Psalm 37

Anger, rage and envy are very destructive emotions. They reveal a lack of faith that God loves us and is in control. We should not worry; instead we should trust in God, giving ourselves to Him for His use and safekeeping.

When we dwell on our problems, we become anxious and angry. But if we concentrate on God and His goodness, we will find peace.

A friend once asked me how she could possibly be peaceful in the midst of the terrible things that were happening to her and around her. At that time, I regret that I didn't have much of an answer for her. I told her to pray. She said she'd already been doing that.

If I'd been more mature as a Christian; if I'd been in Bible study as I do now I could have pointed her to this psalm. I am thankful that God forgave me my lack of knowledge and is helping me to learn more about Him and His ways so that I can be used by Him in greater and more powerful ways as I mature as a Christian. And I'm grateful that my friend got the help she needed from God.

I pray that I will always be ready and able to give assistance as God puts opportunities in front of me. There is much to be learned in the Psalms and I want to glean all God has for me there.

Psalm 29 The Power of God

Throughout history God has revealed His power through mighty miracles over nature. He promises to continue to reveal His power. In Ephesians, Paul urges us to understand how great God's power is. The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is available to help us with our daily problems. When we feel weak and limited, we should not despair but remember that God can give us strength. The same power that rules creation and raises the dead is available to us!

I've been feeling particularly weak since my husband died last September. I've felt alone, lonely and completely powerless. After my mother died a couple of months ago in May I felt disconnected and misplaced. It's been the biggest struggle of my life. Without the knowledge that God is in control and that He is able to provide strength for each day, I'm not sure what might have happened to me.

He carried me through and I'm emerging from the flames a stronger person with more faith than ever. For that I am truly grateful. I praise God that He is all-powerful and that His power was and is available to me!

Google: Wisdom

With a personal computer the whole world is literally at our fingertips. There is a wealth of information to be had, and possessions to be purchased all with the click of the mouse. We can look up answers to most any question; get information on our pets and about our own health. It's a convenience, a time-saver and occasionally, if we spend enough time searching, it can often find us a real shopping bargain. It is a benign pastime, an innocent hobby. Or is it?

In my home, over the years there have been some complaints about the amount of time spent in front of the gadget by certain family members. Our television has also worked overtime along with the computer.

As Christians, we pray for God's Wisdom in our lives. But some of us don't seem to be getting any wiser. We know that God's Word promises Wisdom if we seek it with all our hearts. Since God's promises are true, if we are among the not-so-wise, the fault lies with us, not with Him. Perhaps if we are truly seeking wisdom, we should prayerfully begin to reevaluate some things in our lives. In doing so, we may find that instead of searching Google, our time might be better spent searching our Bibles.

Doing a Bible search, may reveal to us that there are things in our lives, that (yes I'm going to say it) can become addictive.

We understand from God's Word that anything we love more than God is an idol. How extremely painful and even embarrassing it is for a Christian to admit the sin of idolatry. But we must realize that if we have a desire for God's best for our lives (and His Wisdom) we cannot attain it unless and until we repent.

MHCC (Matthew Henry Concise Commentary) says, "Though our religion forbids idolatry, many practice spiritual idolatry in their hearts. For what a man loves most, and cares most for, that is his god: some have their riches for their god, some their pleasures and some their lusts. And many ignorantly worship a god of their own making..."

Clearly, the problem isn't the computer itself, the internet or any other possession. It is when we develop a personal need for anything that we place before God. At our home we made a decision to have our internet connection discontinued. I do not believe that every Christian necessarily needs to give up the internet, the computer or anything else. But we just wanted to see if we could do it and what would happen.

As a result, our family began naturally spending more time together. We started talking more and praying together, which was something we'd never done. Our relationships improved. We became aware that our knee-jerk reactions to life's problems were becoming more prayerful and thoughtful (dare I say wiser?) responses. And we noticed that others responded to us in kind. God helped us to identify a potentially dangerous obstacle that had stood between His blessings and us. We came to realize that we would rather have God's blessings and His wisdom than anything else we could possibly discover on Google.

Eventually, we had our internet reconnected and began using our computer again. In fact I now use it to earn my part of our living. But, we never forget that we are to use it and not allow it to use us.

God blesses His children with many fine things both spiritually and materially. He wants us to enjoy the life He has given us. And He wants us to take pleasure in everything that He has created. But let us never forget that we are to worship the Creator and not His creation.

"But if any man among you is without wisdom, let him make his request to God, who gives freely to all without an unkind word, and it will be given to him."

(James 1: 5. BBE)

Psalm 25 Is Very Exciting!

I have been seeking God's will in making a life-altering decision. I've asked my church family to pray about it with me and I've asked God many times each day to guide and direct me in choosing the right path. Today was the day I read the 25th Psalm and wow! It spells out every single thing I was looking for. Talk about answered prayer!

The first step is to want to be guided and to realize that God's primary guidance system in in His Word, the Bible. Psalm 119 tells of the endless knowledge found in God's Word. By reading it and constantly learning from it we will gain the wisdom to perceive God's direction for our lives.

We may be (I was) tempted to demand answers from God, but David asked for direction. When we are willing to seek God, learn from His Word, and obey His commands, then we will receive His specific guidance!

We are bombarded today with relentless appeals to go in various directions. Add to that the dozens of decisions we must make concerning our job, family, money, and our society, and we become desperate for someone to show us the right way. If we find ourselves pulled in several directions, remember that God teaches the humble His way.

There is a lot more in this Psalm but since I'm focused on finding God's will in making a decision, I will focus on this point.

I've been a Christian for many years and the more I learn, the more I find that I have so much more to learn. There I was pleading for God's answer and all the time it was right in front of me...in His Word. Of course I knew that. I just wanted a shortcut and was begging for Him to 'show' me what to do. Well duh.

God is holy, almighty, righteous, pure, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-wise. When we regard Him correctly, we gain a clearer picture of ourselves: sinful, weak, frail, and needy. When we recognize who God is and who we are, we will fall at his feet in humble respect. Only then will He show us how to choose His way.

So, I have purposed to pick up the Bible whenever I get a chance throughout the day and I am convinced that the answers I'm seeking will come in God's time and that they will be clear. Until then I will not walk through any door that God Himself hasn't opened for me and I will not close any door that He has opened.

Praise God in whose name I trust.

The 23rd Psalm

There is so much in this short Psalm but I'm going to focus on just a couple of things.

In verse 4 it speaks of death. Death casts a frightening shadow over us because we are completely helpless in its presence. We can struggle with other enemies - pain, suffering, disease, injury - but strength and courage cannot overcome death. It has the final word. Only one person can walk with us through death's dark valley and bring us safely to the other side - the God of life, our shepherd. Because life is uncertain, we should follow this shepherd who offers us eternal comfort.

In the last verse we see that believers will dwell with God. God the perfect Shepherd promises to guide and protect us throughout our lives and to bring us into His house forever.

I don't know about you but I'd surely rather cross death's valley with God leading me than to even think of the alternative.

Ask For Help First Psalm 20

Our daily battles are not usually the same as King David's. He ruled a powerful army but He knew that his victories didn't come from weapons and skill but from the Lord. He prayed before he went into battle and asked for God's protection and His power.

We should do this in our own smaller, daily battles as well. Ask God ahead of time to help us get through the day; especially if we have some difficult task ahead.

I ask God for help with my daily tasks and to go with me through the day as I do whatever activities He sets before me. Does He care about all the ho-hum details of my life? Yes, He does. He's my Father.

The Heavens Tell of God's Glory Psalm 19

We are surrounded by fantastic displays of God's craftsmanship...the Heavens give dramatic evidence of His existence, His power, His Love, His care. To say that the universe happened by chance is absurd. It's design, intricacy, and orderliness point to a personally involved Creator.

While nature points to the existence of God, the Bible tells us about God's plan of salvation. God's people must explain to others how they can have a relationship with God.

When we think of the law, we often think of something that keeps us from having fun. But here we see the opposite: God's laws revive us, make us wise, bring joy to the heart, give insight, warn us and reward us. God's laws are guidelines and lights for our path rather than chains on our hands and feet. They point at danger to warn us, then point at success to guide us.

God not only forgives our sin but he forgives our sin that we commit unknowingly. That is a comfort because sometimes I fail to put my whole heart into a task, I've neglected what I should have done and I'm sure there are other sins of omission that I'm guilty of but of which I may not be aware. I pray God will make me aware so that I can avoid that kind of sin. But regardless, if I ask for forgiveness of my unintentional sin, I am assured in Psalm 19 that I have it. Praise God for His Word, for His Holy Spirit and for Jesus Christ who died that I may live forever!

About Psalm 18

This morning I read Psalm 18. In it, David is praising God for his victory and deliverance from his enemies. The only sure way to be delivered from surrounding evil is to call upon God for help and strength.

As I read I began to realize once again that God does not always rescue us from our troubles but he will always be our support as we go through them. If we had no troubles, we'd never grow as Christians but we can be sure that we're never walking alone through the valley. We're never helpless with God by our side.

I can give an example from my own life. On September 24, 2008 my husband passed away from liver cancer. A few months later on May 18, 2009 my mother passed away. I'd always prayed that we'd all go together but that wasn't God's will. But during the months since I've been without my soul mate I've prayed and been prayed for by my church family. I'm not devastated and I'm not lonely. This would not be possible without God's comfort and love for I loved those two people with all my heart. It's true what the Bible says about His taking special care of widows and orphans. I should know...I'm both.

I stand amazed at His power and His love; that He would care so much for me that He would make sure I did not suffer through this time. I desire to praise and serve Him even more because of His great love for me.

Reading Psalms

I've been reading a Psalm a day for 17 days. I've been a Christian for many years but it's amazing what I have learned by re-reading this book. Some would say it's just an Old Testament book and the New Testament is more relevant. But that's not true at all!

Throughout the Psalms, David and other authors cry out to God in times of trouble but by the end of the Psalm, they have realized by their very outcry that they are talking to the creator of the universe and that He has the answer to their dilemma no matter how dire. They usually end the Psalm by remembering the things God has done for them in the past and then thanking and praising Him.

I've become more aware of why we need to call out to God in times of trouble and more aware to whom I'm talking when I pray. I've learned that it's ok to tell God how I feel and that He still loves me when I do.

As I continue through this book, I will share my insights as they are given to me by God.

New Focus

This blog used to be about t-shirts and gifts. I've decided I need to change the focus to my daily walk with God. I would never have begun my design work if not for God. I support myself doing it and I want to give credit where credit is due. So if you're interested in how just a regular, every day woman from Oklahoma survives each day without her husband and mother, then you're in the right place.