This Story has A Nice Ring To It

“Do you still make jewelry?”, I asked the woman behind the solid wall of glass.

I was at a silver and gold exchange business located in my neighborhood. I had brought in some old jewelry and silverware that had been in a drawer for some time with the intention of selling it.

My overall goal was, if any of it was worth anything, to get some cash or materials for me to use to make a ring to replace the one that I had recently lost.

The ring that I had lost wasn’t expensive or valuable. It was a very simple ring that I had modified and liked to wear. I had recently lost some weight and best I could figure the ring had fallen off and I didn’t even know it!

I found a design for a ring that I liked. It was a simple silver ring with a gold cross. I am an artist and have made jewelry in the past. But, because I don’t have access to the same tools that I would need to do a “lost-wax” ring, I had discussed with a jeweler friend of mine what he would charge me to make the ring.

His price was fair, but higher than I wanted to pay for a ring. So, I decided to sell some items so see what I could come up with for cash or precious metals to make the ring myself.

Most of what I brought in to sell wasn’t worth a whole lot. The two items that did have some value looked like costume jewelry and didn’t appear to be worth anything. It turned out that they were both made of white gold and were incrusted with diamond chips making them valuable.

After I filled out some paperwork, I was handed a check and was just about to leave the shop when I remembered the real reason that I had come to the store.

I also remembered that this woman had told me in the past that she had gone to college to study jewelry making. I thought that I would ask her if she still made jewelry and ask what she would charge to make a ring for me.

“No, I don’t”, she answered me. “I will occasionally do some modifications such as resizing, but nothing other than that. Why do you ask?”

I told her how I had lost my ring and that I wanted to replace it.

“What style were you looking to make?” she asked.

I told her about the simple silver ring with a gold cross that I had seen.

She said to me; “I have one that I might be willing to sell.”

She continued. “Mine is a simple ring with a cross on it. In fact, just this morning I was looking at the ring and thought to myself that I should maybe sell the ring since it is too big for my fingers…would you like me to email you a picture of it?”

I told her “yes”, gave her a business card, and went home.

Later that evening, I received an email from her along with some pictures of the ring we discussed. In the email she stated that she was on the fence about selling it, but because I asked about it, she said she would be willing to part with it.

The ring was simple and, it turns out, was made of silver and the cross was made of gold.

We exchanged a few more emails, including what was the price that she would sell it for, and agreed to meet the next day for a look at the ring to see it would fit me.

The next day, I went to her business, tried on the ring (it fit), and willingly paid her asking price. We both marveled at how the transaction took place.

And the amount of money that I received for the jewelry that I sold her was more than her price for the ring. In fact, I was able to purchase the ring and still give a tithe on the amount that I received in the sale of the jewelry.

It is the simple things, isn’t it, where God seems to shine the best! It is in the extra ordinary requests of my heart that only He knows, when He seems to be the closest.

It is when I need new clothing and someone gives me some for a gift.

It is when I need a hug and someone comes up and gives me one without me asking.

It is when I am desirous of something like chocolate, or steak, or tickets to watch the Minnesota Wild play and someone gives them to me without me asking.

It is when I long to preach and someone calls me up and asks me if I am available.

No, I didn’t need the ring; I have others that I can wear.

But I DID need to be reminded that He does know that I am here…

And for me to know that He hears the desires of my heart.

See, I told you that this story has a nice ring to it.

Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah (Psalm 68:19)

Losing A Bearing

A few weeks ago while in a worship service at church, the Lord "spoke to me" and said; “You will find your bearings; I promise you; you will find them."

For the past two years I felt that I was out of place, lost, displaced, uprooted, removed (and (luxated and ectopic for those of you who read your dictionary on a regular basis). Some of it started a over two years ago when I had sensed that it was time to leave both the place where I was working (for five years) and the church that we had been attending (for over twenty years).

I had spent the season seeking the Lord's face for direction. I had also sought counsel from Cathy, my friends, counselors, therapists, and my board of directors and board of advisers. And now it was time to step out into a place that was uncharted territory.

Simply put, I had lost my bearings and I couldn't find my true north.

To 'lose one's bearings' means to lose sight of or become unable to determine one's orientation, position, or abilities relative to one's surroundings or situation. 

I knew that I was still called to be a father to my children and their spouses and a grandfather to their children. I knew that I was called to be a pastor and to preach and equip others and to write; but where and to whom? 

On a side note, when a bearing is going out on a car, usually there is a loud noise coming from the tire or wheel of the vehicle. And, if a wheel bearing is missing, it is not recommended you drive the vehicle at all as the wheel can fall off entirely while the vehicle is in motion.

That sounded a lot like me, at least on the inside. And at times on the outside as my anguish came out in short reactions to bad drivers or misunderstandings with Cathy and other minor irritants.

So I filled my time with playing hockey and making guitars and walking and picking up pucks and praying and crying and wandering (seemingly) aimlessly. I worked on projects and traveled and drank a lot of coffee. I applied for many too many jobs; only to get no response...which fed into my sense of lostness.

But I came to realize that I was still seeking identity, validation, and affirmation from circumstances, places, accomplishments, and people; which can lead to a false identity.

Then, while my hands were lifted up in worship of a God who calls Himself Father, I heard His voice deep in my soul; “You will find your bearings; I promise you; you will find them."

Hope arose, for I knew that voice and I had confidence because of His faithfulness to me in the past. I KNEW that somehow I would get to where I needed to be and I could be quiet and not make a loud noise as the lostness of the bearing ground against my soul.

He has been and will be faithful.

In time, at unplanned places (many times and many places) such as at a wedding or while working with a friend, the Lord spoke to me through many voices to encourage me to keep doing what I was doing. To remind me that HE had called me and that HE would get me to where He wanted me to be. 

His gifts were without repentance:

"For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn." (Romans 11:29 NLT)

When did I forget that He is the One who holds it all? When did I forget that He is still holding me? He's a Good, Good Father who is still is Lord of All.

Divine Superintendence

I was given a very simple task; drop our pickup truck off at our mechanic’s shop located at the end of our block (which is about 250 feet from our driveway) at eight-o-clock in the morning to have the emergency brake replaced.

Because I didn’t know how long the truck would be in the shop, I decided that I would first go to Trader Joes (which is only 4.5 miles away) to do our weekly grocery shopping.

So, I called our mechanic and asked if I would have time to go shopping first and then drop off the truck. He confirmed that this would work for his schedule.

I made way to TJ’s and while I was driving into the parking lot, a car was heading towards me driving in the center lane so I hit the brakes hard. When I did so, the truck stalled; which isn’t unusual for a manual transmission.

I turned the key, expecting it to turn over, but nothing happened. After several attempts, I put the truck in neutral and let it roll backwards into the parking lot so as to not block the entrance. The place that the truck rolled to was open in the front which would make it easy for a tow truck to hook up.

After trying a few more things to get the truck started, including opening up the hood to confirm that the engine was still there, I called for a tow truck. The dispatcher told me that a driver would be there within the hour.

I called Cathy (to inform her and for prayer) and sent our mechanic a text to let him know that there was a problem and that the truck would arrive on a flatbed.

I looked over the shopping list and decided that I should probably NOT go shopping at this point as realized that some of the items needed refrigeration or to be placed in a freezer.

The weather was beautiful so I sat outside the truck, checked emails, Facebook, etc. as I waited for the tow truck to arrive. Fifty-nine minutes after I called he arrived. Pretty good service, I concluded…

He loaded the pickup on his flatbed and told me to hop in and then he drove me to the mechanic’s garage.

When we arrived, the mechanic was waiting. The pickup was unloaded and I tossed the keys to our mechanic and thanked him to being available to try to fix it and then made the long walk home at the other end of the block (which is about 250 feet)

Arriving home, I scanned the towing receipt and emailed it to our insurance agent for reimbursement. An agent replied within twenty minutes; stating that she had dropped a check in the mail to cover the expense of the tow.

A few hours later it looked as though the pickup might not be repaired by tomorrow so I sent a text to one of our children to see if I could use his car the next day. He replied within twenty minutes informing me that I could use his car to make my appointments.

Just before dinner, our mechanic called to let us know that he had found out what was wrong with the truck; the starter needed to be replaced.

He also communicated that he discovered that the rear brakes had some problems and needed to be replaced. He was asking for our approval to do the extra work. I could hear the hesitancy in his voice to give us the bad news.

I had the phone on speaker, so Cathy was able to hear the conversation. She said “tell him yes!” because she was happy that he had discovered why the brake had been occasionally grabbing.

I told him to please go ahead and do the work; assuming that he wouldn’t get it done until tomorrow. I was glad that I had already secured another vehicle for tomorrow’s appointments.

Several hours later (after nine pm.), our mechanic called to let us know that the he had completed the work and that we could pick up the truck. He gave us the final cost of the repair work.

I grabbed our checkbook and went to get the pickup truck from our mechanic located at the end of our block (which is about 250 feet from our driveway).

I wrote him a check, he gave me the keys and thanked me for giving him the business. I thanked him for putting in such a long day and told him that we were both happy that he had discovered and repaired what was wrong with the pickup.

As I drove home, I expressed thanks for how the Lord had provided Divine Superintendence and Provision all throughout the day.

I was grateful that the truck broke down in a place that was easy to get towed.

Grateful that it broke down TODAY rather than tomorrow when Cathy would have had it at her school approximately eighteen miles away.

Grateful that I hadn’t yet gone shopping.

Grateful that we had towing as a part of our insurance.

Grateful that the tow truck came quickly and only had to drive 4.5 miles.

Grateful that the weather was so nice.

Grateful that my mechanic already had us scheduled to do work on the pickup.

Grateful that the Lord showed the mechanic what was wrong.

Grateful that I had another vehicle if he hadn’t been able to get the work completed.

Grateful that he was able to get all of the parts and do all of the work; TODAY.

Grateful that the Lord provided the money to pay ALL of the bills and for providing work for the mechanic.

I am so grateful that we had Divine Superintendence because Jesus is Lord of our lives.

“… For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:32-33)

Praise His Name!

Happy Freedom Week

The Forth of July can be a time that reminds us that not everyone is free in the USA. We are a divided nation in which many are still oppressed and not walking in the freedom we declared in our "Declaration of Independence" 242 years ago:
 ...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 

As a Christian, my heart grieves that we have so much injustice taking place. America; we have a long way to go. 

But one of the greatest freedoms we have as a nation is that we can speak up and draw attention to issues and wrongdoings.

This and other freedoms were paid for by men and women; dare I say even youth, whose passions for other people's freedom drove them to do something about it. 

Many of them paid for your freedoms and my freedoms with their bodies, minds, and even their lives.

I have never served in military and over the past few years I have become very grateful for those who have paid for all of the freedoms that I have as a citizen of the United States of America. 

To those of you who have served I say; "THANK YOU!" from the bottom of my heart.

The following is an old blog that I wrote eight years ago when my oldest son Jonathan was graduating from his basic training. 

Aug 20, 2010

Mighty Warrior

I feel the need to state upfront that I am not really a “paramilitary” person, nor have I ever been a part of the armed forces; I wasn’t even a boy scout. I grew up in a generation that for the most part looked down upon anyone who had anything to do with the military; mostly due to the mishandling of the Vietnam War. During the mid-seventies, my short-term fix (should I have been drafted) would have been to go to Canada and make sure that I was being taken care of, after all, I was free to do what I wanted.

I admit that this mentality was wrong and that I was self-focused and self-serving. Freedom isn’t free; on the contrary is has been paid for sacrificially by men and women; dare I say boys and girls, who chose to lay down their time and some their lives. Everyone who has ever served in the military paid for my freedom to reject any participation in the military service. To each of you reading this who have been or are currently in the military (in one branch or another), I say a long overdue; “Thank you” for paying for my freedoms I receive as an citizen of the United States of America.

My mind has been thinking about the military today partially because this week I attended the graduation ceremonies for my oldest son Jonathan, who (at age 28 ½) graduated from basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. I am now the father of a soldier. Jonathan will continue to pursue his training as an officer and serve as a soldier in the National Guard. I am very proud of my son Jonathan for following a dream that he has since he was ten years old; to be a soldier.   

While at the Fort I saw a plaque that caught my attention. It said; “EVERY SOLIDER IS A WARRIOR”.   

Written below that phrase were the following bullet points: 
     • MISSION FIRST.
     • REFUSE TO ACCEPT DEFEAT. 
     • NEVER QUIT. 
     • NEVER LEAVE A FALLEN COMRADE. 

Surrounding the plaque were seven values: 

1. LOYALTY. Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Army, Army Acquisition Corps, Acquisition Support Center and our Soldiers
2. DUTY. Fulfill your moral obligations to the best of your ability each and every day
3. RESPECT. Treat other people as you yourself want to be treated — with dignity and respect
4. SELFLESS SERVICE. Put the welfare of the Nation, the Army and the Soldiers you support before your own
5. HONOR. Live up to all the Army Values. Be honest, truthful and sincere in all of your actions
6. INTEGRITY. Do what's right, legally and morally, in both word and deed
7. PERSONAL COURAGE. Face fear, danger or adversity (physical or moral). Do what you know is right

Powerful words that caused me to ponder; “What if Christians followed each of these statements throughout their daily lives; would it make a difference?” 

What if Christians followed each of these statements on the aforementioned plaque throughout their daily lives; what difference would it make? Read the values and make the translation into how we as Christians should live; I think that you can see the application. These are values that WE as Christians should be living as an example of what it means to be a Christian; a “follower of Christ”.

Jesus, the ultimate Mighty Warrior said; “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:29)

The Apostle Paul wrote: “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” (2 Timothy 2:3-5)

How about you; Are you simply tired of fighting battles in your life with seemingly no results? Do you wish that you were a part of a larger “army” of people who would be willing to come along side of you and fight for you and watch your back? 

The Bible says that when we surrendered our lives to His Lordship, we become a member of the family of God; the Body of Christ. Have you ever surrendered your life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Listen my friend; you can be a part of this great “army” today by simply: 

Go to the following link athttp://www.billygraham.org/specialsections/steps-to-peace/steps-to-peace.asp

Or drop me an email.

Mighty Warrior Lyrics and Music by Debbye Graafsma
Mighty Warrior, dressed for battle
Holy Lord of all is He
Commander in chief, bring us to attention
Lead us into battle to crush the enemy

Satan has no authority in this place
he has no authority here

For this habitation

Was fashioned for the Lord’s presence
No authority here

Jesus has all authority in this place

He has all authority here
For this habitation
Was fashioned for the Lord’s presence

No authority here

How We Got the House At 840

I thought that since our house is now paid off, I should write about how we got the house.

On the night before Thanksgiving 1984, my dad had a dream. Mentally, I was in a rough spot. He told me on Thanksgiving Day at church about the dream; he said that he believed that it was from the Lord. He heard the Lord say that we were going to get a house for $59,000.

We were a family of five; two adults, a boy, and two girls. We were renting a little two-story house that had two bedrooms; one just off the dining room on the first floor and one upstairs. It served our needs and only had a few things wrong with it such as mice, short ceilings in the basement, and its address was “666”.

The house was owned by a friend of a friend of ours. His brother had purchased the house because it was very close in location to his house. His mother was dying in another state and his brother had purchased the house so that when his mother died, his father would be closer to his brother.

We were renting the house under the agreement that when the mother died, we would have two months to vacate the property. This agreement worked well and we lived at this house for several years.

In June of 1985, we received notice that the homeowner’s mother had died and we were given notice that we need to vacate the house by the August 31, 1985. We spent the next two months looking for a house to purchase with no success; sometimes looking at five houses each day.

Then we came to the point where we had only two weeks left before we had to leave.

Although we had been looking to purchase a house, we had nowhere to go. And, to make matters worse, because I wasn’t employed (other than odd jobs) we had no credit rating and no money in the bank. We were not the candidate that realtors want for prospective buyers.

I was in a bad spot. I said to my father-in-law; “God has finally let us down. In two weeks we will have nowhere to go. No job, no money, no house and no prospects!”

My father-in-law lovingly responded that he knew that God would come through. He said; “One thing I know is that your and Cathy’s life has always shown the provision of the Lord; He has always been faithful to you. In two weeks, you will have a great testimony of how God came through”.

My response was cynical and I said something to the effect of; “Why don’t you go through this and then I will read the book that you write as to how He came through!” My father-in-law said; “You need to go through this; it is something that you need to walk through and in two weeks you will have a great testimony of how He came through”.

Meanwhile when I was with my father-in-law, Cathy was with one of her sisters looking at houses. Cathy found a home that she liked on Ohio Street. The flyer said that it was a “Charming, two-story four-bedroom house with an Upper 3rd Floor located in a convenient area close to shopping areas, bus service, parks and schools. Because of the large corner lot, its South exposure fills the home with passive solar during the winter months and keeps it bright and cheery!” It was listed for the asking price of $59,900 as a “Contract for Deed…Like renting”

Later that Night Cathy, my parents, and I went through the house and it was agreed that we should try to get the house. The realtor (who was also the homeowner) told us several things about the house not listed in the flyer.

The house actually had a “contract for deed on a contract for deed” In other words the realtor was still making payments to someone else for the house. Also, another person had already signed a “Purchase Agreement”. My mom suggested that none of this mattered (if Cathy really wanted the house) and said she would call people and ask them to pray.

This began a week filled with one road block after another. Each time one road was cleared (like the original person requesting to back out of the purchase agreement) another road block would come up.

And each time my mom would call friends and ask them to pray. And each time one road was cleared another road block would come up. And each time my mom would call friends and ask them to pray. This took us to Sunday night, one week after we first looked at the house.

One week Later…On August 18, 1985, Cathy, my parents, and I met at the reality office (again who is also the owner of the house) to sign a “Purchase Agreement and give a check for two thousand dollars earnest money given towards the purchase of the house.

She said to me; “You two are the worst possible scenarios for selling a house. Why am I doing this sale?” I sheepishly muttered to her “Because they prayed”, referring to my mom and Cathy.

When asked what I mumbled, I spoke up and said that my mom and Cathy had prayed that this sale would go through. The realtor smiled, shook my hand again expressing what a risk it was and proceeded to congratulate Cathy.

As I stood in the office I noticed that this realtor had been “Realtor of the Month” for ten of the past twelve months!

When she gave a hug to my mom, my mom noticed that the realtor was tearing up. When asked what was going on, she explained; “Two weeks ago I was talking about this house with my husband. He said that we would have no problem selling in the next two weeks before going on a trip overseas. I told him how long it took to close on the sale of a house. He told me that the sale would happen; after all they were going to have an audience with the Pope. I told him that if the sale went through in the next two weeks, it would have to be God.

When you told me that you prayer, I wondered if God had indeed heard your prayers and that is why we were doing this”

After a brief discussion, the sellers agreed to rent the house to us for the month of September, 1985 for the amount of $375 so that we could move in immediately; and, so that they could head to Europe to see the Pope.

The official signing was scheduled for October, 1985 when they returned from Europe. Keys were given to us; one week after we first set foot in the house and one week before we needed to get out of the house we were currently renting. We had beaten the “two-week deadline” as God came through with one week to spare!

My understanding is that we would owe a payment of sixty five hundred when we signed the official paperwork in October. I tried doing everything that I could to get the money and nothing worked. I had been doing construction on people’s homes; no one seemed to have money to pay me. I even tried selling antiques and was offered well below market value.

October 4, 1985, we signed for the house. My parents came with in case we needed to borrow money for the down payment; which we did. There was also a bill for $65 dollars which covered some filing fees and back taxes. We were able to write a check because we had that amount of money in the bank. The entire closing took only fifteen minutes! The monthly house payment was around $540.

I came home from the signing and was not filled with hope but rather fear as I wondered how we would pay for the house. I asked Cathy; “Yes, God had gotten us into the house, but how would we pay for it?” She left me alone in my thoughts and headed to the store still rejoicing for how God had provided for us. The mail came and along with it was a local newspaper (the kind normally left to die in the front bushes). I opened it and saw the name of a company.

This was an ad stating what the company offers as a service and products. The ad was not saying that they were looking to hire, but something about the company stood out to me so I picked up the phone.

I need to digress and state that this was a bit out of the ordinary for me and it followed a year of application and interviews with no success and only left me more discouraged.

The owner of the company answered the phone and I asked him if they were hiring. He said to me; “Can you start tomorrow?” and asked me what I would like to make as an hourly wage; to which I gave him a number. He said that he would pay slightly less, but after two days he paid me more than I originally asked. I worked for this company for about eight years.

August 21, 1995. Ten years after we purchased the house we were to make a balloon payment of approximately eight thousand dollars. Once again I looked to myself to come up with the funds necessary to cover the debt that was owed.

Once again my efforts were met with no success at all. After months of trying, we didn’t have the money for the balloon payment. Once again I wandered and couldn’t see how we were going to come up with the money.

We asked the people who met in our home Bible study to pray for us and the situation; asking for favor from God for the money.

On the night before the papers were to be signed and the check would be due, I got a phone call from the realtor who owned the house; the one to whom we would be writing the check to buy out her portion of the contract for deed. The realtor had a strange request. She said to me; “I know that tomorrow you are coming with a check for eight thousand dollars; and I want you to know that contractually we have to take the money. I am asking if we might talk”.  I didn’t tell her that we didn’t have the money.

One phone call extended the balloon payment to September 1, 2000. After that we transferred to a mortgage company; to which we made monthly payments until we were paid up.

All of the years that we have been in the house, we NEVER missed a house payment; and we were ALWAYS able to replace furnishings including furniture, appliances, remodel rooms, replace the roof, soffits, and facia. 

Praise be the Name of the Lord for His faithfulness!

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:33-34 NKJV)

You Never Fail

I am in a time of transition as I seek the Lord as to what the next steps are that I need to take regarding my “employment” …

Actually, I think that it is safe to say that we are ALWAYS in a time of transition and the day we “arrive” is the day we leave this earth.

Although I am a pastor, the question has more do with how and where God wants to use me; secular or sacred? This applies to other gifts that I have such as my experience in construction as well as my gifts as an artist…

But during transition from one job to the next it can feel like God isn’t listening. It isn’t true but it can feel like He isn’t. This is true as we transition from city to city, relationship to relationship, school to school to school….

Sometimes during my time of transition it is possible to put unnecessary pressure on myself as though it is all MY responsibility to make something happen; NOW!

As a way to put the focus off my situation and onto God, I was listening to a worship song one day this week about God’s faithfulness.

        Walking around these walls

        I thought by now they’d fall

        But You have never failed me yet
        Waiting for change to come
        Knowing the battle's won
        For You have never failed me yet

        Your promise still stands
        Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
         I'm still in Your hands
        This is my confidence, You've never failed me yet

And while I was listening to it, as the end was coming and the crescendo was building up:

        I've seen You move, come move the mountains
        And I believe, I'll see You do it again
        You made a way, where there was no way

I realized that this time of transition is not just about me. 

“Well said, Captain Obvious!”

 

I realized that this is also a test for all of those who are holding me up and praying for me concerning direction and what is the next assignment or appointment for me.

I realized that this is also for EACH ONE OF THEM to trust God to answer THEIR prayers and to be faithful one more time.

The question isn’t just whether or not I will trust Him, but will others’ trust God to answer their prayers on behalf of me? 

This isn’t just my struggle of faith and trust, it is also the struggle of faith and trust for my friends; that will God answer their prayers.

In other words; “Will God answer all those people’s prayers who were also asking God; not just mine?”

Oswald Chambers said;

         “We are not fundamentally free; external circumstances are not in our hands, they are in God’s hands, the one thing in which we are free is in our personal relationship to God. We are not responsible for the circumstances we are in, but we are responsible for the way we allow those circumstances to affect us; we can either allow them to get on top of us, or we can allow them to transform us into what God wants us to be.”

I’m so glad that He is personal even when we feel so far away from Him. And that He uses us in our weakness and occasionally when we have it all together; which is very rare day indeed.

That is always the encouragement I need, to remember that simple thing, He always is with me and personal in my circumstances!

And suddenly the pressure was lifted off me to go through this all by myself.

“Let my cry come right into Your presence, God;
    provide me with the insight that comes only from Your Word.
Give my request Your personal attention,
    rescue me on the terms of Your promise.
Let praise cascade off my lips;
    after all, You’ve taught me the truth about life!
And let Your promises ring from my tongue;
    every order You’ve given is right.
Put Your hand out and steady me
    since I’ve chosen to live by Your counsel.
I’m homesick, God, for Your salvation;
    I love it when You show Yourself!
Invigorate my soul so I can praise You well,
    use Your decrees to put iron in my soul.
And should I wander off like a lost sheep—seek me!
    I’ll recognize the sound of Your voice.”

             (Psalm 119:169-176 MSG)

The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson