WHAT'S YOUR SONG?

Psalms 40

Come thou Fount of every blessing,

tune my heart to sing thy grace;

streams of mercy, never ceasing,

call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,

mount of thy redeeming love.

"He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and the mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."

The bible talks an awful lot about the things that come out of our mouth. There are far too many scriptures to reference in this short blog, but for starters, check out what James 3 has to say about the use of our mouth. It is with our mouth that we vent our frustrations, shout for joy at victory, quietly curse the driver in front of us, utter our prayers before God and, also, sing our praises to him.

Reading Psalm 40 verse 3 today, I was struck by the word new. Why did the pslamist need a new song? To say he was in need of a new song implies that he already had a song, but it was old and worn out. What was his song about? The 'new song' verse is preceded with mention of his life of despair. (The words 'slimy pit', 'mud' and 'mire' all paint this picture.) I can only imagine that the chorus to the old song was likely very "Woe is me♪♬". While God put a new song in his mouth that was "a hymn of praise to our God."

In light of this, I have no choice but to look at myself and examine what song song I am singing. Am I using my mouth to sing a song of frustration, complaining or even pitifully singing a "Woe is me" lullaby to myself? (All of which 'songs', I might add, are self-focused, not God-focused.) OR am I leaning on the Lord and allowing Him to put a new song in my mouth; a song of praise to him? If I continue to choose the former songs to sing, then Lord have mercy on me. For, "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45). If all I have to sing about is the woeful things that weigh on my heart and mind, then it's time for a sobering heart check.

My prayer today, for me and for you is that we prayerfully consider what is the 'abundance' of our hearts and then ask God to give us a new song, one that brings praise to him and sets our hearts' focus on who he is and what he has done.

Oh Lord, you are so merciful and so faithful. While I constantly turn back and turn inward, focusing on myself and groaning with self pity and complaint, Lord- you are so faithful to replace my muddiness with the beautiful songs of your praise. Lord, be not far from me today as I cling to you to give me songs of joy, peace and praise to you. Let me sing a song of adoration, with my gaze fixed firmly on you.

Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." (NIV)

Proverbs 23:7 "For as a man thinketh within himself, so is he...." (ASV)

Psalm 32:7 "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

I adore old hymns and this one is one of my favorites. Please have a listen..... Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

He Has Made Me Glad

1 Samuel 1

Elements of a story I just read: a love triangle, the tragedy of a barren woman, spiteful cattiness between rival women, bitter weeping, 'craziness', healing (of hearts), miracles, and somehow, a happy ending. Um, is this a soap opera? No, it would be 1 Samuel chapter 1. I'm not going to give any more details of this chapter. It is such a juicy chunk of scripture, you simply must read it for yourself. Go ahead. Do it now. I highly suggest you do your homework for this one, because there may or may not be a pop quiz on the reading today. I'm just sayin'. (The text can be accessed using the link at the top of this post, it's pretty simple.)

Ok, now that you've done your reading, I've got a few questions for you coming away from reading 1 Samuel 1.

Q1. Who is your taunter?

Q2. What does he say?

Q3. What are you believing God for in prayer?

Q4. When was the last time, like Hannah, you poured out your heart to the Lord? (Psalm 62:8)

If you're stuck pondering the answers to the questions, no worries, I've prepared a cheat sheet.

A1. The Devil. Satan. Lucifer. Call him what you want, but ultimately, he's the 'taunter' of us all. (John 8:44)

A2. You can't trust God. He won't do what he said and/or he won't do what's good for you. (Genesis 3:1-5)

A3. I can't answer this one for you, it's different for all of us and most likely evolves as we journey through this life.

A4. Again, only you know the answer to this one, but if it hasn't been recently, I encourage you to ask God to break open the floodgates in your heart so that you might be able to pour out on him the deepest, truest thoughts/feelings/fears in your heart. He can handle it.

While I thoroughly enjoyed reading this chapter in it's entirety, my absolute favorite verse was 18, "...Then she went her way and ate something and her face was no longer downcast." Doesn't sound like much, until you consider the reality sandwiched around this seemingly superfluous detail. Hannah was in desperate need. She chose to pour out her heart to God. She pleaded with him, petitioning his merciful power to meet her needs. Then, just like that, she was no longer sad. Sure, it was a choice she made. But it wasn't a choice based on her circumstances, or on blessings poured out on her. Her choice was based, in faith, on the unchanging God. She could choose to be glad, because she knew he could be trusted.

I already said it, but I will say it again. If you have not poured out your heart to God recently, Psalm 62:8 style, you're just hurting yourself. It is so often, in this emptying out before him, that he shows up with the gift of faith that is enough to hold fast. Enough to make you glad.

*BONUS QUESTION*
Have you chosen to BELIEVE the word of the Lord and then, therefore, choose to 'no longer be sad'? If not, then I encourage you to not wait on your circumstances, but be encouraged by believing in faith. Stand firm on the promises of his faithfulness. He is faithful.

(Note: Hannah didn't decide to 'no longer be sad' once she became pregnant, but once she believed in the Lord's goodness and faithfulness to come through on His promise to her. It was a response to her faith.)

Lord, you are so good to me. You are faithful and you can be trusted. You are the strength of my heart and my portion. I will trust in you. Because you hear my prayers and care deeply for me, I will choose to be glad. Let me bless you with praise from my mouth and worship from my heart. I love you, Lord.

Psalm 21:6
Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
Psalm 31:7
I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

**Give an ear to this beautiful worship song by Hillsong, "Made Me Glad"

HEALING IN THE WORD

Psalm 107

I recently began a new small group with some sisters in Christ and we had a lengthy discussion about accountability, prayer and confession. So often, we are so afraid to admit to others our weaknesses and failings, but 1 John reminds us that "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8-9) and James 5:16 says "Therefore, confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed."

We don't often think about our need for healing as much as we think about our 'needs' in general. For example, I pray more frequently than I would like to admit about my 'need' for success in work, a mate to partner with, comfort in my circumstances and ease for the goings on of my day ('Lord, help me to have a good day.') And while I do ask for forgiveness, I think my heart is often positioned more towards the need for cleansing than healing. What I'm considering now is the biblical relationship between forgiveness-cleansing-healing.

I will also admit, I am very much an avid practicer of Psalm 62:8 "...POUR out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.". Being that I am a private person that is not often comfortable wearing my heart on my sleeve or sharing my emotions with other people, I treasure that I can pour my heart out on God. He is a place where I can do my verbal 'dumpings'. Sometimes I am torn about these emotional avalanches that cascade out of my heart and onto the shoulders of God. I think maybe I shouldn't be so focused on praying out my 'feelings' to God and rather, it would be more spiritually mature to be praying something more noble; to have a heart like his, to pray for the lost, to meditate on his word, etc.

I was comforted today when I read Psalm 107 that not only is it okay for me to cry out in emotional distress, but in doing so, I will find the healing that I so desperately need (whether I realized I'm in need of healing or not.) v. 19-20 "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave."

Break it down now: 1. Cry out. I.E. my verbal dumpings/avalanche of emotions

2. Be healed. Not just be listened to or be comforted but be healed.

What struck me most about this verse was how the Lord says he will heal you. By changing your circumstances? By taking away painful things in your life? By giving you a tougher skin against adversity?

By. His. Word.

Based on scripture, I know at least two things about his Word.

GOD'S WORD IS

Powerful "The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) and John

Eternally Jesus "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." (John 1:1)

In light of all this, thanking God today for this little nugget: "Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens." (Psalm 119:89)

Thank you Lord, that you are a refuge for the mess that is my heart. Thank you that you are big enough to handle my emotional dumpings. And thank you, Lord, that through your unchanging nature, you offer me healing that I so desperately need. Your spirit is a tall drink of water to my thirsty soul. I pray, Lord, that you keep inscribing your word onto my heart as on to stone tablets. Let me not forget the word you've offered me, but cling to it in faith that what you have said is already done. You are my portion, and I will find my joy in you. I love you, Lord.

Sabbatical??

My blogs have been noticeably absent in the last 8-9 months. For those of you who faithfully check in on this blog, I a) So appreciate and am so encouraged by the fact that you are even interested in what is written here; and b) Am sorry that I haven't been actively sharing with you what the Lord has been teaching me. I knew, when I started writing this blog, that it would be a system of self-accountability. If I hadn't written, then it would be obvious that I hadn't been lending my ear to the Teacher long enough (or intentionally enough) to really grasp what He was saying to me. And therefore, would be encouraged to stay walking in the Word, so I'd have much to report here. That being said, I will (sadly) admit that I have not studied the Word with as much voraciousness in the most recent months as I have at some other times in my life. But, nevertheless, the Lord has still been teaching me many things over these past months.

All that to say- I'm back. :) With great conviction and a real hunger. Not just to study God's word, but rather, to let the Word read my heart. As I reflect on my walk, I realize I have been all too comfortable reading the Bible for the purpose of studying to gain knowledge and understanding. While knowledge and understanding of His truth is good, I feel Him leading me even deeper than that. Time for me sit still and quietly, and meditate on the things He has written on my heart.

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:14

Lord, Thank you that you wait patiently for me to slow down enough hear you. Thank you, compassionate Father, that the greatest treasure is not in understanding your word, but in knowing you and the depths of your heart. Thank you, for writing your truths into my heart. And thank you Jesus, that you are patient with me while I ponder these things as you open my eyes to the precious Glory of your Spirit in me.

EVEN JESUS HAD TO WAIT

John 2:4 " 'My dear woman, why do you involve me?' Jesus replied. 'My time has not yet come.'"


"In the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made." (John 1:1-3)

Here, 'The Word' = Jesus, the diety, the son of the Trinity. Jesus, the Word, has been around since before the beginning of time. And, all that time, Jesus was, and is, God. Time is a funny thing. A minute feels like a year when you are anxious; when joyful, a year feels like a minute. I am bound by time that seems to constantly change shape depending on my circumstances. And when I feel as though I'm waiting on my turn for the next steps in my life, time. just. seems. to. d r a g. In the selfish pride of my flesh, I feel above the need to wait. I feel as though, if I am destined for something; be it a job, a relationship, a new home or car- then of course, I must deserve it now rather than later. I feel certain that I am not alone in this feeling of entitlement.

Jesus was 30 years old before he began his earthly ministry. Jesus, the God-man himself who was around before we could fathom the idea of time, walked this earth for 30 years in waiting. He knew of his destiny and his ministry before he was conceived in Mary's womb. He knew of it as a young boy, sitting at the feet of the rabbis in the temple. He knew of it as a young man as he trained to be a carpenter. And yet, even still, when his mother called him to use his divine power to act, he responded with "My time has not yet come." Even though he knew what his purpose and his plan was, he still had to wait. God had to wait!!

What do you feel you're waiting on?

Are you waiting with anxiety as you pace around in circles in your heart until the time comes?
Are you waiting with an indignant heart that feels you deserve more than this seemingly useless time on the sidelines?

OR

Are you waiting, in perfect peace, on the Lord, who is both sovereign and good?

I must confess that I often do not wait very well. Most of the time, I wait anxiously, with fear that my time will never come. My prayer, is that I will wait, not on my next circumstances to finally arrive. Rather, that I will wait, spending my time sitting at the feet of the Lord, simply resting in his presence. I pray that he will use my time on the sidelines not as a time to continually shout "Put me in, coach! I'm ready! Put me in-- I know I can play!", but as a time that I study the skills of those on the field, to focus in on the wisdom and leading of the coach--- basically, that I use my time of preparation to actually prepare. And regardless of whether or not I ever get to play, I will know that God is still good.

Lord, thank you for the example you've given me in Jesus. When I need to grow in humility, please reveal to me the pride of my heart that feels entitled to be blessed with a next step, even though you have called me to wait. You are good and what you do is good. Teach me to wait on YOU.

Psalm 27.14 "Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
Psalm 130:5-6 "I wait for the Lord, m soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning."
Isaiah 26:8 "Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts."
Isaiah 30:18 "Yes the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"
Isaiah 64:4 "Since the ancient times no one has heard, no ear had perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him."

STAND FIRM!

Verse: 2 Thessalonians 2:15 "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by mouth or letter."

What are the teachings passed on to you? Some teachings we get from our upbringing, some from our culture, some from hard life lessons, some from the pulpit. I encourage you to be still, or as the NASB bible says 'cease striving' (Psalm 46:10) and ponder the 'teachings' the Lord has spoken to your heart. When I read this verse, the Lord used it to empower me with his Spirit to hold fast to all the things that his scripture, his heart, and his voice have taught me. In response to this, I wrote out a list of things that He has called me to 'stand firm' in. Read over mine, and then I encourage you to make a list of your own. Regardless of the whether the content of our lists is the same, we both know that you have plenty to put on your list. The Lord calls all of us to general things (love your neighbor as yourself, etc) but he also speaks specific things to each one of us. Listen to what he has said in your heart, what has at one point or another been in your gut and in in your spirit and STAND FIRM, by the power of the Holy Spirit ("which is not a spirit of fear, but of love, of power and of self control" 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)

God has said to me, Bethany:
STAND FIRM on his promise to be enough. (Psalm 73:25-26)
STAND FIRM on the work he has already done to set my heart free. (Psalm 119:32)
STAND FIRM on the truth that he won't let me fall or let me go. (Psalm 37:23-24, Genesis 28:15)
STAND FIRM on the truth that he's always with you. (Hebrews 13:5)
STAND FIRM on the power of his Holy Spirit to strengthen you- to take your thoughts captive and submit them to him. (2 Corinthians 10:4-6)
STAND FIRM on his call to obedience in purity, righteousness, diligence and discipline. (1 Timothy 4:12, Ephesians 4:1, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Hebrews 12:1)
STAND FIRM on HIM-- He is your stable refuge in this constantly wavering world (Psalm 18:2)

Thank you Lord that you are faithful to speak these things specifically to me. You love me enough to call me directly by name. And Lord, thank you for the truth, that if you call, you will be faithful to supply my need to do what you have asked of me. You are good and you are faithful. I will trust you as you call me to stand firm in your calls to obedience. I love you, Lord.

BEING KNOWN

Since I have been a christian virtually all my life, (even if at times only in profession, rather than relationship and action) I have pursued knowing God for most of my life. Since I have an understanding about who God is, what his word says and general principles about how he operates, I have felt, for a long time, that I have 'known' God. While this is true that I know him, I am realizing now that there are so many more layers to the depths of knowledge of him. As I write this even now, I think about people that I 'know': I 'know' the guy who lives two doors down from me-- we say hello when we pass by in the morning. I 'know' my boss at work, we talk everyday. I 'know' my pastor at church- although we have only spoken face to face once. I 'know' my best friend since elementary school. I 'know' my brothers, sister and parents. And, I 'know' myself. Lots of different ways to 'know' someone, right? I'm learning now, that relationship with God isn't about 'knowing' him as we are used to knowing people. What God is teaching me today, is that they only way I can know him (beyond the way I 'know' my neighbor and my boss) is in being known by him.

Picture a 90 year old woman who is an invalid. She must be spoon fed, she must be dressed by someone, she must be pushed around in a wheelchair, she must even be bathed, completey naked, by another person--- she is incapable of doing any of these things for herself. Picture now, that I am that invalid old woman. The Lord, in his tenderness, is showing me, that even in my most simple of needs, I am incapable of caring for myself. I cannot feed myself, he must. I cannot direct my own 'steps' in my wheelchair, he must guide and propel me. And, as much as I resist and dislike being completely bare naked before him to get my bath-- there is an unbelievably sweet comfort in doing so. With the precision with which feeds me, the careful care he takes in guiding me, and the tender respect with which he bathes me, in my utter nakedness, I KNOW that he loves me. It's in being bare before him, with him seeing all, knowing all, and doing all that I can know his heart for me. He cares for me tenderly because he loves me. In my infirmities and the needs they cause, it is HE who cares for me. When I am too weak to pick up my spoon and feed myself, it is He who feeds me. When I am too frail to stand from my wheelchair, it is He who carries me into the bed. It is HE who meets all my needs and is with me every moment awaiting readily. He knows my every need and exactly the moment I need it. I've never known a love so sweet. I've never known my Lord so well. And the sweetest part is, this is only the beginning! He has all of eternity to show me more and more of who he is. My lesson today? Just let go, get undressed and get in the tub. He loves me enough for it to be ok. That's the Jesus I know.

Lord, there is so much peace in comfort in being known. Your word says you have searched me and you know me. You know all my ways, all my thoughts, all my actions even before they are. And yet, you still love me. I cannot fathom your love for me. But, I know that it is true, and it is for me. Thank you, sweet Jesus, my savior and king, that you love me with such a complete tenderness. You are the lover of my soul. I am so glad that I am yours.


VIDEO/SONG: "Psalm 139 (You are there)" by Mercy Me

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
John 3:16 "But God so loved the world [you and me], that he gave his only son, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life."
Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you, he mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Deuteronomy 14:2 "The Lord chose YOU to be his treasure possesion."