Friday, August 5, 2016

Psalm 34



This week I have ran closely with the words TRUST and BLESS and PRAISE …
Do I TRUST Him?  DO I bless Him at all times?  Do I Praise Him even in the dark?
I was led to Psalm 34:1-4 which reads

“I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad…
O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together…
I sought the LORD
And He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

Have you called out to Him in your distress my friend?
Or have you been tricked into thinking – ah, I can handle this – no reason to bother
The LORD … He is busy.  Love, He sings over you!  He desires to have a close relationship with you.  In the hiding place is where He speaks. In the shadow
Of His wings are you covered.  (Psalm 91)
GO to Him for your rest. Your refuge. Your peace. Your everything … Even when the smoke is too thick to see through.
Even when it’s 2 am and sleep is nowhere around - because life is hard.
Even when nothing seems to be working … In the midst of the storm – I will trust Him.
I will bless Him. I will praise Him.
Praise confuses the devil my friend.
Praise moves the heart of God and He hears you.
Have you ever stopped to realize you live in His presence continually?
He is with you always. He never leaves you.
This is exactly where David was in Psalm 34 – he was crying out to God with
Everything on the inside of him that pleaded for the LORD’S help.
David was a man after God’s own heart. He knew he couldn’t do it alone. David would live his life – with the LORD’S name and praise on his lips … even in a conversation with someone.  How are we to live?  Without calling out to Him?
So he called on the ONE that could deliver him … the one that would protect him.
His healer. His deliver. His mighty God. WHOM shall I fear?
How about you? Are you still trying to do it all alone?
DO you still think – you’ve “got this.”
Call His name for He’s waiting to hear you call out.

This week i heard one of my favorite bloggers talk about Bible Journaling as "art worship" ... i said "wonder why it's art worship" - without disagreeing, just saying it aloud to myself. 
Last night there was something that would not allow me to stop until I finished 
Psalm 34 in my Bible Journal.  

Laugh if you will, but scripture does speak about us coming to Him as a child. 
Therefore - I offer you my art worship in true child like form. 
HOW i long to produce a beautiful Bible Journal one of these days. 
Until then ... this is my purest and probably most passionate moments
because i was powered by the Holy Spirit through some
truly amazing worship songs as i painted this...
My hand - it represents my hand lifted high in praise and worship in my own prayer closet. 
Interestingly enough - whenever i placed the palm of my hand onto the page and lifted it up - the 
cut out looked identical to a heart. I decided to paint the heart red - but after I painted it 
it almost looked as though i had planned it.  
The hearts on my fingertips are my heart 
during worship leaned towards Him - the one that made me.
The one that spoke my name into existence before the earth was made.  
Since i love to write, I always begin my art journaling with writing. 
I write the verses out onto my notes. I look up other 
key passages that may be associated with it. 
I pray for God to teach me what His will would be through His Word 
and sometimes things will speak loudly ... then i realize what I am hearing 
is what He is speaking to my heart.  


Bless the LORD even in the hard times for He is always with you ...
 

Prayer

My 53 years old idea of praying is tremendously different than my 10-year-old prayers, my 16-year-old prayers, and even my 27-year-old praye...