Things Too Great / Like A Weaned Child

The words I want to first share on the Psalm 131, are not my own:

"The same psalm that teaches us not to occupy ourselves with questions too big for us also uses the metaphor of a content toddler resting on his mother to illustrate a quieted soul.  God's goal is not children scared into silence but those who trust their parent even with questions unanswered.  The quieted one in Psalm 131 has not been terrified into silence.  We are not the victims of God, but His cherished children." ~ Beth Moore

and

"I do not seek, O Lord, to penetrate thy depths.  I by no means think my intellect equal to them: but I long to understand in some degree thy truth, which my heart believes and loves.  For I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe, that I may understand." ~ Anselm, an eleventh-century English monk

My Psalm 131

Abba I so very much enjoy saying the words "I do not know for sure...".  This leaves the job to You for revelation of truth.  Like a toddler sitting in it's mother's lap thinking "my mother knows everything."  When things do not make sense to me I choose to calm myself by putting my hope in my ever so brilliant, and all knowing Jehovah -- now and forever.  ~  Tink

Full Redemption

The Amplified describes it as plenteous redemption...that is what those of us in Christ wait for...

full, plenteous redemption ~

Forgiveness has been given and it is amazing.  So what in the crazy heck is full redemption going to be like when it comes?  Apparently more anticipating than what an Old Testament night watchman had for the rising of the sun.  He waited with baited breath for no more watching in the darkness...for light to open the day into full view!  I pray we get to see that coming fullness-sunrise, with great joy, together.

My Psalm 130 

You are that you are the "I Am" and  the "Sovereign Ruler" 

yet you know the sound of my voice as I call to you.  

You distinguish my voice in the choir of billions

While I expectantly wait for your fullness of time, I put my hope in your love letter to me

Your plan is for full redemptions view-

 plenteous redemption

If You Kept A Record

This portion's study of Psalm 130 was rich for me~
I love the intimacy that begins the song, "I call  to YAHWEH and He hears my voice".  Which, to me, means He understands what my voice sounds like!  Is that enough to halt a heart or what?

Then the psalmist uses ADONAY (also spelled ADONAI) in verse 2...another one of God's great names.  Both names used in one song, for me, display intimate understanding of God's multifaceted-ness.

God is YAHWEH, Jehovah, the "I am who I am", the self-existent God. God is also Master and Superior, Sovereign Ruler over all!!  That my God, has so many distinct characteristics...blows my mind!

Next the song denotes the free inheritance God gives...He gives forgiveness. What I love about this portion is the "if You (God) considered sins, who could stand?" part.  What a statement of pardon.  When I accept the pardon, no consideration of my sins is marked...they are erased...become non-existent!!!  Seriously, I have no words to describe how this makes me feel, unbelievable is not sufficient~

Verse 6 introduces the phrase "I wait" coupled with the words "and put my hope in His word".  I find the tiny word "and" quite impact-full.  This phrase tells me that waiting does not work correctly without the hope in what He took the time to wrote down...scripture.  So while I wait, putting my hope in His word, some may ask:  What am I waiting for?  I think tomorrow's lesson may address that question, I can't wait ~

Also, before I close this post out... I have great news - my sister is engaged!

Nedra I Miss You!

Who is Nedra?  Why she is my former Red Hat Queen~

Nedra has recently relocated to California and I am having a Nedra moment!

I met sweet Nedra (pictured below on the right next to her Vice Queen Maxine) at curves.  It must have been about 2003.  In 2005 I decided to, beg, her to let my bff and I join her Red Hat group.  

We wanted to be Pinkies.  Why?  Because we discovered that Pinkies get graduation ceremonies when they turn 50 at which time they then become

Official Red Hatters!

Here she is 2008 at a Red Hat convention during the Queen procession

Who, but sweet Nedra, can make you want to construct a necklace out of tampons?

...and slippers out of kotex, garnised by tampon flowers

One day...in a few years bff and I will grow up and graduate from Pinkies to Red Hatters....Nedra you better fly up for our graduation...it will not be the same without you!!!  

They Have Not Prevailed & To Be Heard

This psalm study I learned:  

God will give His cup of fury to those who walk or have walked on my back 

(Isiah 49:25)

and

"...sometimes an important part of praying is simply being heard."

(most times in my prayer life)  

My Psalm 129

From my earliest youth, oppression surrounded me -

Thank you Jesus that none of it has prevailed.  In fact You have, and continue, to use it for good!

Yahweh, you are loyal, You have cut the cords the dark forces of evil have used to bind me.

Let all who hate you Oh God, be put to shame and defeated...withered, empty and unblessed by You!

"Blessing is inherent in the power to increase." ~ Eugene Peterson

Psalm 128's study this week just tripped my trigger!!!

Not a big surprise, given that I adore growth/increase so very, very, much.  Miss Beth brought to light an inspiring parallel for me in this lesson...the parallel of God's command (Gen 1:27-28) to His first Adam and his  bride Eve.   They were to be fruitful and multiply.  I do not think it was only a sexual kind of fruitful, however, for their offspring to increase they would indeed be having some sex.  Sex requires physical connectedness.

Stay with me here...

Jesus final face-to-face command to his disciples (Matt 38:19) was also an increase directive.  They were to go and make disciples of all nations.  This bearing of fruit command requires a connectedness as well.  God's last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), tells them (the Bride of Christ) that in order to be productive they must stay connected to Him.  He uses the analogy of the vine and the branches...it takes connectedness to Jesus to bring increase to His kingdom.

It is a simple parallel, yet very profound to me...not in the concepts but in the constancy in scripture between the old and the new testaments.  One of my favorite things about God is His amazing life manual....His breath authored gift of usefulness for teaching, correcting, and training righteousness.

Heres to a universe full of fruit as a result of those who choose to abide.

Vain Labor & A Heritage From The Lord

My Psalm 127

Tink, if you decide to fire those make-shift sub-contractors of yours who only play with sticks; 

I am ready and able to build your custom dream life, with zero percent interest and no money down.

Don't even consider hiring ADT for security...

they nap while I guard anyway, you will be wasting your money.

Remember that burning the candle at both ends robs you of the rest that I enjoy seeing you live in --

because I love you so greatly.

Your children are your best gift, 

you can count on the legacy I am building through them.

They are arrows for My Kingdom, 

even if all you sometimes see is plastic toy suction darts.

You are all five blessed and empowered to broom spiritual aggression 

off the front porch of your lives.

Enjoy this song  praising the Master Builder himself!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqy1a_Gz0zQ

To Laugh Again & Sowing The Seed

Today, Psalm 126 ~
Exiles Returned...but from where?  At the time it was written the reference was Israel being set free from Babylonian captivity...they were finally allowed to return home to Jerusalem.

I have never been captured and hauled off to a physical land, enslaved and oppressed there.  I have been in a spiritual way though.
The laughter was so refreshing when I was freed.  As I began to learn to walk in my new freedom....my "after laughter" rang with appreciation and wisdom of knowing that I had not been freed by accident or in vain.  I am not sure that anyone earthly noticed my return, or shouted for joy when they saw me but I sure did.

The Psalmist records a bit different situation here...those returning from captivity were a generation older.  Those who had been left behind had endured 40 years of separation...40 years of longing for their friends and family members to return.

I have had personal experience of being the one left behind from the captured...left longing for my loved ones return to their proverbial home land.  I endured gut wrenching sorrow watching my oldest daughter be hauled away from us spiritually.  I have known no pain like it...it is indescribable.  There were days that I felt like I was being suffocated in agony.  The first nine months were the most difficult, and as time passed some of it did get easier.  I adjusted, eventually, to the separation.  I still longed and prayed and prayed and prayed, hoping for the day of days, when I would see the face that had been masked over with prodigal.  Grace did not allow me to wait 40 years for her return, it was shy of 3, but it felt like forever!   My "after laughter" in this situation still rings with shouts of joy!  It was a dream too good to be true!

If only the story ended there--right?  But no -- I still have a few exiles I am longing for.  Accepting the separation, for me, does not come with out injury from wrestling.  I go to the mat with God over such loss...He meets me there and gets all sweaty with me, waiting for me to surrender it to Him.  Finally... I am so exhausted from keeping my shoulders off the ground....then it comes -- "pinned" -- trust surrendered.
I can't wait for "after laughter" of these particular longings...I am going to shout for joy, and my mouth will be filled with laughter!!!!

He Surrounds His People & A Love That Surrounds

Day one defined the word trust in verse one as: confident, secure, and sure.  As I was diving into the lesson I thought "oh this is going to be good...I am going to most likely get to see  a new area of trust to be conquered for God."


You can say it....it won't hurt my feelings.  I am one weird woman!  Who actually gets excited about finding lack in herself, especially before it is actually found, and in-particularly when it relates to trust of God?????


I'm sorry I just love to grow...I am a growth addict - I confess.  

By the end of the lesson, however, I had not come to any such conclusions.  Then guilt started to speak... "sure...way to stay in denial girlfriend -- you HAVE to  be kidding, no one feels all three of those things towards God at the same time."

Then the tug-of-war began:
Are you in denial or are you actually in trust?         Oh the wars my head can wage...knock it off!

I decided to move to day two and progress.  The focus was God surrounding those who trust in Him.  Thankfully I can say I feel this to be true in my life...I feel surrounded by Him!
Though I am educated enough to know that even if I did not feel surrounded, it would not discount the truth that I am surrounded.  It just sooooooooo trips my trigger that I do feel His encampment around me.  It is a feeling of security that I do not feel anywhere else in my life...a feeling of such deep, personal devotion--unearned yet freely lathered all over me.

**

My Psalm 125  vs 1-3

I, Tink, am confident, sure and secure in my God 

Because of this trust. His promise to me is that  I will not be shaken or defeated... just as unshakable as Mt Zion

I am surrounded with God's protection now and always

The fists of the wicked may never violate what God has ordained as mine

**

I could not personalize vs 4 or 5 --the words banishment and remove prevented me. 

My wars are with spiritual enemies who are banished already.

Living post-resurrection, the consequences for evil doers can look much different than in old testament times.  God is Just on both sides of the cross and He administrates His justice on both sides of the cross, however in Christ's crucification, sin for all was purchased at one time...free justice for all was rendered.  All a person has to do is accept it, evil doers and do gooders alike.  Banishment from God forever is easily avoided on this side of the cross.  In Christ we were given the mother of all lottery tickets...the kind you find on the ground and never paid for, yet is worth a zillion-trillion-million dollars!!

If The Lord Had Not & Praise The Lord

It was a very busy week...I got behind in my study so this time I combine both days lessons on Psalm 124 which focused on looking at what my life may have looked like had God not intervened and on God's promises--due to His being on my side... as opposed to just putting up with me.

My favorite concept in this lesson is -- God will risk being misunderstood in order to accomplish....that He knows when something glorious in the future necessitates something difficult in the present!  Loved it so much!

**

My Psalm 124

If the LORD had not been on my side

O how different my life would be

Had He not been willing to train me out of my self righteous armor - the additional destruction would be immense

If the LORD had not been on my side when Satan had his power plays set up against me;

Approval addiction would be my god

I would have been swallowed into a divorce

I would be engulfed in legalism

The raging waters of dysfunction and shame would have swept my life, as I know it, away 

Praise the LORD who has not allowed me to cooperate with Satan's Gang..their sharped-toothed,
 fang-owning, mouth's were loosed  from around my neck

the curtain was torn and I am free to fly in Jesus name
**

Much Contempt

Have I mentioned here in my little 30 day journaling challenge, that studying the Psalms while in a fairly mountain top season of life...is weird to my brain!  I am growing more fond of  the oddity, and get excited to view the next lesson without the heaviness of valley walk emotions.

This lesson focused on what causes the gaze to be upward toward God asking for mercy...contempt or better translated - ridicule.  I lapped this lesson up!  Thank you Miss Beth!

**

My Psalm 123

I wish I could see your throne - hear the accompanied praises of heaven singing your due honor.

Therefore I lift my eyes up to heaven just in case the chance of it parting and exposing your physical view is granted.  I need your kindness Abba

I am not as attentive toward you as a servant girl to her mistress.  My attentions are drawn away from you so easily.

But - O God, how I long to focus and I cry for your mercy

I am weary from a world that oozes disrespect

I know it rubs off on me sometimes without even my notice

I am fed up with it's game - defeat

I want to be free from it's consequences - division
**

The Enthroned One

Today Miss Beth's lesson on Psalm 123 stabbed my heart...the line in the Psalm using the analogy of a servant girl looking to the hand of her mistress brought me conviction.  The closest thing in my life too being a handmaiden of mistress, is working at the quilt shop.  At my job, I am very interested in what it is my boss wants me to be doing every single minute that I am there under her employ.  In my walk with God I settle more for a position (sadly) of:  I am here...I am willing to listen when your direction comes.  I see such a stark difference.  One says I won't make a move till you give me direction, the other says I will move when directed.

Also, thanks to this lesson I was given a deeper layer of understanding of God's enthronement and that nothing operates outside God's sovereign rule...NOThing.  It is a truth I know - duh God is the King...but to gain a deeper still ownership of it rawks my world.

Does the direction of my attention desire to settle it's focus on the presently enthroned King of Kings?  My attentions are so easily prostituted by my un-submitted fears and doubts...LORD turn my head toward You!  Love, Your Daughter