“Finding Comfort and Strength in the Psalms”

Welcome back! I'm thrilled to have you join me today as we explore a few of the Psalms penned by David. David, both a prophet and a man who faced countless trials and betrayals, has left us a timeless legacy of faith. In this journey, we will delve into these sacred and prophetic scriptures, discovering how they can offer solace in difficult times, with profound comfort, unshakable strength, and invaluable guidance when others fall short.

The Power of Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3 He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

forever. PSALM 23

Harnessing the Word as a Weapon

God put this scripture in my heart to memorize, and I suggest the same for all of us!

You can use it against the enemy (demons) when fear, discontent, and even bitterness try to creep in.

The Word of the YahWeh is our spiritual sword and it is a weapon that we can use against strongholds and spiritual attacks, but we can also use it to recreate thought cycles in our minds powerfully.

I truly believe that God gave us things like science and psychology not merely to have physical proof of who He is but to utilize the greatness of who He is with a better, more profound understanding of His precise nature (in some aspects, as we cannot yet fully know God)

I use His breathed-out word to take negative thought patterns that: trauma, stubbornness, bitterness, guilt, shame, discontent, greed, and sinfulness have carved into my mind throughout my life; and renew them with wise and fruitful thoughts like His.

Now I’m not talking about believing in manifestation or the word of faith movement at all here, but simply trusting what the word says about allowing His word to penetrate our minds, renew our thoughts, and reveal our heart’s desires.

The enemy is crafty, always trying to take the truth and twist it just enough to steer us off track.

It’s a very difficult process to explain briefly, but God tells us in Proverbs 18:21 that “the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (NIV)

When we understand the wisdom of this proverb we can understand that speaking out, even ruminating negative thoughts will affect us, and those around us.

But if we fix our eyes on what is true and righteous and worthy of praise then we will be able to speak life to the dead parts of our hearts and renew them with the life-giving words of YahWeh.

Trusting God's Character

So, how does all of this tie into when others fail us?

This specific psalm teaches us how to rely on the Holy Spirit for our comfort and how to trust that when others (or we ourselves) fall short of perfection and cause heartache, let us down, or maybe when they cause us to be anxious, and even when they prove to be an enemy; we can come to God and know that:

1. HE is our good Shepherd and aside from Him we (should and hopefully will someday) have no other desire but to be with Him.

2. That He is the one who will give us rest and comfort from the struggles

3. He is the one who will restore our strength and spur us on to keep fighting the good fight of faith.

4. That even when it seems like there is no end in sight to our current suffering; we can know and find comfort in His promise that there IS an end. No more tears, no more pain, and no more sorrow.

5. That He will bring us blessings and honor and glory and it will be in the midst of the enemy’s taunts and curses that we can draw from His Spirit to find joy that will crush the enemy.

6. that He will be a justice bearer for us.

7. Lastly, we can know even when we aren’t strong enough to take these practical steps, even when we end up wallowing in our despair; or even committing a sin that (as long as we have a repentant heart) He will be an ever loving; steadfast (faithful) God who pursues us and stands beside us from now throughout eternity, when we dwell with Him.

Honest Dialogue With God

What I felt He was getting at in having me share these two psalms is that it’s okay for us to be real with Him about how we feel.

Respectfully questioning what He is doing and asking Him to come to our aid, to be our justice bringer against those who torment us.

Because, and know this; God’s justice is righteous and our justice more than likely is not.

And although in Psalm 7 David is asking for things that may sound revengeful; if you’re looking carefully with unveiled eyes David is merely asking for God to do as He promises. That is to save the righteous and bless them and to put the wicked in their place.

In fact, it could very well be your choice to be merciful that sews a seed for that person that could someday become part of what you harvest.

So, when others fail us we must remember to come to Him for comfort and refreshment because He is the Spirit of life that fills our cup to overflow.

Trust that He will bring justice in the most perfect and righteous of ways.

We just have to be patient, have faith, and bring these hurts and worries to Him; and then His peace which transcends all else will be with us.

Until next week!

Shalom,

Dayna