Psalm 84:11-12

Holy cow.  No Good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.  Absolute truth, no Good thing.  Who decides what Good is? He is Good. He decides.  There have been so many times that I have not gotten what I wanted, or what I thought He wanted for me...why? Because He decides what Good is.  He is the author and orchestrator of my life, He knows my next step and knows every season.  Goodness God is mighty and powerful.  


The Lord is a sun and a shield.  He protects me from those things that my flesh say are good.  His Light reveals those places deep within me that hold my deepest desires.  He illuminates my darkness transforming me more and more into His image.  He shields me from things that are not beneficial for me.   God is so stinking good and more faithful than I could ever comprehend.  


How blessed is the man who trusts in You.  There are big things, and little things in this life.  There are the obvious and the confusing.  If I trust in Him I will live a life of thankfulness, without worry and minimal anxieties. God is faithful this I know and believe.  If He is truly faithful, and I believe His truths and Word - No Good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly AND The Lord is a sun and shield - how could I not have my complete trust in Him.  He has my best in mind, He will complete the work that He has began in me (Phil 1:6). God has it all covered.  In His perfect and beautiful timing I will see His glory.  


Because I am human many times I lack trust, I lack faith, and I do not always believe His truths.  The Lord gives grace and glory.  He extends grace to me.   The King of the universe extends grace to me...crazy I know.  I am blown away by His great love for me.  

This is so hard for me to comprehend:
1) He illuminates my heart and pursues my darkness to bring it to light.  
2)He protects me from anything that does not benefit me.  He protects me from being broken, damaged, and adding more scars to my heart. 
3) He gives me grace when I do not trust or when I fail.  He has done so much already, yet still He gives more. 
4) He does not withhold any Good thing from those who walk with Him. How is that even possible? Everything I receive is a gift from Him, even the denial of my hearts wants. He gives what is Good for me, and shields me from what is not. 
5) How blessed. Seriously though...how blessed are we?! 
6) Trust. Surrender and believe in His truths.  He knows you intimately.  He illuminates your heart, he shields your heart, He gives you what is Good...trust in His plan and that He will give according to what is Good.  


I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for our God. 

Psalm 139.

Psalm 139

1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

          You understand my thought from afar.

3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,

          And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,

          Behold, O LORD, You know it all.

5 You have enclosed me behind and before,

          And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

          It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?

          Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;

          If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the dawn,

          If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand will lead me,

          And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,

          And the light around me will be night,”

12 Even the darkness is not dark to You,

          And the night is as bright as the day.

          Darkness and light are alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;

          You wove me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

          Wonderful are Your works,

          And my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

          When I was made in secret,

          And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

          And in Your book were all written

          The days that were ordained for me,

          When as yet there was not one of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

          How vast is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.

          When I awake, I am still with You.

19 O that You would slay the wicked, O God;

          Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.

20 For they speak against You wickedly,

          And Your enemies take Your name in vain.

21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD?

          And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;

          They have become my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

          Try me and know my anxious thoughts;

24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,

          And lead me in the everlasting way.

Pride.

Growing up I always thought that pride was only a man's struggle, that as a woman I was free from dealing with my pride. Ha, what a lie I was fed.  Clearly I was wrong and prideful in this thinking...ironic much? Anyway, I was reading a book a few weeks ago and this poem spoke to me, it showed me just how prideful I can truly be if I am being honest with myself.  There have been moments since I read this poem that my actions have stood out to me.  This poem has stuck with me, and slowly but surely I am being refined.  Praise the Lord for His patience and grace in this aspect.  I thought I would share with you too my sweet sister.  Really sit and ponder these words, allow the Lord to use this poem to refine you too.   Don't let pride cheat you of what God has for you, He has so much more. 

My name is Pride.  I am a cheater.

I cheat you of your God-given destiny...because you demand your own way.

I cheat you of contentment...because you 'deserve better than this.'

I cheat you of knowledge...because you already know it all.

I cheat you of healing...because you're too full of me to forgive.

I cheat you of holiness...because you refuse to admit when your wrong.

I cheat you of vision...because you'd rather look in the mirror than out a window.

I cheat you of genuine friendship...because nobody's going to know the real you.

I cheat you of love...because real romance demands sacrifice.

I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth.

I cheat you of God's glory...because I convince you to seek your own.

My name is Pride.  I am a cheater. 

You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you.

Untrue.

I'm looking to make a fool of you. 

God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry...if you stick with me you'll never know. 

While portions of this are convicting to me, others are encouraging also.  We have the ability to live differently in Him.  In fact, we are called to live differently.  Jesus is our example, follow His lead.  Remember what C. S. Lewis said too, 'Humility is not thinking less of yourself, rather thinking of yourself less.'   We are not here to live for ourselves, we are here to live with purpose and intention for Him and them. 

'When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.'     

Proverbs 11:2 

'Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.'

Philippians 2:3-5

'He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?' 

Micah 6:8