praises to You,
For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the light of the living?

Jesus Slept His Peace

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“Whenever I’m afraid, I put my trust in You.” Psalm 56:3

It was probably the most human and Godly thing Jesus did, SLEEP. I’m sure He ate, we know He pained at the walk to the cross, got angry, wept tears… And the daily activity that both shows His humanness, getting tired, AND His Godliness, trusting God our Father had everything under control, was an ability and necessity to SLEEP.

In our VBS story of Jesus calming the waters, we play-acted with tarps as a boat and water, using some of the crew to run around and be the loud storm, and the other half the scared disciples trying to wake Jesus. Was it just thinking that the disciples were to trust things, Jesus slept through the storm – or was it Jesus was just SO TIRED and/or this was the only opportunity to rest? I wonder if it was a natural storm or one cooked up by the creator in chaos of the world to shake the situation. 

We DO live in a broken world. For all it’s beautiful ways, there’s still brokenness – (and I’m not just talking about the fun breaking of water balloons, which we used again (now that’s a miracle invention!) as items in our parachute storm play) – but brokenness in our lives, attitudes, and lack of peace.. . Brokenness showed interestingly intensely to me yesterday admiring the pollen and sunflowers outside my house. The small bees were attacking each other, maybe stealing the pollen, it was aggressive and sad. There seemed to be enough pollen for them all, but the three bees just tugged at each other like the little kids fighting over a toy.  Brokenness. 

Well, I found some peace in sitting outside the camping tent (both prop and games storage tent) in between sessions. And that kind of peace is but a fraction of the peace that Jesus promises us- to trust in Him now – and to live in Him forever.

It’s a piece that storms will come up, but Jesus will wake up, command them to stop, even scold us for not trusting. If Jesus could trust BOTH the Plan (and the Play-out of it all happening) AND trust forever and a day of God’s Sovereignty and control, and still be human in a broken world, then we too can just rest a moment in peace.

Peace… get it, hold it, give it, love it.

Amen 

PS – the blue jello snack they had was the best ever…  I’d eat up that sweet water and sweet calm of Jesus anyday!

PPS – someone saw me inside after our outside games and said: you look like you have been thru the ringer out there in hot weather – but honestly it was shady enough, calm enough, and peace enough for me…  Summer is for loving it!

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:35-41 NIV

SKILLS

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A great conversation this week with a friend who is running a VBS that I will help with – a conversation about the fear of God – respectful fear – awesome fear – and yet fearful fear…  Well, I said about my sense with God and the fear of God – is that I fear God if I don’t use my SKILLS that He gave me for His Purposes first and foremost and then I fit the rest of “my” work into the day. I fear the Lord, in the sense that if I fall and fail to be the one that people (in a good way) look to – He won’t look as good – or Christians won’t look so faithful. But I even fear if I forget that when I do fail, that Jesus has me in the saved and forgiven category… 

Jesus saves, we use skills, and life continues…

A skill I know I have is to speak to people one by one and then in big crowds as if I am speaking to individuals – it is a personality trait as well as life training. And another skill I have is to “wing it”. And another skill I have is to write (seriously wonder how to use it best). And another skill is no skill at all – it is to smile.

A skill I don’t always use – that I should – is to keep my mouth shut and let it roll off my back. And a skill and learned experience – I also should use more – is to speak up and set things straight. And the crucial skill for us all – to make amends when we can. Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.

Well, what are your skills? Where has the Lord led you to show witness to His Ways through you?

I’m still working on mine – aren’t we all! I will wing the rest of this life on the skills I have – yet the best “SKILL” for each of us is to hold onto the Lord and watch Him plan our days.

…

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (from Proverbs 16)

…

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (from Proverbs 16)

…

Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known. (from Proverbs 14)

Amen

excerpts from Proverbs 14 NIV

The wise woman builds her house,
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
    but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,
    but the lips of the wise protect them.

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
    but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.

Stay away from a fool,
    for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,
    but the folly of fools is deception.

Fools mock at making amends for sin,
    but goodwill is found among the upright.

The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,
    and the good rewarded for theirs.

The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,
    but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

All hard work brings a profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,
    and for their children it will be a refuge.

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
    turning a person from the snares of death.

A heart at peace gives life to the body,
    but envy rots the bones.

Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning
    and even among fools she lets herself be known.