Less than 48 hours until Spring Break officially begins...my kids are wound up...I am wound up...we are ready for a break and to have some fun. This has been a good week overall...working, school, exercise, church, dinner, laundry...all the things that go into my week. I have been very proud of myself for sticking with my exercise goal...so things are rolling along...until tonight...
I have no idea what happened, but tonight I was hit with a ton of bricks...all my fears, all my self-doubt, all the things that I really HATE about myself, all of it...hit me in the face. I was trucking along, giving the kids showers, getting ready for bed, then I sat down to enjoy a moment of peace and quiet and I was sideswiped by all my own insecurities. There I sat, on my bed...overwhelmed and moved to tears...not knowing how to move on from this point...feeling hopeless...what happened? I was fine and then a moment of reality of my "alone" situation and I was undone. All I could do was reach for my Bible (at least I did that right). And I went to Psalm 40...and found some wonderful encouragement from David. He was a man who knew about overwhelming circumstances...
Psalm 40:1-4
1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord."
There is so much in these four verses. So much truth, so much encouragement for those overwhelming moments.
First, David says that God turned toward him and heard his cry. I picture a very busy playground...kids everywhere. There are moms sitting on the sides talking. All of the sudden one of the moms looks towards the sea of kids, she heard something. She heard her child cry out...in the sea of noise, when she wasn't looking, her child's cry, got her attention. Sometimes I feel so insignificant. So small, so unworthy and unimportant. But David says that God turns towards us and hears our cry to Him. He hears you...he hears me. He heard me tonight cry out to him alone on my bed...he turned his face toward me and heard my cry.
Second, He lifts us out of the pit of despair and sets our feet on solid ground...when we are drowning in our despair, our own failure, our own mistakes...when there is no way we can get out ourselves...He lifts us up. Just picture it...His big, strong, nail pierced hand reaching down into all your junk and lifting you out. Tonight I was drowning in my own weakness. I fall so far short. I make the same mistakes and sometimes it feels completely hopeless...but He reached down and He just lifted me out. But He doesn't stop there...He sets our feet on solid ground. Solid. Secure. Safe. A place where we can get our bearings...take a breath...a firm foundation. Tonight my firm foundation was found in His word...the truth. He reminds me that Satan is a liar and he is seeking to destroy me. But God is Love and He holds me in His hand and that will never change no matter what my circumstances may be...
Third, He gives us a NEW song to sing. This has been the theme of my year...all things new. I just needed another reminder that He is constantly working to make me new...new heart, new desires, new life, new song. He gives us a new song and then we sing...that is important because sometimes I don't feel like singing...sometimes I don't want to sing. I want to wallow...I want to say "poor me." But God wants us to sing. He wants us to dance. He wants us to live. He has given us a new song...
Lastly, and this is the good part, "Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord." God is going to carry us through and people are going to notice. They are going to see all that He has done and they are going to be amazed. His faithfulness through our dark days will turn people to Christ. The fact that we are standing on that solid ground and singing our new song will point people to the one and only living God and they will trust Him. Wow. It is a privilege to walk with God and be a part of drawing people to Him.
I don't where you are...I don't know what overwhelms you when it is just you in the quietness of your spirit. I don't know what you and God are trying to overcome. But He is faithful...He hears your cry, He lifts you up, He gives you a new song, and people will be drawn to Him because of your story. Don't give up...just give it all to Him...He will never let you down.
I have no idea what happened, but tonight I was hit with a ton of bricks...all my fears, all my self-doubt, all the things that I really HATE about myself, all of it...hit me in the face. I was trucking along, giving the kids showers, getting ready for bed, then I sat down to enjoy a moment of peace and quiet and I was sideswiped by all my own insecurities. There I sat, on my bed...overwhelmed and moved to tears...not knowing how to move on from this point...feeling hopeless...what happened? I was fine and then a moment of reality of my "alone" situation and I was undone. All I could do was reach for my Bible (at least I did that right). And I went to Psalm 40...and found some wonderful encouragement from David. He was a man who knew about overwhelming circumstances...
Psalm 40:1-4
1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord."
There is so much in these four verses. So much truth, so much encouragement for those overwhelming moments.
First, David says that God turned toward him and heard his cry. I picture a very busy playground...kids everywhere. There are moms sitting on the sides talking. All of the sudden one of the moms looks towards the sea of kids, she heard something. She heard her child cry out...in the sea of noise, when she wasn't looking, her child's cry, got her attention. Sometimes I feel so insignificant. So small, so unworthy and unimportant. But David says that God turns towards us and hears our cry to Him. He hears you...he hears me. He heard me tonight cry out to him alone on my bed...he turned his face toward me and heard my cry.
Second, He lifts us out of the pit of despair and sets our feet on solid ground...when we are drowning in our despair, our own failure, our own mistakes...when there is no way we can get out ourselves...He lifts us up. Just picture it...His big, strong, nail pierced hand reaching down into all your junk and lifting you out. Tonight I was drowning in my own weakness. I fall so far short. I make the same mistakes and sometimes it feels completely hopeless...but He reached down and He just lifted me out. But He doesn't stop there...He sets our feet on solid ground. Solid. Secure. Safe. A place where we can get our bearings...take a breath...a firm foundation. Tonight my firm foundation was found in His word...the truth. He reminds me that Satan is a liar and he is seeking to destroy me. But God is Love and He holds me in His hand and that will never change no matter what my circumstances may be...
Third, He gives us a NEW song to sing. This has been the theme of my year...all things new. I just needed another reminder that He is constantly working to make me new...new heart, new desires, new life, new song. He gives us a new song and then we sing...that is important because sometimes I don't feel like singing...sometimes I don't want to sing. I want to wallow...I want to say "poor me." But God wants us to sing. He wants us to dance. He wants us to live. He has given us a new song...
Lastly, and this is the good part, "Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord." God is going to carry us through and people are going to notice. They are going to see all that He has done and they are going to be amazed. His faithfulness through our dark days will turn people to Christ. The fact that we are standing on that solid ground and singing our new song will point people to the one and only living God and they will trust Him. Wow. It is a privilege to walk with God and be a part of drawing people to Him.
I don't where you are...I don't know what overwhelms you when it is just you in the quietness of your spirit. I don't know what you and God are trying to overcome. But He is faithful...He hears your cry, He lifts you up, He gives you a new song, and people will be drawn to Him because of your story. Don't give up...just give it all to Him...He will never let you down.
