Friday, January 23, 2009

Friday Challenge

As I come to this day I bring a few things that I am tired of carrying around. Do you have things that you are tired of carrying around? I can’t help buy see in my own life all the stuff I try to tote along with me. My pride, my guilt, my fears, my stubbornness, my doubts, my current pain and sickness. I wonder does God really want me carrying all this around? How can I be who He truly designed me to be if I have all this baggage?



How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.
Psalm 13

As I read Psalm 13 I hear David calling out to his God. He is asking God how long?

I wonder,

How long will we continue to live in sin?

How long will we focus on religion rather than relationship?

How long will we live in the past shackled by the chains?

How long will the sickness and pain continue?

And after David asks these true, honest, humbly and heart felt questions, God brings things into perspective. God makes a trade with David. David is set free to sing!

But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

The Friday Challenge is: TRADE

Trade Him. Trade in whatever is keeping your heart from singing.

For this trade has eternal rewards. We find in Revelation just that, those who were faithful, those who trusted in His unfailing love. They are singing to the One who set them free. The only One who was able to make the Perfect Trade.


After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb." All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
"Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!"
Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"
I answered, "Sir, you know."
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore,
"they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Revelation 7:9-16


May we trust today in His unfailing love, make a trade and sing!


10 comments:

Sue J. said...

I so love this song! Did this one with the kids, and they love this song!!

Hope you are feeling better, though it sounds like you're still working through things.

I'm gonna trade any thoughts of incorrect submission to rejoice in the understanding of His ways.

Yes, Lord, yes, Lord, yes, yes, Lord! AMEN

Runner Mom said...

I love this song, too!! THanks so much for sharing it!

Are you feeling better yet? I surely hope so! Still praying for your complete recovery.

I am trading partial belief for complete belief that He is who He says He is, and He can do what He says he can do ( Beth Moore). Woohoo!

Love you!
Susan

Sharon said...

I Love this song, isn't it great!

I am trading any and all of my hurts that I have had and have complete and ultimate faith that he will handle each of them.
Praise God

Hope you are feeling better, still praying for you.
Have a blessed weekend my friend

More than Survival said...

That is a GREAT song!!
God does long for us to trade with him.... He takes all of our pain and gives us so much joy in return!! PTL!! Thank you for being used by God to really challenge me to face some tough issues that were brewing inside! I need to write you a long email to let you know all that God has done!!!!!
Have a great day!
Heather

Kelly said...

I hate to be redundant - but - I LOVE THIS SONG! It's just a great song, and YES YES LORD!

wonderful words today. Now to apply them!

Joyful said...

Fear for faith is the trade I have to keep making as I guess I'm an Indian giver, because I keep taking it back.

Needing to trade for keeps,
Joy
Still praying for you.

My ADHD Me said...

I love the feeling I get whenever I visit your blog.
Great post.

Kimberly said...

"Trade in whatever is keeping your heart from singing"...what an EXCELLENT challenge, Nichole!

I carry too much. As if the outcome of so many things truly rests on me. As if the perfect, mighty, sovereign Lord does not have everything perfectly planned and in control. I definitely need to do some trading. :)

Praying for you.
Love,
K

achildoftheking said...

Praise God.... I love Psalms. They are full of God's unfailing love for us.

I find this one in particular to speak to me:
Psalm 36:7
How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

I hand over/trade all of the negative things in my life to YOU O' Lord God. Thank You for Your unfailing love for me.

Karen Hossink said...

Now that is a trade UP. For sure!

I love reading "but" in the psalms. My situation stinks, this is true. BUT, God is good. He is my help. I can trust Him. Therefore, I will sing!

Trading my circumstance for my Savior!