Then I read these scriptures
You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32: 6-7
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. Psalm 119:114
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. Psalm 91:1
And then I realized, God's presence is my hiding place. Anytime I want, I can run and sit at his feet. I can talk to Him and hear from Him. I can receive His love and protection. It's the safest and most wonderful place on earth. It's what Jesus died to give us, relationship with the Father.
Just because I am a published author and I write books that glorify God, doesn't mean I have it all together. In fact, I have many troubles in my life. Lots of relationship problems within my own family and kids that have gone astray and loved ones who don't know God. I also have a bad temper, break down and cry at the drop of a hat, eat too much, can't sleep at night, and am very insecure. And sometimes when I get a phone call with bad news, I just plain lose it. That happened to me last week. Instead of remaining calm and praying, I ranted and raved and got myself all twisted up with anxiety and fear and anger. The devil had me in a tail spin.
But then I stopped and snuck away to a quiet place and just hung out with God. I poured my heart out to Him and then sat quietly. After a few minutes I felt His love pour over me and I could even sense Him smiling at me. I gave all my troubles and fears to Him and I felt SO MUCH BETTER!
The Lord is indeed a hiding place. A safe place where as it says above, He surrounds me with songs of deliverance.The best place in the world to be. Like David said in Psalm 84
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless
So, don't be like me. Don't let life's troubles and heartaches get you all upset and angry and confused. Before you do anything else, sneak away to God's hiding place and let Him soothe you with His feathers of love and deliverance!
Mon Nov 22nd,
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, MaryLu.
Thank-you for those encouraging words from Scripture ... God's Truths. Yes -- if "only" we would remember that "HE" is our 'hiding place'. But as you shared, alas, we are "all" only human .. and we often "react" instead of "simply responding". Unfortunately, I am a "reactor" (to strong news of any kind) ... Still working on that one !!! "If only" we would run to "HIM" first. Thank goodness, He knows us, He knows our frame ... after all, He is the Creator of the entire Universe !!! And, I love that song we sing (taken from the Bible): "Better is one day in YOUR courts than a thousand elsewhere ...."
"Hoping" that whatever it is you went through last week ... is now 'working out for the good', this week.
You remain in my prayers.
Take care, and, God Bless,
In Him, Brenda Hurley
Mon Nov 22nd,
ReplyDeleteOh ... and P.S. - MaryLu ....
I absolutely love the picture at the top of today's blog (forgot to mention that). I love eagles (and all that they represent). What a magnificent photograph !!!
That we would rise up ... and soar like .... eagles !!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks !!!
In Him, Brenda Hurley
You know, MaryLu, we are all just human. We will always slide back a bit. The challenge is to learn from our past and try to make a better future. Thank you for sharing your personal life with us. It is a sign of spiritual maturity when we are able to reveal our inner selves to others. It shows that we want to be a better person in Christ. Thanks for the post and the scriptures to back it up. May God bless everyone's week and Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteThank you MaryLu, I really needed this. Lately I have been even worse than usual (having a mental disorder does not help AT ALL). When I lose control of everything and get so upset that I cry and grind my teeth together to keep from screaming (part of that disorder), I push my Bible away from me. I never understand why I don't open it and read it instead.
ReplyDeleteAnyway...thank you for sharing this with us.
~Abigail
Thanks everyone! Brenda, you're a "reactor" too? LOL I suppose it's all just a part of those deep emotions God has given us. I just need to hone them in!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, Debbie. I think it helps for people to know that they aren't alone in their failures. Like you said, we are all human.
Abigail, bless your heart. I'm sorry about your disorder. I'm sure that makes it even harder to react well. And I can really understand about pushing the Bible away. When I'm really angry, reading God's Word is the last thing I want to do. The best thing to do! But the last thing I want. It's just human. Did you know that several people in history who did marvelous things and invented great things had disorders? You're in good company. May God use you to do GREAT things!
I can really relate to this post. We are only human, which is why we sometimes don't always act the way we should. I know I don't. When I feel that things are out of control, or I am over-reacting, or not reacting as God would probably like, and I need to refocus, I crawl into bed and pray. Then I fall asleep. When I wake, I am better, focuse and ready to start all over again. It seems silly, but when I get like this, I need my nap time, just like an overtired child.
ReplyDeleteBeing a Christian doesn't mean that all of our problems magically go away. But God helps us through them, and whether they are good or bad consequences, He's always trying to mold us into the person He wants us to be. The devil hates that, and will do anything to mess us up. But God is greater in us than he that is in the world! Amen! I'm glad that you posted this. It helped me a lot. =)
ReplyDeleteAmy, what a great strategy! I haven't had a nap since I was a child. It certainly beats having a hissy fit bout things.
ReplyDeleteHow true, Eszter! I fear for those Christians who think God should give them a care-free life. It's a fallacy that has caused many to turn away from the true faith. The difference between a Christian and a non Christian is not the number of problems, but that for the Christian, the problems they encounter all have a purpose and they are never alone in going through them. It makes it all worth while! God Bless!