For His Name's Sake

"For the sake of Thy name, O Lord, revive me.

In Thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble."

~ Psalm 143:11 ~

Oh, the trouble of the soul. I find it so interesting that the Psalmist [David, in this case] is crying out to God to revive him, in the midst of experiencing trouble in his own soul. How often do I find myself in a troubled situation - my soul in distress because of it - and automatically correlate the trouble brewing in my soul, with my own deep need for revival? Not often enough, I'm afraid.

David however knew that when his soul was troubled, his heart was desperate for reviving. And furthermore, David knew that true revival could only be found in God alone.

Revive: A verb meaning to be alive, to live, to keep alive.

In this particular context, the word revive would also mean to give live, live, nourish up, preserve, quicken, recover, repair, restore, be whole. Psalm 143:11 in the NIV says, "For Your Name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life ... "

Spurgeon says it best in The Crossway Classic Commentaries (Psalms, Vol. II): "Jehovah, the Lord and giver of life, is the only one from whom life can come to renew and revive us; hence, the prayer is to him only."

God is the Only One who can give us life. And He is also the Only One who can renew and revive our lives. I love that the word revive in this context can be taken to mean to be made whole. The Creator of the Universe cares enough about you and me, that He desires to take our broken and weary souls and make us whole again. And once you and I wise up to the realization that He truly is the Only One who can perfectly mend our souls back into place (and then some), it will be then that we will experience the fullness of His ability to revive us ... to repair us ... and to make us whole.

And do you know what else I so love about David? He is not in this for himself. He makes it a point to begin his plea by placing His God high above himself on the hierarchy of importance. He says, "For the sake of Thy name, O Lord, revive me" (Psalm 143:11).

Yes, I am sad. Yes, I am weary. Yes, I am offended. Yes, I am persecuted. Yes, I am bitter. Yes, I am wronged. Yes, I am the rightful one. Yes, I am ____.

But, fix this problem, Lord ... For Your glory. Because I bear Your Name. And Your Name ... Is more important than my name, in this game of life.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says, "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." Can we even wrap our heads around the fact that we, friends, belong to God? If we have come to know Him through Salvation in His Son Jesus, He has stamped His seal of ownership upon us. And we are His. And We bear His Name.

It is for His Name's sake that our troubled soul will reach out and extend the hand to Revival. It is for His Name's sake, that we be made whole.

Spurgeon goes on to say, "David was heavily afflicted. Not only was there trouble in his soul, but his soul was in trouble; plunged in it as in a sea, shut up in it as in a prison. God could bring him out of it, and especially he could at once lift up his soul or spirit out of the ditch. We may be sure that trouble was soon over when the Lord heard such supplications."

There is no getting around it - Some of us are in a ditch. And we don't want to get out, because we feel we have rightfully "earned" it. Someone threw us in there. Someone provoked us enough until we jumped right in there ourselves. Whatever the case, we're there. And without a perspective change, without a revival of the soul, we will stay there. And we will continue to fluctuate in and out of a cycle of frustration, of misery, of dissatisfaction.

It is time to wise up, just as David did, to the fact that once we are His, our life is not our own. And we bear His hand print, because He has placed His seal upon us. It is time to get things right and allow the Lover of our souls to do some serious replenishing and repairing. Or else, here is the sad truth: We are doomed for despair ... On and off for the rest of our days. Because just like David - Some of us are not just experiencing trouble in the soul, but our very soul is in trouble.

So, what do we learn from this short but packed piece of scripture from God's authoritative Book of Life? We learn that when our souls are in jeopardy - when they are broken and troubled -We must call out to God for a personal revival. And I promise you, sweet sister, He has that in store for your life. He will bring it. And you will walk away changed. Repaired. Replenished. Revived.

Let's take the step and get out of the ditch.

Not just for ourselves, but more importantly ...

For His Name's Sake.

Constantly

It's been a busy week. 'Tis the month of January, I reckon. When I arrived home this evening from work, there was a card waiting for me on the kitchen counter. I could tell from the first glance of the handwritten address that it was from one of my dearest friends. And so I hurriedly put all my things down and took a minute to open the card first thing. Because I knew what awaited me in that card ... Encouragement.

Let me just share with you the perfect verse from The Living Bible translation that was written inside the card:

"How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking about me constantly!" (Psalm 139:17, TLB)

I have a hungry husband downstairs, so I need to get going. But, I just had to share that oh so sweet (but oh so true) truth with you before I cut my chicken and baked my potatoes.

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2, NASB)

Are your eyes looking up today?

Because you can guarantee that His Eyes ...

Are looking down at you. Constantly.

Perfectly Scorched

So being that yesterday's post was a little on the heavy side, I thought I would share something a bit more lighthearted this afternoon. Disclaimer: Once again I am totally exposing myself. Let's all give Transparency a warm welcome to our Hints of Hope blog world.

Ok, here it goes ...

We were on all new territory this holiday season. Being married. Splitting our time between both of our families. Starting new traditions. Making our best efforts to keep the old traditions. You get the gist. It was a whole new experience.

We had plans to see both of our families on Christmas day, but one thing I really wanted to do was to get everyone - both of our immediate families - together for dinner on Christmas Eve. And of course I had this bright idea that everyone should come to our home ...

And that I should cook.

Before we venture any further, let me add that the only thing I probably have ever cooked for my parents is banana bread ... when I was 12. And I believe my mother-in-law had at this point possibly eaten one of my chocolate chip cookies. If I am exaggerating Mom, feel free to chime in .... [Silence]. My mother swears that she offered many times to teach me to cook, and that I was simply too preoccupied with other things. Undoubtedly the truth. Not to mention she is a fabulous cook and it's intimidating! Now, I have of course cooked for my husband and I very much enjoy it. It started out very simple, and I'm getting better. I actually made a great dinner last night that I will have to share with you at some point. And yes, I'm boasting. The last words out of my husband last night before he nodded off to sleep were: Thanks for making dinner tonight, babe. It was really good. Yes!

Christmas Eve however, played out a little differently ...

I had lasagna on the menu, which I had put together the night before. I had also committed to making the appetizer - a brie cheese pastry. And a dessert - a peppermint red velvet cake. I had never baked a real cake from scratch before, so I thought it would be a good idea to start there. Christopher helped me swirl the red velvet cake with the yellow cake and it actually went pretty smoothly. I had fun icing it and it turned out pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.

Our Christmas Eve service at my home church was scheduled for 5:00. Because I was participating in it, I had to leave my home at 3:00 to rehearse. Oh, I forgot to mention that. We were all going to the Christmas Eve service that evening before dinner. So you know what that means ... Everything had to be ready when we returned home because people would be hungry. I placed the brie in the oven and instructed my husband to remove the brie from the oven and place in the warming drawer, then to place the lasagna in the oven. When the lasagna was done baking, he was instructed to then place it in the warming drawer as well, then leave for church. I checked some last minute items off my list as I rushed out the door and headed for church.

Fast forward to about 4:45 p.m. I receive the following text message from my husband: The lasagna is done. The cheese is perfectly scorched.

Hmm, scorched? That's an odd choice of words, I thought. Well, he's a boy. They don't know cooking terms. I blocked that description out of my mind for the next hour or so until ...

I was driving back to my house with my mother-in-law in the car when she says, "Melissa [cousin] told me you used the no-boil lasagna noodles and that you hadn't used those before. Those are great - I use them all the time! As long as you keep the foil on while baking the lasagna .... "

Freakout moment # 1: Realize I had forgotten to instruct husband to keep foil on while baking.

Freakout moment # 2: Text message flashback: The cheese is perfectly ... scorched.

Freakout moment # 3: Well ... Let me just give you a visual:


Are you laughing hysterically? You should be! At this point, I was on the verge of a meltdown. It is no secret that I love presentation. I like things to be perfectly in their place and perfectly presented. It's a curse. My husband has calmed me down a few notches in this area. But it's still a struggle of mine. His response? Babe, you didn't tell me to keep the foil on. Well, he was just so stinkin' right - How could I be mad at him!??!

So, after my momentary nervous breakdown over my own lack of direction, I did the only thing a girl knew to do ...

I peeled back the layer of cheese. And prayed. Hard.

Praise Jesus. The layer of cheese came completely off with one easy peel. Somehow the noodles were steamed enough (most likely due to the scorched cheese) that they cooked all the way through even without the foil.

I was thankful ... And husband took a sigh of relief. Poor guy. Bless him, Lord. He didn't know what he was getting himself into! ;)

Despite the rough start, the evening was a blessing. Definitely one of the most memorable Christmas Eve's I have ever experienced. It's Friday afternoon - Figured we could all use a good laugh!

As my mother-in-law says: Makin' Memories! [That's for darn sure.]

Hemmed In by His Presence

"You hem me in - behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me."

~ Psalm 139:5 ~

I'm just going to be blatantly honest. The past few weeks have been rough. I told my husband this morning that I just haven't felt much like myself. Funny how certain unexpected circumstances can steal our joy without us even knowing it's being taken from us. Until it's happened. I don't like living life absent of joy. In fact, I despise it. Because what happens is that I get wrapped up in ME-ville. And that's a really ugly and complacent place to settle. But I also am well-aware, as you are, that sometimes life is just tough. Hardships are going to come and they will at times beat us down - sometimes physically and sometimes emotionally, and heaven forbid, even sometimes spiritually. This particular trial has not left me spiritually beat down, though I am still asking God exactly what He has for me to learn here in this place. I do feel entirely drained, however - Drained emotionally and even a little bit on the physical side. I have felt purposeless and unmotivated at times. And why I'm being so transparent with you, I haven't a clue. Other than perhaps just once again to have the opportunity to say ... I don't know where I would be without my God.

And you know what? Here's the thing. Whatever hardship you are facing, if it's real to you, then it's real to our Heavenly Father, who loves you more than you could ever imagine. Yes, it may be common to the rest of the world, but if it's happening to you and your heart is tender and hurt over it, then it's not common to you. And it's not common to our God. At the same time, He doesn't intend us to stay in that place. He longs to restore us to a place of effectiveness, to a place of worth, to a place of joy ...

The other night as I laid in bed trying to sort everything out in my head, I quoted and paraphrased the above Scripture over and over again to myself: You hem me in, Lord ... You're behind me and You're before me ... You have laid Your hand upon me ... Help me to feel Your Presence. Because if I am certain of one thing in a time of trial, it is this: If we are able to experience His Presence in the midst of it, we will get through it victoriously. And He alone, will bring back our joy. A joy that is genuine, because it is straight from the heart of God.

Out of curiosity I looked up the meaning of to hem: To surround in a restrictive manner; confined. According to the Scripture above, our God hems us in. The New American Standard version says that He encloses us: "Thou hast enclosed me behind and before" (Psalm 139:5, NASV). His Presence confines us. He is all over our pasts, and He is all over our futures. When I hear the word hem, I picture a military battle. Think about a lone soldier standing in the middle of a battlefield, hemmed in by opposing forces. Scripture says that "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them" (Psalm 34:7). This time, picture yourself - Right where you are at this moment: In your kitchen, at your desk, sitting at that little coffee shop. Now, picture God Himself wrapping a huge blanket around you. A blanket of protection, of compassion, of hope, of joy ... whatever you seem to be lacking at this very moment. Doesn't it feel so safe? Like you could withstand any trial as long as You felt His Presence surrounding you? Now, the wonderful thing about that blanket is that it is with you wherever you go. Because God Himself, has hemmed you in. He has confined you to Himself. And regardless of what has happened behind you, and regardless of what is before you ... The most important thing is that it is God who is surrounding you. Psalm 125:2 is yet another reminder of God's promise to surround His people: "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore." Did you get that? Both now ... and forevermore.

And of course I love the next phrase in this verse: "You have laid Your hand upon me." He is not only behind and before us ... His presence is also very much upon us, on this very day.

All that being said - God is with you, my friend. And He is with me - And I so praise Him for His Presence, don't you? So yes, a hard time that is hopefully very soon coming to an end ... But just another opportunity to share how recklessly in need of my Savior I am. And how desperately I have come to long for His Presence. Because His Presence alone ... Is my joy.

Hemmed in by His Presence.
Behind. Before. And upon.

Paving the way through 2010

"And the Lord is the One who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed."

~Deuteronomy 31:8~

What a year 2009 has been. At the beginning of 2009, I remember asking Him if this could be a year in which I saw His hand in every single aspect and detail of my life. And that I did. I am so humbled by His presence - How faithful He is in the joys, as well as in the sorrows. I learned a long time ago that I do not want to walk one single trial without Him by my side. This year, I learned that I also do not care to walk one single joyous event without Him by my side. He has been so present and so very real to me this year, that I can honestly say as Moses did in Exodus 33, "If Thy presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here" (Exodus 33:15). In other words ... If You're not going with me Lord, I'm just plain not going. Because to have to walk one day without You, would have to be the most frightening thing I can imagine.

Deuteronomy 31:8 was given to me by a older and wiser friend when I was experiencing some sorrow earlier this week. I was again led to this passage in Deuteronomy a few days later on January 1 as I sat and recounted before the Lord all the many ways I had felt His presence and seen His hand at work through the past year. There are 2 things I believe the Word of God calls us to pay close attention to in this verse, especially as we enter this brand new year and chapter of life:

1. He is the God who goes ahead of you: "And the Lord is the One who goes ahead of you ... " In this passage of Scripture, Moses is charging Joshua to accept the high calling of leading the people of Israel into their promised land, into the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers, the land they would receive as their inheritance (Deuteronomy 31:7). You can bet that Moses, at the age of 120 years old, knew the character of His God.

I have to say that this verse is giving me the strength to press on with hope throughout another new year. This verse and this verse alone. Just knowing that my God is already ahead of me - He's already in my tomorrow, and He's already in my next week. He's already in January 3, 2011. And He alone knows what is ahead. All He is asking me to do is trust Him to map it all out. And I can trust Him because He is trustworthy.

2. He is the God who will not fail you: "He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed." The Greek translation for fail used in this context is to slack. Our God, girls, will never ever in a million years slack off on our behalf. He is always in tune, always at work, and always ahead of the game.

So, what will I ask Him for this year? I will beg Him with all I've got, for 2010 to be yet another year where I see His hand intertwined throughout the details of life. Why? Because I am so deeply and unashamedly in need of the presence of God in my life. Both in the big things, as well as in the day-to-day things. And I will trust Him to lead me, because He alone knows where I am going.

As we approach this new year, may we hold fast and unswervingly to the remarkable truth that He who created us, also desires to lead us. And not only will He walk alongside of us, showing us which way is best ... He also will walk ahead of us, paving the way. Paving the way, through 2010.

May 2010 be the year that you see God work on your behalf in ways you never imagined. Blessings to you!