Lifter of My Head

But you, O LORD, are a shield around me;

you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
I cried out to the LORD,

and he answered me from his holy mountain.
I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety,

 for the LORD was watching over me.

  Ps. 3:3-5

In every difficult circumstance of life when doubts and fears threaten to overtake us, God has promised to be our protector.  He has promised to be a shield around us to keep the discouragement of the enemy from penetrating our mind and emotions. When life weighs us down, and we feel our shoulders slumping, he gently lifts our head so that we can look up and see hope for our future.

When we are faced with difficulties and troubles, let us not hesitate to cry out to our God.  When David cried out, God heard and answered.  There, in the midst of the ongoing threat from his enemies, he was able to lay down and sleep in peace because he knew God was watching over him and working behind the scenes.

Lord, thank you for hearing my cry.  You are a shield around me.  Set me free from my fear and anxiety, lift my head and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Lord, when doubts fill my mind,

when my heart is in turmoil,

quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer.

Ps. 94:19

Oil of Joy

Ugandan Children's Choir

 "You love justice and hate evil. 

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,

 pouring out the oil of joy on you

more than on anyone else. 

Ps. 45:7 

Jesus was given joy above any being and he has an abundance of joy to give.  His kingdom is full to overflowing with an abundance of joy and peace.  

He longs to share his joy with his people just as he said to Jerusalem,

"How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me."  (Luke 13:34)

How he longs to bless us.  Jesus is in the business of transforming our lives.  We are very sad creatures indeed without his love and his spirit to lighten, lift and encourage us.  He wants to transform our darkness into light.  And he will do it.

When we are in a state of sadness, depression or anxiety we need his mercy and grace to help us.  We can call out to him for mercy and expect an answer in his time and in his way because he is our helper.  Let's not be like those in Jerusalem who were unwilling.  Let us open our hearts and believe that he will turn our mourning into joy. 

You are amazing, Lord. You are our deliverer.  Make us willing to receive all you have for us. In our times of sadness or despair, we cry out to you for help and mercy.  You are the one who can turn our sad days into dancing days taking off our mourning clothes and clothing us with the oil of gladness.  

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

 because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

 He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

 to proclaim freedom for the captives 

and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,

 to provide for those who grieve in Zion--

 to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

 the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

 and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. 

Is. 61:1-3

His Grace is All I Need

So to keep me from becoming proud, 

I was given a thorn in my flesh,

 a messenger from Satan to torment me

 and keep me from becoming proud. 

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need.

My power works best in weakness.” 

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses,

 so that the power of Christ can work through me.

 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses,

 and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles

that I suffer for Christ.

 For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NLT)

God is so gracious to bring about circumstances in our lives that bring us to the end of ourselves.  Only then are we in a position to receive.  Their is only one stance of receptivity - on our knees.  When we have realized that we have no power or control over our circumstances we finally come to the place where we are humble enough to receive.

This is what happened to Paul.  He kept struggling against his pain asking God to take it from him, until God spoke to him,  "Don't you realize, Paul, that I have given you this thorn to bring you into a blessed state of humility where you can receive everything you need.  From that place of submission all of my power can be released."

Only then Paul was able to let it go, to cast it all into the hands of God, realizing that the suffering and pain could not be compared with what God had in store for him. He actually took pleasure in his sufferings.  His thorn became his blessing.  All of our sins, failures and shortcomings, all of our cares worries and concerns, become the place where God can pour out an abundance of grace.

Lord, thank you for bringing us into this place of humility where we can cast upon you all of our weaknesses, sins and troubles. Open the windows of heaven today and pour our that abundance of grace and power that we need.  Your grace is sufficient for me. 

 I will boast only about my weaknesses.

2 Corinthians 12:5 (NLT) 

Listen to: Your Grace Is Sufficient