Psalms 116

1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
       he heard my cry for mercy.

 2 Because he turned his ear to me,
       I will call on him as long as I live.

 3 The cords of death entangled me,
       the anguish of the grave came upon me;
       I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.

 4 Then I called on the name of the LORD :
       “O LORD, save me!”

 5 The LORD is gracious and righteous;
       our God is full of compassion.

 6 The LORD protects the simplehearted;
       when I was in great need, he saved me.

 7 Be at rest once more, O my soul,
       for the LORD has been good to you.

 8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death,
       my eyes from tears,
       my feet from stumbling,

 9 that I may walk before the LORD
       in the land of the living.

 10 I believed; therefore I said,
       “I am greatly afflicted.”

 11 And in my dismay I said,
       “All men are liars.”

 12 How can I repay the LORD
       for all his goodness to me?

 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
       and call on the name of the LORD.

 14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
       in the presence of all his people.

 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
       is the death of his saints.

 16 O LORD, truly I am your servant;
       I am your servant, the son of your maidservant;
       you have freed me from my chains.

 17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
       and call on the name of the LORD.

 18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
       in the presence of all his people,

 19 in the courts of the house of the LORD—
       in your midst, O Jerusalem.
       Praise the LORD.

What do we do after the Lord hears our cry and delivers us? When He has been gracious and compassionate? How can we repay Him? David tells us that we praise His name! That we call on the name of the Lord and keep the promises we made to Him. 

God has blessed my life so much more than I deserve.  He freed me from a marriage that had been a pit…even though I jumped into that pit headfirst.  He gave me peace.  He has forgiven my sins and taken away my shame.  (I still remember it..but He doesn’t!)  He led me to a wonderful house that immediately felt like home for me and my children.  He led me to an OPEN place where I could worship Him with people that understand my weaknesses.  He put good people back in my life.  He took bad people out of my life.  He answers so many prayers it would fill cyber space if I go on listing them! 

I know that God has worked good out of bad for so many people around me.  It’s not just me He has blessed in that way.  I thank Him often for deliverance and salvation and grace…for me…and for people close to me.  Thank you Father!

 

 

I Need You To Love Me

I have heard this song tons of times but never really paid attention to the words. For some reason, I actually HEARD the words the other day and OH MY! They really struck me. 

I Need You To Love Me

Why, why are You still here with me
Didn’t You see what I’ve done?
In my shame I want to run and hide myself
But it’s here I see the truth
I don’t deserve You

[Chorus:]
But I need You to love me, and I
I won’t keep my heart from You this time
And I’ll stop this pretending that I can
Somehow deserve what I already have
I need You to love me

I, I have wasted so much time
Pushing You away from me
I just never saw how You could cherish me
‘Cause You’re a God who has all things
And still You want me

Your love makes me forget what I have been
Your love makes me see who I really am
Your love makes me forget what I have been

I struggle so much with feeling worthy of God’s love…of the good things that He puts in my life.  Why would He love me? It doesn’t make sense! After all the things I’ve done? Why would He? But I need His love.  I can’t claim that I “forget what I have been” …and I’m not sure I want to forget what I have been and where I have been.  I want to remember, so that I never go back there again. So that I never think that I can go off and do whatever I want and not listen to God.  

I will never deserve the good things God gives to me….none of us ever will.  I want to learn how to accept them humbly and graciously and live my life in a way that gives honor to Him.  It’s not really about how I feel…it is about the truth from God.  And He says that I am forgiven.  He says that He loves me. He says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And like my good friend says…it’s always right to agree with God!!

 

 

 

The light of Your face

3 It was not by their sword that they won the land,
       nor did their arm bring them victory;
       it was your right hand, your arm,
       and the light of your face, for you loved them.

 4 You are my King and my God,
       who decrees victories for Jacob.

 5 Through you we push back our enemies;
       through your name we trample our foes.

 6 I do not trust in my bow,
       my sword does not bring me victory;

 7 but you give us victory over our enemies,
       you put our adversaries to shame.

 8 In God we make our boast all day long,
       and we will praise your name forever. 
      

God’s people fought many wars against many enemies. When they trusted in their own swords and their own arms, the had no success. (Joshua and the battle at Ai comes to mind). But when they put their trust in God and asked Him to go with them, they defeated armies that were larger, stronger, and better equipped! (Elisha and the horses and chariots of fire, Gideon and his 300 men)  In verse 3, notice that it says “it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.”

When God’s people acknowledge Him, there is no enemy that can stand! It is just as true today as it was then.  When we ask God for help, when we seek His will, when we put our trust in Him we can have victory over our enemies and they will be put to shame.  It is true! I have seen it in my own life and in the life of friends! Haven’t you?

In verse 8, we are reminded to boast in God and praise His name.  We didn’t defeat our enemies by our own ability or our own “good luck”.  It was God.  We cannot forget this! It is so easy to look around when things are going well and say “look at that..look how good that turned out.  I am so lucky”. NO!!!  We have to remember to praise the Father for the successes we have.   He did those great things…it was the light of His face…because of His love for us.

Thank you Father for fighting our battles, for moving people into our lives that helped defeat our enemies.  Thank you for delivering us from the pit (even if we jumped in head first on our own). You deliver us because we place our trust in You.  You bring us victory because You love us.   Thank you Father for humbling those that have no fear of You…that think they are more wise than You. Thank you for Your enduring love!