Psalm 4 Today w/ Journalin'

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God Bless You Today, Lena B

Psalm 4
1 Answer me when I call,
O God who declares me innocent.
Take away my distress.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make these groundless accusations?
How long will you pursue lies?
Interlude
3 You can be sure of this:
The LORD has set apart the godly for himself.
The LORD will answer when I call to him.
4 Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent.
Interlude
5 Offer proper sacrifices,
and trust in the LORD.
6 Many people say, "Who will show us better times?"
Let the smile of your face shine on us, LORD.
7 You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine.
8 I will lie down in peace and sleep,
for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.

Lena Journals
Why would God hear our distresses? Because we moan, groan, whine, and are loud? I think we inwardly think something like this. But what is it God really listens for in a cry? A desire and strong yearning for change, to be changed, and to change, by taking on whatever responsibility it takes to be changed by willingly being under the supernatural power and hand of God.
The first thing that God listens for is faith for that change. Faith that arise up and says, “ok I know this may become hard for me, but what I’m living is already hard. I believe God is great and He cares enough for me to help me if I truly want it. If I call to Him He will help me know what to do in obedience to Him and I have enough determination for the change that I’ll do whatever it is He tells me to do to head that new way.”
I love how when Jesus was at the wedding at Cana and the wine had run out and His mother looked at Him and He told her, knowing her thoughts, “woman it is NOT My time here yet!”; Her response was, “Do exactly as He tells you. I mean, whatever He tells you to do, just do it.”
In that, your water will turn to wine. Impossible?
Yes, in human and natural law terms, yes, but in faith united and connected to the heart of God who created each element of the earth, no. Obedience and faith can even move mountains the Bible says. The question is, do we believe that for our own lives and circumstances and we you ready to be responsible and submit our lives to what may be necessary for change?
Why would God seem to have mercy on one and not on another? Why would someone ask for it and it not just be granted automatically? It is available to those who are truly His, those given up to Him and to those who ask with sincere earnest gratefulness, realizing without His Words of life, what and where we are.
Oh man, the enemy is out to get anyone who progresses in faith. Even if a Christian makes one small step towards growth he’d like to do them in. Come on I’m telling you this, so now that you know, set up a guard and a watch ,and when the enemy does this, shows up this way, know it is Him, the imposter and thief and do not allow him to take what is precious and of great value, forbid it to happen.
So people misunderstand you? Check yourself before the Lord and ask Him if there is anything in it you can use for constructive criticism and change, then go on.
If they smear your name, without cause, pick up and walk as though it isn’t smeared. Know who you are, not because you paint some nicey nice picture, but because you are pure, undefiled, and live a holy life. If any vindication is needed, God will do it for you, IF you are clean and clear. If not, your sin needed to be exposed to you, so you’d see it in order to change!
What controls you, moves you to action? Your emotions or the commands and precepts and laws of the Word of God? Are you impassioned for only what you like to do, or by anger and frustrations? Or do you move with heat towards doing the will of God and seeing lives effected and changed?
Proper sacrifices? Giving up what the world offers us to have time to be in hot pursuit of God’s kingdom establishment, whatever that means to each of us is different.
I know there are marked times on this journey that stand out for me. One was I did not seem to have much time to read or study God’s word. I started getting up early to do it, now I just get up and do it. I even required less sleep after I did that. I would have never known that before I did it, because my body and mind told me how much sleep I needed and how it would never work for me. When I worked it, it worked. I wanted to have more time to meditate on the Lord without feeling other voices interrupt a lot, just voices of the world, so I decided not to let the TV just play in the background, and I don’t sit in front of it much at all anymore. You would not believe how much time that gives to have a blank page in your head!
It’s all up to us, we do what we really want to do, we respond to God’s offers as much as we want to, really.
If we wanted to take a trip to Disney w/ our kids, we’d save up money, or work harder and we’d plan and then wake up when we needed to and go, no matter how late we went to bed the night before, or we’d make sure we went to bed early over it. We do what we want to.
Ever think of going to bed earlier so you’d be fresh for church and on time and not sleepy while there? These are sacrifices that are well pleasing to Him , wanting to do what He is doing. Making Him #1 priority. Making plans ahead to be who He desires us to be and do what He desires us to do.