Tina's Journal

The following is an eye-witness account to the devastation the people of Haiti have experienced due to the recent earthquake. Tina Isenhower is a nurse for Haitian Christian Outreach. To learn more about what you can do, visit www.haitianchristian.org

Jacmel, Haiti 6:00 p.m. January 16, 2010

Dear Friends and family:

I want to thank you for all your prayers and e-mails. Here is an account of the past few days here in Haiti since the earthquake hit. All these miracles and events happened because of prayer, God watching over us, and trusting in Him. Throughout all our ordeal my parents and I were praying and putting our trust in God.

January 12, 2010

Tuesday the 12th of January was a normal day for me. I got up and left early and did a few things before heading off to Port-au-Prince about 11:00 a.m. to pick up my parents who were scheduled to arrive on AA at 4:15 p.m. I left Rachel with Linda Roller (a friend who is spending a few months with us) in Jacmel and set off for Port-au-Prince . A good friend a co worker Pastor Gerard Eustache had come to drive me to Port-au-Prince . We arrived about 2:00 p.m. I have Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome and it was acting up so he dropped me off at LeKaribe Hotel and was going to send a driver with my vbehicle to pick up my parents. He was going to go get ready and go to Bible Study at his Church. Mom & Dad’s plane arrive at 3:53 and they were out of the airport by 4:20. I talked to them via cell phone and they were on their way to the hotel. At 4:40 p.m. I talked to them again and they were less than 10 minutes from the hotel @ 4;44 an earthquake hit Haiti . I had just hung up from talking to another friend on my cell phone. It threw me off of the bed and onto the floor. I hit my shoulder hard on the bedside table. Immediately a huge portrait fell off the wall on to the bed where I had been sitting. The television landed by my right foot and a mirror landed by my left foot shattering glass all over me. Praise God I was not cut. I did not know what to do. To try and jump from my balcony ro try and get out the door. I finally decided on the door because there was 2 floors below me (lobby and 1st floor). It took me about 10 minutes to get my door open I was the first door on the floor on our wing of the hotel. I looked to my right and you could not see any other rooms for all the debris and plaster falling. I crawled over debris and made it to the landing on our floor by the elevators and crawled down the emergency stairs. I made it to the 1st floor but could not make it to the lobby because it was caved in and you could not see it. I remembered a back stairway on 1st floor and crawled and walked over debris to get there. Once I got to the back stairway leading outside I was able to safely escape the hotel. Many people were injured and hurt from broken glass and fallen debris. Once outside it was terrible. I could hear people screaming and could still see houses falling off the mountainsides. People began rescuing people still stuck in the hotel. One of the rescue people climbed in my hotel window and retrieved a small overnight bag which had my purse in it.

I had my cell phone in my pocket. I tried calling Mom & Dad and Gerard and I could not get thru to anyone because all the cell phone towers in our area had fallen down. Everyone was in the street waiting on rescue teams. No one came. About 9:00 they finally made us all go to the tennis court because the after shocks were so strong that they were afraid that the hotel was going to finish collapsing the rest of the way.

We were given a glass of water and appetizers that was suppose to have been for a conference that night. Everyone was given 4 small cracker size appetizers with smoked salmon and caviar. Boy did it taste good. I felt sorry for the children crying. They had let people whose had lost their houses in the neighborhood sleep on the tennis court also I used my overnight bag as a pillow. I am so amazed how God takes care of us. I was cold. A man named Antoine brought me his coat. He had just flown in from Washington D.C. that morning. He had a suit on plus a coat. He gave me his coat to cover up with. I kept praying for Mom, Dad, and Gerard’s safety. I dozed on and off all night until 5:00 a.m.

January 13, 2010

I dozed on and off all night until 5:00 a.m. Security tried to make me stay on the tennis court or by the pool but I went and sat on the curb in front of the hotel. I had decided to wait until 8 a.m. and If I could not get a hold of Mom and Dad then I was going to try and get a motorcycle taxi to take me to Gerard’s and down the street where I knew they were traveling down when the earthquake hit. At 7:46 my Nissan Patrol pulled up with Mom, Dad, and Gerard’s driver. They had been trying to get to me all night. They finally gave up at midnight. They had been able to connect up with Gerard. They all slept in the car on the street in front of Gerard’s house. Gerard lost everything except his Bible, clothes on his back and his vehicle. If it has not been a church night he would have most likely have been in the house when it collapsed. He was only 1 block from his house when the earthquake hit on his way to Bible Study.

I was never so glad to see anyone in my life. I ran towards the car and Dad jumped out and ran towards me. Mom was so overwhelmed she laid her head on the window and cried. We decided to go back to Gerard’s and try a small 15-20 bed hotel near Gerard’s. Because all the big hotels in out area had collapsed. The El Rancho , Montana , Hotel Christopher just to name a few. It should have taken us 10 minutes to get to where Gerard’s house use to be it took us 3 hours. I have never saw so much destruction. I felt like I was in a war zone. People walking everywhere in the Streets. Children sitting beside the roads with no adults in sight. We went by one of the hospitals and they had tied sheets on poles in the yard to handle the injured. Dad and I saw a lady die right in front of our eyes. You could not look at a building without seeing a foot, arm, leg, or head sticking out from under the collapsed buildings. Dead bodies stacked 2 and 3 high in some places. I saw 4 little children laying dead beside the road. Someone had covered them with a sheet. Mothers were stopping by the bodies and lifting up the sheet to see if it was their missing child. This broke my heart. There were dead bodies lined up along the streets.

We finally made it to the Coconut Villa Hotel. The walls surrounding the hotel had fallen down but the hotel itself was still in tact. Most foreigners do not stay there so we were able to get a room. They wre dipping water out of the pool to clean the rooms and for people to bathe in. Lots of people were sleeping in the yard of the hotel by the pool. We collapsed on our beds and fell asleep we were awaken a few times by tremors (after shock). We got up around 5:00 and was offered some goulash. I didn’t ask what was in it, nor did my parents we were just thankful to have food. Gerard walked to the hotel to check on us around 6:00 p.m. He had been at his Church. He was going to sleep in his car again and watch his house because people were starting to loot houses. He was going to wait until the after shocks were over to see if they couldn’t dig their way in and retrieve some things. I was so thankful he was safe. He did not want to stay with us. Him and some of his Church people were going to help with the night vigil in his neighborhood to keep people from looting.

I still had not been able to make contact with Rachel and Linda in Jacmel. Finally, my phone rang and it was a neighbor stating Rachel wanted to talk to me. She wanted to know when I was coming because the road to Jacmel was broken. She said Linda and her were sleeping outside in a field behind our house and then the line went dead.

We were finally able to get out to the States for 2 minutes until we were cut off and let my brother-in-law and sister know we were okay. Chuck was able to e-mail Rachel and let me know she was okay.

January 14, 2010

We were offered bread for breakfast. Again, we were thankful for what we could find. We were told we would have chicken and rice around 1:00 or 2:00. We were excited to hear this.

We were advised not to try and travel to Jacmel. Dad and I walked around the neighborhood of the hotel we were at. It was horrible. People were literally sleeping in the streets.

I was finally able to make contact with Rachel and Linda again and the States.

Gerard stopped by around 2:00 p.m. and said he would send a driver to drive us to Jacmel the next day. We were eleated.

January 15, 2010

O Cap, Gerard’s driver came about 5:46 a.m. and we headed for Jacmel. I was overwhelmed by what I saw. They were starting to burn bodies in the streets. I saw dead bodies tied to pieces of tin and being pulled behind vehicles to burn sites. I saw 5 heads that were still burning the rest of the bodies had all ready burned. I cannot clear my sinuses of the smell of burning flesh. I passed by the ruins of the Palace National of Haiti, the downtown prison, the Palace of Justice and many other government buildings in ruins. There was not an open space that people had not made make shift housing on. This was done by driving poles in the ground and covering them with a shirt, towel, sheet, or any other type of cloth they could find.

There was a mass exodus from the city. People were exiting Port-au-Prince on foot, carrying what little belongings they had salvaged along with their children and other family members. Some had not been able to salvage anything they just carried their children. One man carried a child on his shoulders and another in his arms. They were heading for the country. As we traveled outside of Port-au-Prince towards the mountains I was still overwhelmed by the devastation.

We finally made it 1/3 of the way over the mountain to Jacmel and encountered a rock slide, or so we thought. Actually the road had caved in. At the bottom of the cave in was 3 busses that had been full of people and no survivors. We would not even get across the deep ravine by motorcycle. We had to turn around and go back to Port-au-Prince . We tried to go to the small airport to see if we could get a charter to Jacmel but was told that the small airport was closed and we were turned back at the gate. We finally arrived back at the Hotel again around noon and the room we had vacated that morning was the only room they had left. We were thankful and once again thanked our heavenly Father for providing for us.

I was really down because we could not communicate with Rachel or Jacmel. Finally, some of my staff got thru for a minute or two. I learned Rachel and Linda were still sleeping outside. The island was still getting after shocks. My friends Carol and Glyn Price were able to get thru from the States. They were such an encouragement.

Gerard came by and said we couldn’t try again until Monday. We were thankful to have chicken and rice again for supper. Only meal of the day. But he would be by the next morning.

January 16, 2010

By 11:00 a.m. we still had not seen Gerard. We continue to feel the after shocks of the earthquake. Buildings that were standing but unstable are continuing to fall from the tremors. I decided to drive the 8 blocks to Gerard’s house. I knew they were going to try and see if they couldn’t get some stuff out. I saw that he was busy with some of his Church people trying to see if they could get anything out of the ruins of his house.

I told him I was going to the small airport again to see if I could get a charter to Jacmel. He said he head I would not be able too. Once again when I got to the small airport I was told no planes were flying. I told them I would check for myself (I said it with a smile) and went on thru the gate. I told Mom & Dad to wait in the SUV. I went inside and the airport was deserted except for a few people. The few people who were there told me that the airport was closed. No flights. I saw a mechanics who works with Missionary Aviation Flights (MAF) outside messing with one of the planes. I asked a security guard to go get him for me. He said he was not cleared to go out to the planes. I asked him to find someone who was authorized. He found someone. Todd came inside to talk to me. I explained my situation and he said I would have to talk to one of the pilots by the name of Will, but it didn’t look promising. Will one of the pilots came in and I explained by situation to him. He looked at his watch and it was 12:40. He said if you can be back here by 2:00 p.m. I will try but I heard the runway in Jacmel is damaged but we will try it. Going to the airport we experienced a bad traffic jam. Took us over an hour to get there. We made it back to Gerard’s house within 10 minutes and picked up a driver to return my SUV to Gerard, swung by the hotel and picked up Mom and Dad’s luggage and was back at the airport by 1:20. We did not encounter any traffic jam. We were in the air by 2:15 p.m. I prayed all the way to Jacmel. By 2:45 we were on the ground in Jacmel. They had just fixed the runway and 3 planes from the Dominican Republic had landed with supplies for Jacmel. If we had left that morning or the day before we would not have been able to land. All these miracles happened because of prayer and trusting in God.

Boss Telefant picked us up and took us to Cyvadier. We were stopped by so many people in our village running towards the truck and stopping us. So many people were glad to see us. We all got lots of hugs and kisses and many others were dancing in the street.

Rachel was extremely excited to see us. She ran outside to meet us and jumped in the truck and starting hugging and kissing everyone. LeeLein and Esther (Rachel’s friends) grabbed me as soon as I got out of the truck.

We dropped the luggage off and then Boss Telefant, Met Tony, Dad, Linda, Rachel, and I went to Jacmel to survey the damage. It was bad but not as bad as Port-au-Prince . They recovered 2,000 bodies in one day and mahy more are still missing and presumed dead. The hospital collapsed. We went by and there were people every where in the yard. Children with no parents. I told them I would be back tomorrow to help as much as I could.

I talked with the Mayor of Jacmel and told him we would take up to 12 children under the age of 6 who had lost their parents. He was relieved and very thankful. I was exhausted and told him I would see him tomorrow.

It is now 8:30 p.m.I just felt a huge tremor from the earthquake. I am going to close. I am so overwhelmed I do not know what to do or where to start. Tomorrow I am going back to the hospital and the mayor’s office and see what I can do to help. Linda, Mom, Dad, and Rachel will also go to help.



Here are short term plans:

We are going to feed additional children besides our school children.

There is a possibility we will start a small orphanage if the need is there.

Here are some specific prayer requests:

1. Pray for the children who lost parents.

2. Pray God will guide us in helping the neediest children.

3. Pray for wisdom for us in choosing children who need help.

4. Pray God will provide the needed funds to help





God Bless

Tina Isenhower

Missionary to Haiti

Psalm 20

May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. Selah
May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.
Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. O LORD, save the king! Answer us when we call!

I’m sure I’ve read this psalm before, but I’ve never noticed how beautiful it is. What an encouraging prayer for each of us!

I put my trust in a lot of things, especially myself, and in the end I am always disappointed. But my one true hope is in the LORD. With Him we can rise up and stand firm. All we need do is call on Him.

This is exactly what the sermon was about yesterday—calling on God at all times. This is definitely an area where I am weak. My relationship with God is a two-way street, and it is up to me to keep the communication going. I wouldn’t call someone a friend if I hardly ever communicated with them, and when I did all I did was list things I needed or complaints. The same is true with God. He is always here to listen to me. But the calling is up to me.

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19 is a continuation of praise from Psalm 18. In Psalm 18 David praises God for the thing He has done. In this psalm he praises God for two other reasons:
#1—His creation
#2—His law

vs. 1-6=His creation. Nature is an amazing thing. Not only does everything work in perfect harmony, but the seasons change so beautifully. How can someone not see the beauty of nature outside and not think there is a God who created all of this?

Vs. 7-14=His law. God’s law is perfect. It’s so simple to understand, yet so hard to live out, but if we just do what God asks of us these are the outcomes:
Reviving of the soul
Joy to the heart
Light to our eyes
Warnings
Great reward

Who doesn’t want all of those things? And yet we take the Bible for granted. I wish I had the passion David does for God’s word, calling it more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. I want to crave the Bible in the morning like I crave my morning coffee. I want to read His words with the intensity with which I would read a love letter from my sweetheart. I want to follow His guidance like I follow the directions on important medicine. It is easy to forget how blessed we are to have God’s word at our fingertips, there for the taking at any time! May I find a passion for studying God’s word, and may I live those words out with my life.

David puts it best as he ends this verse:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

May God be pleased as I study His Word, and may my life be changed because of it.

Psalm 18:30-50

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless, He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.

I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; You made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their backs in flights, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.

You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me. As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me. They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to Your name. He gives His king great victories; He shows unfailing kindness to His anointed, to David and His descendants forever.

God’s way is perfect. It does not fail.

In 2 Samuel 7:8-11, God vows to David that if David follows God’s ways, he will succeed. This part of Psalm 18 is a testament that God made good on His promise. Verses 31-45 recount all of the cool ways God helped David succeed, and it’s pretty amazing.

How often do I pray for something—strength to make it through a tough situation, patience during a trial, wisdom to make a choice—and God completely works it out, and I forget to thank Him or acknowledge Him? Worse yet, how often do I end up taking the credit for it myself? How sad!

I need to always give God thanks. And beyond that, I need to retell over and over the amazing ways He works in my life.

The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!

May I be a voice that praises God today: for who He is, for all He does, and for what He is making of me!

Pausing on the Psalms

FYI, I will be continuing to write my thoughts on the Psalms, but right now I am working my way through Acts for a project with our church.

On another note, here are some photos of the kids. Noel turned 3 this weekend, and is doing great. He loves to play with legos and cars/tractors. We are headed up to Belding to see the Wittenbachs tomorrow, and Noel is so excited! He can't wait to get in the "barn shed" as he calls it and play with everything there!

Elise is 5 1/2 months old and growing more every day. She has a funny personality already. She smiles a lot and loves to hear the sound of her voice. She rolls all over, so she can pretty much get to anywhere she wants on the floor. Watch out!!

Psalm 18:20-29

The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.

At first glance, David sounds pretty full of himself in this passage, which is in stark contrast to other psalms where he cannot believe God would even love him. But after looking a little closer, I think the point David is trying to make is that God does notice when our hearts are devoted to Him. Yes, we all are sinful. Yes, God loves and blesses each of us. But we also are rewarded for our faithfulness, whether it is on earth or in heaven.

God loves every one of us no matter who we are or what we’ve done. However, God doesn’t want us to stay the way we are. If we commit our lives to Him, He is going to mold us into His likeness, which might be painful at times because we have to deal with sin in our lives (You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.).

You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. One of the greatest mysteries of our faith is that God can take our sin-filled, selfish lives and turn them into something beautiful. That is the greatest testimony of the power of God. From Paul in the Bible to a former drug dealer who is now a pastor, the power of God changes lives!

With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. All things are possible if we let God lead. I might be able to “get by” on my own, but with God I can make a difference every day for Him!

Psalm 18:1-19

I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky, Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LROD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

I have a hard time comprehending what it was like to be David, having to run for your life from King Saul numerous times. However, I also need to realize that here in this life I am surrounded by spiritual danger that God protects me from on a daily basis, and I should be thankful every day that He is my refuge and my shield, as it says at the beginning of this psalm. He is always there listening to me.

It is easy to forget all that we have been saved from when Jesus took our place on the cross, especially for those of us who have been in church since we were children. But the imagery in this psalm: cords of death entangled me. . . torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. . . cords of the grave coiled around me. . . the snares of death confronted me remind me of how trapped in sin and completely helpless we are without the grace of God.

Thankfully, From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. And what follows is an amazing picture of God coming to our rescue, shaking the foundations of earth, causing storms, smoke, hail, and just about every other force of nature we can think of. It’s also pretty prophetic of Jesus coming to earth, the first time, and when He comes again to finally rescue us from this world.

When Jesus shows up, things are never the same.

What an amazing God I have who hears me when I call and moves the heavens and earth to save me. He loves me that much.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LROD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; God reaches down and pulls us out of the sin we are in.

No sin is so small that we can overcome it alone.

No sin is so great that God cannot handle it.

And why does He do this? he rescued me because he delighted in me. God delighted in me! Even when I am full of sin and am drowning in a sea of helplessness, God looks and sees the child He formed, the child He knows is His, and the child He wants in His arms.

Thank you, God, for loving me. For saving me. For delighting in me.

Psalm 17

Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer—It does not rise from deceitful lips. May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. As for the deeds of men—by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. My steps have held to your paths; my feel have not slipped.

I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. They are like a lion hungry for pretty, like a great lion crouching in cover.

Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword. O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children. And I – in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

This psalm is full of different insights about our relationship with God and what we should value. Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. Was David sinless? Of course not, but his heart was pure. He wasn’t telling God he was perfect; he was telling God that he doesn’t keep anything from Him.

Later, in verse 8 he compares his relationship with God to a mother bird with her babies. Sometimes it is easier for me to see God as a judge, waiting to catch me doing something wrong. And although we will definitely be judged, that’s not how God wants my relationship with Him to be perceived. He is my Father, the One I run to when I am in need (I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.) The One who protects me (you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes) and saves me, not only from the world (rescue me from the wicked by your sword) but from the lifestyle this world thinks we should have, which is

More

More

More.

This world tries to convince us that we need just a little more of everything and then we will be happy. . . .such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. People who live with this worldly mindset have already been rewarded in this life. How sad.

But You still the hunger of those cherish; if we seek God and a relationship with Him, we will be satisfied. If I am looking for fulfillment anywhere else besides in God, it’s not going to work. Only when I am content with God.

May I chase after Him and leave the things of this world behind.

Psalm 16

Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips. LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

If this psalm doesn’t make me joyful, I don’t know what would. What an amazing reminder of how great God is!

Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. It’s comforting and a little frightening to know that God is my refuge. This means that at times in my life I will need a refuge from something. Life is not all “health & wealth” if we choose to follow God. In fact, it might be harder on some levels to choose His path. But the promise of His refuge is more than enough to make up for that.

. . .apart from you I have no good thing. Do I truly believe and live out these words? Of course they are true. If I have God and nothing else, it’s all good. If I have everything else except God, life means nothing. The things of this world mean NOTHING! I know that in my head, but I need to live it out in my life.

As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. One of the greatest ways to lose my desire for earthly things is to watch those around me. The people around me who are making a difference for Jesus aren’t spending time clinging to their material goods. They are out serving and taking care of needs. On the other side: The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. Why do I spend so much time wishing I could look like someone else or have more things. Have I EVER seen a person who has true joy from their stuff? It’s not worth it!

. . . surely I have a delightful inheritance. God’s blessings are overflowing and we can trust in His protection. I may not always understand His ways, but I can always trust them.

I will praise the LORD . . . I will not be shaken. . . my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices . . . you will fill me with joy . . . I definitely need to spend more time praising God! Not only does He supply blessing after blessing, but He gives me guidance along the way through the Holy Spirit, circumstances, the Bible, and other believers. If my eyes are on God, my heart will be filled with joy.

Psalm 15

LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

Wow. Talk about a wake-up call. David gives me a list of what my life should look like if I am truly living for God. And if I am honest, I don’t measure up most of the time.

Do I live a blameless life day after day?

When given a choice, do I choose God’s path?

Is my speech truthful, from the heart, uplifting to all, and honoring God?

Ouch!

Do I keep my promises, even when if hurts?

Am I giving to others in need?

It is so easy to be persuaded by the world around us to believe that our lives should be comfortable. But the characteristics David describes don’t sound comfortable to me. They sound challenging. They sound like I have to choose God over my selfish desires on a daily basis. Am I doing that? If so, David says in verse 5: He who does these things will never be shaken.
Why? Because our foundation is on a God who is eternal, all-powerful, and never changing instead of having a material, worldly foundation that will fail us.

People will let you down.

Things will let you down.

You will let yourself down.

HE will NEVER let you down.

Thank you, God, for always being on our side and for never letting us down.

Psalm 14

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Will evildoers never learn—those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD? There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge. Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

We are foolish not to follow God. Plain and simple.

In Romans 3:10-12, Paul uses the first three verses of this psalm to explain that none of us is perfect. No matter how great you think you are, you aren’t perfect. Nobody can earn salvation by their works, because nobody is truly good—we are all flawed, sinful people. Which means we all need a savior, and that we have no right to judge anyone.

We are foolish not to rely on God.

Why do I every try to think I can do it all by myself? It’s like watching Noel try to do something that is much too advanced. If he just realized I could help him, the problem would be solved in no time. But we let our selfish pride get in the way.

We are foolish not to do things God’s way.

Will that mean life is easy? Not at all, but we will have the best life possible with God’s protection and guidance.

To me, this psalm seems to be a longing for Jesus. Here David is writing that we all have sinned, that nobody is perfect, and that there will be a day when God’s people will be saved, “when the LORD restores the fortunes of his people.”

We are foolish if we think we don’t need a Savior.

Psalm 13

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hid your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

The footnotes in my Bible say that this prayer for help was written during a time of physical illness that David had. I’m sure many people who are struggling with physical pain, injuries, diseases, and illnesses ask the same question David asks:

How long? How long?

How long will I have to endure this?

How long will God hold out on me?

Are you out there, God?

What a helpless feeling—to see no end in sight to a sickness. I think about those who have fought cancer for years and years, and my heart breaks for them and their families.

Sometimes life doesn’t make sense to us. But it makes sense to God.

David asks, “Will you forget me forever?” ‘Forget’ in this psalm actually means ignore. David knows that God could never forget one of his own, but doesn’t it sometimes feel like God is just ignoring us sometimes? Some of our prayers have been prayed for months and even years without an answer.

How long, God?

Again, this psalm reminds us that it is okay to pour our hearts out to God, the good and the bad, but we need to finish our prayers the same way David did, with a declaration of our faith, even when we don’t understand.

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

God’s love is unfailing. He never forgets or ignores us. He has saved us from our sins and has given us eternity with Him. If he did nothing else but that, He still deserves our praise forever. The amazing thing is that He has done so much more than just saving our souls. He gives us peace, blessings beyond compare, joy, friendships, family, opportunities to serve, life, and laughter to name a few.
I hope that every day I will choose to praise Him.

When I don’t understand His ways—I will praise Him.

When I feel like He has forgotten me—I will praise Him.

No matter what—I will praise Him.

Psalm 12

Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, “We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips—who is our master?”

“Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will protect them from those who malign them.” And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever. The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

I think the longer I study the psalms the more I am amazed how relevant they are to our current culture. This entire psalm could have been written in 2009 without changing a word and still make sense. Thank you, God, that your words are relevant to every generation!

In this psalm, David is asking for protection again from those who are out to hurt believers. He starts the psalm by stating he feels like he is the only believer left who does what God asks! I’m sure we can all recall a time when we have felt like that. When we look around at the world we live in, it is easy to agree with him when he says, Everyone lies to his neighbor; lying is one of the most acceptable sins in our society that some people do it and don’t even realize they are doing it. James hit the nail on the head when he writes in chapter 3 about how impossible it is to tame the tongue without God’s help. I cringe when I think about how much hurt I could have saved others and myself if I could just keep my big mouth closed more often. But I have to surrender that to God and let Him control my words.

And after David’s prayer for help, God answers.

“Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will protect them from those who malign them.” And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

He promises that those who follow Him will be protected. Then He backs that up by reminding us that His words are perfect. Anything He says, we can count on it 100. But His #1 priority is our spiritual protection, not just our physical protection. So we must trust that He is doing what is best for us, even when it doesn’t make sense.

Psalm 11

Psalm 11

In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.

I will admit, several of the psalms I have been reading have convicted me. I need to walk with God every day. I need to delight in His law. I need to declare how great He is every chance I can get. I need to thank Him for answered prayer.

But this psalm struck me differently today. Instead of feeling convicted, I feel a great peace when I read this psalm. Yet again, this psalm is incredibly relevant even today, thousands of years after it was written. The people around David are asking him, “What are we going to do? It seems like everyone around us is out to get those who honor God!”

When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?

I think a lot of believers are asking themselves that in today’s world. We live in a world where truth is relative now. Whatever YOU think is true must be true. Josh McDowell describes is as this great switch: It used to be: It’s true, so it works. Now society’s thought is: If it works, it must be true. With no absolute truth, our foundations are indeed crumbling. What are we to do?

Trust.

Trust.

Trust.

The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.

God is still in control. We might think we have control, but that is an illusion. Nothing gets past God. He sees everything and knows everything. There are times for us to be vocal and defend our faith, and there are times for us to stand up against something. But ultimately, we must surrender that God is in control of this world, and He will take care of it. All wrongs will be made right. The wicked will see their judgment. Those who have served God will see His face. But we must trust.

Psalm 10

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies. He says to himself, “Nothing will shake me; I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.” His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims. He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, “God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees.”
Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Why does the wicked man revile God! Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”? But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out. The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order than man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Psalm 10 is a prayer David wrote to be rescued from the attacks of the wicked. This psalm is thought to originally be part of Psalm 9.

Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Again, the author is begging for help, asking God to show Himself. When I read this out of context, I start to think that David was kind of a whiner, always asking for help. But when I think about how many people came up against David, how many battles he had to fight, it’s much easier to understand his feelings. This is just another reminder to me that it is okay to pour out my heart to God. Even if it’s something He’s heard a thousand times before, He wants to hear it again.

God is never far away---even when it seems like it. I need to remind myself of that every day.

In verses 2-11 David explains several things that the wicked have done. I find myself yet amazed. Not because of what they are doing, but it is the same stuff people do today. Solomon was right: there is nothing new under the sun, including sin. Here are some of the examples:
*taking advantage of the weak
*being greedy
*living with pride (“I can do it myself; I don’t need God.”)
*foul language, threats, and lies
*failing to acknowledge God.
Verse 4 says, “. . .in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”Wow. If I hadn’t just read that right out of the Bible, I would have thought our generation was being described.

In all of this, David prays that the wicked be judged by God, that He remind them that He is God and they are not. He ends with these words: You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order than man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

What a great reminder: we are just of the earth. So there is no need for us to fear anyone. We belong to a God who is so much greater and so much more powerful than anyone else. Be assured of two things today:

#1—As long as we live on this earth we will be surrounded by wicked people

#2—God is greater than any of them, and He is in control

Thoughts on Psalm 9

Psalm 9 is pretty lengthy, so instead of writing the whole thing out, I will share some of my favorite parts. As a whole, psalm 9 is a praise song David wrote to thank God for saving him from his enemies. In the previous psalms (especially 7), David begged for mercy from those attacking him, led by his own son! God did just that, and Psalm 9 is in response to that.

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

David vows to tell of God’s wonders. How often am I guilty of making known my trials and heartaches, but never sharing when God answers those prayers? The word “name” in this psalm refers to the character of who someone is. So when David says to sing praise to God’s name, we are to sing about how awesome God is. That shouldn’t be hard, considering all that He has done for us, but we can forget so easily.

My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. For you have upheld my right and my cause;

David’s prayers have been answered. He has been saved!

The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

If there is anything to take from this psalm, this is it: God is on His throne. Not me. Not you. Not our enemies. Not Hollywood. Not even the church. God. Period. Judgment and justice is His to give. And because we are His children, we can trust that we are safe in the hands of God—no matter what. He will never forget me or forsake me. I have to trust that, even when it doesn’t seem that way.

I love how this psalm ends: O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. It is so tempting to start thinking highly of ourselves, but may we all be reminded that God is in control, not us (thankfully).

God has blessed us so very much! I need to do a better job of sharing what He has done in my life so that others can see how great He is.

Psalm 8, revised

Psalm 8 (New International Version)
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8 (Beth's Version)

God, who You are is just awesome.

Anyone who questions that just needs to stand outside under a starry sky
or visit the ocean
or hold the hand of a little child.

You are powerful. Otherwise, how could you take losers like us and use us in powerful ways?

I can’t understand why You care about us. We are so insignificant. So small. So puny.

But we are Yours.

The longer I am a parent, the more I try to understand my relationship with You, God. But that is such a flawed comparison, because You never let us down! Thank You for being my Heavenly Father, and for using us, when You don’t really need us to accomplish Your will at all. Forgive me when I become so proud as to think You need me. Thank You for entrusting me with so many things here on earth. Thank You for believing in me, even when I doubt You.

God, who You are is just awesome.

Psalm 7

O LORD my God, I take refuge in you: save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me. O LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands—if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe—then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust.

Arise, O LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice. Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high; let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.

My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day. If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows. He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment. He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head.

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

This psalm was probably written about someone in Saul’s camp who was after David’s life. I can’t imagine being afraid for my life, especially when there was nothing done to deserve it. But that was exactly the situation David was in. But it does remind me that life is not fair, even for the most righteous people, like David.
Arise, O LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies.

Awake, my God; decree justice. Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high; let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.

I think the hardest part about being wronged is wanting to retaliate. But David is doing the right thing: praying that God take care of it. We want people to know what they have done hurt us and make them pay for it immediately, but God doesn’t always work like that. I need to trust that He is faithful in His promises to bring about justice to those who do not turn to God. The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head. It’s easy for us to expect immediate revenge on those who hurt us, but what about when we’re the ones doing the hurting? Thank God that He doesn’t always bring about immediate judgment, or we would all be doomed!

My shield is God Most High

What a great picture of protection. But it also means that God is not going to take away all of my battles (why would I need a shield if I wasn’t going to face a battle?), but He will protect me during them.

Many psalms end with a prayer of thanksgiving for what God will do, and this one does just that:

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

David is thanking God in advance for answering his prayers. I wish I had that kind of faith every day—to pray and then thank God for the prayers that I know He will answer. How many prayers does He answer every day that go unnoticed? May I be more aware of God’s work, and may I get out of the way so that He can accomplish just that.

Psalm 6--A Cry For Help

Psalm 6

O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? I am worn out from groaning; all night long, I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fall because of all my foes. Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

According to the footnotes in my Bible, this psalm was written during a time when David was very ill. My notes even say that the illness might have been a punishment from God for sinful choices. I don’t know what the sin was, but this psalm makes much more sense in that perspective.

Most of this psalm is incredibly sad. David is begging for relief from his anguish, which keeps him up all night. But near the end, David resolves to trust in God.

Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. It is so tempting to turn our backs on God, especially when trials come and life is painful. But that is the time when we can really grow closer to God, when there is nothing else to hold onto in life but Him. That is the time to resist the urge to listen to those around us, and surrender to Him, because. . .

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. We aren’t given the exact when’s, where’s, and how’s, but we MUST believe that God hears our prayers and will give us mercy.

I’m not really at a point in my life right now where I can relate to David in this psalm, but I have been there in the past. And I’m pretty sure I’ll be there again someday. And when those trials come, I pray that I have the strength to hang onto God’s hand, even if it feels like He’s not there.

Psalm 5

Psalm 5
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make straight your way before me. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

I just love this verse: In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

What a great way to start the day—praying to God and then waiting in expectation for the things He has to offer for the day! Usually I start the day grumbling because I’m up so early or because I can’t get anything “accomplished”, but what if I started the day in prayer and expectation?

What if I started with my eyes focused on what God is going to do today with me, through me, and for me?

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. There is absolutely no reason for me to be anything but joyful! God is my refuge, and even if everything goes wrong today I have that assurance.

God, today I choose You. I choose joy. I wait in expectation for what You have in store for me today.

Psalm 4

Psalm 4
Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD make me dwell in safety.

Who doesn’t want to be heard? I think it’s one of our deepest needs in life—for someone to hear you. Some of my biggest frustrations have come from when I feel like nobody is listening to me, whether it’s a student, a friend, a co-worker, or my two year-old son. We all desire to be heard.

The LORD will hear when I call to him.

When I’m hurt, or angry, or scared, or stressed, where do I turn? David reminds us here in Psalm 4 that God is the One we should turn to. How long is it going to take for me to figure that out?! We as believers have been set apart by God for Himself. He promises to hear us when we call. And yet I usually find myself turning to God when all my other resources have failed me.

Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”

We look around and ask, “Why Is this world falling apart?” Sometimes it seems hopeless when you look at what we are surrounded by in our culture. But where are we looking for help? Ourselves? Others? The government?

Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

It is only when we look to God and ask Him for help that true relief can come. We have been told by our society that happiness comes from material things: if only my house were bigger, if only we could take that vacation, if only my job paid a little more. But the joy God offers is greater than anything this world has to offer. One of my favorite Caedmon’s Call songs has the line, “This world has nothing for me, and this world has everything. All that I could want, and nothing that I need.”

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD make me dwell in safety.

I must learn to rest in God’s strength instead of my own. If I surrender to Him, He offers peace, security, and safety. May we turn to You, God, who listens when we call and fills us with a joy that cannot be equaled.

Growing up so fast

Psalm 3

Psalm 3
O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.

This psalm was written by David right after he escaped from Absalom. I went and reread this passage of the Bible (2 Samuel 15) to get a better perspective. I cannot imagine being in the situation David was in. One of his sons was trying to overthrow his throne, forcing David to run for his life. How would I feel if one of my own children led a revolt against me?

In smaller ways, I’m sure we all have felt as David does in this psalm—that everyone is against us. One of the coolest things about the Psalms is that there is every emotion you can think of present in at least one psalm. This one begins with what I would call despair. It is comforting to know that God is okay with me expressing all of my feelings to Him. If I’m sad, or feel defeated, or even if I’m angry, God will listen.

But it doesn’t stop there. Instead of continuing to question and cry about his situation, David turns his focus to the One who can get him out of this terrible situation.

But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. I have to always remember that no matter what the situation, I am never alone. I love the imagery of God reaching down, cupping my face, and lifting it up to see Him. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day struggles of life. What a relief when we look up and see God saying, “I’m in control. Relax.”

And because of this, I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. There is no reason to fear the things of this world. God will take care of them. He might even break their teeth, as David suggests—How painful would that be?

I need to remember that God is my deliverer, not me, in hard times. Fighting battles on my own can only result in one thing—eventual failure. May I surrender my battles to God and let Him be my shield.

Psalm 2

Psalm 2
Why do the nations conspire and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the LORD scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment, Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
The beginning of this psalm makes me think of our society right now. It seems as if our society is trying to do anything and everything that goes against what Jesus desires for us. “Truth” keeps changing as people decide what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. David and I were talking about this last night. We just read an interview with Brad Pitt. When they asked about why he isn’t married to Angeline Jolie, he said that they won’t get married until “everyone can be legally married”. It’s so interesting to me how over the years we as a society decide what’s right & wrong instead of looking to God for our truth.
It goes back to Psalm 1 that talks about delighting in God’s law. We keep “breaking the chains” of what is acceptable, leading us down a slippery slope away from what God desires for us.
And what is God’s response to this? The One enthroned in heaven laughs. Laughing? What’s so funny? I can picture God looking at all of us scrambling around, trying to make our own truths, our own meaning to life. God must be laughing because we are so idiotic to think we can be our own rulers (truth-makers). It can be compared to when we as adults watch children play a game where they make their own rules. They keep changing the ruler so they can have a bigger advantage, and it all seems pretty comical to us. And yet we think as humans we can change what God, the Almighty Creator, has set into place.
Soon, however, that laughter will turn into consequences for those who do not acknowledge Him.
I think verses 8-12 should be given to every leader in the church, in politics, in any situation. If we follow the lead of God, we will receive blessings beyond measure. They might not be the material blessings we are thinking of, but they will be what God knows is best for us. Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. We have no excuse now that we know. We tend to forget that God is loving and compassionate. But we also forget at times the mighty power of God. I am owed nothing—NOTHING, and yet I find ways to complain about pretty much everything. I need to wake up every morning and “kiss the Son” as verse 12 says, meaning to bow in submission. This day is Yours; I am just Your vessal.

My thoughts on Psalm 1

Psalm 1
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

In front of us we have two paths (think Robert Frost with me). This psalm breaks down what lies ahead for the 2. The first path is referred to as the “righteous” path and the second as the way of the “wicked”. I think we have to be really careful here with our words, because it’s not the people who are righteous or wicked, but their actions. Without Jesus’ redemption, all of us would be walking down the way of the wicked. But in order to remain in a right relationship with Jesus, we should be striving to walk righteously every day.
So, what does it mean to walk with the righteous? (verse 1)
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. When I have a problem, where do I go for advice? If I seek the world’s advice, a blessing isn’t promised to me. Does that mean life will be all health & wealth if I’m a believer? Of course not, but it does mean that if I’m looking to be blessed, I’d better be aimed in the right direction.
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. Here is the constant struggle: to be in the world but not of it. It seems as if I’m always in one extreme or the other. Either I’ve completely excluded myself from all non-believers, giving no opportunity for me to evangelize and share God’s love with those who don’t believe, OR I’ve been engrossed in a situation where none of my friends share my beliefs, and I lose all confidence to share my faith. At this point in my life, I am in camp A. I have a few friends who are unbelievers, but I have very minimal contact with them. And I don’t think I’m alone in this struggle. I need to pray for opportunities in my life to share God’s way, and yet I need to be wary not to be led in their direction.
Instead of being led by the world and its ways, how should I decide to live? (verse 2)
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, There are a lot of things that I look forward to. Is my biggest delight studying the Bible? I wish I could say yes, but to be honest, often times it is a chore. That is part of the reason for this writing. It seems like with so many other things out there that give us a temporary sense of happiness, it is hard to make God’s word a priority. Isn’t it a good feeling, though, to know that God’s law never changes and is the one, absolute source of truth? Maybe that’s what the writer of this psalm is talking about—the fact that God is in control and His law rules makes his delight? Hmmmm…
and on his law he meditates day and night. I can be very legalistic at times. I love my check lists, and I sometimes get into the rut of doing my “devotions” in the morning so I can have that one thing checked off my list. I don’t think the author here is giving us another items to put on a to-do list. I think that he is telling us that we should be thinking about God’s word and His law all of the time.
Verse 3 gives us the outcome of what happens when we do what it says in verse 2 (delight in God’s law and meditate on it all the time)
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Our source of power comes from God, just like a tree thrives on water and sunlight. If a tree is strong and well-fed, it will withstand storms and winds. Just like that tree, our lives have to be watered with the word of God, or when hard times come, we are likely to snap in half.
Whatever he does prospers. Does this mean I will succeed at everything I set out to do? I don’t know. My first inclination is to say no way, but maybe if I was truly walking righteously every step of the way, my priorities would be so in line with God’s that all of my energy would be spent in the ways He desires, ending in prosperity. I look around and see lots of people who are not righteous prospering, and I don’t know how to wrap my mind around that. That is an area where I need to think eternally instead of just about this life.
So the first three verses of this psalm deal directly with those who do what’s right. Then we focus on what the other option is: the way of the wicked. Which, by contrast, would be someone who
a)walks in the counsel of the wicked
b)stands with sinners and mockers and
c)does not delight or study God’s law.
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. What is not so? The previous verse spoke about being prosperous and growing strong. Instead, those who follow the way of the wicked will be useless, which is what chaff is. Chaff is what is taken away from wheat to make it better. This makes me think of when I watch the news and see people who have taken drastic, violent measures because of a break-up or job loss. It takes one major event to break them because they don’t have God’s strength. Thank you, God, that you have given me Your power to rely on.
Just like with verse 3, verse 5 gives us a glimpse of the future for those who walk in the way of the wicked, or as the world wants us to walk:
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. My Bible commentary says that this means they will not be able to withstand God’s wrath and judgment when that day comes for them. There will come a time when we will be judged, and I am so thankful we have Jesus’ sacrifice to cover for our sins, because those who refuse to accept it are bound to an eternity without God. I think of the “assembly of the righteous” and my mind pictures heaven, where we all will be eternally praising God! Heaven isn’t about getting to see those who have died before us or getting new bodies or even not hurting any more. The best part of heaven will be being in God’s presence face to face and worshipping Him for eternity. It will never get old.
And then verse 6 gives us the reason for the first 5 verses:
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. I need to remember every day, all of the time, that God is watching. Not in some creepy, “I’m going to get you” way, but in a fatherly way. God loves us so much that He expects our best, my best. What will I give Him today, tomorrow, and every day after that?

Happy 2 Months, Elise!

Here are some updated pictures of our family. Elise is growing and changing every day. She weighs somewhere between 10 and 11 pounds now! She has definitely become more expressive, smiling and trying to talk to us. She's starting to be entertained by her big brother Noel. We are getting ready to take our family of four on our first big trip--heading to Aunt Kendra and Uncle George's in Hotlanta. Hope everything goes well, as we'll be staying in one hotel room--YIKES! Wish us luck!

Tractor man

This weekend was a busy one for all of us. On Friday we met up with the Cole family at the Tipton park for a picnic, some playing, and ice cream. Noel would have played all night if we'd let him. Then on Saturday David, Elise, and I went to visit our friends who were camping at Potato Creek State Park, while Noel got to spend the day with Grandma Rita and Grandpa Ralph. The highlight was that he got his own fishing pole, which he played with the entire day. Even when it was too hot to play outside, he used their bathtub to fish in!

Then Sunday David and Noel went to a tractor show. 3 of the pictures are of Noel at the tractor show, which he loved! To top it all off, Sunday night Noel and David met up with our friend Dick Blazer and rode on his tractor while he planted corn nearby. I don't think Noel could handle much more excitement!

Three Weeks Down!

Yesterday Elise turned 3 weeks old! Here are some things she has accomplished:
*lots of eating
*lots of pooping
*lots of crying
*lots of loving from all of us

She is starting to be awake more, and looks like she's trying to focus her eyes. Noel is doing well. He was sick with a cold and ear infection for 4 days, so he was up in the night as well, making it a long, sleepless night for everyone. But thankfully everyone seems to be better. Noel has really taken to Elise. He of course wants our attention, but he also lays down next to her and just talks away to her, it's really sweet.

Everything is good here. David and Noel have been working on the garden, and I am feeling really good--recovering from the c-section.

She's Here!

We'd like to introduce you all to our newest addition to the family: Elise Jo Wittenbach. She was born Tuesday, April 21, at 4:03 p.m. She weighed 8 lb. 9 oz. It was a little bit of commotion getting her here. We found out very late in labor that she was breech, so we had to have a c-section. But everything is great now, and we are very thankful for a healthy baby girl.

Late Arrival

Just like Noel, this new little one of ours must be so cozy and comfy that she doesn't want to leave her little home. So, if nothing happens before Friday the 24th, I'm scheduled to be induced. Hopefully we will have pictures of our new Miss W. to share with you very soon! The picture above is from our Easter egg hunt at the Deans in Ohio. We had a really good time, and Noel loved looking for eggs. It's so fun to watch him figure things out every day. The other day he was just babbling on and on. . .he looks up, pauses for a second, and says, "I don't know what I'm saying." Who is this kid??

Spartans Win!

Just wanted to post some pictures from the game yesterday. We got to see the Spartans beat Louisville, and it was so much fun. When we got there it was a little overwhelming, because about 90% of the fans were Louisville, and they are LOUD!! But as the game went on, somehow it got quieter and quieter :) We didn't have great seats, but Lucas Oil Stadium has great big screens and we brought binoculars. I think the best part was after the win all of the State fans went down to the floor seats and got to see the team get their trophy and cut down the nets. We were really glad that we got to go.

Fun in the Tub

Wanted to post a few pictures of Noel enjoying his bath time. My mom got him some bathtub crayons, and he would play in there until the water is cold if we let him. It's pretty entertaining for all of us.

Something's Fishy!

This past week, David had the week off, so we took advantage of the time and went to Cincinnati for a couple of days. I forgot my camera the first night, but we went to a car show, which Noel absolutely loved! He could get in the cars and pretend to drive each of them--except the Mazarati :) Then on Friday we went to Newport Aquarium, where we had a really good time. It wasn't very busy, so we could take our time exploring and letting Noel look at everything. He was fascinated by all of the different animals. We had planned on staying longer with a visit to see our friends Brian and Ashley Craw, but Ashley was sick, so we had to cut the trip short. But we had a good time, and although Noel won't remember his last big adventure out as an only child, I know we will!

Chocolate Man

We made a cake today, and Noel thoroughly enjoyed licking the beaters. Here are a few pictures of him in action over the past week.