“He who overcomes . . . I will confess his NAME before My Father and before His angels.”
Rev. 3:5 NASB (emphasis mine)
Entering the large, crowded sanctuary, my husband and I find a seat about halfway down the center aisle. It’s only minutes before the start of the worship service. People greet and hug one another as they take their seats. A lady comes and sits close to me, but only temporarily to visit with the family sitting in front of us. They laugh and chat, oblivious to my presence. As people walk up and down the aisle, there is little eye contact between us. They don’t know me, nor I them. I feel invisible. Lonely. Uncomfortable. No one knows my name.
As a military spouse, I am no stranger to frequent moves. Starting over is never easy. Much time, effort, and resolve is needed to familiarize oneself with the area and to establish new friendships.
Yet, even in those awkward and unpleasant times, God reminds me that I’m not alone nor forsaken. He understands how I feel. He cares. He’s right by my side. He knows my name!
Looking for a new church home; trying to make ends meet because your husband left you; beginning a new job; dealing with a debilitating disease; caring for aging parents; fighting depression; the list goes on and on. When you find yourself in those uneasy, distressful, sometimes painful, and often obscure moments, take heart. You are not alone. The God of the universe, Who created you in His image, He knows YOU!
He thinks of you more times than you can ever count – Psalm 139:17-18
He loves you greatly – Psalm 103:11; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10
He sustains you – Psalm 3:5
He lifts your head – Psalm 3:3
He never leaves you – Hebrews 13:5b
He is with you wherever you go – Joshua 1:9
He chose you – John 15:16
He comforts you – 2 Corinthians 1:5
He is your joy – John 15:11
He is your salvation, strength, and song– Isaiah 12:2
He engraves you on the palms of His hands – Isaiah 49:16
He gives you eternal life – John 17:3
[Digging deeper – take time to read the above Scriptures. If you don’t know Jesus personally, please email me. I’d love to introduce Him to you!]
Forever grateful,
Beverly <><
Did you know that over 60 of the Psalms are considered laments? That’s not a word we use very often today. A lament, according to Merriam-Webster, is to express sorrow, regret, or unhappiness about something. We see a true expression of this in Scripture, especially in the Psalms. There is no faking it with God – complaint, anger, doubt, and worry is spewed out. There’s a sense of wrestling with God, yet He is never blamed. Instead, confidence, praise and joy are found within each lament.
Take a good look at today’s picture and see if you can tell what it is. It is a for real picture I recently received via text from my daughter Bethany. There’s close to a gallon of milk and two dozen eggs on the floor because the grocery bag ripped seconds before making it to the kitchen counter. What a mess!