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Summer is the only season I like.  June is my favorite month of the summer and, therefore, my favorite month of the entire year.  Kids are out of school, the temperature is warm (but not super hot and humid), and fun summer activities are in full swing.  After June of 2020 when COVID was on the rise and so many things were cancelled, I have found June of 2021 to be extra fun doing things WITH people rather than trying to social distance all the time.  In fact, I have played more golf so far in 2021 than I played in 2017, 2018 and 2019 combined.

I play golf and have dinner most every Tuesday night during the summer with a group of friends.  Five of us played together this week (rather than a typical foursome), so 9 holes took us a little longer.  Because it was guest night, there were also more people eating dinner than usual.  It was almost 9pm my the time we got our food and I found myself starting to get a little frustrated because everything was so slow…UNTIL…I realized it was June 15.  My favorite month of the year was half over already.  Oh no!  The “self talk” that followed this revelation sounded just like the Zac Brown song I’d listened to earlier in the day –

Quiet your mind
Soak it all in
It’s a game you can’t win
Enjoy the ride (Zac Brown and Wyatt Durrette, 2010)

I stopped and reminded myself to slow down, as I really had NOTHING for which I needed to get home – kids are too old to need my help at bedtime, I didn’t have any work to do, and I didn’t need to get my lunch and clothes ready for tomorrow since I’m working from home.  So, we ordered dessert and stayed out a little longer.  So fun!

Given the events of Tuesday night, it is no surprise that my heart was draw to David’s words in verse 4 of our scripture for today –

For we are like a breath of air; our days are like a passing shadow (Psalm 144:4).

Life is short.  We have the opportunity to choose Jesus and live the life to which God has called us while we are alive, but when life is over, we don’t have a “re-do” option.  Knowing that God alone is the source of purpose, fulfillment and joy for our lives, why then would we chose to live for anything else?

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is (Ephesians 5:15-17).

Carpe diem!

Psalm 143:3 “My enemy has chased me. He has knocked me to the ground. He forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave. I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear”.

The word enemy is used frequently in the Psalms. David cries out to God for deliverance from his enemies many times including todays reading of Psalm 143. The idea of having an “enemy” is a difficult one for me. I don’t have anyone that I would call my enemy. I am a peacemaker and try to avoid conflict as much as possible, probably to a fault. Even if I disagree with someone I can usually see their point of view and empathize with their situation. I often skim over these verses. How can I relate to a man being pursued by his enemies?

As it turns out, I do have enemies. My enemies present as pride, selfishness, laziness, fear, worry, envy…..I could go on and on. These are the things that keep me from enjoying the bounty that God has provided. If left unattended these “enemies” take hold and choke out all the good things that God has in store.  Just the other night I woke up obsessing over the coming school year. We have 3 kids that will be in different sports and activities, my husband and I work full time, our oldest is a senior and I don’t want to miss any opportunity to support him this year, who is going to do the laundry and the cleaning? Can the bathroom go a few months without being cleaned? Is it ok to forego grocery shopping and just eat out all year? Can we go back to last year when we were all locked up in our homes with nothing to do? Needless to say I didn’t sleep that night and struggled the next day with fatigue and felt like I lost an entire day. Those middle of the night worries are the enemies that chase me, knock me to the ground, and force me to live in darkness. I let all that happen in a matter of hours. I didn’t recognize my spiraling thoughts as distractions until it was too late. And my worries are for normal things, not the unexpected like illness or the death of a loved one. God is present for all struggles – big and little. The challenge for us is to continue to turn to Him in all things and trust His plans, not our own.

Psalm 143 is a perfect Psalm to pray against the enemy. When we are consumed by our own thoughts and feeling lost there is still hope! On our own we cannot escape the grip of the enemy, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). First, remember His works – 143:5, then reach out to Him in prayer – 143:6, trust Him – 143:8, and finally seek to do His will – 143:10. (thank you turbo notes!) When we take the first steps of action towards God, He will meet us. It doesn’t ensure a trouble free ride, but we can rest in the assurance that He goes before us and has plans beyond our own and peace beyond understanding (Phil 4:7). Practicing this in the everyday will strengthen us to do the same when the unexpected happens.

James 4:7 “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

Tomorrow, next week, and next year will happen whether I worry about it or not. As I choose to trust God for the upcoming year I look forward to His peace and watching His plans unfold.

Shelly

I remember as a kid riding my bike around the neighborhood and with my dad as he jogged along beside me.  One unfortunate evening, I was trying to be cool and show him how I could ride with no hands.  It did not end well.  I landed in the ER with many stitches in my chin.  Thankfully, I did not sustain any head injuries.  Those were the days when bike helmets did not yet exist.  Nowadays, you can hardly purchase a bike without buying a bike helmet.  Kids automatically know to put on their helmet before getting on their bike, much like we automatically put on our seatbelt when getting in the car.

The head is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body.  This is why we go above and beyond these days to protect it.  Injuries to the skull were even more prevalent in David and Jesus’ time.  A blow to the head during battle could easily be fatal.  So, in our reading for today, Psalm 140, when David says that God covered is head, he meant that God protected his life.

O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.

Psalm 140:7

This verse reminded me of the helmet of salvation.  Paul tells us of this critical piece of armor in the Book of Ephesians.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Ephesians 6:17

No Roman soldier would ever think of going into battle without his helmet.  Just like no parent today will allow their child to ride their bike without a helmet.  When the soldier put his helmet on he gained a bit of confidence.  It afforded him some protection.  This is what the helmet of salvation does for us believers today.  It gives us confidence to press on in the battle that lies ahead of us.  

In this book of Psalms we read of the evil in Davids day.  Isn’t it the same for us today?  We are surrounded by forces that are more powerful than us.  We are constantly tempted to be anxious or stressed.  We need to put on our helmet every single morning and never take it off.  As we put the helmet on, we are aware of the evil around us.  We pray for God’s protection and deliverance.  And we pray with confidence that God will overcome all evil.

Psalm 139 is one of deep comfort and connection to God, and a loving reminder to me of how much my walk with God has changed my life. In past seasons of depression, I’ve fallen prey to believing all sorts of terrible things about myself; I’m unlovable & unworthy of being cared about, I can’t do anything right, nothing I accomplish or work towards would matter, I have no hope for the future. I’d self-medicate and self-isolate, trying to hide my shame and embarrassment in myself from others, probably even convincing myself I could hide it from God if I really tried. But this psalm is such a great weapon against the Deceiver’s lies and attacks, and such a vital reminder that I am a precious child of God; that He has known me since before I was even a thought in this world and will be with me long after I die; that like all of God’s children I am evidence of His loving & caring creation, and that I can accomplish whatever He has planned for me for His glory.

Knowing God is always with you and knows the deepest thoughts of your mind & stirrings of your heart is such a relief when you’ve shared your burden with Him and felt the relief and joy that follow. But when our sin-borne pride convinces us our pain should be ours alone, that can become scary, or even painful knowledge. “I don’t want God knowing how I feel, or seeing how devoid of hope I am! How embarrassing would that be!” The thought process might be something along those lines for those going through such struggles. But let me tell you, there is such incomparable freedom when you surrender your selfishness and shame to God, and instead allow yourself to be immersed in His word, wisdom, and love. There is true comfort in the vulnerability of allowing yourself share all of who you are with God & knowing He will love & cherish you all the same. I implore you, in times when Satan tries to whisper in your ear how you it’s preferable to hide how broken you are, arm yourself with this psalm like a sword, knowing you are indeed the meticulous and intentional creation of a wonderful God who loves us, broken as we may come.

Paul knows God’s love conquers all in this life, and says so in Romans 8: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” I pray in times of need you would know the love of Christ is inseparable from you; it is an integral part of our being, woven deeply into the very fabric of who & what we are. Pray that you would be armed always with the knowledge that God is with you, that He knows and sees you as you are, and loves you dearly for it. Be thankful today that God would craft you just how you are, as a loving child of Him who serves an irreplaceable role within His Kingdom.

Psalm 137

Do you look back over your life and feel any regret over choices you’ve made? Do you wish you had done anything differently? Do you pine over careers other than the one you chose? Do cities, states or countries other than where you live call to you for adventure and lifestyle? Do you wish you had met God sooner in your life? Can you think of specific circumstances that would have changed the trajectory of your life if you had consulted God and followed His guidance? Psalm 137 is a song of pain and regret. The Israelites mourned their choices of idolatry and disobedience to God while their lives were safe and good. These selfish and dishonoring choices landed them a humiliating march from their homeland to Babylon and forced captivity by cruel captors. Loved ones were killed. They lost almost everything they owned. The city of Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. They mourned the loss of their pleasant and blessed pasts. They were suffering, in pain and they were full of regret.

It is easier to see the good when we are experiencing the not so good. Sometimes we take good things for granted and assume they will always be good. It isn’t until those good things change or go away that we notice how much we enjoyed them, valued them or appreciated them. I recently read Kimberly Williams-Paisley’s book, “Where the Light Gets In” that tells of her experience living through her mom’s battle with a rare form of dementia. Kim was being emotionally and mentally knocked down every time her mom had an incident or lost another skill. Kim and her therapist came up with a new way of thinking for Kim to help her through the slow loss of her mother’s personhood. “Don’t look at what you’re not getting from your mother. Look at what you are getting.” Through the difficult circumstances of her mom’s deterioration she decided to view the “hard” as “not only an opportunity to love unconditionally, but her mom’s situation allowed her to practice being comfortable with what is uncomfortable. To grieve and also embrace what is broken. To know that some days she could receive who her mother is now and some days she struggled with it. She wanted things to be the way they were. Letting go of what used to be was the hardest act, and yet the most liberating.” While the pain and sadness in Kim’s life came from disease, not as consequences of disobedient choices she made, she responded with practical and Godly wisdom that applies to so many difficult circumstances that we may be facing because of poor choices or just tough circumstances.

~Instead of focusing on what we have lost, or what we     regret, look for the ways that God has protected, saved and preserved.

~Focus on loving others unconditionally instead of looking at what you have lost.

~Grieve the losses and let go of what used to be so you can move forward with healing and repair.

(It goes without saying that if we are in tough circumstances because we made poor choices, the first step needs to be asking for forgiveness from God and changing our actions from sin to right living. If we don’t make right our relationship with Him there will be no repair.  If others were wronged because of our poor choices, we will need to ask forgiveness from them also before steps can be taken to change our focus.)