Psalm 62

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. 

God is...

Our salvation

Our rock

Our fortress

Our hope 

Our glory

Our refuge

He is the one we can always trust. Lean on Him. Tell Him your troubles. Wait for Him. 

Psalm 56

This I know, that God is for me.

In God, whose word I praise,

In The Lord, whose word I praise,

In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. 

Amen and amen. If God is for me then who can be against me?  God is bigger and stronger than any wall or mountain or any enemy that may stand in my path.  So I will praise Him in the good times. I will praise Him in the tough times when life seems dark and troubled. I trust Him and know that He will be with me always.  I have no need to fear. 

Praise!

Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin!

David's prayer. My prayer too. Our problem is sin. We are stained by sin. Only God can cleanse us. 

Have mercy on us, O God. Be merciful and loving to us. Thank you for making us clean. 

Psalm 49

Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. (v16-17)

It is easy to get caught up in the sparkle of fame and fortune. Seems like the good life means one is always moving up to bigger and more. We live in a culture of comsuption which is never satisfied with what one has but instead is always craving more. With easy payments, no money down, and no interest due for 90 days. And it starts by wanting what someone else has. It is living with our eyes on the things of this earth. 

God calls us to a heavenly perspective, to live with our eyes focused on eternity. For rich and poor, we will each face death and all the things that money buys will be left behind. 

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (v1)

     He IS. Not He will be or He might be, but He is, right now, our refuge and strength. God is always there for us. Waiting. 

     Too often, I find myself leaning on me and trying to live on my strength alone. I am stubborn and I frequently have a bad case of "I can do it myself."  And all the while God is there waiting for me to lean on Him and to find strength in Him. 

Be still, and know that I am God (v10).

     One of my favorite verses and great advice. I spend too much time running around thinking of me. I need this reminder to stop. Be still. Know I Am God. 

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (v11)

Peace & Strength...

     

First Things First - Christine Caine

I shared my testimony this morning in my LifeGroup at Church.  I admitted that one of my big problems before Christ was my tendency to make really bad choices.  Part of my Christian walk has been learning how to make good choices.

I came across this list today of good tips to choose.  I've printed this out and plan to put it on my wall at work.  Love #8 - I choose to mostly eat healthy.  Cause, you know, ya gotta have some chocolate cake every once in a while!



First Things First - Christine Caine



I love Christine Caine - she is such an inspiration to me!
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His work - His people

Eight words thunder in our souls: Without you, we can't; without us, you won't. You have chosen to do your work through your people. --Lloyd John Ogilvie from "For They Shall Be Fed"

Without God, we can't experience the life we were created to live. Without God, our motivation to help the needy becomes self-serving rather than God serving.

Without us, God won't. I've had to think about this for a while. One thing I have learned from being involved with recovery ministry is that God uses people to make a difference in other people's lives. God puts people in our lives at specific times for specific purposes. I am awe-struck when I realize that He has used me to touch the life of another. Amazing that He uses me for His purposes. I am absolutely humbled by that.

God also does this in big ways, which is really what the quote above is referencing. In times of disaster or need, God's people and God's church have stepped in to fill a need and to help in a crisis. The church is often able to help in ways that government programs and individuals can't. When God's people come together to do something with God and for God, mountains get moved, red tape gets cut, and action is taken.

God doesn't exactly need us but isn't it wonderful that He has chosen to use us anyway!
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