A Personal Reflection on Psalm 13 & Psalm 66

Session IV: Reflection Paper, Psalm 66

            Come see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward sons of men. He turned the sea into dry land; They passed through the river on foot; There let us rejoice in Him! (Psalm 66:5-6)

            I find myself swept away with joyful emotion as I read the first 6 verses of this Psalm. I so get the passion of wanting others to come see the works of God. I have witnessed amazing works in my own life. So much so that God called me out to share them with the world.

            He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. (Psalms 66:7)

           I have been rebellious a time or two in my life. As I read these words I reflected on my stance during my haughtiness. If I get real honest, in the past I would have thought this was a warning that God was out to punish those who exalted themselves. As I read that verse again today, I had a thought of Cain and his stance when it came to his rebellion. I knew in an instant that it is our own defiance and foolishness that blinds us to the truth and opens us up to sin. We are told by God, “And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at our door; and its desire is for you,” (Genesis 4:7b)

            Blessed be God who has not turned away my prayer Nor His lovingkindness from me. (Psalm 66:20)

            The end of this Psalm causes me to be ever so thankful. Like Paul, I too count myself among the biggest sinners. God did not turn me away when I prayed, He forgave me.

Session IV: Reflection Paper, Psalm 13

            How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? (Psalm 13:1-2)

            As a child, I truly walked with God. I talked with Him day and night. He was by all means my best friend. However, when it was revealed to me the plan He had for me, I wanted nothing to do with it. You could say I ran from God with a vengeance. Much of my life I felt that He had withdrawn from me. It truly felt as if all those who plotted against me were indeed exalted over me.

            Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. (Psalm 13:3-4)

            I know that when I got back on my knees after almost two decades of not building a solid relationship with the LORD, I wanted nothing more than for Him to answer me. With every fiber of my being, I called out to Him for help. I admitted my faults and begged for mercy and wisdom as well as help. Instantly He called me by name. I know today that the enemy had me bound in chains with lies. I am positive he was waiting to happily announce he had overcome me. By the grace of God, that will not be my ending.

            But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13:5-6)

            It was my faith in God that brought me back to Him and He has dealt bountifully with me!

Using My Inner Child to Draw For a College Class Assignment

Psalm 46 is my favorite Psalm. God is my refuge. I KNOW He protects me always, through all storms in my life, past present and future. I make sure to dress in my armor daily so that I am able to stand firm in my faith come what may. The girl in the picture is supposed to be me. As you can see, I am wearing my full suit of armor. I am singing praises with a smile on my face!

The mountains are slipping into the heart of the sea. I can be found at the river. I show streams of water, representing Jesus Christ, encircling me and I will not be moved! The sun is just coming up. I hope you can see the sunrise sky; my scanner is not being the kindest as far as the picture is concerned. Under volcanoes, you can see bows are broken, spears are cut in half and the chariots are on fire. I am standing still, firmly rooted in my faith like the trees I stand between. I shout out triumphantly as quoted in this Psalm: The LORD of hosts is with us, The God of Jacob is our stronghold. (Psalm 46:11, NASB)

I think this Psalm has a biblical world view in the truth that we have all witnessed such things as mountains quaking, and waves crashing onto the shore and changing the landscape. We are watching before our eyes a world in turmoil and at war. This Psalm reminds us that when chaos strikes as it is guaranteed to do until the end times, we are to be still and rest in the LORD. I believe we all need reminding that it is pointless to fret!

I am currently in my final week of Psalms and this week’s discussion assignment was to provide an artistic representation of our favorite Psalm. I was going to take a bunch of pictures and photo shop what God had given me in a dream as I prayed for discernment regarding this and I found myself without the use of all those tools. What I did find was white paper and a ton of broken crayons at my disposal. The mere fact that I was led to create a child like drawing cracks me up. As we know we are advised to become like little children in God’s word. With that being said, Here is my picture:

For those without a Holy Bible, below is Psalm 46 in it's entirety:

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

Psalm 63 & 111, My Personal Reflections

Session II: Reflection Paper, Psalm 63

            Aside from Jesus, King David is my favorite character in the Holy Bible. In knowing that Psalm 63 speaks to a time in his life when he was being hunted by Saul; and having felt persecuted unjustly in my own lifetime, I felt drawn to this Psalm during my first reading of it.

            When I read the first verse, I could not help but recall one of my own desperate prayers. I truly was seeking God with all my heart. I know what it is like to seek God earnestly, with all your heart. I was completely at the end of myself when I said my prayer and I was seeking God’s direction. This is the exact emotion which is pressed on my heart as I read these opening words:

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1, NASB)

            Nothing compares to being in communication with the Lord. As soon as the words of honest desire for a moment in the presence of the Lord are spoken, David goes on to recall previous moments where He had been in that amazing place where one witness’ the Lord and all His wonders. He sings praises to the Lord worshiping Him. He reveals His heart sharing that He mediates on the Lord as if the Lord doesn’t already know his heart! He acknowledges that His very essence is continually relying on the Lord for protection and strength.

            Next the Psalm turns to why He began calling on the Lord; the enemy is after him. He is so confident in the Lord that he knows the ones who are seeking to destroy him will fail. I read this and I find myself appreciating the story of David. I see His confidence in the Lord. He shows no qualms that the Lord will deal with his enemies justly. He is confident that those who swear by Him will prosper and those who lie will be stopped. God is a just God.

Session II: Reflection Paper, Psalm 111

            I wrote a blog once about the truth that God is always good. The opening of this particular Psalm starts out with joy as well as stance:

Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly. (Psalm 111:1, NASB)

            To me the psalmist is stating that whether he is with the righteous or among the general population that may or may not believe, he will give thanks for everything openly to the Lord.

            Next, I am carried away in the excitement of the writer as he shares how great the miracles the Lord has performed are. We are told that those who study His works are delighted by what they learn. I know this truth. The more I read of God’s word, the more delight I take in drawing closer to Him. The LORD has indeed performed wonders that are written about in the Bible. Our current generation is still reading and cherishing the stories in the Holy Bible to this very day. I know in my own life I have witnessed wonders that leave no room for doubt about how gracious and compassionate the LORD is.

            The psalm ends by saying:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever. (Psalm 111:10, NASB)

            It is the fear of not keeping His commandments, (love one another, show grace to others), that indeed keeps me constantly seeking His will, reading His word and listening to the voice of righteousness. It’s why I seek Him each morning and talk to him each night.

Personal Reflections on Psalm 19 & Psalm 150

Psalm 19: The Works and the Word of God.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

In the opening of this psalm, the author declares that the heavens and their sheer expanse clearly give proof of the Glory of God and in seeing them one should be in awe.

While creation itself has no voice, the author points out the fact that it speaks loudly of a creator. Toward the end of the description of creation, we are told that there is nothing hidden from the heat of the sun which makes me reflect that there is also nothing hidden from God. While the sun gives light to every part of the world, leaving no one place out, God seeks to shine light on all of us internally. The sun itself is an item we can see and feel physically while God is something we see and feel without physical sight or touch.

From there, the author of this Psalm celebrates the law of the Lord. He shares the truth that when we pay attention to the law, life itself becomes sweeter in a sense. He shares that God is the source of wisdom and how when you go to God for such items, they are given to us in ways that are simple. While we are guaranteed to face storms, we are able to find rest in the truth of the Lord. When we discover this truth, life does indeed become sweeter, for we are able to find joy in everything.

I feel in knowing these truths, the writer is also fully aware at how easy it is to fall outside of the law and he is fully aware of the awful feelings that come with sin. He calls out to the Lord praying that the Lord helps guard him from sin so that he will be blameless and ends with the final heartfelt emotion that he hopes his words and his focus on the Lord are acceptable to the Lord revealing his deep desire to be loved by God.

I love that he ends with calling the Lord both his rock and his Redeemer. When you consider this was written long before Christ died for our sins, it makes me realize that God indeed has been revealing himself to those who have sought him just as He promises He will.

Psalm 150: A Psalm of Praise.

I love the joy that is in this psalm. I feel it must have been written when someone was having the best of best days. It seems to have the same purpose as Psalm 100. This weekend was a hard weekend for me as far as being able to keep my focus on the truth; The Lord is faithful. He is my provider of all I truly need. I think this psalm is a great reminder of how we are to live each day.

First the psalmist reminds us that we must praise the LORD! Next he tells us to praise Him not only in church (His sanctuary) but also in His mighty expanse. When I read that today, it made me pause and remember how incredible it is that the God who created the universe, is also the God that created me for a purpose. In just the view I see upon waking, I should give praise. This message was one I needed to focus on today and reflect upon. Yesterday, I was so caught up on the ‘what ifs’ that I forgot to give thanks for the guarantees in life; God will provide me with all the grace I need to get through each day.

From there the psalmist reminds us that we should praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Sometimes, when we are focused on the rotten stuff in life like I was yesterday, we lose sight of all that God is doing for us in the middle of the muck. Yesterday, I was so focused on what I was not going to be able to take care of as well as worrying about how my situation was going to play out, that I could not see the blessing in the things I could take care of. By not singing thanks and giving praise as suggested for all that is good, I could not see any good at all.

I love what comes next. Praise him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. To me this verse clearly shows how much the LORD loves music and celebration. He truly loves for us to live abundantly. We sing and dance and celebrate when things are good. In ending this psalm by saying that everything that has breath should praise the Lord, I am reminded that no matter what the world throws at me, in God alone, I should find all I need to celebrate life and give / sing praise.

Personal Reflections on Psalm 23 & 139

Session III: Reflection Paper, Psalm 23

            The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:1-3, NASB)

            Due to crazy weather, I find myself sitting in a restaurant next to an electrical outlet and all the time in the world to get my assignment done; hence I shall not want. As we first sat on the side of the road trying to figure out what our next move would be, I reached for my devotional and indeed had my soul restored as I read the message of the day based off of Psalm 46:10. In reading His word and focusing on Him, I indeed am guided onto the path of righteousness.

            Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4, NASB)

            I actually found myself saying that verse last night as our RV rocked back and forth in one of the worst storms I have ever lived through. It is a verse I say every time I find myself afraid of something.

            You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23:5-6, NASB)

            My heart jumps for joy as I read those last words. I truly believe that the Lord is my shepherd and in keeping my focus on Him and His direction, I know I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever!

Session III: Reflection Paper, Psalm 139

            O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. (Psalm 139:1-4)

            The mere truth in these words never ceases to amaze me. As a child I foolishly thought I could hide my thoughts from God. Today I know He knows everything about me.

            You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain it. (Psalm 139:5)

            That verse makes me realize that the LORD has me protected on all sides. No matter what I face in life, His hand is on me. It truly is an overwhelming thought. The following verses reaffirm that no matter where I land, the LORD is there as well.

            I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. (Psalm 139:14)

When I am feeling down about myself, I remind myself of all the beauty that the Lord created. He created me too and I am indeed fearfully and wonderfully made!

            As I read the rest of the Psalm, I am reminded of events in my life where I can see that God stepped in and protected me against various enemies. My biggest plea today is that I go forth in life showing love and if indeed there is anything about me that needs improved that He helps me with that.

You Can Take it to the Bank!

When I was just a child, long before I even knew just how one created a baby, God informed me I would be a mother to many. If you have read my first book, “In the Beginning”, you already know that about me! I can tell you in my wildest dreams I never imagined I would be pregnant again at 45! I was doing the math the other day and I realized I have been birthing babies more than half of my life!

This morning the first thing I did was grab the devotional by my bedside to see what wisdom the encouraging words held for me on this day. The final line was a quote by Adrian Rogers. I have no idea who that is but this is their quote:

“God’s promises are not mottos to hang on the wall . . .  they are checks to take to the bank!”

Totally made me grin. Had God told me at a young age that I would indeed be a published author but not until my forties, I am not sure I could have endured the wait. He certainly knows better than us when it comes to the timing of things. I often wondered what the subject of my books would be when I formed my plan with God of helping the world discover how much God loves everyone. Who knew it would be me! While I am not proud of many of the truths I reveal about myself throughout my books, I am thrilled that I have been allowed to fully see the beauty of God working out all things for my own good. Just as His word promises He will.

Romans 8:28 New International Version (NIV)

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

One would not think their own worst nightmares could be used for good, but I am living proof that indeed they can. Today, if you find yourself in a low spot. Wondering if God even knows you by name, I recommend you read the books He called me forth to share. You see as a child I prayed that God would use me to bring hope to the hopeless. I prayed that I would be someone that both inspired and encouraged countless people. Recently I proofed my third book after its initial printing. You know what you write is inspired by God when you finish reading it and find your own faith strengthened.

If today you find yourself irritated at where you are in life. If you are wondering just where you went wrong, I encourage you to purchase “In the Beginning”. It is listed on the side of my home page. This particular book reads like a fiction novel in a way but I promise it is all true! I pray you receive the message God intended for you through my story. Soon all of my books in both print and e-book formats will be conveniently displayed on my products page. For today you can find them all on Amazon.com by visiting my author page www.amazon.com/author/wendyglidden

Father, please use my story to awaken my brothers and sisters to the truth that has been hidden from them. I pray by reading my story their chains of slavery will be broken. I pray they too discover true freedom and peace and joy. I pray they discover how to rest through the storms of this world. I pray as they read my story they come to understand the spiritual battle that is taking place in the world. May they become a soldier in your army, dressing fully daily for the battle. In Jesus name I pray! Amen!!

Wendy, walks with God, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2014