I am a Child of God!

 

 

 

This morning Pat and I overslept a bit.  Yesterday was a day filled with doctor visits and we were just tired.  I woke singing this hook to a song we sang in Church Sunday I think.  It was just the refrain, “I am the child of God. I am no longer a slave to fear.  I am a child of God”.

The title of the song is  “We are not Shaken” It is performed by Jonathan and Melissa Helser as part of Bethel Music**.  When I came downstairs I did my morning wake up and fired up the web.  I read the K-love verse and I was set back on my heels a bit, (in a good way).  The verse was Psalm 42:11

Psalms 42:11 (ESV) 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

The Lord just touched my heart, and I was compelled to read all the Psalm.

Psalms 42:1-2

I read these two verses and I thought of every time I was tired and worn out and what I really needed to restore my heart, soul, and strength.

Psalms 42:1-2 (ESV) 1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.

I read these verses and I thought of the old days when I would ride my motorcycle on hot days; those days when it was near or above my body temp and how I would get so thirsty and dehydrated that my legs would cramp and my head would pound.

I thought of how I feel when I neglect time with God, and find myself distracted by the world, like doctor visits and medication. “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

Psalms 42:3-8

I read this middle section of Psalm 42:3-8 and just kind of soaked up the struggle and thought of those days when I was saddened by the distractions of this world.  The people and things that try to draw me away from my God.

Psalms 42:3-6 (ESV)

3 My tears have been my food

day and night,

while they say to me all the day long,

“Where is your God?”

4 These things I remember,

as I pour out my soul:

how I would go with the throng

and lead them in procession to the house of God

with glad shouts and songs of praise,

a multitude keeping festival.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation 6 and my God.

I read verse 5 and thought of those times when I let the adversary fill my head with worries of the world and doubt in God to handle them and I could see that same struggle in the writer.  Verse 5 shook me this morning.

 5Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation 6 and my God

I know I have done that when I allowed myself to get caught up in struggles.  The words are not as pretty.  They are more like, “what the world are you thinking.” Then the writer goes into verses 6b-10.

Psalms 42:6b-10

Looking at theses verses I realize how we are never alone in our struggles.  The adversary would like us to believe that we are the only ones dealing with difficulties.  He would prefer that all our focus be on those things, but that is not God’s plan.  When I am in the darkest place God is with me.  God is listening.

Psalms 42:6-10 (ESV)

My soul is cast down within me;

therefore I remember you

from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,

from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep

at the roar of your waterfalls;

all your breakers and your waves

have gone over me.

8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,

and at night his song is with me,

a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God, my rock:

“Why have you forgotten me?

Why do I go mourning

because of the oppression of the enemy?”

10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,

my adversaries taunt me,

while they say to me all the day long,

“Where is your God?”

The adversary and his followers taunt me, but I will not be shaken; “I am a child of God.”  That takes me back to verse 11 and I will close with that.

Psalms 42:11

Just taking a moment to think of what the writer of this Psalm is saying gives me comfort.  He is fighting the distractions that the adversary throws at him and I cannot help but think he must be shouting, at least on the inside, as he says theses word.

Psalms 42:11 (ESV) 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation and my God.

I know that as I read them this morning I was shouting them; especially the “Why” part and the “Hope” part.  Because I am a child of God!

Prayer

Father God, thank you for your mighty Word.  Thank you for the allowing me to bring any concern or worry to you and allowing me to leave it at the Cross.

Lord I give thanks and praise to you for your gift of grace and repentance.  Lord, know you did not give me a spirit of fear, but one of strength and faith.   Forgive me for those times when I allow the world to shake that strength.

Thank you for always being within my reach that you may strengthen me.

In the blessed name of your Son Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!

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