Tag: faithfulness

Goodness of God

Do you ever get down in a rut and feel like everything around you is just harder than normal? That’s where I am right now.  Everything just feels hard…marriage is hard; being a mom is hard; even my easy-going work place is suddenly just hard. It feels like nothing is going right, my schedule is all out of whack, and I can’t do anything right. For instance, the other day I got home, turned off the alarm (or so I thought), went to get my dog & the alarm sounded off.  Rather LOUDLY, I might add!  I got it turned off, but then had to call my husband to figure out how to clear it out so I could set it again and leave the house.  Then, as I was told later, I forgot to actually lock the door when I left!  Geez! Everything just feels hard, and nothing is going according to my normal schedule.  And to top it off, I tried to fast last week and EPICALLY FAILED at that!  I mean, I can’t even be a good Christian right now!! 

EVERYTHING.

IS.

HARD.

BUT GOD.

GOD IS GOOD.

HE IS SO, SO GOOD!!!

In all the hard mess, I forgot the ONE THING, the EASIEST thing…give it to God (I believe I did say I was failing at being a good Christian.).

I went to my weekly bible study group this week…to my group of transparent Christian women who love me and accept me for who I am. When I needed a place to land and some new friends, they welcomed me with open arms. When I walked in this week, I was carrying the weight of feeling like a failure at all the things; feeling like as soon as I opened my mouth, I would be a puddle on the floor. But that feeling quickly faded as we took turns sharing about our week. When it was my turn to share, I told them how I’d been feeling and all the failure qualities going on in my life. They didn’t judge me or condemn me…they loved on me, they encouraged me, and they reminded me of God’s grace and mercy and unconditional love.  

After sharing about our week, we took some time talking about different songs that have affected us in some way. Songs that helped us through hard times, through tough situations, or that just brought back good memories. I’ve been soaking in some good worship music since we met, and I wanted to share some excerpts from the different songs shared in the group.

For Kristina (Oceans, by Hillsong UNITED)

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

For Jennifer (Praise You in This Storm, by Casting Crowns)

And I’ll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And every tear I’ve cried

You hold in Your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

For Mary Ann (Lord, I Need You, by Matt Maher)

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You

Every hour, I need You

My one defense, my righteousness

Oh God, how I need You

For Maddie (Same God, by Elevation Worship)

O God, my God, I need you

O God, my God, I need You now

How I need You now

O Rock, O Rock of ages

I’m standing on Your faithfulness

On Your faithfulness

For Kristel (How Great Thou Art, version by Carrie Underwood)

Oh Lord, my God

When I, in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

For Stacia (In Jesus Name, by Katy Nichole)

I speak the name of Jesus over you

In your hurting, in your sorrow

I will ask my God to move

I speak the name ‘cause it’s all that I can do

In desperation, I’ll seek Heaven

And pray this for you

I pray for your healing

That circumstances would change

I pray that the fear inside would flee in Jesus name

I pray that a breakthrough would happen today

I pray miracles over your life in Jesus name, in Jesus name

For Shana (Great Are You Lord, by Casting Crowns)

You give life, You are love

You bring light to the darkness

You give hope, You restore

Every heart that is broken

Great are You, Lord

It’s Your breath in our lungs

So we pour out our praise

We pour out our praise

It’s Your breath in our lungs

So we pour our praise to You only

For Natali (Show Me Your Glory, by Third Day)

Show me Your Glory

Send down Your presence

I want to see Your face

Show me Your Glory

Majesty shines about You

I can’t go on without You, Lord

For Lacy (The Gift, by Garth Brooks)

Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness

Maria, what brings you to me

If the bird in the cage is your offering

Open the door, let me see

Though she trembled, she did as he asked her

And out of the cage the bird flew

Soaring into the rafters

On a wing that had healed good as new

Just then the midnight bells rang out

And the little bird started to sing

A song that no words could recapture

Whose beauty was fit for a king

Now Maria felt blessed just to listen

To that cascade of notes sweet and long

As her offering was lifted to heaven

By the very first nightingale’s song

And Me (Trust in You, by Lauren Daigle)

Letting go of every single dream

I lay each one at Your feet

Every moment of my wandering

Never changes what You see

I’ve tried to win this war, I confess

My hands are weary, I need Your rest

Mighty warrior, King of the fight

No matter what I face, You’re by my side

When You don’t move the mountains

I’m needing You to move

When You don’t part the waters

I wish I could walk through

When You don’t give the answers

As I cry out to You

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You

And for anyone still reading this blog, I hope you heard the music as you read each song snippet and God spoke to you through the words.  Sometimes just a small touch of God is all we need to get over the hump, to get through a rough patch, or to bring some joy into our day. Is there a song that you’ve clung to through a hard season or difficult time in your life? I’d love for you to share it with me.

Before I go, I want to leave you with one last song, the Goodness of God, by Elevation Worship. The day after my bible study, I listed to this on repeat and asked God to rain His goodness, His peace, His mercy and His grace over me.  It’s already getting better. =)

I love you, Lord

For Your mercy never fails me

All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands

From the moment that I wake up

Until I lay my head

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

All my life You have been faithful

All my life You have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice

You have led me through the fire

In the darkest night

You are close like no other

I’ve known You as a Father

I’ve known You as a Friend

And I have lived in the goodness of God

All my life You have been faithful

All my life You have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

August Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.  Sorry for the late post as this is for August.

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

August 1—2 Kings 23:25

Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.

August 2—Habakkuk 2:4

“Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”

August 3—Zephaniah 3:17

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a majority savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

August 4—Jeremiah 26:13

But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the Lord your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that he has announced against you.

August 5—Jeremiah 46:27

“But do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, do not be dismayed, Israel. For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet, and no one will terrorize them.”

August 6—Jeremiah 20:11

But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.

August 7—Daniel 3:28

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

August 8—Jeremiah 9:24

But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken.

August 9—Jeremiah 12:3

But as for me, Lord, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered! Set them aside to be slaughtered!

August 10—Jeremiah 17:7-8

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”

August 11—Jeremiah 23:24

Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?’, says the Lord.

August 12—Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

August 13—Jeremiah 31:25

For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.

August 14—Jeremiah 51:19

But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including his people, his own special possession. The Lord of Heavens Armies is his name!

August 15—Ezekiel 3:10

Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself.”

August 16—Ezekiel 3:19

If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.

August 17—Ezekiel 6:10

They will know that I alone am the Lord and that I was serious when I said I would bring calamity on them.

August 18—Ezekiel 13:3

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits the false prophets who are following their own imaginations and have seen nothing at all!

August 19—Ezekiel 16:62

And I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord.

August 20—Ezekiel 18:20

The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parents’ sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.

August 21—Ezekiel 20:41

When I bring you home from exile, you will be like a pleasing sacrifice to me. And I will display my holiness through you as all the nations watch.

August 22—Ezekiel 24:13

Your impurity is your lewdness and the corruption of your idolatry. I tried to cleanse you, but you refused. So now you will remain in your faith until my fury against you has been satisfied.

August 23—Ezekiel 24:24

Ezekiel is an example for you; you will do just as he has done. And when that time comes, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

August 24—Jeremiah 33:9

Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.

August 25—Ezekiel 28:25

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Israel will again live in their own land, the land I gave my servant Jacob. For I will gather them from the distant lands where I have scattered them. I will reveal to the nations of the world my holiness among my people.”

August 26—Jeremiah 39:18

“Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

August 27—Lamentations 3:25

The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.

August 28—Lamentations 5:19

But Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation.

August 29—Jeremiah 42:3

Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go.

August 30—Ezekiel 34:26

I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing.

August 31—Ezekiel 37:5

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion

Your promise still stands…

Walking around these walls
I thought by now they’d fall
But You have never failed me yet
Waiting for change to come
Knowing the battle’s won
For You have never failed me yet

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You’ve never failed me yet

I know the night won’t last
Your Word will come to pass
My heart will sing Your praise again
Jesus, You’re still enough
Keep me within Your love
My heart will sing Your praise again

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You never failed

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You never failed me yet

I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again

I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again

I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again

I’ll see You do it again
Oh-oh

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You never failed

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You never failed me yet

And You never failed me yet
I never will forget
You never failed me yet
And I never will forget

We sang this song at our women’s worship night last week.  The song is called, “Do It Again” by Elevation Worship. After last week didn’t go as I had planned and believed it would, this song really spoke to me.  Although my plan is now delayed a little while longer, I’m still standing.  The delay doesn’t mean God’s Promise is any less true or won’t happen, this last week just wasn’t His timing.

He still moves mountains.

His promises still stand.

Great is His faithfulness.

He hasn’t failed me yet.

I’ll see Him “do it again” soon.

https://youtu.be/-6BD2z6ue90