"Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which will not pass away. Praise the LORD from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Both young men and virgins; Old men and children. Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven. And He has lifted up a horn for His people, Praise for all His godly ones; Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the LORD!"
Psalm 148
This joy, brings healing into my soul. Laughter IS good like a medicine after all. As I mentioned in my last post, I have had some struggles in my faith recently; dealing with the experience of acute pain in my life and those people near to my heart. I know that my questions are not too big for God, and that He is with me in my moments of weakness. So I ask these questions in confidence that He will show me His truth and reveal His love and faithfulness to me. [Therefore, . . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13] I had a nice walk in the sunshine with a friend yesterday, and we had the opportunity to talk a little. As we shared our struggles with each other, and encouraged each other, she graciously reminded me of several passages.
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cornthians 12:9-10
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:3-6
He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45b
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Hebrews 12:11-13
Additionally, my husband is a constant stream of encouragement; reminding me that the Lord does not promise to make our lives easy, but rather, He promises to be with us during all times.
[Jesus said,] "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
As my husband says, if we did not have faith during these times, who else would show a dark and hopeless world the light of love? Beyond this, I am coming to see once again that it is prudent upon us to choose to believe that God is with us, and that He does love us. When I see the glory of a bright blue sky encased by a mountainous horizon, I can feel His presence whispering truth and love into my heart; and I respond with thanks and praise. When faced with this simple reality, I must also believe that He does indeed exist, and He does indeed create beauty from nothing in order to display Himself to humanity and beckon me to Himself. I must believe that in spite of some of the most tragic occurances that can and DO unfold each and every day in this fallen world, the God who created us all, DOES love us and desire to relate with us — with me — on a personal level. He is waiting for me, and each of us, to simply believe in His redemption. What a good God.
© Jena Rutan 2010. All rights reserved.
Scripture references are from the NASB.
