Tag: therapy

Give me a safe place, dear Lord. You, alone, O Lord, make me dwell safely:

 “We will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas,
 
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah (Psalm 46). We will pause and think calmly of the Name above all names, Jesus: Lord Omnipotent, Sovereign, LORD over all the earth.

“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth” Psalm 46:10.


 
“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth” Psalm 46:10.
 
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah Psalm 46:11.

Today. This day. We, “Pause and calmly think of that!”

“O God, give me noble and praise-worthy thoughts. I will speak a hymn and a psalm and immediately be changed from fear to faith:

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art

Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

Keep my thoughts on things above, not on things of the earth.

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23.

The only separation from me to You, Holy God of the Universe, is my sin. My unbelief, my pride to think I am enough without You. There is not a person on this planet able to escape evil thoughts, covetousness, selfishness, and lies.

I can never be good enough to come into Your presence. But Christ Jesus bridged the gap as He stretched out His arms for me on the cross.

Your Word is truth:

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word

I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, and I thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with thee one

Am I separate from God, or am I His “true son?” Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” Romans 10:13.

Call on Him, Today.

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always
Thou and thou only first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art

From the kingdom of darkness I’ve escaped, in the name of Jesus, to the Kingdom of Light. My inheritance is Love. Joy, peace, patience, kindness are empowered in and through me by the power and gift given to me of the Holy Spirit.

I’ve inherited the faithful, keeping hand of God to hold me for all eternity. I have reason to be thankful in every circumstance. I am a child of God. He has made me victorious in faith in Him!

High King of heaven, my victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall

Still be my vision, O ruler of all

Psalm 46, Amplified:

God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable],
A very present and well-proved help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas,
 
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah.

(Pause and think calmly of that!)


There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
 
God is in the midst of her [His city], she will not be moved;
God will help her when the morning dawns.
 
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
 
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.


Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has brought desolations and wonders on the earth.
 
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
 
“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”
 
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.

Pause and calmly think of that!

Remember the prisoners as if chained with them–those who are mistreated–since you yourselves are in the body also. 

4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. 

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” 

7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:3-8.

“Be Thou my vision, O Ruler of all.”

“Spirit of God, drown the doubt. Renew in me a happy condition.

“I’m not able to do this,”

speaks my heavy spirit.

Hope, kept deep inside fights back,

“But thanks to God, He can.”

“I can’t get it right,” spoke discouragement who found a seat in my heart.

The Spirit inside stands with the fact,

“Thanks to God He did.”

A war takes place. I read the Word, because I’m encouraged to do so. I turn to Psalm 42, and discover my feelings and soul are weighted with woes as the Psalmist so many thousand years ago, ”

     Why, my soul, are you downcast?
     Why so disturbed within me?
     Put your hope in God,
     for I will yet praise him,
     my Savior and my God . . .  

     Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and                     breaker have swept over me.” 

The heaviness won’t leave. Fretfulness bombards every cell. I continue to read,

      I say to God my Rock,
     “Why have you forgotten me?
     Why must I go about mourning,
     oppressed by the enemy?”
     My bones suffer mortal agony
     as my foes taunt me,
     saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”

     Why, my soul, are you downcast?

     Why so disturbed within me? Psalm 42:9-11.

The open Book breathes my own inner turmoil. The Living Word pleads,

       “Put your hope in God,
         for I will yet praise him,
         my Savior and my God”

As if I was handed, from the Spirit of God a personal prescription against the flood of fear and doubt. This Psalm invites me to seek the Spirit of God that I might sing in the rain.

The Book cries aloud, words I hold deep. Flooding over even to the next chapter.

     “Vindicate me, my God,
     and plead my cause
     against an unfaithful nation.
     Rescue me from those who are
     deceitful and wicked.
     You are God my stronghold” Psalm 43:1-2.

I imagine the Psalmist making a change, becoming secure and calmed until I continue reading aloud, only to discover the continued doubt and reminder of hurt.
    

     Why have you rejected me?
     Why must I go about mourning,
     oppressed by the enemy?

One phrase of exaltation and yet three thoughts of drowning pain. All in the same verse.

But, then I think, maybe I’m not crazy.  The psalmist penned this up and down sequence which, at this time, mirrors me, exactly. This might simply be common occurrence of all mankind.

 I know God as my stronghold and defense, yet I wrestle. I fight.

“Am I praying at all? What’s prayer anyway?”

“What’s God’s will when everything seems so wrong?”

“What’s going on?”

“Am I ‘trying’ to worship?”

“Is there meaning to the agony and unrest?”

Is it simply to turn to the One Who is Able and discover, He’s already at work on getting me through this test.

Living waters then spill out solutions for the darkness and the sudden attack of doubt,

     “Send me your light and your faithful care,
     let them lead me;
     let them bring me to your holy mountain,
     to the place where you dwell.

God dwells in praise, but praise seems so difficult. “Spirit of God, drown the doubt out of my way. And as the psalmist, I will follow through;
         

     Then I will go to the altar of God,
      to God, my joy and my delight.
      I will praise you with the lyre,
      O God, my God.”

A change does happen. Supernatural change. Psalm 43:5 has my soul speaking it’s consolation,

    Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?
   Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.”

Altered at the altar, I look to speak a hymn that can flood my insides with a happy condition:

Free from the law, O happy condition, by Philip Bliss, 1834. 
Jesus hath bled, and there is remission;
Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall,
Grace hath redeemed us once for all.

Chorus:
Once for all, O sinner, receive it,
Once for all, O friend, now believe it;
Cling to the cross, the burden will fall,
Christ hath redeemed us once for all.

Now we are free, there’s no condemnation,
Jesus provides a perfect salvation;
“Come unto Me,” O hear His sweet call,
Come, and He saves us once for all.

[Chorus]

“Children of God,” O glorious calling,
Surely His grace will keep us from falling;
Passing from death to life at His call,
Blessed salvation once for all.

[Chorus]

Why so downcast, O my soul?

“Spirit of God, You supernaturally have answered my call.”