Category: Psalms

Come to the Water: Dipping Our Toes-

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Almost daily, I’m struck by how fiercely independent my nature is, and simultaneously, how desperately dependent I am. Having traveled internationally and lived as a single woman into my mid-thirties, I have a stubborn independent streak. Perhaps this is true of most North-Americans. We take pride in the things we can do for ourselves, in standing on our own two feet. At the same time, there aren’t many days where I’m not running to the feet of my Lord, eager for His companionship and strength, sure in the knowledge that I can’t make it without His help. Even at my best, when I feel successful and happy and connected, I’m often crying out for the fullness of His presence.

 

I’m not sure who it was that said if God’s love is an ocean, we spend our human lives walking along the seashore, dipping our toes in the waves that roll in. Sometimes we watch from a distance, at others we wade in ankle deep, and in our bravest moments, we go out for a short swim. Few of us learn to stay completely saturated and afloat. But the presence of the ocean is constant and undeniable, and there’s always, always more. In The Rhett Walker Band’s song “Come to the River,” they encourage us, “Come to the river; Oh and lay yourself down; Let your heart be found.”

 

Despite that stubborn independent streak of mine that keeps me dipping my toes when an ocean awaits, I know that my faithful God will bring the tide in each day and that He delights to come to my rescue. Psalm 93:2 says, “The seas have lifted up, O LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice….” His love will never fail. 

 

As I listened to a song by Lauren Daigle on her new album “Look Up Child,” it brought me to tears to think of how the King of the universe is so moved by my needs, He would move the world to “Rescue” me. She sings:

 
“You are not hidden
There’s never been a moment
You were forgotten
You are not hopeless
Though you have been broken
Your innocence stolen

I hear you whisper underneath your breath
I hear your SOS
Your SOS

I will send out an army
To find You in the middle of the darkest night
It’s true, I will rescue you

There is no distance
That cannot be covered
Over and over
You’re not defenseless
I’ll be your shelter
I’ll be your armor

I hear you whisper underneath your breath
I hear your SOS, your SOS

I will send out an army
To find You in the middle of the darkest night
It’s true, I will rescue you
I will never stop marching
To reach you in the middle of the hardest fight
It’s true, I will rescue you.”

 

Psalm 94: 9, 18-19 assures us, “Does He who implanted the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see?… When I said, ‘My foot is slipping, your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” For each one of us in need of rescue today, for the helpless who don’t have a voice…we are seen, we are heard, we are known. He will rescue us.

A Spacious Place…

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Just now I’m listening to the song of wind chimes blowing in a gentle summer breeze outside my window. Curtains rustle as the light filters in. The dogs sleep in a mix of sun and shade under a tree where apples ripen in preparation for the autumn harvest. I sit at the table with the extraordinary gift before me of a peaceful, quiet time in which to read and reflect and write. As friends begin teaching children for a new school year, a blessing we once shared, I have a whiff of nostalgia, but breath a deep sigh of relief, for I know it had become too much for my fragile body.

 

A man walks his clomping horse up the dirt road where we live in this one-of-a-kind small mountain town. Though late August, the tundra on the hills has begun to change and the evenings are cooler. I settle into the weekday morning quiet of this world and feel deep gratitude for the season of rest I’ve been granted in this beautiful and spacious place. Studies completed, new paths opened and explored, more adventures and learning await and good work will need to be done. But for now, this day, I rest and give thanks.

 

Many times this was among the things only hoped for and imagined. That being said, it is important that I remember: my Father God and loving friends generously sacrificed and gave to share this with me. Both have been oh so sweet and faithful. As Psalm 18:16-19 proclaims, “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”
As author Ann Voskamp states, the act of remembering re-members us, helping rejoin the broken pieces. A dear friend reminded me today: there have been miracles…. there will be miracles. It’s good to remember. The chimes sound as the winds stir a song of praise.  

Whether “Down in the Valley” or Standing  “Upon the Mountain of God”…

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I’m in a really beautiful, beautiful season of my life right now. I have the opportunity to rest a little and chase a few dreams. I’ve fallen in love with the best man I’ve ever known, and even though there have been a few challenges for a Colorado girl pursuing a long-distance relationship with a Puerto-Rican (mostly three classes 4-5 hurricanes!), overall, I’m filled with gratitude every day for the sweetness of it all. As someone said long ago, it really is the greatest thing we’ll ever learn, just to love, and to be loved in return. This learning process is one that has given me the gift of getting to see the top of the tapestry the Lord is weaving in my life, when the previous thirty-five years have felt mostly like the underside view. In essence, my present in this present time is to stand upon the mountain of God with the one I love, looking back on the valleys we have separately crossed, as well as the deserts and hills we have independently wandered and climbed. We both look back on the last ten years of our lives, seasons that felt mysteriously dark and lonely to us both, and can now see so many ways God used them to prepare us for one another and the ministries to which we feel He is calling us. Our God is truly such a master architect and designer!

 

But, at the same time that my beloved and I are standing on top of the mountain of God, many others in my life are really hurting down in the valley. Good friends face the devastating betrayal and heartbreak of broken relationships. Another continues to desperately miss the husband she lost to illness. One is watching her uncle lose his battle against cancer, and her aunt face the prospect of losing a second husband to a terminal disease. I watch others suffer chronic pain or prolonged economic or relational difficulties. The people of Puerto Rico and México continue to suffer in the wake of shortages and hardships resulting from natural disasters. Many of the residents of Las Vegas grieve loved ones who tragically lost their lives to a mass shooting. As we all know, this world has no shortage of heartaches or joys. It is full of darkness, and it is full of light. And yet, even in the valley, we can hear the winds of promise blow, as a very old American folk song: “Down In the Valley” by Burl Ives says…

 

“Down in the valley, valley so low

Hang your head over, hear the wind blow

Hear the wind blow love, hear the wind blow

Hang your head over, hear the wind blow” (Lead Belly).

 

Whether this reaches you down in the valley today, standing upon the mountain of God,  or somewhere in between, may you hear in the wind the whisper of our Savior saying your name, and speaking of His unchanging and unfailing and unfathomably great love for you. May His voice fill your heart to overflowing; may He bring you peace. It’s funny, because all of this has been on my heart to write for so long, the title has been typed and awaiting me on my computer, and then this morning, I heard a song on the radio that was new to me, that perfectly expresses it all. I hope “Hills & Valleys”, by Tauren Wells, ministers to you, as it did to me. Wherever you are, may you know, without a doubt, you’re “safe inside [His] hand”.

 
“I’ve walked among the shadows
You wiped my tears away
And I’ve felt the pain of heartbreak
And I’ve seen the brighter days
And I’ve prayed prayers to heaven from my lowest place
And I have held the blessings
God, you give and take away
No matter what I have, Your grace is enough
No matter where I am, I’m standing in Your love
On the mountains, I will bow my life
To the one who set me there
In the valley, I will lift my eyes to the one who sees me there
When I’m standing on the mountain aft, didn’t get there on my own
When I’m walking through the valley end, no I am not alone!
You’re God of the hills and valleys!
Hills and Valleys!
God of the hills and valleys
And I am not alone!
I’ve watched my dreams get broken
In you I hope again!
No matter what I know
Know I’m safe inside Your hand.”

 

***Photo Credits: Lovedoes.org

Day By Day: Practicing His Presence (Brother Lawrence)…

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Mindfulness is one of the buzzwords of our generation.  It’s ironic, considering that same generation is involved in such an incredible quantity & variety of things, at such a frenzied pace, that it seems we’re rarely mindful or truly present. Perhaps, however, that is an indicator of our hearts’ longings to be still, intentionally quiet enough to take in all we’re experiencing…at peace. There is much to be said for how our lives can be enriched by focusing on one thing at a time: this is the true meaning of meditation.

 

My own lessons in this practice have come not from any new or New-Age philosophies, but through the writings & lessons of Brother Lawrence, a Christian monk who lived hundreds of years ago. Frustrated with his own attitude of disgust towards the menial tasks that occupied much of the monks’ time, he decided that he would turn every action & moment into an opportunity for praise & prayer. In his journal writings collected in the book Practicing the Presence of God, he describes how using tasks like washing dishes in o prayerful worship & conversations with God transformed his thinking & life experience. As he continued this habit over many years, he became more & more aware of how real & personal God was…& IS…& always will be. He grew to know more & more of the goodness & heart of our God, & described God as real enough to take hold of his hand. Brother Lawrence’s experience is reminiscent of Isaiah voicing God’s promise in Isaiah 41:10 & 13:

 

“So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand….For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand & says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’ ”

 

The Creator & Sustainer & Savior of the universe is always there, with us every step we take. He calls for us to seek His face always. As Peter exhorts & encourages us: “Draw near to God, & He will draw near to you.” We must intentionally pursue His presence, continually making it our habit to call our attention back to Him, & responding to the guidance of His Spirit.

A Cadence  of Thanksgiving…

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Since the time I was introduced to author Ann Voskamp through her book 1,000 Gifts several years ago, my thoughts and journals have been filled with lists of gratitude. As I walk and work and wade through life, conscious choices have built practices that have transformed me. Psalm 118:23-24 says, “I will enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. I will say this is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” If we are ever feeling out of the fullness of His presence, praise is the solution to encountering it once more.

 

Making sure our prayers are balanced with ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication), and not simply petitions for our needs and wants to be met, is part of the discipline of the Christian life. In her book 31 Days of Praise, author Ruth Meyers  revolutionized my prayers to praise early in my Christian walk, but the poetry of Ann Voskamp’s prose awakened my senses in a new way. Truly, there are thousands of gifts to take note of:

 

1, 697-Waking up basked in sunlight.

1, 704-A fun breakfast with former students; hearing about their college adventures.

1, 707-Storm rolling in over the mountains.

1, 716-Dwelling in a place of refuge.

1, 722-Walking and processing with a friend.

1, 723-Cobalt blue of the Colorado sky; walking with Colorado sunshine on my shoulders.

1, 745-Sitting on the porch to read a novel.

1, 765-Kindness, grace and understanding of true friends.

 

Now my days resonate with a cadence of thanksgiving as I set the intention of capturing the thousands of ways God works to romance me each day.

***Photo credits to Love Does

“He Restores My Soul…”

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“You don’t have to come, but you always do. You show up in splendor, you change the whole room…”, sings Bethel artist Jonathan Helser in his song “Thank You”. Isn’t this so true? God continually shows up for us, perhaps in unexpected ways, but faithfully filling all those empty spaces that can seem so vacant of presence and the glorious.

 

I’ve always been a person with a very fragile strength. Sometimes it seems I’m a little too frail for this world. I’m empty when it comes to meeting the world’s great need, or to meeting my own brokenness. I don’t have the power to bring myself or anyone else to life….but, God does. He fills me with life and light again and again. My Shepherd satisfies my wants, not just needs, and restores my soul (Psalm 23:1,3). As Lamentations 3:22b reminds us, though we may lament our circumstances and feel sorrow that can dry us up, “His mercies are new every morning.”

 

He doesn’t have to come. God could have chosen to be farther removed from His creation. He could have made us only His servants and not the objects of His affection. Just what did we do to merit all the loveliness there is in this world? David asked in Psalm 8:4: “What is man that you are mindful of him?”. My creator could let my fragile strength and spirits remain depleted. But instead, He refreshes and renews and fills me with each new day; new mercies are offered day by day. He continually offers me Presence and encounters with the lovely and the glorious. “He prepares a table before me….my cup runneth over.”

“Better Is One Day In Your Courts”…

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I live in the most beautiful place, in a small town on the western slope of Colorado, at the foot of incredible mountain ranges. Each morning the sun rises in a perfectly azure Colorado sky; each evening, it sets, casting all hues of glory on the tips of the peaks. The shifting of light and shadows on the surrounding hills often overwhelms my senses. In the winter, each summit is capped by the whitest snow, causing bare trees to hang heavy in sparkling filigree; in the summer, inconceivable varieties of wildflowers paint brand new wheels of bold color with each thousand feet of elevation. In the spring, the bright green of the budding trees in the forests takes my breath away; each autumn, their floors, and the mountains in which they dwell, are carpeted by golden aspen leaves and bronzed tundra. The vistas are stunning, the wanderings within their nooks and crannies always seem to hold new revelations for me.

 

I’m so lucky to have lived almost half my life in this incredible region. Every day, I count myself blessed with life and breath and movement, and the gift to live here in this wondrous, lovely place. If I remain here all my days, and spend them exploring the vast ranges and expanses of wilderness, there will still be more that remains unseen. My days have been graced with a quality of life many others desire; I’m filled with gratitude to be able to call it home, to rest here in this place.

 

Though this compelling beauty captivates me daily, it’s just one small corner of earth, just a barely visible dot within our solar system. Yet this place has nothing compared to the courts of God. In Psalm 84:10, the psalmist says “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty. Better is one day in your courts, than a thousand elsewhere.” We are all invited to dwell there in that glorious place, making our home with Him, for all eternity. We are all invited there now, today, to enter into the fullness of His abiding presence.

Standing on the Promises…

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I’ve said this liturgy of promises to myself over & over again, most often in times of great anxiety or distress. Almost fifteen years ago, in such a time, God reminded me that I could rest assured in any situation by claiming His Word. Psalm 94:19 says: “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation, O LORD, brought joy to my soul”. As I poured out my heart to Him that evening, it was as if He began to assure me of the unfailing promises I could always hold. I found myself listing them off on my fingers, finishing with exactly enough for two full handfuls. I call them my “Finger Promises”:

 

    1. God is w/ me, & will always be with me. (Isaiah 41:10, 43:2; Zephaniah 3:17)
    2. God loves me, & will always love me. (Psalm 136, Jeremiah 31:3, Romans 8:35-38)
    3. God is at work in my life, & He will always be at work in my life. (Psalm 121:7, Philippians 1:4, II Corinthians 2:14)
    4. God is in control, & I am not, for He is God, & I am not. (Psalm 135:6, Romans 8:27)
    5. No matter how circumstances appear, He is always at work for my good & His glory. (Isaiah 48:9, Romans 8:28-32, II Corinthians 9:8)
    6. He desires to give me the desires of my heart. (Psalm 16:11, Psalm 37:4)
    7. He has plans to prosper me, & not to harm me, to give me a future & a hope. (Jer. 29:11, Lamentations 3:31-33)
    8. God will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I can bear, & always lends me His strength. (I Corinthians 10:13, II Corinthians 12:9)
    9. The Lord’s timing & plan for my life are perfect. (Psalm 138:8, Isaiah 46:10)
    10. His love for me is perfect. (Isaiah 49:15-16, Romans 8:32, Galatians 4:7, I John 3:1,16)

 
The mere fact that I’ve never struggled to remember this list, and that each promise seems as clear to me now as it was the night they were given, seems to me a sign that God Himself wrote them on my heart. As I’ve searched the Scripture since, I’ve found multiple verses to support every single one. They assure my heart in each and every situation I face. No matter what, I’ll be okay. He hasn’t forgotten me, He never will. His love will always sustain me. His hand will never stop shaping my life to His purposes. Because of these promises I can stand and say with confidence: “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my ship” (Louisa May Alcott). Let us continually take His promises up in our hands and hold them close, let us stand upon them as a sure foundation. He is always enough to satisfy our souls and fill our lives to overflowing.

I Shall Not Want…

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I listened to a wonderful sermon about the classic Shepherd’s psalm, & the pastor (Chip Ingram) read the psalm differently than I had ever heard it, simply by emphasizing the personal pronouns present in almost every line.  

 

“The Lord is MY shepherd; I shall not be in want.  He makes ME lie down in green pastures; He leads ME beside still waters; He restores MY soul….”

 
Isn’t that so personal & powerful?  The Psalm is also such a good reminder of God’s promise for provision.  So, today, rest easy in the assurance that YOU will not be without: rest, restoration, guidance, safety, companionship, peace, comfort, joy, goodness mercy or love.