I took the week off from blogging. I stewed on what to write. I stewed on what to write this week. I just couldn't get a handle on expressing myself. This season brings me great joy, despite missing loved ones and the inability to give everyone the gifts I would like. I was lost as to how to express my joy mixed with sorrow. I wasn't spurred on until the 9 a.m. church service and heard this verse. As always, the verse is on a printable graphic.
With Thanksgiving coming, my verse focus for the next few weeks will be on giving thanks. As always, the image can be printed as a postcard, index card, or business card for your use.
So much for which to be thankful. This passage reminds us to be thankful in all circumstances. Sometimes, when we get too bogged down in earthly events, it is so easy to forget to express that gratitude. "In all circumstances" sounds like a bit much, but God's grace is always there to think of and cause your heart tobe joyful and give thank and praise to God.
My challenge this week is:
A new month and a new weekly theme! My God is the most important thing to me, so I do wish to share my Christian faith with my readers. My weakness in memorizing scripture inspired me to share with my women's group and the blogosphere. I will strive to have a weekly pretty printable Bible verse each week. Some weeks, there may not be much commentary, but I will try.
ESV Psalm 69:32 When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
This week was a trying week. Maybe I should have chose perseverance as my study topic for today, but I really needed to be "revived." I want to reflect God's love and the joy it brings to me, and I have found myself wallowing in grief and mixed with some self pity. I'm sure many can relate to my week. A death of a friend, tragedy, personal physical issues, ill loved ones, worries about children... The problems on the laundry list of things that I let rob me of joy sometimes seem to happen all at once!
On to the verse...When you read the first part of the passage, "When the humble see it," the first question that popped into my mind was 'what is 'it'?" The psalmist David explained in the earlier verses:
Psalm 69:29 But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high!
Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Praise and thanksgiving! David said these will please the Lord more than sacrifices! The song of praise and thanksgiving that David wrote will please the Lord and make those that see it glad!
The second part of verse 32 has a bit more to explore as well. The description of "you who seek God" is a clear definition of all of us in the body of Christ. I do like rather like that description.
"Let your hearts revive," is my favorite part of the passage. The Hebrew root of the word for revive translated means to give life, quicken, repair or restore. That's just what I need, to be restored.
As always, God has shared the secret to restoring my joy. Without doubt, I am certain that sharing my praise and thanksgiving will please God, make my fellow Christians glad, and repair my heart.
The weekly challenge for all that read this is:
1. Commit to memory psalm 69:32.
2. Take your list of woes and find reasons to offer God praise and thanksgiving! For example, I have been worried about my daughter's case of H1N1, but the illness has afforded her some well deserved rest time and God has seen her through each day!
3. Share your praise and Thanksgiving to God with others, so that they may be glad!
How strange a Holiday it was. I spent many more moments giving thanks to the Lord, as it cheered me.It was the first holiday without mom. Originally we planned on taking Nicole out after she finished her shift at 2 pm. Her fiance' is visiting his father in Virginia so she was to be alone for the evening so we had planned on the hour drive. Nicole called on Wednesday, excited about an invitation to dinner with friends, so we didn't make that drive.
Leo had decided days earlier that we should take an elderly brain injured gentleman out to eat in the morning. So that commitment remained and we left at 8:00 am to drive to the city the gentleman was in. Now it may sound strange to treat this man, who today has no memory of our outing, to a meal on the town, but his delight made it worth it. He wanted to go out for steak and eggs, so we proceeded to a local establishment known for its breakfasts. He opened doors for me, rushed to help me out of the vehicle, a perfect gentleman. At other times, Leo had to remind him that his off-color jokes were not appropriate.
While we waited for our meal this man, a man that cannot function on his own to do needed daily activities, delighted me with card tricks and even showed me how he palmed the cards. When our meals came, we enjoyed a leisurely meal, waiting for our guest to slowly finish. When he was done, he was thrilled to show me how he had managed to eat his entire meal with the one tooth in his mouth.
Then our guest asked if we could stay at the restaurant and play some cards for a while. Having no other plans, we indulged the card player until we suddenly realized at 11:30 am, there were no other customers in the restaurant. Deciding to pack up and leave, I thanked the hostess and commented on the empty dining room. She informed me that they had closed at 11:00! When I scolded her for not letting us know, she smiled and looked at our guest and said she knew we were enjoying ourselves.
Driving back to the group, for about the tenth time that day, our guest commented on how much he enjoyed himself and thanked us.
I am thankful that the Lord planted the idea of of this outing to my husband. He often volunteers with this man, but the Holiday was a special outing. It provided a much needed distraction and a very different, but Blessed, Thanksgiving Day
