HAPPY SUNDAY MORNING!!
I know, I know, it's too early to be loud...but I am jazzed today because today out Psalm Sunday study lead by Butterfly Kisses is on Psalm 4!!
And that just happens to be where my favorite verse is located.
You probably think I'm cracked.
Most of the Psalm is alot like some of the other Psalms. Pleas for God to hear the Psalmist's prayers and declarations of Joy like verse 7; "You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound."
Verse 4 stood out to me last night for a particular reason. Just a little background, if you don't mind me chasing rabbits for a moment.
My ex-husband had/has major anger issues. You never knew when he was going to blow. We all walked on eggshells when he was home and that made me stressed and irritable, as well. Needless to say, when we were married our children had to deal with alot of anger. And they learned to handle anger like their parents handled anger. YIKES!
NOT GOOD!
Now we are working on "unlearning" that behavior, with the help of some very good and godly therapists. The focus for this is verse 4...it's OK to be mad. I'm trying to impress that on them right now. It's OK to get mad. Everyone gets mad. The KEY and goal is NOT to sin while you are mad.
It seems that since we started this study, I have had the chance to use the chosen chapter multiple times during the week. It really showed up during week one. FIVE times that week, I need to draw upon what I had read.
This week, already, the same phenomenon; last night, I was going over the chapter when my oldest comes and sits down on the edge of my bed to confess that he lost his temper and said something he shouldn't have at school on Thursday because another kid was teasing him. So verse four jumped right out and I was able to use it to show him how God felt about that.
WOW!
OK, OK...but my FAVORITE verse in the WHOLE Bible is verse 8. I know it doesn't seem like much. But it means the world to me.
"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."
I even found a little plaque with a picture of a sleeping baby and this verse on it.
I've claimed it as a promise to me from my Heavenly Father. That may be wrong; I don't know. All I know is I have clung to this verse through some of the hardest times of my life.
YOU, Dear Father, only make me dwell in Safety.
Safe. When you are NOT safe, security is the ONE thing you crave. Help, Salvation, Rescue. Safety!
When you've just witnessed someone take their own life...you long to feel safe.
When you are alone in your bed in the dark for the first time in 17 years...you long to feel safe.
When you don't know from one week to the next if you will have heat or food or a roof over your head...you long to feel safe.
What would I do without you, Lord! I may not be "safe" by the worlds' standards, but I KNOW that I am always safe in You because You have it all under control. You know what's going on. You know what's going to happen to us. And you are right there beside me when I feel alone.
Now THAT'S safe! WooHoo!
7 comments:
What a Beautiful, Beautiful post. I do like verse 8 too. It is such a promise to be claimed. Oh, how wonderful to know that He is our shield...our safety...our provider and comforter and that we are safe. Even if we do feel so alone, He is there.
I think that we can claim any verse of the Bible to be our promise from Him :)...I claimed Philippians 4:13 as mine.
I feel safe too when I lay down and think of His goodness. It gives me comfort the next day.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Psalm 4. My meditation is up as well - short though.
love, Love, LOVE that verse too! I stitched it on a pillow for my "spinster" Aunt's bed, and I recite it to myself whenever I'm awakened by noises in the night -- real or imaginary.
:)
I really enjoyed your post, blessings to you.
My father handled anger like that. I couldn't blow up like he did -- not and live to tell about it. :) I did the opposite -- I tended to turn inward and simmer and sizzle, and to this day it is hard for me to talk to someone when I am angry. Which is still a wrong response which I am struggling to unlearn.
It's so wonderful that God gives grace and we can rest in peace with Him.
I love how He is giving each of us something different through the same verses.
Beautiful post. Much to be excited about!!
What a great post. It reminded me of my favorite quote which is on my blog... the truth of God's love is not that He allows bad things to happen, it's His promise that He will be with us when they do.
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