Psalm 103

Psalm 103 (NLT)

A psalm of David.

 ¹ Let all that I am praise the Lord;
      with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
 ² Let all that I am praise the Lord;
      may I never forget the good things he does for me.
 ³ He forgives all my sins
      and heals all my diseases.
 ⁴ He redeems me from death
      and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
 ⁵ He fills my life with good things.
      My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!  ⁶ The Lord gives righteousness
      and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
 ⁷ He revealed his character to Moses
      and his deeds to the people of Israel.
 ⁸ The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
      slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
 ⁹ He will not constantly accuse us,
      nor remain angry forever.
 ¹⁰ He does not punish us for all our sins;
      he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
 ¹¹ For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
      is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
 ¹² He has removed our sins as far from us
      as the east is from the west.
 ¹³ The Lord is like a father to his children,
      tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
 ¹⁴ For he knows how weak we are;
      he remembers we are only dust.
 ¹⁵ Our days on earth are like grass;
      like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
 ¹⁶ The wind blows, and we are gone—
      as though we had never been here.
 ¹⁷ But the love of the Lord remains forever
      with those who fear him.
   His salvation extends to the children’s children
    ¹⁸ of those who are faithful to his covenant,
      of those who obey his commandments!
 ¹⁹ The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
      from there he rules over everything.
 ²⁰ Praise the Lord, you angels,
      you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
      listening for each of his commands.
 ²¹ Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
      who serve him and do his will!
 ²² Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
      everything in all his kingdom.
   Let all that I am praise the Lord.


David was so good at praising the LORD no matter what his circumstance was. I love this Psalm because it serves as a reminder for me of all the things the LORD has done for me. I have much to be thankful of and to praise HIM for! Sometimes I have a hard time remembering that. Thank YOU LORD for helping me to remember!!

Skeletons

God is good and He loves us all more than we can even imagine. What ever we are going through...the Lord wants to help us. Just keep talking to Him and seeking Him. He doesn't leave us. When we go through hard things and we think we won't ever see the light on the other side...we have to keep going. Why? Because Jesus is standing in the midst of our struggle waiting for us to reach out to Him so He can walk through it with us. He doesn't ever leave our side.

Skeletons

How do you deal with the pain in your mind
Memories and feelings you can't leave behind
The skeletons in chains you placed in a box
Wrapped up so tight then secured with locks

You never wanted to face them again in this life
Cause all they had brought you was heartache and strife
But the devil is good he knows all about you
He plays with your mind until you think you are through

Now you must go be on your way
Back to the past and see what they say
The faces and places you put in that grave
Surrounded by walls to keep them contained

Fear has been in your head of all that is there
You know it is crazy but decide it is fair
Try to find the answers you need to be whole
Sitting and wondering why you have to go

Asking God to help you and help you some more
The answer never came you must get through the door
Keep talking and praying searching to find
The One who's familiar to help you unwind

Then you hear a song that gets to your heart
You've come to far now to go back to the start
Keep praying and praying and praying some more
Then reading the word you're right at the door

You turn the knob slowly and whom do you see
It's Jesus of Nazareth there waiting for me
He tells me it's good I don't need to fear
All the things of my past before He was near

All the skeletons I locked up inside with chains
Memories that tear at me the faces and pain
He buried them for me the day He drew near
When I asked Him to forgive me and take away my fear

He threw out the skeletons and tore up the box
Tossed out the chains and cast off the locks
Took care of the pain and cleared up my mind
He buried them for me one thing at a time

He died on the cross so that I could be made whole
He saved me and cleansed me and washed me white as snow
He loves me so much I need never to fear
He never will leave me He will always be near

GOD...frustration...soul...life...struggle...renewal...difficult times...peace...disaster...hope...draw close...pull away...intimate...lonely...friendship...lost...

All just words or...can you relate? 

Deuteronomy 4:29 (AMP)
But if from there you will seek (inquire for and require as necessity) the Lord your God, you will find Him if you [truly] seek Him with all your heart [and mind] and soul and life.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (AMP)
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

It seems as though at times we just have to keep fighting...

Never Quit...Never Give Up!!

Be Still My Soul

Do you ever just need your soul to "be still?" To just feel some peace within? I can tell you that many times I do...

Lately I have been struggling with many things in my life. Some of them are from current situations and some are from my past. After a melt down earlier in the week the Lord started really dealing with me about my mind set. So, over the last three days this is some of what took place for me.

I would open my bible and turn to scriptures like...

2 Corinthians 5:17
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Isaiah 43:13
“From eternity to eternity I am God.
      No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.
      No one can undo what I have done.”

Isaiah 63:7
I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love.
      I will praise the Lord for all he has done.
   I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel,
      which he has granted according to his mercy and love.

Isaiah 40:28-31
Have you never heard?
      Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
      the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
      No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak
      and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
      and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
      They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
      They will walk and not faint.

I read many more scriptures that are wonderful...too many to list.

While reading and really just asking the Lord to help me with all of this, things started happening. At one point I had the thought...I really just have to make a pivotal change in my mind set. No more waffling back and forth. When things go wrong don't think about going back to my old ways. They don't work. Only use Gods ways because I know they work. Then it would seem that as soon as I would stop reading and talking to the Lord it would start all over again. It was just feelings of hopelessness. So when I was home I would read more and just talk to the Father and keep asking for help. Then this morning I found a scripture in Isaiah that really just did something for me...

Isaiah 62:3
The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
      a splendid crown in the hand of God.

After reading the scripture I looked at the study notes. It says how names really mean something. This scripture is Isaiah calling believers..."a splendid crown in the hand of God."  It asks the questions...How does that change your self perception? I thought about it. My self perception has not been real good. Then...the next line. GOD has given you a new identity---Live It!! Wow...that just slapped me between the eyes! It makes me think of this passage...Colossians 3:1-17. Out of that passage one verse sticks out...

Colossians 3:10

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

I need to live out my new life trusting that the Lord has me in His hand. He has my life in His control. I have a new identity in Him...I need too believe it and live like it. He will not let me go!

Satan fights for our souls every minute of every day. How we react to what he does makes a huge difference. We can believe his lies and start on the path that leads us down into the dark valleys or...we can tell him he is a liar and to get away. Then start praising the Lord...worshiping...reading the Word...and anything else that keeps your mind set on the Lord! You have got to stay strong and fight. We live in a constant battle for our minds...which leads to a battle for our souls. We don't want to lose that battle.

One other thing that has helped me is an old song I listen to every night before I go to sleep...Be Still My Soul/What A Friend We Have In Jesus by Selah. Here is the link to watch the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRb5blYUQpc

Jesus...the Healer of our souls...if we will let Him be!!

Change...Embrace It!

Change...it's hard. There are only two times in my life when I remember embracing change. One was a little over six years ago when I left California and moved to Idaho. The second time was three years and nine months ago when I became a christian. Those were the two things I knew I wanted to change in my life. Since becoming a christian there has been many changes take place...and still more that need to take place!! The Lord is trying to help me with those but the name on my blog contains "rebel" for a reason...I know how to resist change!! Not that resisting is a good thing but sometimes old habits are really hard to beat. Well, today when I woke up what immediately came to my mind was that there was going to be...some change take place today. The funny thing about it is...

I didn't even try the resisting thing. I just looked up and said...Okay Lord, I will. For most people this would be so easy. Go to someones house...that I know...where there is going to be some other single women from church...and "fellowship"!! Fellowship..the state of sharing mutual interests, experiences, activities, etc. That is one of the most difficult things...ever...for me to do! Talking to one person at a time can sometimes be hard. But I decided...you only die once in this life so I might as well give it my best shot! All kidding aside...so to speak...there is a reason for this post other than to tell you what's wrong with my personality. Change has a purpose in your life...

No matter how much you are shaking...how many knots your stomach is tied in...how hard it is to find the right words to the questions...or any words at all for that matter...God works through change. What we are supposed to be doing as Christians is growing. God uses change to change us! So when we are presented with the opportunity to take on change in our lives we should embrace it. Not like you would embrace a porcupine but like you would embrace a nice, soft, cuddly little puppy! You see...Jesus is always the same. He never changes.

Hebrews 13:8 (Amplified Bible)
Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages).

So...I decided to read some scriptures about peace because the closer it gets...the more knots there are!! LOL Here are some of the scriptures.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (New Living Translation)
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”


1 Peter 5:7 (New Living Translation)
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you

John 14:27 (Amplified Bible) Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

What do these three scriptures say to you? For me, in this time...


Don't worry about anything. God will be there before and with me. He cares about about me and won't leave me or let me down. So go...embrace the change He wants you to experience...and grow!

   

Matthew 11:28-30

For me writing is a little like therapy. It seems once I start to write about what is bothering me...the Lord speaks things into my soul. Things that help me to understand. So tonight as I was talking to the Father I picked up my bible and asked Him to please just show me something to read that would help me. This is what I turned to immediately.

Matthew 11:28-30 (Amplified)

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]

Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.

For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

This was perfect. Tonight I really need to feel the rest that only He can give. I read it a few times and my soul really did feel lighter. Then I just glanced over to the side at the references and saw this verse.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified)

Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

Many times I have read these verses and I love them. But tonight...they were even more special. Right now I'm not going to go into the reasons, however...one day I will. The Lord has already dropped into my thoughts the title for a post soon to come. I also know that first...He has to prepare me. Everything is always in His time!!

God is good all the time...and all the time...God is good!!

A Note Of Thanks

This is just a little note to say..."thank you"...

If you read my last post you will know that I spoke of...underlying issues and how I get into "rocky places" because I don't always know how to work them out. This post was because of one of those "rocky places". One way is to talk to the people that He has put in my life that know and rely on Him above all else! Today I did that and I will refer to this person as my "big sister" because no one else will know who I'm talking about but her.

I believe the Lord puts people in our life for a reason. Corrie ten Boom wrote, "Every experience God gives you, every person He puts in your life, is the perfect preparation for the future, that only He can see." One of the things that's good about when it's God that puts a "big sister" in your life is...they give you Godly advice and quote scriptures to you. They tell you what you need to hear in that moment...even when you might not like what they say. You know that the advice and guidance they give comes from the Lord because you know it was God that placed them in your life to begin with. Above all...you can trust them and believe what they tell you.

If you are lucky enough to have a "big sister", or "big brother", in your life...thank the Father for them. They give of themselves, and their time, so people like myself are helped and blessed more than they even know!

I was hanging on the edge and you helped me to see that the Father is always there for me and that I am a forgiven child of God! That is hard for me to remember at times. Thank you for the time you give, always listening to and praying for me, and the love you show me. Above all...thank you for telling me...and reminding me often!!...to stay close to the Lord and Praise HIM for all He has done! I love you...C

Failing God

Do you ever feel as if you are failing God? I'll be honest...I do. I've felt that way a lot lately. This all comes at what I see as bad timing.

I have just joined two blogging sites and can't seem to write anything! What I have been doing is reading the blogs of others on both of these sites. I have found some that I connect with...some I find interesting...some just fun to read. But what I have noticed about all of them is...we all have one thing in common. Regardless of where we live...what our style of writing is...or even what church we attend...we all love the Lord. He is the best thing going!

So tonight I have been trying to read my bible and reflect on what could be the problem. All I come up with is the fact that I'm feeling somewhat disconnected. I don't have the usual need...and want...to jump into the Word like I should. When this happens I'm usually not sure why. Maybe it's because of underlying issues in my life that I know need to be worked out. The problem with that is...I don't always know how. For me that's a rocky place to be.

While sitting here thinking on all of this I came upon these scriptures...which I already have highlighted.

Job 22:21-23 (New Living Translation)

“Submit to God, and you will have peace;
      then things will go well for you.
Listen to his instructions,
      and store them in your heart.
If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored—
      so clean up your life."


Coincidence that I turned to these? Probably not. I think this is something to do daily. Submit...totally surrender. Sometimes it's easier said than done. But one thing I have learned for sure...the Lord is always there waiting...with His arms open...for when you can finally get it together and walk back in.

Pain

Sometimes it's all encompassing
the pain that rocks your soul
It's like a knife that cuts away
to the center of...your control 
                                               
You try holding on to all that's good
but the pain sears yet again
It rips and tears into your being
you wonder...why can't I win

It seems you're in a battle
your soul is on the line
You cry and scream for help
yet all you hear is...you know you're mine

But you've been told so many times
the devil he's just scum
He sneaks right in and lies to you
why don't you just put him...on the run

Who is it you should listen to
Who is it you should believe
The One that gave His life for you
The One who helps you...to breathe

God said He'll never leave you
though it feels that way right now
You pray that He's still out there
just "be still and know"...somehow