psalms

slow down – turn around

Posted on by Grace Day

Have I mentioned I’m currently doing a Bible study on “hurry” with some other women? Well, I am. Not that I’ve put into practice what we’re learning or slowed down any yet – but there’s always tomorrow, right? However, a song has been running through my head lately, a really random, really old song – don’t know how I even know it, but the words keep coming to my mind.

The song? – “Turn Around Look at Me” by the Vogues. Although when I looked it up, the Letterman and some other groups sang this song also. It’s a love song, words sung from a man to a woman I’m guessing, even though it could just as easily be from a woman to a man. The message of the song is clear. The one who loves wants the person whom they love to notice them, to see them, to hear them and to realize that they are loved by this “someone” and they don’t even know it!

It seems to me this song could very well be one of the songs my Creator is singing to me. After all, God is singing to me continuously. Just because I’m not listening, doesn’t mean my Creator isn’t singing as He watches over me. His word tells me that He is indeed singing.

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

The message of the song is simple – “There is someone walking behind you – Turn around, look at me.” I can believe this is what God is saying to me as I hurry through my days. He just wants me to stop, turn and see that He is right there, so close to me. King David was aware of God’s presence with him when he wrote these words about God –

“You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” (Psalm 139:5-6)

The song continues “There is someone watching your footsteps – turn around, look at me.” These words remind me that my Heavenly Father is watching over me even when I am not paying any attention to Him. The psalmist expressed it this way –

“The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)

Watching my coming and my going, my footsteps – my Heavenly Father is not a creepy stalker but a benevolent protector who loves me and watches over me. Who wouldn’t want someone who always has their back? who always has their best interests at heart? The song continues with the only line that would not ring true if my Creator were singing it – “There is someone who really needs you – here is my heart in my hand.”

That’s not true BUT – the reverse is. God doesn’t need me, but I desperately need Him. God cares for me, “He loves me with an everlasting love”, “He has compassion on all He has made”, He gave His one and only Son for me – but He doesn’t need me. I need Him. However, the rest is true – my Heavenly Father has given me His heart and His hand –

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)

The song continues – “Turn around, look at me. Understand, understand that there’s someone who’ll stand beside you, turn around, look at me”

Are you sensing a theme here? If only I would slow down, cease my endless running from who knows what to who knows what – if only I would pause long enough to turn around and see the One who is pursuing me, the One who loves me, the One who is watching over me, singing over me – my Heavenly Father – the One who is my Creator, my Redeemer, my Savior, my provider and my protector. If only I would stop running from God and instead run to Him – He is waiting for me to do just that, like the song says – “turn around, look at me.”

The song continues – “And there’s someone to love and guide you, turn around, look at me”. My Heavenly Father has promised in His word that He will do this for me, if I will allow Him to –

“Lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:4-5)

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:2-3)

This is definitely a song my Heavenly Father is singing consistently, patiently to my soul. As I hurry through my days, He is calling to me – “turn around, look at Me!” Will I stop and turn to see that He is with me and has been all along, or am I too busy, in too big a hurry to acknowledge His presence? Even if I keep running rather than turn around, God doesn’t give up on me or on you either, dear readers. King David knew this to be true. Must be why he wrote these words –

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make My bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:7-10)

It is so comforting to know that there is indeed “Someone” walking behind me, beside me, holding my hand, guiding me. That “Someone” is none other than my Creator, my Heavenly Father, God. Which brings us to the last line of the lyrics to this song – words God is definitely singing to me and to you, even as I write them.

“O I’ve waited, but I’ll wait forever – For you to come to me – Look at someone Who really loves you – Turn around, look at me – Turn around, look at me.”

Someone who really loves you and me – that’s God!

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

Someone who will never give up on me or on you, Someone who will wait forever –

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ ” (Hebrews 13:5)

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“Turn around, look at me” – a song about human love, but nevertheless, a song that reflects the divine love our Creator has for each one of us as those He created in His image. As the song continues to play in my head, I will pause from my “hurry”, turn around and look at my Heavenly Father – truly look at Him, truly know Him, truly spend time in His presence.

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)

sincerely, Grace Day

just for today

Posted on by Grace Day

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us (me) rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

Yes, let me rejoice and be glad today! NOW! Not yesterday, not tomorrow – today!

Yes, I know it’s Monday, Lord – BUT – You made Mondays, just like You make all the days – in fact, You have already made “all the days ordained for me, written in Your book, before even one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

so just for today, I will give You thanks – no requests, no demands, no complaints, no whining, no criticizing, no doubting, no questioning, no striving, no plotting, no planning – today, just gratitude to You, Lord, because –

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

You give only good gifts – so today I will –

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)

today I will –

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:4-5)

just for today – I will put aside worry – after all, Jesus told His disciples –

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? . . . Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:27 & 34)

just for today – I will rest in Your green pastures, Heavenly Father and I will thank You for the peace and provision of the still waters that You lead me beside – I will not ask You, Heavenly Father, for more or for something different or for anything at all –

instead, I will thank You for Your mercies (new every morning) and for Your love and Your constant watchcare over me and Your faithfulness to me even when I am unfaithful. I will thank You for forgiving me of my sin and for dying in my place. I will thank You that You have loved me with an everlasting love that rescues me from sin and death. I will thank You for the beauty of Your creation that surrounds me. I will thank You for the promise of Your Presence never leaving nor forsaking me – Your Presence protecting, providing and guiding me today and every day.

today I will rejoice, I will pray and I will tell God thank You – just because – because God instructs me to do this in His Word –

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

so not just for today – I am to give thanks to my Heavenly Father in all circumstances – not only the green pastures and still waters days. Being a Monday (or any day really) this could very well be for me a desert crossing day, a mountain moving or a mountain climbing day, a valley of the shadow of death day, a fiery furnace day, a high waters day, a deep chasm day, a dark pit day, a surrounded by my enemies day, a lost my way again day – BUT –

no matter what my circumstance is today – just for today, I will choose to give all my gratitude and all my praise to my Redeemer – believing soon “just for today” becomes every day – because every day is –

“. . . the day the Lord has made;” every day is – a day for me to “rejoice and be glad in it.” today, I will –

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods. For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (Psalm 136:1-3)

today, I will join with all of creation in rejoicing, in being glad and in giving God praise –

“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!’ Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:31-34)

just for today – I will give God thanks, I will rejoice in Him, I will rest in His Presence.

sincerely, Grace Day

open hands

Posted on by Grace Day

“You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16)

That’s what King David had to say about God’s provision when he wrote this particular psalm. He started by saying –

“The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time.” (Psalm 145:15)

This beautiful image of God as our Provider, God as my Provider, is also expressed in another psalm –

“These all look to You to give them their food at the proper time. When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things.” (Psalm 104:27-28)

This picture of God’s open hand offering to you and to me everything we need or could ever need is profound. God’s provision is available to me. BUT – do I draw near enough to Him to “eat from His hand” so to speak? Or do I keep my distance, preferring what the world or others have to offer me, rather than what God wants to give me? Why would I settle for less when my Heavenly Father’s riches are readily available to me? After all,

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

In both psalms, the word “satisfied” describes the recipients of God’s provision. I can’t say the result is the same when I attempt to fill myself with what I think are “good things” or when I look to current culture to satisfy my desires. In reality, only the One who created me, the One who knows me completely, can truly satisfy the longings of my heart. After all, I am created with eternity in my heart. So are you, dear readers. You and I are created for, specifically wired for, an eternal relationship with our Creator.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

The image of God’s hand, full of His provision, opened towards each one of us, towards all He has created, reminds me of times I have tried to coax or to tame one of God’s creatures by opening my hand full of whatever their preferred food is, in hopes that the allure of food will draw them close to me and get them to return to me willingly again and again, thus establishing a relationship between the object of my affection and myself. “If I could just get them close enough to taste what I am offering them,” I think to myself, “then they would see what they are missing when they ignore my outstretched, open hand, extended to them full of good things. They would see that I mean them no harm.”

I wonder if that’s what my Heavenly Father is thinking about me? (and the rest of humanity) After all, His intention is that you and I and others will –

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8)

I think it is fear that keeps whatever creature I am attempting to tame from coming close enough to me to eat out of my hand. Is it fear that keeps you and I from drawing close enough to our Heavenly Father to receive what His open hand is offering to us? I have to ask myself – do I truly believe these words of Jeremiah, and if so, am I brave enough to boldly approach God’s outstretched, open hand?

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God’s hands are open today and every day, filled with good things, reaching out to you and to me. Will I draw near to Him? Near enough to be fed from His open hand? Will I leave my own pursuits and instead pursue Him? Will I receive from God’s open hand all the good gifts He is offering to me today? The choice is mine. God’s open hands hold an infinite supply of all I will ever need. God patiently continues to hold out His open hands to me, desiring to bring me into relationship with Him as my Provider, my Protector, my Heavenly Father.

God’s open hand is always outstretched toward me. BUT – the question remains – will I draw near to Him, near enough to allow my Creator to tame my wild and rebellious heart? He says to me, to all, and to each one –

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

sincerely, Grace Day

He is everything

Posted on by Grace Day

He is the lifter of my head.

“But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Psalm 3:3)

He is the holder of my hand.

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.” (Isaiah 42:6)

He is the bearer of my burdens.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” (Psalm 68:19)

He is the collector, the counter and the keeper of all my tears.

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.” (Psalm 56:8 NLT)

He is the watcher of my ways.

“the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8)

He is the fixer of my feast.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” (Psalm 23:5)

He is my light in the darkness of this world.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

“You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.” (Psalm 18:28)

He is the forgiver of my sins and my healer.

“If we (I) confess our (my) sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us (me) our (my) sins and purify us (me) from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, . . . who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,” (Psalm 103:2-3)

He is the ordainer of my days.

“All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

He is my shelter in the storm.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. . . . He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:1 & 4)

He is my rescuer in times of trouble.

“”I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:1-2)

He is my provider.

“The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15-16)

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

He is my protector.

“You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.” (Psalm 139:5)

“You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” (Psalm 32:7)

He sings me to sleep at night.

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

He leads me in the right direction.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8)

“He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:2-3)

He comforts me in my sorrow.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

He is my one constant in this ever changing world.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

He is the One who loves me no matter what.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

My Heavenly Father is all these things to me and so much more – He truly is everything to me.

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

sincerely, Grace Day