Psalms 48:9-10 (NLT) 9 O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple. 10 As your name deserves, O God, you will be praised to the ends of the earth. Your strong right hand is filled with victory.

The word meditate means to “think over and over about something.” We are to think over and over about the unfailing love of God. He is a God of mercy and grace. He has loved us and continues to love us. He extends His hand to us – always beckoning us and drawing us to Him. He has given us victories to be remembered and He helps us in times of trouble. We should never shrink back at giving Him the praise He deserves.

Acts 20:24 (NLT) 24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

We often feel that life is a failure unless we’re getting a lot out of it: recognition, fun, money, success. But Paul considered life worth nothing unless he used it for God’s work. What he put into life was far more important than what he got out. Every so often I must test my motives and look at the why I am doing what I’m doing. Life is not about my job but it is about doing God’s will and work. I want to always be about my Father’s business and doing what he wants for my life.

Psalms 126:1-6 (NLT) 1 When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! 2 We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.” 3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy! 4 Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert. 5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. 6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.

God’s ability to restore life is beyond our understanding. Forests burn down and are able to grow back. Broken bones heal. Even grief is not a permanent condition. Our tears can be seeds that will grow into a harvest of joy because God is able to bring good out of tragedy. When burdened by sorrow, know that your times of grief will end and that you will again find joy. We must be patient as we wait. God’s great harvest of joy is coming!

Do I Really Trust God?

Job 10:8-22 (NLT) 8 “‘You formed me with your hands; you made me, yet now you completely destroy me. 9 Remember that you made me from dust— will you turn me back to dust so soon? 10 You guided my conception and formed me in the womb. 11 You clothed me with skin and flesh, and you knit my bones and sinews together. 12 You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care. 13 “‘Yet your real motive— your true intent— 14 was to watch me, and if I sinned, you would not forgive my guilt. 15 If I am guilty, too bad for me; and even if I’m innocent, I can’t hold my head high, because I am filled with shame and misery. 16 And if I hold my head high, you hunt me like a lion and display your awesome power against me. 17 Again and again you witness against me. You pour out your growing anger on me and bring fresh armies against me. 18 “‘Why, then, did you deliver me from my mother’s womb? Why didn’t you let me die at birth? 19 It would be as though I had never existed, going directly from the womb to the grave. 20 I have only a few days left, so leave me alone, that I may have a moment of comfort 21 before I leave—never to return— for the land of darkness and utter gloom. 22 It is a land as dark as midnight, a land of gloom and confusion, where even the light is dark as midnight.’”

Job knew the promises of God and what God had done for him but he really didn’t trust God fully. He viewed God in a suspicious way. He was always waiting for the other shoe to drop and that God was looking for something to blame Job. I would venture to say that a lot of people treat God that same way – that they know about God and His goodness but can’t really trust Him in the grand scheme of things. I want to be a place in my life where I can fully trust Him and fully follow Him – no matter what the circumstance is. It is only then that I can fully have the peace of God in my life.

Job 6:14 (NLT) 14 “One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty.”

I probably never have looked at this verse the same way that I do now. As Job makes his speech – I can literally put myself in his shoes. I feel what he feels as he vents during his depression. It amazes my that people don’t have compassion with those that are weak around them. Job says it right – we should be kind to those who are fainting. We don’t know what they’ve gone through. We don’t know what they are thinking. It’s a terrible thing to go through depression – It even worse to go through it with people who are heartless. We should treat others as we would want to be treated.