Psalm 32 | Wednesday Bible Study

Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! Before we start our Bible study together, I wanted to make a couple of announcements. First of all, today is my baby boy's 15TH birthday! Wow! My brother and I were talking today about where has the time gone! He used to get off work in the wee hours of the morning and take care of Javan so I could sleep for a few hours. It was pretty brutal in the beginning and I am so thankful for his love and care for my newborn. Javan is so much like my brother it is actually a little scary! But I am thankful for my brother and my baby boy, who is not a baby any longer but he will always be my baby!

He loves to go fishing and this summer he did quite a bit of that with his daddy while he recovered from surgery. It was really nice to see him do something fun near the water since he couldn't get in. Paul and I picked out his birthday cake and it was just a lot of fun to surprise him with this particular cake! He loved it!

In other, not so exciting news, I have injured myself. It happened on Saturday and it hurt quite a bit, but I just went on about my day. Sunday I missed church. I could hardly get out of bed, but I figured maybe I had slept wrong. I watched church online and getting out of bed was a chore! I did not put the injury Saturday afternoon together with the Sunday morning aches and pains. I got worse as the day went on. Monday I could hardly walk and I had to cancel my training for Tuesday at my new job. I was really disappointed but I could not even stand up straight.

I made an appointment with my chiropractor and he got me in Tuesday. Paul helped me from the vehicle to the office and then I literally was wheeled out in a wheelchair. The pain has been excruciating. I felt a little better Tuesday afternoon and was able to lay on some ice and take some anti-inflammatory medication and rest. My doctor said no work for me the rest of this week. I was back in there today for more therapy. I was walking a little better, but still require assistance and cannot stand up straight. It is all I can do to walk to the car and then back inside. I have an appointment tomorrow and another on Friday. I am hoping to be back to walking upright and without the pain on Tuesday and throughout the week next week. Please say a prayer for me.
 

If you have been with me on this journey this year, you know God pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 32. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 11 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!

Verses 1-2

Did you ever think of how blessed we are to have our sins forgiven? Our sins are covered by the precious blood of Jesus Christ if we have been saved by His mercy and grace. We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb if we have surrendered our lives to Him, confessed our sins, and asked Jesus to be the Lord of our life.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17-21 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Friends, we are reconciled to God, our Heavenly Father, through the blood of Jesus and His work on the cross. That is why we are blessed! That is a reason to rejoice. Our sins are wiped away and He will blot them out, never to remember them anymore.

Verses 3-5

David is having a hard time wrestling with his sin that is separating him from God. He has no peace. He has no pleasure. He is miserable. Sin causes us to live in a miserable state. Do you remember what David had done? He used his power and influence to have an affair with another man's wife. He got her pregnant and formed a plan to cover it up and look like it was Uriah's baby. Uriah was an honorable man and would not take the bait. He was a man of war and he would not leave the war and his men behind while he had pleasure with his wife. David ordered Uriah be put on the front lines and have the soldiers pull back which would end Uriah's life in the battle.

Think of all the work David did to hide his sin, but it did not work. He says there was a heaviness on him day and night. He could not sleep it off. He could not busy himself with the affairs of his kingdom. That sin was constantly gnawing at him. He knew he had messed up. He lost his strength. He was not the man he used to be and he could not even look at his own reflection.

2 SAMUEL 12:7-14 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee *such and such (much more) things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

Now that we have looked back in time to that instance and we see how David was burdened and disconnected from God, we also see David's quick admittance that he was guilty. He acknowledged the sin without excusing it away. He was repentant and that is why God forgave him. When we admit our guilt and we do not wish to continue in that path, God forgives us, too. 1 JOHN 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I am so thankful for this promise.

Verses 6-7

David gives us a prayer to pray when we need forgiveness and during a time when we need to find God. He says to pray:

Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto me. You are my hiding place. You preserve me from trouble. You surround me with songs of deliverance.

Then David asks us to Selah, or pause and wonder.

Isn't that fantastic? David is saying though our sins and troubles may seem overwhelming and like a flood of emotions washing over us, we can rest in the hiding place and be safe from trouble. The forgiveness of God will surround us with singing of our deliverance. What a beautiful picture of God's redeeming love, mercy, and grace for you and I.

Verses 8-9

In response to that prayer, God speaks to us as well. He says:

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse, or the mule, who have no understanding. Their mouth must be held in with bit and bridle to control them. Do not be like that!

Friends, if we respond to the Lord as He leads us and guides us, we will walk in the paths He has created for us. He has already gone before us and the roads may be hard at times, but they build us and strengthen us to have more faith in Him. If we trust Him we will follow His lead. If we give in to fear or selfish ambitions we are like the stubborn horses and mules who must be forced to go where they would rather not. Let's follow along in obedience.

Verses 10-11

It's hard to disobey God. It may seem easy to follow the crowd and do what we want to do with no regard to what would please the Lord, but the lifestyle is hard. Do you remember the sorrow and torment David went through? Many sorrows will be felt by the wicked. The good news is when we trust and obey the Lord and do what we know is right and pleasing in His sight, we will have mercy surrounding us. That is a wonderful blessing!

David usually gives us instructions, or something to do -- a call to action, perhaps. The last verse of this beautiful chapter is telling us to be glad in the LORD. We are to rejoice and shout for joy. Get excited about what God is doing in your life. Great things are coming your way and it will overtake you! Another verse in Psalms comes to mind along these lines. It is one of my favorite scriptures.

PSALM 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

What a wonderful time in the Word this has been. I pray it has been a blessing to you. Lord willing, I will have a blog post up tomorrow sharing what I am thankful for, and some Biblical insight to think about throughout your weekend. As always, I hope that something you have read on the blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 21 | Wednesday Bible Study

School is officially out for the summer here and the weather did not get the memo. I am not complaining because it is still spring for another month and I do not particularly care for heat and humidity. It has been in the 60's and very rainy! The bad part about so much rain is that I have heard many of the farmers have not planted crops yet!!! It has been too wet. What is the weather like where you are?

I hope you are ready for another Wednesday Bible study session. We are jumping right in to the twenty-first psalm today. There are only 13 verses in this psalm of David. As usual, if you have not read the text, please do so. Remember to take some time in prayer to ask Holy Spirit for insight, wisdom, and understanding. If you want to take notes, grab a notebook and something to write with. I encourage you to keep your Bible open during our study. Feel free to leave me a comment below sharing your thoughts on today's lesson!

Verses 1-2

This is a psalm of rejoicing. David is taking great joy and pleasure in God's strength and salvation. He is happy that God has given him the desires of his heart and not withheld anything from him that he spoke. 

Psalm 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.

To fully understand the joy that he feels, we must turn back a few books in 2 Samuel chapter seven. David wants to build God a house of cedar and God said, "Shalt thou build Me an house for Me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people Israel, saying, Why build ye not Me an house of cedar?"

David is in a good place. His enemies are at peace with him and he is in a place of rest. God tells David He took him from shepherding sheep to ruling His people. He says, "I was with you wherever you went, destroyed your enemies, and made you a great name, like other great men known in the earth." He gives David a vision of what He will do for His people, the children of Israel, and even a promise of what is to come after David dies. God said this of David's son, Solomon, "He shall build an house for My name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever." That's a lot to shout about! 

2 Samuel 7:26-29 And let Thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of Thy servant David be established before Thee. For Thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to Thy servant, saying, I will build Thee an house: therefore hath Thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto Thee. And now, O Lord GOD, Thou art that God, and Thy words be true, and Thou hast promised this goodness unto Thy servant: Therefore now let it please Thee to bless the house of Thy servant, that it may continue for ever before Thee: for Thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with Thy blessing let the house of Thy servant be blessed for ever.

Verses 3-7

David is elated and in these next few verses he is honoring God with his praise. He says God met him with the goodness of His blessings and put a gold crown on his head. He asked for life and it was granted him. God established the kingdom of David forever! In verse seven he says, "For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved." My Bible says the word MOVED means SHAKEN. So, David is saying through God Almighty's mercy nothing will shake David! He is immovable! Can we say that today? Yes!! We can say the world can come against us, surround us and make us feel afraid, but we have a strong and high tower to run into and we are saved. Jesus is our refuge and through His mercy and grace we are unshakable!

Verses 8-12

These verses leading up to the chapter wrap-up is all about God's ability to find, destroy, and annihilate David's enemies. We have an enemy, too. His name is Satan and God is much stronger. He knows where the enemy is and when we call upon God we are helped, saved, and victorious over our foes!

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

These verses are encouraging to us, because like David, we are fighting an enemy of God, and we know God will bring us the victory! 2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, Who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him. (Amplified Bible) Isn't that a beautiful picture of what God does for us?

Verse 12

David ends this psalm magnifying God like he does so often in this book. "Be Thou exalted, LORD, in Thine own strength; so will we sing and praise Thy power." Yes, let's exalt the name of Jesus. Let's magnify Him and lift Him up. Let's end this Bible study in praise and worship adoring our King Jesus and all His goodness and love.

I am sure this song pleased God so much. What are we singing to God? Are we lifting our voice in praise and adoration? Will we remember the blessings God has given us and rejoice with David today? We have so much to be thankful for. It's not Thankful Thursday, but we should be counting our blessings every single day. God's mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-24), and He has daily loaded us with benefits (Psalm 68:9), so His praise needs to be continually in our mouths (Psalm 34:1) (Luke 1:64)!

I hope you enjoyed today's Bible study. I enjoy sharing what I have learned and each week I am gleaning new hope, new inspiration, new joy, and new strength as we study together. I hope something you learned today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 7 | Bible Study Wednesday

Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible Study. We are moving through the book of Psalms this year and today we turn our attention to the book of Psalms, chapter seven. This is a Shiggaion of David. According to BibleStudyTools.com, using Easton's Bible Dictionary, shiggaion is, "The word denotes a lyrical poem composed under strong mental emotion; a song of impassioned imagination accompanied with suitable music; a dithyrambic ode." David composes this particular song under great distress and persecution. If you have not done so, please take a few minutes to read this chapter. It is only 17 verses. We will break down what is being said here and hopefully you will continue the study on your own to cross-reference verses or perhaps do word-mapping.

Verses 1-2 David has been cursed at, rocks flung at him, and ridiculed by a man from the tribe of Benjamin in 2 Samuel chapter 16. This was a time when his son was trying to take the throne away from him. He was in a lot of mental distress and he knew the One he could go to was God. He knew that God always helped him. David knew that even if God did not change David's circumstances, he would still feel better, comforted, and encouraged after going to God in prayer.

Here in the opening two verses, David proclaims he has full confidence and trust in what God can do. He remembers the lions that would like nothing more than to tear the flesh off the sheep he used to tend. He feels like one of the sheep and his enemies are the lions.

Verses 3-5 David is asking God to search him for sin. He asks God to allow his enemies to trample him into the dust if he has done wrong. If he has paid evil back to men that were at peace with him, and he even reminds God that he has shown mercy to those who hated him without a reason. This is David showing God that he wants to be found pleasing in His sight. He wants to be clean before God, but he is willing to suffer the consequences of what he has done.

Verses 6-11 In these verses, taking up a bulk of this chapter, David expresses how God is a just judge and angry with the wicked daily. He asks God to rise up in anger against those who have come against David in this time of stress and chaos. He says God will judge the people, and he even asks God to judge him. David wants God to check his integrity, check his motives, to check his heart. David says God will make the wicked come to an end, but the righteous God looks at people's hearts and intentions. David says he is defended by the God who saves those upright in heart. 

Verses 12-16 David describes what will happen to the wicked. He says they will fall into the very ditch they made to snare someone else. The pit they dug for someone else will be the very pit they fall into when God gets through with the wicked. David said the mischief they thought to do to someone else will come upon their own head. The violence they thought to do to others, David said will return to themselves. Whatever evil they imagined to do unto others will come right back to them.

Verse 17 David ends this psalm with praise. He has petitioned the LORD for what he needs. He has encouraged himself with remembering the character of God. He is satisfied with the way he knows God is going to handle the matter and now it is time to praise Him. Notice David says he will praise the LORD according to His righteousness. David's circumstances have not changed yet, but he is not allowing circumstances to dictate whether he is going to praise God or not. David knows God is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory because He is God and He is good and He is holy. David's last words in this passage is, "I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High."

You may feel surrounded by people who talk about you, lie on you, throw you under the bus, and watch for you to fail. You may feel overwhelmed and in mental distress like David. You may feel like you are outnumbered and alone, but God is on your side! He is fighting for you. He comes against the workers of iniquity and fights for you! He will take care of the matter. Ask Him to search you for sin and if He reveals to you anything at all, put it under the blood. If you have bitterness, ask Him to help you forgive. If you have hate in your heart, ask God to give you love for your enemies and those who wound you. He will do it. And once you have been cleansed by God then begin to praise God and stop thinking about the mess and the problems. Stop worrying about the things they did to you or said about you. It's over. God has taken care of it. He is on the scene working and you can carry on. He is for you and He loves you. That is something to praise God for.

I hope you have learned something new today. I certainly have learned a lot. I am taking away just as much, if not more, than what I am giving today. Trust God to handle these circumstances and do not give up. God is fighting for you and He will deliver you. I hope something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you.

~Bridgett Owens

 

Thankful For Death? | Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for God taking my loved ones, even though I prayed He wouldn't.

That statement sure does sound funny, doesn't it? Why would I be happy my loved ones died? I am not happy, but I can rejoice in knowing where they went and have hope I can one day join them. I did not want my dad to die. I was very clear in my prayers I wanted God to give my dad a miraculous healing. I did not want my dad to have cancer anymore or the paralyzing effects of the stroke. I wanted a divine miracle where my dad was restored to health. It was a tall order and God is very capable of answering my prayer in a supernatural, extraordinary way. But I also prayed for God to have His way. And so I was at peace when the initial shock and extreme grief left.

Do you remember in the Bible when David saw Bathsheba naked? He desired to have her, it consumed him, but there was one problem; she was another man's wife. David had more than one wife. He could have chosen any number of women to add to his collection, but he was fixated on someone else's woman. He had someone bring her to his bedchamber. Scripture does not tell us if she was willing to commit adultery with King David or if she felt like she had to because of David's power and position. Regardless the two were intimate and she conceived.

Now David has a real problem. He not only slept with another man's wife; he got her pregnant. Now David tried to be clever and have her husband come home from war and sleep with his wife, but Uriah was too noble to do that. He knew his comrades were missing their families too and if they were out in battle, he wanted to be, too. So Uriah did not take advantage of some alone time with his wife. David's plan to cover things up backfired. He knew in time it would be obvious that his wife was pregnant and the math was just not going to add up, so he has Uriah sent to the front lines and killed. Now that Uriah is out of the way, David can marry her and raise his own child. But there is another issue that David did not consider in the heat of his passion.

God saw the whole thing! God was upset. David was a man after God's own heart, but this is not something God would ever go for. So God sends a messenger, Nathan the prophet. Nathan pays David a visit in 2 Samuel chapter 12. Nathan knows that David is mostly an upstanding guy, an ethical man. So he tells David a story. He tells David that there are two men in a city, one is rich and the other is poor. The poor man had nothing except one little lamb. The poor man had raised the little lamb and it was like a member of his own family. The rich man had all kinds of lambs to choose from, but when he needed to kill a lamb to have a dinner party, he chose the poor man's lamb. The rich man stole that poor man's lamb and fed it to his dinner guest. 

David was so upset about what Nathan had told him. David demanded that whoever did such a thing would pay dearly for that lamb. He was outraged that anyone would be so cruel to do so. In fact, David went so far as to say that the rich man would die for doing this because he had no pity. Nathan looked at David and said, "You are the man."

Whoa! What a blow that must have been. He could have reacted a lot of different ways but David immediately confessed that he had sinned. He did not try to deny it, cover it up, excuse it away; he simply admitted that he was wrong. God did not make David pay for this transgression with his life, but God did say He would take David's son away from him. What a terrible feeling that must have been. David knew the baby was innocent but God had made His decision.

2 SAMUEL 12:16-23 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house, and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and I wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

I think about when Dad was so sick and the cancer was everywhere. The doctors gave us zero hope. They assumed Dad would die any day. They told us to cherish every MOMENT because they did not expect many MOMENTS to come. Mom, my brother, my sister and her husband and their children, my husband, our children, and I all joined together. We started meeting for church services in my dad's music studio. We met each week and we rallied around Dad. We prayed and fasted and we believed. We had faith and we had hope and we were expecting great things.

God gave us many miracles with Dad. But one day God told me that Dad would not see the New Year. I was so upset. I cried. I begged God to not let Dad go on Kadesia's birthday, so He honored that request. He took Daddy home the evening of Kadesia's birthday party, December 29, 2013. 

I am glad my Dad is no longer in pain, not suffering, not miserable and disabled. My dad served God his whole life. He made mistakes, and chose to run after other things and away from his calling for a while, but in the end he came back to God with everything in him. It seems that facing eternity will make a person take stock of their life. Dad was given the gift of time and he had a lot of it to reflect on his life and the way he raised us and the things he taught us intentionally and unintentionally. He had the opportunity to repent of some stuff, to ask forgiveness from some people, and to make things right between him and God. 

When Dad went to be with God, I did not pray or fast for him anymore. There was no bringing him back. There was no trying to bargain with God for a Lazarus-type resurrection. Dad got what he wanted, to be with God. So I did something similar to David. I worshiped God for being good and faithful. I thanked God for the Comforter who will comfort like none other. I thanked God for the good times and the laughter and the new memories of a wonderful earthly father. I knew that I could not bring Dad back, but I have confidence that one day I will go to him.

We do not always understand God's ways or His timing. Why did God punish David by killing his baby? Why did God not let things happen differently for Dad? We can worry ourselves sick over the questions, or we can embrace the truth that God's timing is not our own and His ways are higher than ours and we cannot figure them out. (Isaiah 55:8-9 and Romans 11:33)

Death is not easy. We have lost a lot of wonderful people recently. Last year cancer took many of my relatives' lives and spilled over into the first few days of this year. We do not know everything God is doing. We do not always understand, but He promised to never leave us or forsake us, but will go with us all the way to the end of the world if we allow Him to. (Matthew 28:20 and Hebrews 13:5)

If you are suffering loss or enduring sickness, hardship, or despair please remember that Jesus loves you. He is walking through this with you and He is near to you. Do not allow the grief to consume you. Stay close to Jesus. His Word says He is near to the brokenhearted. (Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1, Matthew 5:4) He promises we will be comforted and I can attest that is the truth.

I pray healing, comfort, peace, and love be yours today in the name of Jesus. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 3 | Bible Study Wednesday

 

This week we are going to study Psalm chapter three. It is a Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom, his son. You can read 2 Samuel 15:1-18:18 the story of how Absalom deceived the people and was able to win them over with his craftiness. David ran away for his life and devised a plan for how to overcome this treason. Let's read today's passage in light of what we know has taken place.

Verse one David calls upon God. Notice when David needed strength, help, healing, or anything he always turned to God. He knew that God would help him because He had done so over and over throughout his life. He tells God the problem right away. David is overwhelmed by the amount of people coming against him. Have you ever been there? Have you ever felt like you were outnumbered and you didn't even know why everything seemed to be against you?

Verse two David told God what others were saying about him. Have you ever told God what others were saying about you? I have experienced people being cruel and lying on me. I told God what they said and how it made me feel. It is better to take these issues to God in prayer, than to retaliate and tell others what is going on, broadcast it on social media, or gossip.

Verse three David begins to brag on God. The reason it is best to go straight to God with our burdens is because of who God is. He is a shield for us. He is our glory and He lifts up our heads. We get beat up by the enemy and like a good, good Father, He steps in between us and the ammunition of the enemy. He protects us and He picks our chin up. He encourages us.

Verse four David is rejoicing. He was so overwhelmed and dismayed when he first started this prayer, but now God has already begun to turn things around. David is jubilant because he knows that God heard his prayer. We do not have to worry when circumstances weigh heavy on our minds and we feel defeated. God hears our prayers and He is on the move. He is shielding us and lifting us up.

Verse five David got rest! When problems are many and solutions are few, we often find ourselves unable to sleep. We toss and turn and often sleep eludes us. However, when we give our burdens to God and leave them there, He will take care of it. We can then sleep and be well rested. David gives God the credit. He said he laid down and slept and was awakened only because God sustained him. In Proverbs 3:24 it reads, "When thou liest down, thou shall not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." Isn't that a wonderful promise?

Verse six David gets his courage back. He said he will not be afraid of 10,000 or more people that have surrounded him. David started remembering how God spared him with the lion and the bear when he was shepherding sheep. David remembered how God kept him alive when Saul tried to kill him over and over again. David remembered the many battles he fought and won because God had His Mighty hand on him. We need to get our courage back, too. How many times has God paid the bill with money we never saw coming? How many times have we found favor we knew we didn't deserve? How often has God come through for us to deliver us in our times of great need? Over and over God has proven Himself faithful.

Verse seven David calls on God for help. He says God has struck his enemies in the face and knocked their teeth out. In other words, God has disarmed the enemy. He has helped David by cutting the enemy off at the knees and rendering them helpless. God will do the same thing for you and me. He is fighting on our behalf and the good news is God has never lost a battle and He never will.

Verse eight David ends in praise. He proclaims salvation is God's to give and He acknowledges that God has blessed His people. We can go to God in tears and anguish over the trials and tribulations of this life. We should go to Him. He wants us to. Then we need to remember how good God is and we can go to sleep and rest well knowing God is taking care of it. Finally we can step back and watch God shield us and lift us up all while knocking the enemy out and winning the battle for us. He is a good and faithful Father and friend. He loves us and He will help us. He helped David and He will help you and me and like He has over and over again.

Friends I have enjoyed taking a look at Psalm 3 with you all. I hope this has encouraged you. I pray that this Bible study today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Tooth Extraction | Thankful Thursday

 

A week ago tomorrow I had a tooth pulled. I did not want to go to the dentist to have this taken care of because I am terrified of anything to do with a dentist. They gave me laughing gas just to clean my teeth last time. I hate the whole process of anything to do with dentistry. 

So, backstory: I had a cavity in one of my baby teeth. Tooth #19. My dentist drilled it and filled it even though he said it was only a small sign of decay. I was eating candy and I bit on a Sugar Daddy, which for those that don't know, it's a big gob of caramel on a stick. But when I pulled the stick out of my mouth, that sugary treat took my filling with it! So my mom took me back to the dentist, and I was scared out of my wits to have that done again! My dentist drilled it and filled it again. Two weeks later that tooth fell out! My mom was not happy. Then the adult tooth came in and it decided to show a sign of decay too, so again drilled and filled.

To this day I cannot stand to hear a drill running. It hurts my teeth like nothing else! So the filling stayed for many, many years until I was eating a sucker in the library in Mitchell. I literally chipped the tooth and knocked out a piece of the filling. I refused to do anything about it for a while, but finally I went to the dentist. She referred me to an oral surgeon, but I didn't go. Time went on, it started to bother me again, so I went back to the dentist, and same suggestion, she referred me to an oral surgeon. I finally went. I was treated very well by all the dental professionals, but something happened in one of the fillings and it scarred me for life!

So I finally went to the oral surgeon to have a root canal. He didn't think he could save it but I insisted he try because I desperately wanted to save my tooth. So he did the best he could. He said it was a success and I just needed to get a crown. So I tried, but my dentist could never get me in. We moved to Alabama and I had to wait until I had a job with insurance and then wait for the insurance to be active and finally I went to see if I could get a crown. Meanwhile my tooth broke more and so the answer was no, the tooth has to come out. I scheduled for surgery but then we moved back to Indiana before I could have the procedure.

So finally we have jobs, we have insurance, and it's time for me to take care of this tooth which is even more broken now. They drilled and pulled and yanked. I was numb through my ear which somehow was still painful, and I felt a lot of pain and pressure in my front teeth during the procedure. I was a nervous wreck and all alone, well except for all the people in the room. It takes a village to pull a tooth!! And so then after seeing the debris spraying all over the place, and feeling the pressure as the roots were yanked out of my mouth, I was finally free of the tooth. Two sutures and a mouthful of gauze I was sent out to my waiting family.

So what am I thankful for? I am thankful for kind, caring staff who took care of my problem. I am thankful for no infection or dry socket. I am thankful for pain medication. I am thankful that Jesus was with me every second and I could feel Him with me because I was freaking out on the inside. I am thankful for my mother-in-law and son who wanted to take me. I am thankful for the car ride home that I do not really remember. I am thankful for the way my mother-in-law took care of me to insist I rest, gave me food and delicious jello she made for me! I am thankful for the kindness in her voice as she asked if there was anything I needed. I am thankful that she left the bathroom light on for me. I am thankful that we live here, even though I truly do want my own home. I am still so grateful that we have a nice place to live.

I am thankful God has brought me through these days of working this week even though I have not felt the best. I am thankful the stitches fell out without pain or problems. I am thankful I can drink from a straw again!! I am thankful that the whole thing is over with. Even though I wish I didn't have to lose a tooth, I'm glad I lost the trouble maker of them all! 

I am thankful that the Bible says in Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." I did not have to cowardly approach the Lord. I did not have to cower in fear that He may demand I leave His presence. Instead I found mercy and grace to help me in my time of need. I was so scared and He was there to help me.

Maybe you are not afraid of the dentist. You may enjoy getting your teeth cleaned or not mind having a tooth pulled. But sometimes in life we go through things we don't want to, but God is always there. In 2 Samuel 22:33 we read that "God is my strength and power: and He maketh my way perfect." We are not perfect people, but God will give us His strength and His power to face the tough challenges in life we are not expecting. He makes the hard paths, the winding roads, the hills and valleys to become perfect paths. He straightens the crooked ways and helps us to navigate this life. 

Waiting to get a home of our own has been difficult to say the least. We have looked at different places to rent or buy and it's so frustrating. At times I am so weary and this week I thought my heart may truly fail me. I was so distressed with everything. My health was not good, and you already know about the whole dental thing, and my husband had to see a surgeon (please be praying about that), and then Kadesia wound up in a brace on her arm because it keeps going numb to the fingers but they can't find the issue (please be praying about that). She had to go three places and still no real answers. So it's just a lot and so I take comfort in reading Psalm 73:26 "My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."

Friends, I am counting my blessings for the Word of God. He never fails me and He never lets me down. If I am discouraged when I start reading the Word of God, it's not long before I become strengthened and encouraged. I get my hope back. I get my joy back. Let's close with this verse in Habakkuk.

HABAKKUK 3:19 The Lord God is my strength; and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

I am scared of heights...honestly this is not supposed to be a blog post about the things I am afraid of. But I am truly scared of being up high. Yet if the Lord God gives me the ability to climb up high mountains then I will do so without fear. I know He gives me the strength to do hard things. He alone is my source of strength.

I hope that you have been counting your blessings with me this Thankful Thursday. I always enjoy sharing what God has done for me. It's not fun to reveal the weaknesses of my flesh with the whole world, but if it can even help one other person with the verses I share or the things I thank God for doing in my life, then it is worth it. I am so thankful for you all. I pray that something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens