Psalm Challenge: Day Ninety-Two!

"I am a tree 

bending beneath the weight of 

His wind and mercy."

Psalm 92

"It is good to praise the Lord
    and make music to your name, O Most High,
² proclaiming your love in the morning
    and your faithfulness at night,
³ to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
    and the melody of the harp.

⁴ For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
    I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
⁵ How great are your works, Lord,
    how profound your thoughts!
⁶ Senseless people do not know,
    fools do not understand,
⁷ that though the wicked spring up like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
    they will be destroyed forever.

⁸ But you, Lord, are forever exalted.

⁹ For surely your enemies , Lord,
    surely your enemies will perish;
    all evildoers will be scattered.
¹⁰ You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;
    fine oils have been poured on me.
¹¹ My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
    my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.

¹² The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
¹³ planted in the house of the Lord,
    they will flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴ They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green,
¹⁵ proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him. ”

Psalm Challenge: Day Ninety-One!

God shows us His protection in ways that we cannot even imagine. The cross is a symbol of His protection. God died on the cross that we could become apart of His family. Therefore He started protecting us the minute He died upon the Cross. Thank You, Jesus! 

Psalm 91

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation. ”

Psalm Challenge: Day Ninety!

Today I am going to share on verse eight because I feel that our generation forgets this simple truth. Before God's eyes, you cannot hide your sin. This fact use to scare me because I thought "wow, He already knows what I did" and I hid in shame. However I want to take the focus off of me and tap into the sins of this generation. Are you familiar with the phrase YOLO? If not, it stands for You Only Live Once. So by popular demand this generation sins like no one is watching. But remember God already knows. Instead we should live in the grace of God acknowledging our sin as we do it and learn from it. 

Psalm 90

"Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    throughout all generations.
² Before the mountains were born
    or you brought forth the whole world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³ You turn people back to dust,
    saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
⁴ A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.
⁵ Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
    they are like the new grass of the morning:
⁶ In the morning it springs up new,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.

⁷ We are consumed by your anger
    and terrified by your indignation.
⁸ You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.
⁹ All our days pass away under your wrath;
    we finish our years with a moan.
¹⁰ Our days may come to seventy years,
    or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
¹¹ If only we knew the power of your anger!
    Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.
¹² Teach us to number our days,
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

¹³ Relent, Lord! How long will it be?
    Have compassion on your servants.
¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
    that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    for as many years as we have seen trouble.
¹⁶ May your deeds be shown to your servants,
    your splendor to their children.

¹⁷ May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
    establish the work of our hands for us—
    yes, establish the work of our hands"

Psalm Challenge: Day Eighty-Nine!

Meaning behind this picture!

-Rain cloud symbolizes all of our sinful nature.

-Rain drops: the destruction the reaps after our sin

-The umbrella is the most important because it is the umbrella of God's grace. In Psalm 89:33 "but I will nit take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness." No matter how much we sin, God still loves us and is still faithful to us. He has saved us by His grace so that He can keep this promise. 

-The little girl is me. The reason why I made her (me) so small is because it is a daily reminder of how big God's grace. No matter how bad I mess up, God still loves me. 

Psalm 89

"I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
    through all generations.
² I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
    that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
³ You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to David my servant,
⁴ ‘I will establish your line forever
    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”

⁵ The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,
    your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
⁶ For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
⁷ In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.
⁸ Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

⁹ You rule over the surging sea;
    when its waves mount up, you still them.
¹⁰ You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;
    with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
¹¹ The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
    you founded the world and all that is in it.
¹² You created the north and the south;
    Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
¹³ Your arm is endowed with power;
    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    love and faithfulness go before you.
¹⁵ Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
¹⁶ They rejoice in your name all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness.
¹⁷ For you are their glory and strength,
    and by your favor you exalt our horn.
¹⁸ Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,
    our king to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹ Once you spoke in a vision,
    to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
    I have raised up a young man from among the people.
²⁰ I have found David my servant;
    with my sacred oil I have anointed him.
²¹ My hand will sustain him;
    surely my arm will strengthen him.
²² The enemy will not get the better of him;
    the wicked will not oppress him.
²³ I will crush his foes before him
    and strike down his adversaries.
²⁴ My faithful love will be with him,
    and through my name his horn will be exalted.
²⁵ I will set his hand over the sea,
    his right hand over the rivers.
²⁶ He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
    my God, the Rock my Savior.’
²⁷ And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,
    the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
²⁸ I will maintain my love to him forever,
    and my covenant with him will never fail.
²⁹ I will establish his line forever,
    his throne as long as the heavens endure.

³⁰ “If his sons forsake my law
    and do not follow my statutes,
³¹ if they violate my decrees
    and fail to keep my commands,
³² I will punish their sin with the rod,
    their iniquity with flogging;
³³ but I will not take my love from him,
    nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
³⁴ I will not violate my covenant
    or alter what my lips have uttered.
³⁵ Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
    and I will not lie to David—
³⁶ that his line will continue forever
    and his throne endure before me like the sun;
³⁷ it will be established forever like the moon,
    the faithful witness in the sky.”

³⁸ But you have rejected, you have spurned,
    you have been very angry with your anointed one.
³⁹ You have renounced the covenant with your servant
    and have defiled his crown in the dust.
⁴⁰ You have broken through all his walls
    and reduced his strongholds to ruins.
⁴¹ All who pass by have plundered him;
    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
⁴² You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
    you have made all his enemies rejoice.
⁴³ Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
    and have not supported him in battle.
⁴⁴ You have put an end to his splendor
    and cast his throne to the ground.
⁴⁵ You have cut short the days of his youth;
    you have covered him with a mantle of shame.

⁴⁶ How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your wrath burn like fire?
⁴⁷ Remember how fleeting is my life.
    For what futility you have created all humanity!
⁴⁸ Who can live and not see death,
    or who can escape the power of the grave?
⁴⁹ Lord, where is your former great love,
    which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
⁵⁰ Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked,
    how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
⁵¹ the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,
    with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

⁵² Praise be to the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen."

Psalm Challenge: Day Eighty-Eight!

Your hands are so important in a metaphoric way. When we lift our our hands up, it shows that we completely trust Him. Now if you are thinking our physical hands, you may be right but what I am referring to is our problems and burdens. Our prayers are heard by the Maker of all living things. Lift up your hands to Jesus and rejoice! 

Psalm 88

"Lord, you are the God who saves me;
    day and night I cry out to you.
² May my prayer come before you;
    turn your ear to my cry.

³ I am overwhelmed with troubles
    and my life draws near to death.
⁴ I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
    I am like one without strength.
⁵ I am set apart with the dead,
    like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
    who are cut off from your care.

⁶ You have put me in the lowest pit,
    in the darkest depths.
⁷ Your wrath lies heavily on me;
    you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.
⁸ You have taken from me my closest friends
    and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
⁹     my eyes are dim with grief.

I call to you, Lord, every day;
    I spread out my hands to you.
¹⁰ Do you show your wonders to the dead?
    Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
¹¹ Is your love declared in the grave,
    your faithfulness in Destruction?
¹² Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
    or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

¹³ But I cry to you for help, Lord;
    in the morning my prayer comes before you.
¹⁴ Why, Lord, do you reject me
    and hide your face from me?

¹⁵ From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;
    I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
¹⁶ Your wrath has swept over me;
    your terrors have destroyed me.
¹⁷ All day long they surround me like a flood;
    they have completely engulfed me.
¹⁸ You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
    darkness is my closest friend."

Psalm Challenge: Day Eighty-Seven!

Could you imagine living in a city where God says that "those who acknowledge me"? I would love to. America is where I live, and we use to be a group of people who believed in the words "In God we trust!" Let's acknowledge God once again by trusting Him and spending more intentional intimacy with our Savior.

Psalm 87

"He has founded his city on the holy mountain.
² The Lord loves the gates of Zion
    more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.

³ Glorious things are said of you,
    city of God:
⁴ “I will record Rahab and Babylon
    among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia too, and Tyre , along with Cush—
    and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”
⁵ Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
    “This one and that one were born in her,
    and the Most High himself will establish her.”
⁶ The Lord will write in the register of the peoples:
    “This one was born in Zion.”

⁷ As they make music they will sing,
    “All my fountains are in you.”

Psalm Challenge: Day Eighty-Six!

Dear God,

This morning I was a complete mess filled with guilt and sin all over my body. I am poor and needy but when You full me up, I become a whole different person.You forgave me when I spewed out the words "I am sorry" and You gave me Your abounding love. Oh Lord now that I have accepted Your grace, I ask that You will teach me more about who You are and where You are in my life. I need and yearn for You! Thank You for Your faithfulness for my life. You are my Savior, compassionate and loving! 

In Jesus Name,

Amen!

Psalm 86

"Hear me, Lord, and answer me,    for I am poor and needy.
² Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
    save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; ³ have mercy on me, Lord,
    for I call to you all day long.
⁴ Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
    for I put my trust in you.

⁵ You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
    abounding in love to all who call to you.
⁶ Hear my prayer, Lord;
    listen to my cry for mercy.
⁷ When I am in distress, I call to you,
    because you answer me.

⁸ Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
    no deeds can compare with yours.
⁹ All the nations you have made
    will come and worship before you, Lord;
    they will bring glory to your name.
¹⁰ For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
    you alone are God.

¹¹ Teach me your way, Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name.
¹² I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
    I will glorify your name forever.
¹³ For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me from the depths,
    from the realm of the dead.

¹⁴ Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
    ruthless people are trying to kill me—
    they have no regard for you.
¹⁵ But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
    slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
¹⁶ Turn to me and have mercy on me;
    show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
    just as my mother did.
¹⁷ Give me a sign of your goodness,
    that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
    for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me."