THIS I KNOW, GOD IS FOR ME

Psalm 56:8-13
(8) You Yourself have recorded my wanderings.  Put my tears in Your bottle.  Are they not in Your records?  (9) Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call.  This I know:  God is for me.  (10) In God, whose Word I praise, in the LORD, whose Word I praise,  (11) in God I trust; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?  (12) I am obligated by vows to You, God; I will make my thank offering to You.  (13) For You delivered me from death, even my feet from stumbling, to walk before God in the light of life.  

My deepest desire in life is to do this journey called life God's way.  And yet I fall so far short so often that I get discouraged or I begin to question many things concerning my part in the journey.  I trust God is doing His part and yet I spend much time not resting in the knowledge that He has me and that He will always have me that I guess the truth is I have trust issues with Him after all.  I don't want to.  And I don't want to be completely honest here and say that I struggle more than I don't, but there you have it.

Anyway, I am intrigued by these verses this morning.  God, Himself, has recorded my wanderings - He knows everything after all.  I find much comfort in this today.  He understands who I am and what makes me the way I am.  He created me after all and though I often take matters "into my own hands" so to speak, He is still in control.  He still knows.  Thank You, God!  Thank You for understanding why I do what I do and for refusing to leave me there and for loving me regardless.

He has put my tears in His bottle?!  Wow.  A really big bottle ;)  Seriously, though, this gives me so much comfort as I ponder it.  He cares that deeply and knows me that intimately that He keeps up with my tears.  What a mighty, loving, wonderful God I serve!! Thank You, God!! Help me to understand Your infinite love for me.

My enemy and yours is Satan, not the people around us (Ephesians 6:12).  He must retreat when I submit to (call on) God (James 4:7).  How do I know?  Because God says so and He is for me!!!  Thank You, God!!!  May I do my part in submitting to You so that You can do Your part in making the devil flee.  

Do you see it?  Will you declare it with me?  THIS I KNOW, GOD IS FOR ME!!!

Look further with me:  In God (Elohim - The God) whose Word I praise.  In the LORD (Jehovah - The Existing One) whose Word I praise...what?  I trust... and because I trust in Him I will not fear!  I so want this to be an everyday reality in my life.  When I spend time praising God, looking in His Word for Who He is and then turning it back to Him in praise then everything else in life loses it's effect in the light of how awesome He is and then I am able trust Him more and fear stuff less!!  God, I do praise You because You are the One True God and there is No One Like You, period.  LORD, I praise You because You are the Great I Am.  There was No One Before You and You just ARE!! Thank You that in knowing this Truth my trust in You increases because Your Word shows me just how awesome You are.  Help me to remember this when it comes time to chose faith or fear in the next circumstance that comes up.  Thank You that I do not have to worry about what is done to me or might be done to me, You are here with me and You are able to handle it all.  

Thank You, God, for saving me and allowing me to "vow" to be Yours.  Help me to have a thankful heart and not take my salvation (the fact that You have delivered me from death) for granted.  Forgive me when I do just that.  Help me to recognize that though You have saved me for eternity, You save me (or rescue me) in many ways throughout each day as I stumble and fall.  May I do my part, Father God on this journey Your way to walk before You in the light of life!  Forgive me for growing weary and for being disobedient to not trust in You to renew my strength (Isaiah 40:30-31).  I praise You, Father, that You never grow tired or weary of forgiving me, of hearing my many words and that You love me unfailingly.  I praise You for Your faithfulness and I thank You for speaking to me through Your Word.  May I take Your Truth with me from here and not just talk about it, but live it in the moment by moment.  In Jesus' Mighty Name, Amen.