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Beginning the Day with a Psalm

 As I shared in my previous post, I've been working through the book "Psalms in 30 Days," which means every morning I begin with a Psalm, or two, or three. This morning the Psalms were Psalm 20&23. 

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of Jacob's God protect you. Psalm 20:1 CBS

LORD, covenant keeping God, please protect me at work today, and protect my friend who is due to have a baby very soon, and protect my friend who is afraid. Thank you that you are our strong tower, our defense and fortress. Thank you that no weapon that is formed against you can stand, that you are mighty to save. You are good. Help us to see you and believe you, trust you and depend on you. 

May he give you what your heart desires and fulfil your whole purpose. Let us shout for joy at your victory and lift the banner in the name of our God. May the LORD fulfil all your requests. Psalm 20:4-5 CBS

Yes LORD, please fulfil our purposes. We are here to walk with you and obey you. That looks different for each of us, but you know how it is supposed to be. Please, fulfil your purpose for me that my life would bring you glory. And please give us all victory over sin and help us to praise you. Thank you for listening to my requests. 

Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7 CBS

To begin the day with a Psalm, to pray through it, reorients my heart at the beginning of the day before anything has even happened. This morning Psalm 20 reminded me that God is our safety, our refuge and defender, He listens to our requests, remembers our sacrifices, and rewards His people. He fulfils His purposes for us. He knows what is happening and how to plan our lives so that they best glorify Him. He is a God intimately involved in my life and yours. His fingers are in all of it, if you will. 

And it helps me remember that no matter what evil I face today, the Lord is faithful. I can take pride in the name of the LORD my God. It centers me to remember that I am His child, safe with Him. God always takes care of His own. 

And then I read Psalm 23. In the CBS version, verse 1 reads "I have what I need." Amen. Yes. Coming from Psalm 20 I remember who God is and I know that I have what I need. "He leads me along right paths for His name sake" (verse 3 CBS) "Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger" (verse 4 CBS). I know that God leads me along the right path, so if I am going through the darkest valley that path is also the right one, directed by my Shepherd. Why does He bring me down that path? For His name sake. 

All of everything is orchestrated for His name sake. I do not understand how that works, but I know that He is sovereign and He does all things well. 

I do not know what the rest of the day holds, but it begins with peace, the foundation being time spent with the LORD, remembering that He is faithful. 

Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD as long as I live. Psalm 23:6 CBS


What I'm Reading Lately 

    • I finished The Staff and The Sword series by Patrick W. Carr. It was gripping and interesting. I think I need to read it again to understand it. 
    • I'm listening to Habits for a Sacred Home by Jennifer Peptio. She is also reading it. Each chapter talks about a different discipline and matches it with a woman from church history, so it's a mix of Christian living and church history. 
    • The Warden by Anthony Trollope is my next read. 

What I'm Enjoying Lately 

    • Creamy Lemon drink. It's juice from one lemon, a teaspoon of sugar, cup of water, 1/4 cup of cream, and ice. Shake everything together (I just put it in a mason jar) and then pour over ice. Delicious. 
    • My kobo reader. I can borrow a lot of books from the library and its easier to hold than an actual book. I never thought I'd make the switch from paper to digital...but I've become a fan. 
    • After dinner walks. 



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