"Tender Mercy"

(by Enter the Worship Circle) Tender Mercy - First Circle



In the Bible study that I'm currently participating in, today's lesson encouraged us to "pause for the One we should seek over all else" (Lysa TerKeurst, "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl"). She referenced {my favorite} Psalm 27 (specifically verse 4) and Psalm 9:10. And she said, "Remember and believe that every moment spent with the Lord is time well spent."

Enjoying God's Word today, I remembered when I got a new Bible a few years ago and was so excited about it that I posted on my myspace blog back in the day! I thought it would be fun to post in on here, because it was my first blog post ever! So here you go...



September 18, 2006

Not just rules...

Current mood: excited

I'm so excited cuz I got this new super cute pink & brown Bible today (for CHEAP, which makes it even better)!!! {& for those of you who REALLY know me, you know that I loved pink & brown BEFORE it was cool, cuz I'm an undercover trend setter..but that's a whole other subject...}

Anyways, it's the New Living Translation, and I'm really liking the way it phrases some stuff. Take Psalm 119, for instance. {OK, if you've read through the Psalms before, don't roll your eyes...Psalm 119 is really awesome even if it is super long}. Check out these few verses (5-11):

"Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect Your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with Your commands. As I learn Your righteous regulations, I will thank You by living as I should! I will obey Your decrees. Please don't give up on me! How can a young person stay pure? By obeying Your Word. I have tried hard to find You -- don't let me wander from Your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You."

I just love how it makes me feel! Being a Christian isn't about the rules. It's about loving Jesus, and because of that love, I want to make Him happy by following His rules. And when I make Him happy, I'm happy. And the more I read His Word, the more like Him I become, and the easier it is to follow His rules. It's pretty neat how it all works out that way. I could go on, but I won't right now...



There you have it ~ my first ever blog post! {& I've apparently always liked the little swirly brackets! OK, I just looked them up, & "{}" are actually called curly brackets, and I very rarely used them in a grammatically correct manner!} Anyways, over the past couple of years I've had a particularly hard time focusing on what I should be focusing on. I am easily distracted by my to-do list & my fears. I will settle for reading my Bible & "checking it off the list" without spending much quality time with my Lord. Some days are good, some days aren't. I know that the problem is ME and not Him, but many times I would choose to stay in my little self-centered rut. I still talked to Him throughout the day, but I didn't pause for Him.

Well let me just say that it's not good enough! I know that & have always known that, but lately I've realized that I really needed to do something about it! This Bible study has been such a good thing for me, because she suggests a lot of ways to put what I know into practice! And today I had that giddy feeling again ~ that feeling of delighting in His Word!

I know that I've talked about feelings a couple of times in the post. Please hear me out: it's NOT about feelings!! I know that feelings aren't a substitute for truth. The lessons this week have even asked whether we process life through our feelings or God's truth, and we all know how we should process life! But this feeling I'm talking about is different than the feelings I have about my circumstances. {Because y'all know that those fearful feelings aren't God's truth!} This feeling I'm talking about is a more of a freedom-type of feeling. The JOY that comes from knowing the Lord, knowing His truth, knowing that He is in control and that His plans are good.

Last week we read the following scripture, & I thought it was pretty great:

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits—
Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
(Psalm 103:1-5, NIV)


She wrote [and I'm going to quote her again, because she's an author & says things way better than I ever could!] that it "outlines everything we need during our ugly moments: praise the Lord and remember how He forgives me, heals me, redeems me, loves me, has compassion on me, satisfies my desires in good ways, and renews my strength." Oh, that's so true! How awesome is our God?!

Amy

Comments

Laura said…
I'm so glad you're enjoying the Bible study! I've really enjoyed our table conversations. :)
Zion said…
That first myspace post knocked it out of the park. You've always been a natural. Thanks for the reminder to pause. I love hearing about that giddy feeling. I desire that same thing and I have felt the Lord calling me to explore the intimate side of our relationship, but I don't feel like I have really taken the time out to tap into it just yet.

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