The Goodness of God- Psalm 103

 Before the death of Jesus at Calvary, I have often had different thoughts about who the Lord was to the Old Testament saints. Was He more of a Judge, throwing down verdict in form of fire and pestilence for disobedience, or was He the God of provision—shown to Abraham as his son lay on the altar awaiting death? Did He desire to have a close relationship with all of who would long for it, or did He choose certain people to bestow favor on—like Moses, Isaac, Abraham or a Joshua? Before the cross, I tend to think of Him as being less merciful and gentle, and yet when I stopped to read Psalm 103, I got a glimpse of David's good LORD. Let me share some of it with you:

Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. 

He forgives my sins

and heals my diseases.

He redeems me from death

and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

He fills my life with good things,

My youth is renewed like the eagle's!

The LORD gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

The LORD is compassionate and merciful,

slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

He will not constantly accuse us,

nor remain angry forever.

He does not punish us for all our sins;

he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.

For his unfailing love to those who fear him

is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

He has removed our sins as far from us

as the east is from the west.

The LORD is like a father to his children,

tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

For he knows how weak we are;

he remembers we are only dust (Psalm 103:2-6, 8-14, NLT).

On this page, written many, many years ago, I see the heart of my own Savior. One who is Forgiver, Healer, Redeemer—compassionate and full of mercy and goodness. He doesn't deal harshly with us as we rightly deserve. He is a loving and tender Father. And He knows everything about us—even our weaknesses. He certainly knew David's, and yet this was the LORD David knew and loved—and the LORD that loved David, despite his many failures.

For any who may be longing for the LORD, this little Psalm is packed full of Him. If you read it with understanding, you will clearly see His good character and it will hopefully birth in you, a longing to know and serve Him better. Charles H. Spurgeon's Treasury of David states this about Psalm 103: "There is too much in the Psalm, for a thousand pens to write, it is one of those all-comprehending Scriptures which is a Bible in itself, and it might alone suffice for the hymn-book of the church." 

I am no David—or even a Charles Spurgeon. But I've come to know each characteristic listed in this song of my LORD, drawing me to a true longing for Him. The world is filled with discouragement and painful situations. Life presses upon all of us at times and fills us with a deep ache—an ache only the good LORD of Psalm 103 can fill. Do you want Him? Do you long for Him? He is our good, good Father who despite the circumstances of living in a broken and sinful world, fills our lives with good things. May we take some time today to reflect on His character and thank Him for His tender, compassionate love toward us. 

Waiting On Your Answer

     The days ticked by, and still it wasn't happening. It just didn't seem to matter how much I prayed, or how much hope I tried to muster, he still wasn't home. I believed God was able, but I couldn't figure out why He wasn't stepping in and giving me the desires of my heart. I waited. I hoped. I prayed. I believed-yet, God chose to allow the situation to continue. I couldn't understand it in those days and months-it simply didn't seem right. I felt much like the father in the story of the prodigal son, faithfully waiting for my own prodigal to return, only to go to bed each night again, disappointed and lonely.
     Waiting doesn't come easy for any of us when we are waiting for something we desperately want. Surgery dates, root canals, court dates and the last day of vacation don't work that way. Those come much quicker than we can even imagine, but not the anguished prayers of our hearts-those take time. Even so, God has great purpose in our waiting, and oftentimes He withholds our answer because He is doing a greater work in our own hearts and lives. It's our moment of being purified by His fire, and the goal is the become more like Him. It burns and it hurts, but the process is for our spiritual good-good that has eternal value. 
     What are you waiting for today? What desperate pleas are you lifting up to our heavenly Father? Is it a child that has wandered from their faith? Is it a husband that has fallen to alcoholism? Is it a daughter who carries a child conceived out of marriage? A husband content to play video games and skip church? A wife who is unfaithful and unwilling to return home? Is it a sick child-fragile, and too young to die? Or maybe your job situation is less than ideal, and causes you great anxiety and stress. Some of us are in the middle of some pretty big trials, and some much less, yet we all have walked inside situations we longed to escape. 
     If you're one of the ones that feel desperate today, can I encourage you not to lose hope? Can I remind you that in this season of waiting, God is refining you? Can I encourage you that He only refines His own children, and that by walking through this trial, you can feel connected to Him as your Father? I won't profess to love my own seasons of waiting, because I can promise you, those seasons are painful. And while they are painful, they are also sweet. I've never felt closer to Jesus than in those dark valleys of waiting. Because it was in those moments that I knew my absolute need of Him. And He never lets us down in those seasons-He is always faithful and always giving us the strength and comfort we need to wait another day.
     Friend, keep praying, and don't lose heart! There is no situation too difficult for God, and there is no situation He doesn't walk with us. We are not left alone to figure it out on our own. We often feel we are, and take matters into our own hands only to make a bigger mess of it. As hard as it is somedays, trust Him with it all. Believe that He's working, even when you can't see it. And never stop looking for your own prodigal to walk down that long road toward home. And when it happens-praise the God of Heaven each day for His goodness to us. 

I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, ... Ezekiel 34:16a (ESV)
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost Luke 19:10 (ESV).
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." And they began to celebrate Luke 15:24 (ESV).

Dear heavenly Father, we are all prodigals, and You've waited so long for each of us so many times. You know the anguish of our hearts, and are no stranger to waiting. Give us patience and hope as we wait for You to do a marvelous work through our prayers for Your ultimate glory. In Your name we pray, Amen!

Patterns and Rebuilding Trust

     Starting over again is a wonderful gift that only God could've given us. I am thankful each day that we are establishing a new marriage relationship, and not working toward a divorce. Things are brighter, better, and shine with promise. And while there is so much positive stuff going on, the damage from behind us lurks in the mind, and Satan beckons us to listen to his old spiel of garbage. What will we do with what he whispers to us, and how can we make sure we don't buy into his load of bull again?
     If you are the betrayed spouse and find yourself rebuilding a marriage that has been damaged by infidelity, you know the struggles associated with it. Any behavior out of the new norm causes anxious thoughts. There are certain triggers that would cause me to panic, should I see them arise. And even with our best plan to stay focused on the present, our past often calls out to us and tries to derail the progress we are making. 
     Our wonderful marriage counselor has given some great advice on this. Look for patterns, and unless they are there, push away doubts that may try to creep in. In the past, my husband had a clear pattern for behavior associated with infidelity. In the present, none of that behavior exists- therefore, I need to focus on the good that is happening, and refuse to listen to the lies of the devil. When I find my mind going to my old crazy place, I have chosen instead to focus on this scripture, full of hope and encouragement : "Finally brothers (or sisters), whatever is TRUE, whatever is HONORABLE, whatever is JUST, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is COMMENDABLE, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS." (Philippians 4:8 ESV).
     Our mind is a complicated place, full of ideas and thoughts and imaginations. I am learning to train mine to focus on what is true, and not what may happen. There isn't really a better tool I've found for navigating through negative thought patterns, than to focus on the actual truth of this moment. God has used this scripture to re-train my brain from unhealthy places that can get me stuck in negativity from untruths. What a waste of my time and energy it is to stay in those bad places. If you're fighting against thoughts that hold no real truth or legitimacy in your present place, I encourage you to find the help and hope I have found in Philippians 4:8. Each time your mind goes to a place of worry and fear, train it instead, to think on things that are lovely, pure, honorable, just, praise worthy, and true! And in time, I believe with assurance, my brain will figure out it just isn't worth messing with Satan's lies. Our good God gives us all that we need to be successful within His Word! Praise the Lord for not leaving us alone in our struggles, but supplying our every need to be victorious over them!

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32 ESV
Lead me in truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:5 ESV
Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:17 ESV
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Psalm 51:6 ESV

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of Your Word, so full of all we need and yet we often struggle. We struggle because we don't use Your Word to give us truth and focus, and I confess that before You, Lord. I thank You for giving the gift of re-training our minds to focus on You and all that You are to us. Help me each day, to remember the power I possess in Your Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!