I am getting ready for another Encounter Weekend -- with 38 other women. God is blessing and there is going to be SUCH a tremendous 'meeting' in Titusville -- this weekend. In getting ready- I went back on my blog to February 11, 2011 ...and looked at WHAT I blogged about that day -- or near that day. It was - I think the weekend that I was baptized at my church and it was a hard weekend as my husband and I were in the 'hellish' months of our crisis of faith. I will be honest - it was the month where he had decided he was moving out again ...well, I should say, we decided...no - he decided that - I just was waiting on God. But...the post was Scripture with me adding in my '2 cents'....and as I read - I was overcome with HOW much our lives have changed. I was going to repost it - but don't need to. Our past is our past. It was a glorious testimony of HIS mercy and grace. You are welcome to go back and read it -- if you know me and know our struggles -- maybe you are in a crisis of faith and need encouragement -- well, it should bless you as much as it did me. The Psalms are such a blessing. David wrote many of them. If David had not sinned against God -- we may not of HAD all of these passages to communicate to our Heavenly Father -- so with that being said..here is Psalm 37 - with my '2 cents' - updated for today. - michelle
Psalm 37
Living Bible (TLB)
37 Never envy the wicked! REally LORD -- NEVER envy them? Ok, I can get that -- that is like relishing that someone did 'you wrong' and then revisiting that over and over and THAT is not good. But why does it feel good at the time?
Oh ya -- Our flesh......
2 Soon they fade away like grass and disappear. 3 Trust in the Lord instead. Be kind and good to others; then you will live safely here in the land and prosper, feeding in safety. Trusting in HIM ...that is the hard part. But, when you reach as OLD as I am....LOL....there have been more times where I had to trust and I learned - so, NOW that does make sense. I posted this Psalm 3 years ago. I went back to my blog and READ what I wrote to God in between the lines. WOW - I was floored at HOW much grace I have been given, HOW much mercy I have received and HOW many of those prayers --- are answered.
That has to be ONE reason to journal......and then go back.....
4 Be delighted with the Lord. That one part of the verse -- deserves some ponder...thoughts...just be delighted - period.
amen.
Then he will give you all your heart’s desires.5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it, and he will. THIS is a promise - one of the over 7000+ promises of God .....HOLD onto that ! I have. I did. I will.
6 Your innocence will be clear to everyone. He will vindicate you with the blazing light of justice shining down as from the noonday sun. OHH...love this - just like Ex. 14.14 - my Lord is fighting for me - I just need to be still.
7 Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for him to act. Don’t be envious of evil men who prosper.
8 Stop your anger! Turn off your wrath. Don’t fret and worry—it only leads to harm. 9 For the wicked shall be destroyed, but those who trust the Lord shall be given every blessing. THE wicked will be destroyed -- sure no problem if that wicked person is one that I don't like....but how about those around me that are just in sin -- and they are not wicked to me...but only to others....Oh Lord, with a compassionate heart -- may their eyes be opened. I don't want ANYONE to suffer -- to spend eternity without you -- Oh LORD -- change them.
10 Only a little while and the wicked shall disappear. You will look for them in vain. 11 But all who humble themselves before the Lord shall be given every blessing and shall have wonderful peace. WE are reminded - our time is short.
12-13 The Lord is laughing at those who plot against the godly, for he knows their judgment day is coming. I know that some scripture we don't take literally -- but I sort of LIKE the idea of GOD sitting on HIS throne laughing at the enemy ...and all his lies...sort of like that image. That GOD is fighting for me...but then, I am thinking of Him in human terms when I think of this -- and God is God -- not man.
14 Evil men take aim to slay the poor; they are ready to butcher those who do right. 15 But their swords will be plunged into their own hearts, and all their weapons will be broken.
16 It is better to have little and be godly than to own an evil man’s wealth;17 for the strength of evil men shall be broken, but the Lord takes care of those he has forgiven.[a]
18 Day by day the Lord observes the good deeds done by godly men,[b] and gives them eternal rewards. 19 He cares for them when times are hard; even in famine, they will have enough. I LOVE this -- HE cares for them - when times are hard....even in famine they will have enough.
20 But evil men shall perish. These enemies of God will wither like grass and disappear like smoke. 21 Evil men borrow and “cannot pay it back”! But the good man returns what he owes with some extra besides. 22 Those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by him shall die.
23 The steps of good men are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. 24 If they fall, it isn’t fatal, for the Lord holds them with his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old. And in all my years I have never seen the Lord forsake a man who loves him; nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry. 26 Instead, the godly are able to be generous with their gifts and loans to others, and their children are a blessing. OH Lord, these verses bless me so -- that You hold us in Your hands...I know you do.
27 So if you want an eternal home, leave your evil, low-down ways and live good lives. 28 For the Lord loves justice and fairness; he will never abandon his people. They will be kept safe forever; but all who love wickedness shall perish.
29 The godly shall be firmly planted in the land and live there forever. 30-31 The godly man is a good counselor because he is just and fair and knows right from wrong. There it is again -- if you want an eternal home...LEAVE the evil...
32 Evil men spy on the godly, waiting for an excuse to accuse them and then demanding their death. ****OH my OH My OH My ..how this happens...it is always more fun to judge the Christian...but then again...there are far too many people that 'claim' to be Christian and they are hurting the body of Christ...wake up o sleeper -- actually DO What Jesus says ..to show love....
33 But the Lord will not let these evil men succeed, nor let the godly be condemned when they are brought before the judge.
34 Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! There is that word again -- WAIT on HIM....Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing,[c] and you will see the wicked destroyed. 35-36 I myself have seen it happen: a proud and evil man, towering like a cedar of Lebanon, but when I looked again, he was gone! I searched but could not find him! 37 But the good man—what a different story! For the good man—the blameless, the upright, the man of peace—he has a wonderful future ahead of him. amen and amen and thank goodness..... by HIS grace and mercy -- I know there is a different story for me!
For him there is a happy ending. 38 But evil men shall be destroyed, and their posterity shall be cut off.
39 The Lord saves the godly! He is their salvation and their refuge when trouble comes. 40 Because they trust in him, he helps them and delivers them from the plots of evil men.
I know God wins. I know he can resurrect dead stuff...a dead heart...a dead life...a dead marriage....even dead hearts -- believing. Just am!
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