Thoughts from aSacredRebel following the SacredRebel
5Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
6In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
(Proverbs 3:5-6, NRSV)
In everything we do we need to trust in God. You see we think we know what is best for us. But really we don’t God has a plan that is so much better than our own.
God’s path is the way we should go. Even when we don’t understand it, or think it is right, it is the way to go.
Trust on God and follow the path in the plan.
1I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
2My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
8The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
(Psalm 121, NRSV)
Where does my help come from when the mountains are all around me and it seems like this valley will never end?
My help always comes from God, for God never sleeps or slumbers and is always there for me.
God is always there for you.
Trust in that!
1Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
2Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.
3Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.
5For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
(Psalm 100, NRSV)
I love this psalm because it tells all of us we need to make a joyful noise. Notice it didn’t say beautiful music, or a wonderful intune melodic sound. It said a joyful noise. My pastor used to say if you sing well sing loud because God loves a beautiful voice, and if you don’t sing well sing even louder because God said to make a joyful noise.
Make noise and be joyful! God created you to praise.
1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
5God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
10“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”
11The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
(Psalm 46, NRSV)
When life is not what we think it should be, God is always with us.
We do not need to fear what is happening or what will happen. No matter where we are or what we are going through God is always with us.
God will shelter us in the storm and give us love and strength to make it through.
35While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. (Mark 5:35-43, NRSV)
How deep is your faith?
Do you believe God can do anything? If you said yes, is there anything God can not do?
And if God can do anything, is there anything we shouldn’t take to God? So nothing we bring to God is a bother.
God wants to hear from you and be with you. Nothing is a bother, and everything is possible.
So bring it and allow God to work through it.
How deep is your faith?
21When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” 24So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32He looked all around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:21-34, NRSV)
How deep is your faith?
This woman who had suffered for 12 years with something doctors couldn’t help knew that if she merely touched the fringe of Jesus cloak she would be healed. There are other examples of people who were healed in the Bible that needed more proof, and prophets who needed more proof that God was calling them. But this woman knew that if she touched just the bottom part of what Jesus was wearing she would be healed. She didn’t think it might happen or could happen, she knew it would happen.
Would you believe this?
1Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night.
3They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.
4The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
(Psalm 1, NRSV)
This is the first of 150+ psalms. It is a wonderful way to start the walk through the songs of the Bible.
The version I memorized is Blessed are they who do not walk in the way of the wicked or stand with the sinners or sit with the scoffers.
Do you see the progression? We are walking, then standing, then sitting, a life away from God is not something we just turn to, it is something that slowly happens over time. We need to guard our hearts and follow the way of Christ.
Know that God is always with us, to give us the strength we need to make it through.
This is the way!
7How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. (Psalm 36:7, NRSV)
The love of God is so present it is like we are hidden under the wings of our mother. WHere we are protected from the world by hiding in the shadow of her wing.
Know that God is always there for you, and will give you shelter.
15As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
16for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more
17But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word.
21Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
(Psalm 103:15-22, NRSV)
We can rest assured that the love of God will never fail or go away.
There is nothing you can do to make God stop loving you.
Flowers fade and grass withers, and friendships fail, but God will never leave you or stop loving you.
6The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
14For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:6-14, NRSV)
How does the Lord work for vindication and justice?
God works in and through us. We need to advocate for those who can not advocate for themselves. e need to speak out for the widow and the downtrodden.
God will forever be with us when we are speaking for those who can not for themselves.
Share the love God has given to you by helping others.
Share the love because God will give you more!
aSacredRebel