Great is Thy Faithfulness
As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!
For evils have encompassed me beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
my heart fails me.
~ Psalm 40:11-12 (ESV ~ emphasis mine)
Are you in the valley or are you praising Him on the mountain top? Do you see the glass half empty or half full? I think everything is a matter of choice…at least it has been for me.
To tell you the truth, the past 6 months have been more times in the valley than on the mountain top. After our son moved out in September 2007 (oi – almost 2 years ago), I did just fine. I kept myself busy with other things than raising a son…
After a while, the tumbling began. I started to listen to the lies of the enemy. “You are no good. You can’t do anything right. You have a big ‘L’ (for LOSER) on your forehead!!!!”
I started to retreat; not only from my family and most of my friends, but also from God (I saw my devotions as a chore — how sad it that!!!). I was sure He didn’t want anything to do with a loser. You see, I don’t handle rejection very well (at least not graciously). So, how could I please God and encourage others, when I felt like a loser (with a capital “L”).
Deep down in my heart I knew these were all lies whispered by the enemy. One morning, God got my attention while reading the Psalms (best section of the Bible to get encouraged). He reminded me how often David felt haunted, left alone, pursued by his enemies…
There was one constant though in David’s life — God!!! God was his Rock, no matter how bad it got. David knew that he could turn to God when in the valley deeper than the sea-level. God is faithful – He will never let go.
But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!
~ Psalm 40:16-17 (ESV)
My sweet sisters, if you are feeling haunted, left alone, pursued by your enemies, turn to Him, the One who is our salvation, rock, and redeemer. Do as David did; hold on, He will see you through.
Lord of Heaven and Earth. I praise Your name. No matter how bad it gets, You are there. Your faithfulness is great and your mercies endure forever. Great are You, Lord. You are my help and my deliverer. Thank you for not giving up on me or letting go. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen
My spam word is “grace” and you know I needed to read these passages today (especially the first one). Thanks sweet friend for the timely reminders.
Such truth spoken here, bless you my friend.
Oh Iris, I need that daily…thank you so much for sharing feelings that could have been my own over the last few years.
Blessings sweet friend.
Oh Iris… You encourage me in so many ways. What a beautiful tribute to our Lord. Your willingness to be transparent just pulls at my heart.
Love you so much. Hugs.
How like God to direct you to the very place to feed your thirsting soul. He’s done it for me…countless times.
As a mother—the feelings we experience are so hard to explain to another…if they’ve never been there. BUT if they’ve crossed that bridge…traveled that path…our hearts link. God is so incredible in HIS great love for us…that while we are suffering….He is patiently waiting for us to “turn in the right direction” for our help…HIS direction.
You blessed me with your honest—and loving heart…as you always do.
Even today—I struggle at times with issues of the heart and emotions….and yes, the big “L” stuck to my forehead…but HE reminds me that the “L” stands for “loved”….not loser.
I love you girl!
Iris, such wonderful truths to be reminded of this morning. Thank you for that. It can be easy to get discouraged since life is not easy. But God promises to never leave us or forsake us. It’s just so good to be reminded of where to run to; Our Rock Jesus.
Iris, I can so relate to this! I battle this myself, feeling like failure as a mom, a writer, a professional. I read the intro to Brendan Mannings’ new book and it says something like “I am my beloved’s and His desire is for me.” You can check it out on Amazon (and maybe buy the book!). I found this so profound, that God wants me, not what I succeed or fail at. It’s a truth I’m determined to start living. Hugs!
What a beautiful encouragement to share. God bless you, Iris.
Bethany
What a wonderful testimony Iris. At one time or another we all find ourselves in that place of loss and discouragement- but God is always faithful. The Psalms were my refuge during such a time too.
Oh Iris! Have you been inside my head lately? I’ve been struggling with the battle of words. I hear the words of the deceiver telling me one thing and the Lord telling me the truth. And yet, I can let the deceiver wear me down and I find myself crippled by his booming voice in my ear.
Thank you for this, dear sister! You’ve encouraged my heart.
You are loved.
I know God led me to your post this morning. I am finding more and more people who are walking through similar situations. It is good to know that God is more than enough. I love the verse from Psalms. I heard the African Children’s Choir and Ron Kenoly sing a song with those words. It was very uplifting.
Iris, this is such an encouragement today. Sometimes we feel like we alone go through valley experiences however you sharing your story lets us know that others have walked are are walking the same path and if we’ll trust in God He’ll see us through.
In a busy moment, I still felt “compelled” to read this message! Thank you! Thank you! When one starts getting those “loser” thoughts and one knows better, it can only come from the enemy. It is a method of prevention to stop good works which will come from you. I know that and I still let those thoughts come into being. Yet, I do know that God sees the goodness within me and He wants to cultivate that. I recently became a member of a church committee and although I have been fully participating, one meeting left me with those kinds of unwanted thoughts. I worked through it because I leaned on God. Even your church family will not always give you the “pats on the backs”. You may even be overlooked by some, but you can fully rely on God! Amen! Thanks for this!