Encouraged

Well I know my last few posts have seemed a little downtrodden. Sorry about that, but I did want to be real with my emotions. And though I'm usually a really happy person and things can't get me down for too long, sometimes it all catches up with me and I get down, a little. Here is (one reason) why the Lord is so good: He picks you up out of the pit and sets your feet on a rock (Ps 40:2). He takes sinners and makes them new. And, He encourages us. Though I still face many of the same heartaches, He "put a new song in my mouth" (Ps 40:3) and I will continue to sing it!! This new song refers to the song of gratitude we have for our salvation. Though this new song is actually one I've been blessed to sing for the majority of my life, sometimes it helps to just reflect on who God is, who I am, and what He's done for me. It's hard to be forlorn when I have been saved from eternal separation from my Creator. "How has He encouraged you lately?" you ask. Well let me tell you:

1. Time spent with my brother. Sometimes it's the little things, like swimming in the afternoons and watching a movie at night with my eleven year old brother, that bring healing.

2. Hymns. Most people who know me know my love for hymns. Their rich doctrine and beautiful words are the perfect combination for helping anyone, through anything. Want to know why hymns are so helpful? Because they are about God, and about Christ, and about our sinful state and how He ransomed our souls by the blood of Christ to make us righteous and able to live with Him eternally, and about the victory He gives us over sin. Hymns are about Him, and what He's done. The focus is taken off of self, except to remind us of how wretched we are.

3. Time spent with true friends that are genuine, godly people. Several of my friends have helped immensely in the past week or so, some without even knowing that I've been so down. One friend, Lindsay (of course) has helped in particular. She's known I've been upset a bit lately but may not have realized the extent of it. But she posted a song called "To the Cross I Cling" by The Village Church on her blog. This song is also familiar from my trip to Santa Cruz with her family. At any rate, this song has been such an encouragement. I cling to the cross, not to my circumstances (which really are pretty great). It's all because of Christ that I am who I am, and I will forever be grateful to Him. Again, I'm reminded that it's about Him, not Laurie. This leads me to number 4.

4. The other night we were in the car, and "To the Cross I Cling" came on, and Linds said, "This is actually based off of one of the prayers from The Valley of Vision, 'The Broken Heart', almost word for word." So of course, yesterday morning I had to read this prayer for myself. Zach gave me a leather bound copy of The Valley of Vision for my birthday last year because he knew I didn't have one. (Let me interrupt my story to say that this is seriously one of the best gifts I've ever received.) Now, I'm sure he knew that this would be an incredible book for me to have, and he probably knew that it would bring immense blessing, but he may not have known that it would bring needed healing as well. Because, I don't know if you've ever read The Valley of Vision, but for me, when I start it, I can't stop. Anytime I pick up that book, I lose track of time and am humbled again and again by the rich truths found within. Unfortunately with the busyness of school and the laziness of summer, I'd never taken advantage of it, until yesterday. But ever since I picked it up and have read portions of it, I've been blessed again and again. God is so amazing in so many ways, and this book is such a precious reminder of that.

5.  God Himself. "Jehovah-Rapha" means that He's the God who heals. "El Roi" means He's the God who sees-sees our suffering and will help us, if we humble ourselves and ask for it. "El Shaddai" means God All Sufficient-He is all we need. "Jehovah-Shammah" means The Lord Who is Present- He's here with us, and has promised to never leave us or forsake us. When reflecting on God and who He is and what He's done, it's hard to be discouraged for very long.