Psalm 56:8-10, 59:16-17, 61:1-4, 66:1-5, 67:1-7, 71:5, 8-9, 14-19, & 72:1-8

 

(Psalm 56:8-10) Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? / When I cry unto thee... this I know; for God is for me. / In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word.

(Psalm 59:16-17) But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.

(Psalm 61:1-4) Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. / From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. / I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

(Psalm 66:1-5) Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of His name: make His praise glorious. / Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. / All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. / Come and see the works of God.

(Psalm 67:1-7) God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. / That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. / Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. / O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. / Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee... / God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

(Psalm 71:5, 8-9, & 14-19) For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. / Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day. / Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. / But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. / My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. / I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. / O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. / Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. / Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!

(Psalm 72:1-8) Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. / The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. / He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. / They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. /  He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. / In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. / He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

Psalm 51: Whiter Than Snow

 

Psalm 51: Whiter Than Snow

(I originally wrote this in 2018 when we were still living in Idaho.  I took the above photo north of McCall in 2015.)

The words of Psalm 51 reflect my own heart.  I feel like to add my own words are not necessary if one reads this Psalm (listed at the end), but I doubt God put this theme in my head this morning just to copy and paste David's psalm!  

When you read the first few verses, you will note that we must first acknowledge our sin.  True repentance does not come if we insist we have done nothing wrong or are just going through the motions of asking God to cleanse us.  Admitting you need to be clean is an obvious first step.  As I have stated many times, grace may be a free gift, but we must still confess our sins and ask for forgiveness and actively choose to accept it. Nor do we abuse God's grace by refusing to change our sinful habits (Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?).

(1 John 1:8-9) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Jesus, yes, is “just to forgive,” but we must first "confess our sins" and He expects us to do our very best to stay clean!  In John 8:1-11, a woman caught committing adultery is brought before the Lord.  I am sure you are familiar with this story.  Jesus sends her accusers away (some believe it was the accusers' sins He was writing in the sand).  But my focus is not on her confronters, but on the woman.  What does Jesus say to her?  Does He say, “I forgave you once, so go your merry way and do as you please from this day forward?”  Of course not!  Jesus tells her what He tells all of us after we have been forgiven, “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) Although I prefer to use the KJV Bible, the NIV translation of this verse is a good one, for it is worded as, "Go now and leave your life of sin."

In the below verses, the people are told to get rid of their evil ways so they can be cleansed as snow.  What I have always liked is the Lord saying, "Come now, and let us reason together.”  I picture a loving, heavenly Father, no, not allowing us to justify our sins and attempt to explain why we sinned but rather listening as we plea for forgiveness.  He then embraces us, wipes our tears of contrite repentance, encourages us to continue striving to enter in at the narrow gate, and reassures us that we are loved (Luke 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.).  His love, combined with our actions, makes us feel clean, white, and new.      

(Isaiah 1:16-18) "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” 

What happens to snow on a day-to-day basis?  It gets dirty.  It looked so pristine that morning, but as the cars drove by, or the dog (excuse me for saying so) uses it, it turns brown and yellow.  Yet, behold, at the next snow fall, the beauty has been restored, all sparkly and white.  Pretty obvious symbolism here, isn’t it?  When we pray as David did, to be purged and to have a new, clean heart, let us make that a daily prayer.  

(Luke 9:23) Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  

Again, 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." But note the first 5 words. We need to be proactive on our part and ask for forgiveness. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Therefore, you know He is gracious enough to forgive us every single time we ask.

Short message today but living a clean life does not have to be overly complicated.  Admit to your sin, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, cast away the old nature, and make a daily decision not to repeat old sins or commit new ones (no one is perfect, but this is a good goal to do our best to live righteously).  You cannot conquer sin on your own, but when you ask the Holy Spirit to help you, He will always answer.

We should evaluate our lives daily and strive to be the best person we can be every day.  If you want a new routine to help you be a better Christian, I suggest reading Psalm 51 and making this your theme.

(Psalm 51:1-4; 6-13; 16-17) Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 

Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.   For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise. 

Psalm 27: 1, 4, 6-8, 30:4-5, 11-12, 31:1,3, 14, 23-24, 34:1-9, 37:4-5, 47:1, 5-8 & 48:1-3

 

(Psalm 27:) he Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? / One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord. / I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. / Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. / When thou saidst, "Seek ye my face;" my heart said unto thee, "Thy face, Lord, will I seek."

(Psalm 30:4-5 & 11-12) Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. / ...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. / Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

(Psalm 31:1,3, 14, & 23-24) In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. / But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. / O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

(Psalm 34:1-9) I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. / My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. / O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. / I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened... / The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. / O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. / O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

(Psalm 37:4-5)Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

(Psalm 47:1 & 5-8) O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. / God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. / Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. / For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. / God reigneth... God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.

(Note: I just want to make very, very clear that the castle you have and will see in several of my Bible journal drawings is one I have been drawing for around 35 years. In no way is it meant to represent any of the Disney castles, as I do not support Disney.  I think at the time I first drew it, I had only been inspired by a book on medieval castles, but I cannot remember which one.)

(Psalm 48:1-3) Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. / Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. / God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd

 

Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd

In 2017 I read a book by Phillip Keller titled “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.”  Keller preaches the Truth so eloquently that it struck me to the core.   Keller opened up the world of shepherds I never knew.  After reading his book, the 23rd Psalm, as well as the fact that Jesus refers to Himself as our Good Shepherd, makes this comparison so much more meaningful.  Real sheep 100% rely on their shepherd to properly care for them.  A bad shepherd has underfed sheep full of parasites living in dying pastures.  Just like Jesus, a good shepherd takes care of His sheep’s every need.  He takes great care moving his sheep from pasture to pasture in order to assure they always have plenty of green grass and still waters to drink from.  He anticipates their every need.  (Please read Keller’s book, he says it so much better, and you will see the Bible in a completely new light.)

(John 10: 1-4 & 7-11) [Jesus said,] "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice; and He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice."

Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” 

Only our True Shepherd may enter through the correct door to our hearts.  The thief and robber, Satan, may try to gain access, but the sheep (the true believer) will not recognize his voice, and will not let him in.  Or should not let Satan enter.  When we first submit to God, then resist the devil in the name of Jesus, Satan will flee. 

(James 4:7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

Our Good Shepherd protects not only the doors to our heart but literally laid His life down for us. 

Jesus is the door of life.  Jesus longs only for good things for our lives (see Jeremiah 29:11), and desires that we may lie down in green, lush, beautiful pastures next to still waters.  He longs for a life full of abundance, or full of plentiful blessings.   

Satan is the door of death.  Why would you choose to walk through a dark and twisted door that would only steal, kill, and destroy your soul? 

Do not waste your life waiting to decide whom you will follow and allow access to the door of your heart.  Choose today whom you will serve.  Make Jesus Lord of your heart, mind, body, and soul.  Lock the door of your heart to the sins of this world and do your very best to walk down paths of righteousness.    

(Psalm 23:1-6) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. / He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. / He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. / Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. / Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. / Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 15:4: Do I keep my oaths even when I am hurting?

Psalm 15:4: Do I keep my oaths even when I am hurting? 

(Written in 2017) As I read Psalm 15:4 today, it ministers greatly to my heart.  Particularly the line that says, "He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not."  I don't usually read the NIV of the Bible, but I like this translation of this portion of the verse in the NIV translated as, "Who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind."

Today I feel immense sorrow and heaviness in my soul. In my grief, do I change how I love God?  Do I keep my faith strong even when I hurt?  Do I keep my oaths to follow the ways of the Bible even when I am hurting?    

I remember that God NEVER changes (Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.).  Even when I push Him away, He still clings to me.  I will remember that God is always on my side.  I am determined that even when I am hurting, I will not change my mind and suddenly believe anything other than the fact that I am a beloved child of God! I will serve and love Him even in the midst of great sorrow.  Then I will heal.  

I praise you, Jesus for your patience and love!

Psalm 3:3-4, 7:8-11, 12:6, & 14:1-2

(Psalm 3:3-4)But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. / I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. 

(Psalm 7:8-11) The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. / Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. / God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

(Psalm 12:6) The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

(Psalm 14:1-2) The fool hath said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. / The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

The Book of Psalms Quick Preview

The Book of Psalms Quick Preview

I apologize for posting this in 4 short videos (It was supposed to be 5 videos, but part 1 would not upload), but any videos longer than 30-40 seconds filmed with my camera phone won't post to Blogger. If you want to view it as just one video, you can find the full preview (a little less than 3 1/2 minutes long) on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/juliesbiblejourney

I want to make it clear that all of my dear readers understand that the purpose of sharing my Bible Journal is merely for the sake of helping others realize what the Bible truly says. I pray you read the entire Bible on your own, perhaps read each chapter along with the postings. I also pray you ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart as you read and make His holy words come alive to you and give you His understanding as you study.

Before each book of the Bible, I will take a quick video of the book so you can see a preview of what will be shared for that book. Just remember, I am not a very good artist. but I wanted to share with you how God's Word inspires me. These postings are in no way instructional on how to Bible journal. This is not about beautiful art that covers up and distracts from the scriptures on the pages, it is about expressing my love for the holy Word of God. So even when the pages I share are "ugly" or uncreative, I will still be sharing them as God's Word is always beautiful!

A few notes on the videos. I am not a professional and only have my inexpensive phone to record on. Also, I live in the Pacific Northwest where it will be cloudy from now until at least June, so I apologize if the quality of the videos is too dark!

Thank you for reading and watching! To God be all the glory!

The Book of Job: Why do the Righteous Suffer? Written by my Husband & Bless God and Live, Written by Me

The Book of Job

Why do the Righteous Suffer? Written by my Husband (Mel)

Job is a good example of a righteous man, blameless before God.  However, he was condemned by his friends because of his severe trials. Job lost seven sons and three daughters, as well as all his servants and livestock on the same day. It appeared to his friends that God was punishing Job, because of his sins. But it was because of Job’s righteousness, that Satan accused him before God in heaven. Satan claimed that the only reason Job served God, was that God blessed and protected him. God allowed Satan to take so much away from Job. 

Job naturally complained about the harsh trials that he was experiencing but, in the end, he remained faithful to the Lord. Because of this, God blessed Job with new sons and daughters, as well as more wealth than he had previously. Job was also blessed to live one hundred forty years after his fiery trial.

Many people ask the question, "Why me?" or "Why do bad things, happen to good people?" We live in a fallen world, where two kingdoms are at war over the souls of men, the righteous are tried, through the hard knocks of life. We should never judge someone, because they are sick, unemployed, or have experienced loss in their life. I have known some Christians, as well as pastors, who believe that God is punishing those who experience tragedy or loss. They are quick to reprove those whom they are convinced are living in sin.

 We are all tested and tried in many different ways; our hardships are normally not the result of wickedness. However, in some cases, sicknesses, as well as, tragedy, are the result of sin. Jesus told some of the people that he healed, to go and sin no more, so that nothing worse would overtake them. Habitual sins known as bondages, as well as unforgiveness, will block people from being healed or blessed. 

God’s Word teaches that if there are any sick among you, to have the elders anoint them with oil, and pray for their healing (see James 5:14-15). There are gifts of healings that God grants to many of his children. However, not everyone is healed, God grants healings, according to his will, and timing.     

 Jesus passed by a man who was blind from birth and his disciples asked him who sinned that this man was born blind. Jesus told them that no one sinned; he was born blind so that the works of God, should be revealed in him (see John 9:1-3). This passage shows that sickness, deformity or other handicap is not normally the result of personal sin but is the result of living in a fallen world.   

(1 Peter 3:6-9) In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

In the same way, that gold is purified in the fire, so our faith is also refined in the fiery trials of this life. The goal of these trials is that our lives may bring praise, honor, and glory, to our Lord. The trials of life may bring about bitterness or backslidings if we allow them to. We all have the choice to become hard or bitter, or to allow these trials to build character, as well as strengthen our faith.   Therefore, we need to be like Job and praise God no matter what our circumstances are (Job 1:20-21 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.")

I am well acquainted with suffering. I have experienced the deaths of both of my parents, my brother (who was my only sibling), one of my nephews, as well as my first wife of fourteen years. I was bitter toward God, for a period of time, and I had to learn to trust God again. When I made peace with God, He granted me visions of the afterlife, as well as, explained things to me that brought me great comfort. The Lord has also blessed me with a wonderful new wife, Julie, and she is my perfect match. I have made the choice to reach out to others who are suffering the loss of loved ones, and use my pain, to help others get through their dark time. When you help others get through life’s hard times, the Lord will strengthen, as well as bring healing to you.

(Romans 5:3-5) And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Bless God and Live, Written by Me (Julie)

In spite of all of Job's losses, he recognizes that God is good and just and pledges that he will trust the Lord no matter what!  Can we all say the same?  If you truly think about it, even though it is emotionally difficult to imagine losing those you love, and suffer through extremely poor health, can you honestly say you would not abandon your faith if you lost as much as Job?  Some of us have been there so we can answer we will trust God in all things.  

Yet often we first may go through trusting God in phases. You may know about the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (based on personal experiences, I would also add fear as a stage of grief). However, we do not always follow these in order.  These stages of grief can be applied not just loss of a loved one, but also to loss of a job, loss of a relationship not caused by death, frightening health diagnosis, or even moving.   

So, before you can come to peace with God you were most likely angry with Him for a while and maybe even gave up on Him.  But God never gave up on you, and you could feel Him calling you back to Him.  Your heart cried for the loss of God even more than those who died, and you realized your heart beat to the same rhythm as Job's.  Your Creator will always call you back to Him.  Trust He loves you and your heart may not fully heal this side of Heaven, but with God, we can find peace in knowing He carries your tears in a bottle (see Psalm 56:8), which means He feels compassion over ever tear we shed.

It is easier to go through the difficult moments if we make the decision before bad things happen rather than in the midst of the storm or after it passes, that we will follow and trust God in all things.  We should be like Job and declare, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him" (Job 13:15).

I can speak from experience. In 2023 when I was waiting to find out if I had cancer, I was determined to trust God that no matter the outcome, I would trust God.  I ended up being diagnosed with synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancers and went through two very painful surgeries (especially the second one).  While I waited to see what stage the cancer was, I praised God, and I promised I would still serve Him no matter the stage.  I thank God both cancers were declared to be stage 1A, and no further treatment was needed.  I still have post-cancer exams every six months, and each time I must reconfirm with God before I get the results of the new tests, that I will praise, love, and serve Him even if the cancer returns.

We can easily look at Job and see Him as a great man of faith, but one of the truly sad things about Job's story is how his friends and even his wife treated him.  They were not supportive or loving friends; they were accusatory and even tried to make him hate God. Therefore, one other small piece of advice I would give on the topic of Job has to do with how we treat others who are suffering. While is so very important we learn to trust as Job did, it is also so very true we should be like Jesus and have compassion when others suffer, not drag them down. 

This is especially true in terms of marriage; no matter what our mate is going through we must be our honey’s support system. 

Because Job was “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil,” (Job 1:1) God allowed Satan to tempt Job to fall.  Job suffered many trials including the death of his children, livestock, the majority of his staff, and boils on his body (see Job chapters 1-2).  His friends were not much comfort, and his wife was just as bad.  In Job 2:9, she taunts, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

Let us never be this kind of spouse.  Our responsibility is to encourage our mate, no matter what they are going through.  Hold each other and let them cry on your shoulder.  Read scripture verses and pray together.  Whenever Mel or I are feeling down, the other will suggest, "Let's pray," and we will pray for peace and comfort. We should all hold hands and pray, no matter what time of night and no matter how exhausted you both are, or even if you are annoyed with one another (praying will also help ease tensions between you).   Remind each other of God's amazing love and of all He has done.  Know what your spouse’s favorite scripture verses are and quote them often.  

Whether a spouse, friend, coworker, or family member is discouraged, please do not tell them to "curse God" or to give up.  Help lift them up.  Offer comfort even when it seems darkest.  Remind them you will always be there, no matter what the circumstance. (In my experience most people don't want comfort right away or maybe just specifically not from you but let them know you are there when they are ready and will at least pray.)

And most of all, I want to encourage all of you, bless God and live!

Nehemiah 8:10: The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

Nehemiah 8:10: The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

(Nehemiah 8:10) Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. 

I would also reverse that and say that the strength of the Lord is my Joy!  It is how I can keep a smile on my face no matter what I am going through.  Yes, I can feel sorrow, uncertainty, or pain but I can still feel happiness and peace when I lean on the love of the Lord.

I have often relied on the Truths of Isaiah 61:3, “To console those who mourn… To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."  Notice here, that our joy glorifies the Lord!

When you read some of the below verses you will also see that simply having faith and persevering in the knowledge of God’s goodness will produce joy.

Like most people, I have had my share of heartache and hard times.  There was a time in 2014 when I was so shattered that I could not pray.  Let me rephrase that, I would not pray.  I was so angry and confused with God that there was no way I could consider praising to lift my heaviness.  So, I know some of you are thinking that I am being too simplistic and unrealistic in expecting you to praise or sing when you are feeling wounded.  It got to the point where my soul was dangerously dry and I thirsted for the Lord, therefore I could not stay silent.  I missed my Heavenly Father, I knew He did not cause the harmful situation, and He wanted to comfort His child.  I started small with simply saying, “Thank you,” at the end of each day for all I still had, especially my husband.  My prayers slowly grew longer until I was back to being my usually chatty self with the Lord.  I was eventually even able to sing praises again without feeling like I was going through the motions.  It took at least six months for me to go through the process, but when I chose to pursue joy and release my anger and bitterness, I began to heal.

I have read possibly thousands (or at least hundreds, but a lot) of books in my life, and it is difficult to choose a favorite, yet I can say that next to the Bible, the book that touched me the most has been Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard.  If you have never read it, I highly encourage you to do so.  My husband and I read it together around 2018 and we were both were very moved by the story.  Much Afraid’s journey reminded me so much of myself in allowing bitterness and resentment to bully me to the point where I was hindered by going to the High Places with the Good Shepherd.  Had I been a character in that book I would have been called Walks by Sight (or Much Too Logical).  I have learned to become Acceptance with Joy as I can see that Sorrow and Suffering have been my companions for a specific purpose.  I may never fully understand why.  However, I can accept the hard times by remembering God only wants the best for His children, and He does not cause bad things to happen (See Jeremiah 29:11).  He can use the hurts of our past to make us become better people if we allow Him to.  That is, when we chose joy.

Here are some more scriptures on joy:

(Romans 15:13) Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

(Colossians 1:10-17) That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 

(Hebrews 12:1-2) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

(James 4:7-10) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. 

(1 Peter 1:7-9) That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.