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Welcome to week 2 of my new adventure: video blogging.
My Vlog now has a name! Lessons from the Lake
Thank you to my blogging friend Susan Shipe for her brilliant name suggestion last week. Susan you are fabulous!!!
Have you ever been walking the road of life and everything seems totally fine?
Then all of the sudden, it’s not so fine?
This week, discouragement tried to creep in and rob me of peace. All week, I kept being drawn to the verses in Psalm 42. I was not drawn to the ones about discouragement and questioning where God was. I was drawn to verses about longing for God. Longing for a deeper revelation (vs 7), a deeper relationship (vs 8), and a longing to feel His presence(vs 1-2).
Last week I had little thing after little thing go wrong.
Tweet ThisEver had days or weeks like that? If we are honest, we all do, however it is what we choose to do with them when they come that matters.
Last week I broke a tooth. A tooth the dentist said would be 98% fine when I had him look at the week before. It happened on Thursday night and the dental office is closed on Friday. Good news and a God miracle was the doctor came in on Friday and was able to take the existing tooth and make it work as a crown, instead of taking a more time consuming and costly route.
Last week we heard the reply to our “Big Ask” of my husbands employers, and it was favorable. However, it was quickly followed up with more uncertainty, making the favorable response to our “Big Ask” not so favorable.
Last week, I began comparing myself, my ministry, my blog, our church, etc. to others. I said to my husband, “I feel like I’m in High School all over again and it’s a popularity contest, that I can’t win.”
There were other things throughout the week that happened as well that allowed discouragement to sneak up on me. I honestly wasn’t even aware that this little cloud of discouragement was there until Sunday morning.
We were singing the song “Holy Spirit,” and when I sang the chorus, “let us be overcome by your presence,” it was at that very moment that I felt myself cry out:
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?” (Psalm 42:5)
In that moment, I knew I needed to feel God’s overwhelming presence. I know that He was there, because He promises He will never leave us, but I needed to feel Him there.
I feel I have been steadfast and standing in faith as we wrestle through making a decision about my husbands job. I felt like I had dealt calmly with the tooth issue. I talked my way through the feelings of being a loser in the popularity contest of life, not to mention all the other little things that came up last week.
However, apparently my soul wasn’t feeling the same peace, hope, faith, and trust in God.
We have 1 week left to make a decision, and feel we have come to a decision, but will wait on the Lord some more.
The decision is one that entails change.
To some it seems to be the riskier path.
It’s a decisions that will require much faith and trust in God.
It’s a decision that makes us feel a little like Abraham when God told him to go and in faith he went, not knowing where he was going or where he would end up.
My response to discouragement and uncertainty this week is found in Psalms 42:5 and 11:
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday. I will finish up the series on Gideon: Where are you Putting Your Trust? (Self Reliance vs God Reliance)
Psalm 42
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One[d]
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
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My Post: “The Journey through Change” was featured here:
I have been know to link to the following Inspirational Parties:
Sunday’s
Monday’s
What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings
Tuesday’s
Wednesday’s
Thursday’s
Friday’s:
Saturday’s:
Awww, it is so good to see you and to hear your voice today. What a beautiful day at the lake! Keep on resting in His presence as you step out in faith and into all that He has in store for you. It is going to be good 🙂
God bless your sweet heart!
Patti
P.S. Next month in person!
Thank you – it was a beautiful hot day when I recorded, but it was so much fun too. Thank goodness I was able to do it in only 1 take. the deck was so hot it was burning my bare feet. LOL Looking forward to She Speaks and seeing you soon!!!
Patti and Debbie, my Allume friends:
I made reservations at The Ark Encounter for my daughter and two grands to visit (KY) same weekend as SHE SPEAKS. Or, I would be there to hang with you two! 2017 for sure.
xoxo
Oh man, well yes, next time we will make a plan spending time with your family is so important and I am sure will be way more fun.
I enjoyed your post today Debbie! I too have been discouraged lately so reading this was a great reminder to get in His presence!
Thank you for your words!
Julie
Julie – I am so sorry to hear you have been discouraged lately, but I am grateful that my words in some way may have helped you. Getting in His presence often makes things better immediately even when circumstances don’t change. So very glad you stopped by.
Debbie!
First things first:
1. Psalm 42…one of my go-to scriptures! “Don’t be dismayed or discouraged: EXPECT GOD TO ACT! HOPE IN HIM!”
2. As the deer pants for the water? Lay me out on the floor. Love that worship song and the imagery.
3. The Lake? So lovely. #blessed
4. Is your necklace crooked again?
5. And, what an awesome shoutout \o/ AND, you pronounced my name correctly! Woo-hoo!
😉 Love you sister who is far away!!!
Susan – LOL you make me smile my far away blogging friend. So to answer #4 -NO – LOL they necklace I chose is not symmetrical, so I wouldn’t have to worry about it being straight. Pure genius(I thought anyway 🙂 ) You are so welcome for the shout out and the correct pronouncement of your name…it’s important 🙂 Blessings
I could relate so much to what you shared in your post. Thank you for being so transparent.
I’ve always been convicted by that Psalm because I have never felt that I have “panted after God”. Even today during the sermon I was convicted that I am living for myself and not for God.
Conviction is good. The Holy Spirit is working on me. Part of that continued working was through this blog post as well.
I leave here feeling edified. Blessings.
Karen – You are welcome for the transparency – It is something I strive to be at all times, which isn’t always easy and is way vulnerable and exposing sometimes. Conviction is good when the Holy Spirit is involved. He is always working on me too. I am so glad you received some help in reading my post today and I am very grateful you left edified… that is my goal. 🙂 Blessings
Debbie,
Thank you for this post! I needed to hear some scripture to inspire my heart out an unnecessary funk. I find that sometimes I’m all out of sorts simply for taking the blessings I live with everyday for granted. Comparison is ugly and awful, and I have to be so careful to life my agenda up to Him each morning in place of what I “think” should be filling the day’s hours.
Happy Tuesday! Visiting from Soul Survival.
Megs
Megs – I am so glad you received some scriptures to help you out of the funk, and yes comparison is so ugly, I hate when I start to go down that road, getting my eyes off myself and my circumstances and back on Him is exactly what is needed. Thanks for stopping by
It’s easy to let the concerns of the world cause our souls to be ‘downcast.’ Good grief, one look at the news these days and there are dozens of justifiable reasons for it, right? But thank goodness David’s psalm didn’t leave us there… but reminds us that our hope is not in circumstances or situations, but firmly in God who does not change! Thank you for this reminder!
Karen I completely agree, it is so easy to get discouraged or downcast… I don’t really like watching the news at all, I figure if there is something I need to know, my husband or others can let me know. Oh and the Psalms, I don’t know where I would be without them, they strengthen me, give me hope, and let me know that even when I am feeling the way I am (discouraged or disheartened,) that God knows and will rescue me… because as you said – HE NEVER CHANGES! Thank you so much for stopping by today.
I always find comparison is the start of a depressive episode for me – when I can’t think of anything else, I know I need to take some time out and find the positives again.
Thanks so much for sharing over at #FridayFrivolity! 🙂
Jess – comparison is such an icky things all the way around. Taking time to find the positives and the goods is an excellent way to combat depression and comparison.
I love Psalm 42 and “The Holy Spirit” song. I’m taking a moment now to pray for your decision. Thanks for joining us at the #LMMLinkup.
Leslie – thank you s much for your prayers and for stopping in to watch the V-log – your prayers are greatly appreciated and so is your stopping by for a visit.
Debbie, I love this vlog. I am not much of a video person. I like quick clips or fun pet vids, but I don’t follow any other vlogs. I like yours cause it’s short and to the point. You get your meaning across and help us get the lesson. Perfect!
I love the name too! You are accomplishing so much. I am proud of you.
I hope that things swing back your way. Thinking of you and sending hugs and prayers! xx
Oh Nikki – thank you so much!!! That has been my goal, to say what needs to be said and encourage others in less than 5 minutes! LOL Thank you for your encouragement too, because sometimes, I wonder if I am accomplishing anything … I appreciate your encouragement so very much, more than words can even express.