relationships (Psalm 92:1-15) Being Positive

(Psalm 92:1-15)  It is good to give thanks to the Lord 

     And to sing praises to Your name, Most High;
2   To declare Your goodness in the morning 
     And Your faithfulness by night,
3   With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,
     With resounding music on the lyre.
4   For You, Lord, have made me joyful by what You have done,
     I will sing for joy over the works of Your hands.

5   How great are Your works, Lord!
     Your thoughts are very deep.
6   A stupid person has no knowledge,
     Nor does a foolish person understand this:
7   When the wicked sprouted up like grass 
     And all who did injustice flourished,
     It was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.
8   But You, Lord, are on high forever.
9   For, behold, Your enemies, Lord,
     For, behold, Your enemies will perish;
     All who do injustice will be scattered.

10 But You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
     I have been anointed with fresh oil.
11 And my eye has looked at my enemies,
     My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.
12 The righteous person will flourish like the palm tree,
     He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Planted in the house of the Lord,
     They will flourish in the courtyards of our God.
14 They will still yield fruit in advanced age;
     They will be full of sap and very green,
15 To declare that the Lord is just;
     He is my rock, and there is no malice in Him.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

I became a Christian when I was 4 years old, but as a kid, I was afraid to talk about my faith.  It didn't help that I was super shy.  Then in Junior High, because I didn't want to feel left out, I started to go along with the crowd here and there.  Guess what!  It didn't take long for those "friends" to betray me, and I wound up being left out, anyway!  Not just left out, but mocked, picked on and gossiped about.  

I was miserable and saw most things in a very negative light.  I then started to question my faith, or if there really was a God, and if there was, did He really care?  Was I a Christian just because my parents are?  Instead of seeking out the answers, I simply isolated myself, and my rebellion became more internal.

My parents would ask me what was wrong, but I didn't really know, and I had no words.  That next summer, my mom insisted I go on a Bible camp excursion.  It was after that, that I realized I had been missing out on communing with the Lord and fellow believers, and therefore missing out on God's blessings.  There was still an internal spiritual tug-of-war for a few weeks, until I finally found the humility and courage to confess and apologize to the Lord and to my parents.  

As I verbalized my struggles, as well as my intentions of getting back to walking with the Lord, everything changed at that moment, including my confidence in sharing my faith with others.  Like, God's peace, thankfulness and joy within me wanted to be expressed!!!  The more I grow in the Lord, the more strength and confidence I have in Him, the more I want to serve and express my joy in the Lord!

I actually could have avoided those dark times, simply by thinking through things with a more positive attitude.  It is okay to doubt and question, as long as we move forward in seeking out truth and discovering the answers and solutions.  We find these by praying to the Lord for His help and guidance, as well as studying the Bible, which are His words written to us so that we can understand and have clarity, discernment and His wisdom.  It also helps to have a close community of believers.

There will still be struggles!  We cannot avoid having struggles in our lives!  I just prefer not to struggle because of my own stupidity, shortsightedness and negativity... which really sprouts out of pride and selfishness.  When we start to believe that we know better, and we can do better on our own, to get what we want-when we want it, it is very natural to then become judgmental and negative.  We can even think negatively about ourselves, especially when things don't go our way.

It is when we understand and know that God is sovereign, and has a plan for us, and has only good intentions for our lives, that we can embrace Him and His will and approach things with a positive outlook!  It is when we read about and remember all the great things that God has done, is doing, and will do, that we can positively build a knowledgeable, thankful, joyful, humble confidence in Him.