Feeling Dry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjNZf878ISQ

Oh My Soul ~ Casting Crowns

 

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Saviour and my God.

~ Psalm 43:5 NIV

 

Have you ever had a good day, but then suddenly, for no apparent reason, you felt sad, like to the point of tears? We’d had a good day, but suddenly, I felt like crying and couldn’t explain why. I did try to explain it: maybe I’m overtired; maybe it’s because I’m a girl; perhaps it’s hormones. Who knows? I certainly didn’t.

 

After everyone had gone to bed, I sat down with my Bible and journal and flipped to Psalm 43:5 and began writing the verse. As I began to write, God did a beautiful thing for me; two things, actually. The first, was that He washed His peace over me, and I no longer felt anxious or sad. The second, was that He allowed my eyes to drift into the next column and see where I had previously underlined Psalm 42:2:

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?

That was the answer to my emotional tizzy: my soul was needing to meet with God.

 

Due to several things, I had an immensely hard time waking up this morning, which left my quiet-time choppy (at best), as I juggled the girls' needs, instead of keeping my “date” with Jesus. And I (clearly) needed that time. I needed to allow God time to hold me, Holy Spirit to speak to me, and Jesus to lead me. But because I didn’t take the time at the start, something in my day left me feeling dry…until I sat and met with God. It’s an amazing and beautiful thing what entering His presence does for you.

 

If, throughout the course of your day, you find yourself feeling dry, take the advice given in Psalm 42:5-8, (MSG):

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
    everything I know of you,

. . .
Then God promises to love me all day,
    sing songs all through the night!
    My life is God’s prayer.

©Heather Potts 2022

We Want to Belong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li40gJTeBts

God So Loved ~ We the Kingdom

 

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ~ 1 Peter 2:10 NIV

 

I feel like each time I go to the store, I see more people with dyed hair. Some with salon-quality, but others look like they grabbed a can of spray paint on their way to the store. It’s as an interesting trend, the next wave of people trying to “fit in”.

 

Someone I know is making some unhealthy choices, looking to be accepted. When I asked God how to pray for her, He said to pray for her identity. Holy Spirit gave me several verses:

She is a child of God ~ John 1:12

Her old self was crucified with Christ; she is no longer a slave to sin ~ Romans 6:6

She was created in the image of God ~ Genesis 1:27

She is a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, called out of darkness and into His wonderful light ~ 1 Peter 2:9

She now belongs to God ~ 1 Peter 2:10

 

The last verse, declaring that she now belongs to God, is something we all want. One of my jobs at school is to help in the lunchroom. Stand in there just once and you will see it: all the kids stand around and wait for their friends to join them. No one wants to be left out; everyone wants to belong.

 

Rainbow-colored hair will eventually fade, just as every other fad has over the years, but the longing to belong will remain. God created us for a relationship with Him, but our sin kept us separated, so He sent Jesus to provide the way. Once, you were not a people—you couldn’t come close to God. But now you are the people of God—part of the fold, brought close, adopted, accepted, loved, a child of God. Now you belong; you belong to God.

©Heather Potts 2022