Crushed

 <sup>Psalm 34 


4</sup> I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
⁶ This ^[c]poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

⁸ O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
⁹ O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.

 

¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are ^[d]crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

 

Beloved- are you crushed in spirit today?  Are you brokenhearted?  Are you troubled?  Afflicted? 

All of the above?

 

For those who have been made right with God, according to their relationship with Jesus-  The LORD: hears, delivers, is near, saves, delivers. 

 

What that looks like for you today- I can't tell you.  But, I can tell you that He is working- whether we feel like it or not; whether we see it right now or not.... remember- He is our hope, not our circumstances.  He operates dimensionally and outside of time... and according to His Kingdom's economy. 

 

In your heart of hearts, your soul- may the truth of the words:

He hears,

He delivers,

He is near,

He saves,

He delivers- 

 

Wash away:

fear,

doubt,

disatisfaction

 

...and in their places, may the Holy Spirit provide you with:

faith,

love,

hope,

peace,

and great satisfaction.

 

Blessings-

Psalm 34: 5  "They looked to Him and were radiant..."

 

 

 

Crossroads

We are doing a series in Sunday School on "Recovery"; it is actually one about a nation's recovery, and how it begins with the individual- and, as Believers, are we viewing our politics through a biblical lens, or is it the other way around... If I complain about the government, am I also prepared to take a good hard, honest, look at my own life- am I living without duplicity?

Well, I was also studying for another lesson I am a part of, the two lessons intersected in Jeremiah chapter 6.  (The other lessons' principle verses were: Matthew 11:28-30  and 2 Chronicles 6-7)

In both, at different times, we find people, a nation, at a crossroads. 

I feel like with Lyme, crossroads come every single day in some way.  Who to go to for help, which medication/treatments, where do I start/end, how much do I do/not do today, do I push through/back off...Are the things in my mind/emotions- my thoughts, the Lord speaking to me, affects of Lyme... 

What about the people we hear telling us 'peace...peace'- and yet our gut is telling us, "No- something's not right!" 

In Jeremiah 6:14-15 we see false leaders telling the people 'peace, peace...but there was no peace'.  The sin of disobedience was causing the nation to be broken.  But that was only  part of the problem.  What kept them tethered to sin was their lack of discernment (and the leaders who contribute to this). 

Jeremiah implores these people at a crossroads to follow the ancient, good pathway- with the way marked by repentance, reconciliation, respect & love for God...and to walk in obedience.  They'd wandered so far off track, they'd lost sight of those markers along the good way.  But again, to even see they are lost- there needs to be discernment.

Pathways, as we travel along,  Lyme- just adds to the difficulty of staying on the good path. It is foggy, confusing, with amazing ups-n-downs and all around; to say it is a rocky, treacherous path for us is an understatement.  It is tough socially, mentally, emotionally, financially, spiritually... we question everything- even God's goodness.

Which bring me back to discernment, and might I add wisdom.  The kind of discernment that the LORD gives us.  We must turn to Him at any, and every, crossroad we come to.  We need His help to steer through all of it- we know our own perception is deceptive, clouded, dim...

So what crossroad are you at today?  What are you wrestling with?  If you are at a crossroad today- I invite you to first bend your knee at the Cross- before the Lord Jesus Christ.  Bring to Him that with which you are wrestling.  Ask Him for His wisdom and discernment-   If there is sin found in your heart- confess it to Him and allow His forgiveness to wash over you-- and then move forward according to His promise, and walk in obedience. 

If there is no sin- ask Him to lead you- to teach you- to show you The Way.  And no matter how dim the view, know that when you travel in obedience to Him, according the righteousness you have through Jesus-  you are on the ancient, good way. 

Blessings-

¹³ “From the least to the greatest,
their lives are ruled by greed.
From prophets to priests,
they are all frauds.
¹⁴ They offer superficial treatments
for my people’s mortal wound.
They give assurances of peace
when there is no peace.    Jeremiah 6:13-14
¹⁶ This is what the Lord says:
“Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.  Jeremiah 6:16

1 Corinthians 13:12

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹² Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.^[a] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

1 Corinthians 13:12

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹² For now we see in a mirror ^[a]dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

Values

Yesterday, I was at the clinic.  Actually  not there for myself, but was waiting for my son to come out from his sport exam. 

I was looking around and noticed a sign posted on the bulletin board which declared that healthcare organizations mission and values. 

I read through their values: courage, passion, resolve, advancement, family.   Now, none of these are particularly poor values.  The interesting thing to me was what was lacking- here in a healthcare setting- what about compassion, mercy, kindness, loyalty...?  At the least, compassion?

Being a wonk, when I got home, I checked the website for another healthcare facility (next farthest from us).  This healthcare organization is a private organization.  Here were its stated values: Reverence, Integrity, Compassion, Excellence.

Hhhmmm, that was striking to me.  Although the one we go to is a bigger networked organization, and closer to home- it is more and more a 'run you through the system as quick as we can' motivated one.  But- they do follow their values organizationally.

The second organization, although farther away and smaller- is gaining a more and more favorable reputation, as it follows its values.

As you are looking for healthcare options in your area (if you have an option; we are very rural, which means little to no options)-  You may want to take a look the values of that institution.  Sure, it isn't usually our first stop when looking for information about healthcare facilities, but maybe we should be paying more attention to them...and communicating to the administration about our responses to their said values. 

Actions follow beliefs (values). 

I am reminded of Micah 6:8 today
" He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love ^[a]kindness,
And to walk ^[b]humbly with your God?"

and of the verses which speak to loving your neighbor as yourself- Lev 19:8, Matt 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8.

Today- perhaps you'll want to jot down some values you are looking for in a healthcare organization.  Look around for as close a match as possible.  Or, perhaps, if you are feeling up to it- construct a gracious letter to healthcare facilities in your area in response to their stated values- noting those you appreciate, or would like to see included. 

Remember today Beloved- speaking of values: you are valuable! God places great value on you-  breathe that in today- allow Him to minister to you today in that meditation.

Blessings-

Misunderstood

Misunderstood?  An understatement for those in the Lyme Fight.

Misunderstood by nurses, doctors, co-workers, friends, family...ha, we don't even really understand it all ourselves a lot of the time!

It is so wearing, especially when you are already so fatigued, to feel a sense of needing to explain or defend yourself to others... This is a real thing, whether others believe it, or understand it, or not.

A friend of mine was going through a rough patch, and in her morning devotions were these verses from the Old Testament book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 41:11-13

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹¹ “See, all your angry enemies lie there,
confused and humiliated.
Anyone who opposes you will die
and come to nothing.
¹² You will look in vain
for those who tried to conquer you.
Those who attack you
will come to nothing.
¹³ For I hold you by your right hand—
I, the Lord your God.
And I say to you,
‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

 

Ever feel like this some days-  like those who misunderstand can be felt to be an enemy?   I'm not saying we should wish them ill, but the principles here in Isaiah are the take aways-

 

That God understands- He does not misunderstand you.  He knows very well what is going on, in all truth, and in all dimensions of your life right now!

 

He knows the people who misunderstanding us-  we can do what we can, but ultimately- we need to let God be our Defender; to take care of the others' understanding, and how they react to us. 

 

Don't use your precious energy on all the negative emotions and thoughts that you can have in response to those who misunderstand.  It isn't worth it.  Our energy is better spent in growing closer to the LORD, fighting Lyme, and  healing.

 

One of our fears is being misunderstood; with good reason- as may of us have been hurt deeply by being misunderstood.  We are hair-triggered with this fear- which translates to even reacting as being misunderstood/expecting to be misunderstood...maybe even denying someone who really does understand, at least to some degree.

 

Remember though- our LORD God-is here to help us.  He holds us by His right hand.  We need not fear.  We need not have our defences up and gloves on. 

 

We can rest in Him, and allow those energies to be spent on being in His presence, and for healing.  

 

Just thinking of that makes me want to take a nice long deep breath of relief. 

 

Thank you LORD God for being with us.  That whenever we feel misunderstood- we don't have to let it get to us, or get us down...but we can take the situation and person to You, and trust that according to Your Love, Mercy and Justness, You will  take care of us....You will be our Defender- while we rest in who You are....and hold onto Your strong and gentle right hand.... amen.

 

blessings-

 

Laughing away Lyme

Okay- so maybe you can't exactly laugh away Lyme.  And let's face it- Lyme is no laughing matter.
However, laughing can play a significant role in the healing process.


Norman Cousins wrote a book called Anatomy of an Illness,  in which he talks about the vital role laughter played in his recovery from his illness (along with self-management and high doses of Vitamin C...).  He would spend hours a day watching his favorite comedy shows- laughing. 


Barbara Johnson, a wonderful author, wrote, "Doctors and physical fitness experts tell us that laughter is just plain good for your health.  One expert, who travels around staging workshops on how to be fit, says healthy people laugh 100 to 400 times a day...

I read about a medical doctor who calls laughter "internal jogging."  He says that healthy laughter has a beneficial effect on most of your body's major systems- and it's a lot more fun than calisthenics.  Laughing 100 times a day works the heart as much as exercising for ten minutes on a rowing machine."..."One bumper sticker I saw [stated], 'ONE LAUGH=3 TBSP. OF OAT BRAN' "


Wow- even getting in 10 laughs a day can sound monumental- let alone the minimum of 100 laughs.  But, the principle bids us to consider- how might we encourage laughing into our day? 

There are TV comedy shows, shows on the internet- You Tube videos..., movies from the library, searching of clean jokes on the web, humorous books, humorous friends...looking for humorous things that happen through the day (sometimes we have to laugh or we'll cry!)- jot them down to give a giggle another day...


Matthew 6:34 is a verse a group of us our ruminating over this week- it says "Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  How true-  and too often we steal energy and joy away from this day- spending it on concerns for what will happen in the future... Even healthy people do this- and those of us with Lyme are tempted enormously to do this, because of the inherent questions of 'future' in living with Lyme...


I love that verse, Matthew 6:34.  It holds much truth.  But, the word at the beginning of it "Therefore" is the key to knowing how to work that verse out in real life.  It points to the verses before it-

³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God^[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

There it is-  a) in verse 32, trusting in the LORD, that He does know your needs already 
b) seek the Kingdom of God- Seek Him and His ways-- above all else, and live rightly (according to His Word)

Challenges for anyone- but doable, even for Lyme Fighters to live these out, and then- Therefore- tomorrow will take care of itself. 

  Here's a good place to start today~  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQV5xvgt1mE

Blessings-

"Never Once"

A song for today-  this one, "Never Once" came on this morning, and seems to be 'the song of the day' for me. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1bXG4WIesA

God is faithful- He does not leave us alone.  Even in the darkest of times- He is near, He is working; much of the time He is working so deeply, so dimensionally that it is difficult to grasp how near He is- but He is indeed near.

Whether you are at a valley spot, or mountain top today- or anywhere in between... take time to breathe in His presence, and exhale with the peace of His presence. 

Beloved- know that He is working on your behalf.  Rest in Him today. 

Blessings-

Discrimination

dis·crim·i·na·tion

/disˌkriməˈnāSHən/

Noun The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, esp. on the grounds of race, age, or sex. Recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another.     This word came to mind last evening.  We were on our way home from a visitation out of town.  (Just going out of town for a few hours is a big deal, and takes a goodly amount of planning.)    My husband stopped at a fast food place for something to eat.  I stood there staring at the menu board.    "Do you want anything?", my husband asked.  "Yes.- but there is nothing on the menu I can either have, or should have."  He looked disheartened, as he was wanting to get me something to eat...trying to help. (I'd packed food supplies in case.)   But, I had to be discriminating.    Discrimination is a word that initially has gotten a lot of negativity, but for me- I find I need to be very discriminating in a lot of areas in my life now....and with good reason- so I can stay alive, and to be able to participate in life to any degree.    There are foods now that have the potential to kill me.(anaphylactic reaction)  Others- can just plain make me miserable, and can exacerbate the Lyme.        Discrimination is a word that also leads my thoughts to a Scripture-  Matthe 5  43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[r] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![s] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[t] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.   In this respect- Even as a Beleiver, even if I seek to do good...rain comes...Lyme comes... but this doesn't mean I'm not loved by God, or that I get a pass to be hateful (even 'justly'), or become bitter.    I must be discriminating about how I choose to respond to my circumstances.        In the car last night, we had on a Christian radio station-  on came a segment in which several callers had expressed what they were 'believing in'.... I understand their intent- but I was stuck how time after time the people were saying they believe that this or that would happen;  or believing in this or that to happen....all comfortable, great things- safety, health, to do well...sincere, and thankful were these people.    But, particularly as I was on the way to a visitation to honor the life of a dear cousin, who'd fought well against cancer for many years-- I was struck how in this world, this broken world...those sentiments the people expressed in faith, were fragile- given how unpredictable lving in a fallen world is.    What would I have called in to say I beleived in?  As I thought about that- what came to mind was-  I believe:  God is good, full of mercy and lovingkindness...I believe He is my strength, my Resuer, Saviour, Lord...I believ He was, and is, and is to come....   Yes- these are things I can fullheartedly say I am believing in, believing for...  this fallen world cannot dash those...    Back to being discriminating--  I was reminded again about being discriminating about where I choose to put my hope...in the things of this world, my pleasures, my hopes, my comforts.... Or, do I choose to put my hope in He Who Is Hope- Jesus.  And just keep a close walk with Him along this life path.   He shows no partiality- He does not discriminate in His love for us all..  His desire is for us all to join Him in heaven one day- and in that regard, He will discriminate- to be with Him in heaven, before the Most Holy- a sinner must have been washed by the blood of Jesus; having been saved by His grace when the sinner acknowledges Him as His Saviour.    He has made a way for all- through His Son, Jesus Christ.    May you be found in Him today- and may His strength give you the courage to live well today-   blessings-

Resilience

Resilience. 

Merriam/Webster defines it:

1

: the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress

2

: an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

 

Resilience is the key to recovery; personally, collectively.  Resilience has a number of contributing factors. 

 

Today- I was reviewing again Psalm 130 (note yesterday's post).  And read again in the notes by Spurgeon in his "Treasury of David" commentary.  Looks like the author of the Psalm is not known for sure, may have been David, but could've been someone else.  Certainly, whoever this anciet person was- he was all too familiar with hardship.

 

As with the commentator embedded in Spurgeon's notes-  as I read through this section, I was struck by how each aspect of hardship noted can be, and is likely, experienced to some degree or another by a Lyme Fighter!   The writer eloquently puts into words the depths of which a Lyme Fighter experiences these afflictions. The commentator's summation statement, one of the principle tools of resilience is noted:

 

Out of the depths. "Depths!" oh! into what "depths" men can sink! How far from happiness, glory, and goodness men can fall. There is the depth of poverty. A man can become utterly stripped of all earthly possessions and worldly friends! Sometimes we come upon a man, still living, but in such abject circumstances, that it strikes us as a marvel that a human being can sink lower than the beasts of the field.

 

Then there is the depth of sorrow. Billow after billow breaks over the man, friend after friend departs, lover and friend are put into darkness. All the fountains of his nature are broken up. He is like a water logged ship, from the top waves plunging down as if into the bottom of the sea. So often in such depths, sometimes like Jonah in the whale's belly, the monster carrying him down, down, down, into darkness.

 

There are depths after depths of mental darkness, when the soul becomes more and more sorrowful, down to that very depth which is just this side of despair. Earth hollow, heaven empty, the air heavy, every form a deformity, all sounds discord, the past a gloom, the present a puzzle, the future a horror. One more step down, and the man will stand in the chamber of despair, the floor of which is blistering hot, while the air is biting cold as the polar atmosphere. To what depths the spirit of a man may fall!

 

But the most horrible depth into which a man's soul can descend is sin. Sometimes we begin on gradual slopes, and slide so swiftly that we soon reach great depths; depths in which there are horrors that are neither in poverty, nor sorrow, nor mental depression. It is sin, it is an outrage against God and ourselves. We feel that there is no bottom. Each opening depth reveals a greater deep. This is really the bottomless pit, with everlasting accumulations of speed, and perpetual lacerations as we descend. Oh, depths below depths! Oh, falls from light to gloom, from gloom to darkness! Oh, the hell of sin! What can we do?

 

We can simply cry, CRY, CRY! But, let us cry to God. Useless, injurious are other cries. They are mere expressions of impotency, or protests against imaginary fate. But the cry of the spirit to the Most High is a manful cry. Out of the depths of all poverty, all sorrow, all mental depression, all sin, cry unto God!—From "The Study and the Pulpit", 1877.

 

 

Is today a day of anguish my friend?- If it is-  Cry out to Him Who Is Able to Deliver you out of that despair...to raise you above...

 

Is today a day of relief?  Give out a cry of rejoicing and thanksgiving...

 

Either way, know that what you are going through is not uncommon to mankind- Our God understands, and He Hears our Cries.  He is at work even now- working out your deliverance; meanwhile, rest in His presence and His peace. 

 

In Him are found the best tools for resilience-  begin on that road of resilience with a cry out to the LORD.  He will meet with you.  There is no pit too dark, too steep,too deep- for Our LORD to come to us, to be with us, to take our hand- and to leads us step by step out of that depth in which we find ourself.

 

Cry out to Him today- grab hold of His outstretched hand- hold tight as He leads you through this day. 

 

blessings-

 

Out of the Depths

This morning I came to Psalm 130.  Oh my, but David knew of the depths of despair. 

Sometimes David found himself in the depths because of his own disobedience and choices; other times it was simply because he loved God, and sought to do things according to God's will; still others were simply because David lived in a natural world, in a fallen state.

Psalm 130

New Living Translation (NLT)

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

¹ From the depths of despair, O Lord,
I call for your help.
² Hear my cry, O Lord.
Pay attention to my prayer.

³ Lord, if you kept a record of our sins,
who, O Lord, could ever survive?
⁴ But you offer forgiveness,
that we might learn to fear you.

⁵ I am counting on the Lord;
yes, I am counting on him.
I have put my hope in his word.
⁶ I long for the Lord
more than sentries long for the dawn,
yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.

⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord;
for with the Lord there is unfailing love.
His redemption overflows.
⁸ He himself will redeem Israel
from every kind of sin.

 

 

Are you in the depths of despair today my friend.  Lyme can create a deep and dark hole, out of which it seems impossible to escape...

 

Today, know that your Help is near.  Cry out to Him.  Put your hope in His Word.  Wait on Him.

 

All these according not to the measure of your own goodness and faith- but according to Who He Is- Our God who is unfailing in love, overflowing with redemption and forgiveness, full of mercy...

 

Oh my- but what a long night we may be in- we are anxious for dawn to come...to be able to put off this affliction...

 

Hang on, hang on to the LORD- He is near, and will help you through this journey.  Place not your hope on when you will feel better, place your hope in the LORD, and His Word...Jesus. 

 

Count on Him.

 

Let this wash over you today- let Him wash over you and give you His peace, assurance, and strength today.  Rest in Him.  Wait on Him who is at work in you, and around you.    Long for Him.

 

Longing for Him in this day, will be a great balm to the adversity you are facing.

 

Blessings-

 

Spurgeon,  verse one, commentary-

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. This is the Psalmist's statement and plea: he had never ceased to pray even when brought into the lowest state. The depths usually silence all they engulf, but they could not close the mouth of this servant of the Lord; on the contrary, it was in the abyss itself that he cried unto Jehovah. Beneath the floods prayer lived and struggled; yea, above the roar of the billows rose the cry of faith. It little matters where we are if we can pray; but prayer is never more real and acceptable than when it rises out of the worst places. Deep places beget deep devotion. Depths of earnestness are stirred by depths of tribulation. Diamonds sparkle most amid the darkness. Prayer de profundis gives to God gloria in excelsis. The more distressed we are, the more excellent is the faith which trusts bravely in the Lord, and therefore appeals to him, and to him alone.

http://www.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps130.htm