Why I Sing for Joy!

"...my mouth will praise you with joyful lips

when I remember you upon my bed, 

and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 

for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.  

My soul clings to you; 

your right hand upholds me."

Psalm 63:5-8

Think back to something God has done...something that would not have happened had it not been for his intervention, guidance, presence or power.  We can name many instances, can we not?  Psalm 63 is one of my favorite, and there are actually several portions of it that could be highlighted.  It is so rich! But I've chosen these verses for the joy they bring as I meditate upon them remembering God's goodness and many, many mercies toward me.  

What a wonderful place to abide...in the shadow of God's wings...under his protective and watchful eye, close to his heart.  That alone is great reason to be joyful.  As believers we are blessed with this close position to God through his grace alone.  He has invited us to be in relationship and the benefits of that relationship are like no other.  No doubt we can recount story after story of when he was our help.  Once we trust in God's son, Jesus, we desire a close, abiding relationship...we literally CLING to Jesus.  

During many nights I could feel his right hand holding me close, holding me tightly, reassuring...steady...strong.  Who wouldn't cling to that, right?  God often wakes me in the "watches of the night" to pray for someone, to commune with him, to search his Word for wisdom and help.  I feel especially close to him at night.  I know he watches over me, protects me, and prepares the day in front of me so I will see him working on my behalf. 

One of the many reasons I sing for joy, is that I know my God defends me, fights for me.  I know there have been numerous times the enemy would creep into my night seeking to frighten, discourage, and bring despair.  But God fought for me.  There have been times in my life when people...people whose hearts were bent toward evil and destruction came against me.  I LOVE the passage in Psalm 64 on the facing page.  Here David describes enemies coming against him, setting traps of ambush, shooting arrows with bitter lies and destructive words.  I've known people like this.  Being in full-time ministry places you in enemy territory many times.  People will gnash their teeth against those proclaiming the gospel and reaching the lost for Christ.  My husband, a pastor, and I have experienced warfare many times.  But God has come to our defense in every single instance.  We see him dealing with those who come against us.  We don't have to do a thing but trust in him.  What a cause for joy!  

I pray that you find shelter under the wing of the Most High God, that you find many reasons to remember and celebrate with joy the times he has come to your aid, upheld you with his right hand.  Knowing he has been there for us, faithfully providing and protecting, gives us full assurance he will ALWAYS be there for us.  And that indeed is a reason to sing for joy!

Sets Used: 

His Wings

       

                                          His Name                                     Note This

Worthy to be Praised!

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, 

my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, 

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, 

my stronghold and my refuge, my savior, 

you save me from violence. 

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised... 

(2 Samuel 22:2-4)

We praise God because He is worthy to be praised! When the earth seems to crumble beneath our feet, He is our Rock. When we need a place of safety and peace, He is our fortress, our defender, a shield around us. When we need to be rescued, He is our Savior. When we consider His works and His character, we are left amazed and our lips can do nothing less than praise Him. 

God never fails to respond to our call. His presence and power in our lives are constants in which we can completely trust. He is never too busy, never disinterested, never too distant to hear our call to Him. He is worthy of our praise. What are some of the ways you praise Him?

Page: Background color is blended chalks, sprayed with fixative. Most of the margin words and the flowers are stamped (Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps: Rebecca Script Alpha, He is Worthy, His Wings, Words of Life: Collections 1 and 2, and Long-Stemmed Silhouettes).

God of Hope

Good morning! I'm back today with another post on behalf of Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps showcasing my project for the Creative Worship Design Team. 

The last few weeks in my family's life have been filled with hope...the certain kind of hope that comes from trusting God no matter what.  We had a near-devastating experience with the birth of my grandson.  I believe with all my heart the enemy had another plan but the prayers of so many family and friends inclined God's ear toward us.  We definitely saw His mighty hand of intervention.  Where the enemy planned death...God prevailed in bringing life to our family.  My grandson and precious daughter-in-law are doing well and little Lukas is even flourishing!  Thank you to all who prayed on our behalf!

Of course I had to share...I'm a grandmother!!!

The very first verse I wanted to journal upon returning home was Romans 15:13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  We felt first-hand how God is in command of the hope that fills our hearts as we trust in Him.  The more we surrendered to His will in all things, the more HOPE we gained.  Hope overcame anxiety, joy overcame tears, and God overcame death.  What a sweet personal picture of our hope in the cross of Christ and His redeeming work as we approach Easter!

I chose three Sweet 'n Sassy stamps from the Creative Worship Bible Journaling section of the store to visually depict this verse. 

 Amazing God                             His Wings

Choose Faith

I love all three of these sets because they offer so much versatility.  I can't art-journal fast enough!  This page in my Bible will always have a great deal of meaning to me.  The God of hope reached down and rescued our family from despair. 

All the text content in the margin is either stamped or hand lettered.  Colors on the page are sponged with SU ink or Tim Holtz Distress ink.  You can't see it real well here, but I also highlighted some of the lettering with my Spica Glitter Pens...I LOVE those things.  They add glitter to a page without the mess of glue/regular glitter which might brush off over time.  They come in a full array of colors.

If you have a moment, I'd love for you to visit my post on the Sweet 'n Sassy's Creative Worship blog.  It's a great place to visit because the other team members post some marvelous samples of journaling and card-making.  Hope you can come by!

May the God of hope fill your heart with joy and peace this week as you trust Him in every circumstance of life.  I pray He will take my humble efforts at art in my Bible to bless others with the majesty, power and grace He offers through His Word.