“Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.” Psalm 47:6-7 NIV
Do it now!
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
RealChristianWomen.blog
Do the holidays trigger thoughts of what should have been instead of what is? Are you feeling lonely? The strange thing about depression is that it seems to take your mind captive. You may think you can’t stop the downward spiral.
The next thing you know, you’re driving to the grocery to buy food for the holidays and tears begin to well up in your eyes. You hate it. You don’t want to be sad!
I know all about it because I experienced this one day.
I prayed. I asked the Lord to help me.
Just a few minutes later, my daughter called. (You should know, she loves to cook. I mean really cook, like they do on TV Cooking Shows. I, on the other hand, look for the easiest and quickest recipe possible.)
Christina: “Mom, would you get me a butternut squash while you’re at the store?”
Me: “Do you mean like a real vegetable butternut squash?” (I’m thinking does that come in a package?)
Christina: (starts laughing hilariously) “Yes! A real vegetable butternut squash!!”
We both cracked up and had a good belly laugh! It felt so good to laugh!
Guess what? My mood completely changed right then.
I learned a valuable, yet simple lesson about holiday blues.
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Mathew 6:8
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5
“A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22
A book could be written on this subject, and I know that, but this is what happened to me. Sometimes a person needs a word of encouragement, not the whole book.
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving . . . Psalm 25:1-2
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
RealChristianWomen.blog
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'” Matthew 16:24 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
RealChristianWomen.blog
“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.” Psalm 145:18-20 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
RealChristianWomen.blog
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
RealChristianWomen.blog
“If you feel besieged by life today, lean on the God of peace – the God of hope and the future. The same God who has a plan for Israel has a plan for you. Trust that He will direct your path.” David Jeremiah
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
RealChristianWomen.blog
“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,” 2 Timothy 2:24-25 NIV Read full chapter
Defending Christianity is a biblical imperative, essential for protecting the truth, edifying believers, and reaching those who are lost. (Bruce Cooper, from Defending Christianity: A Biblical Mandate Rooted in Truth and Love)
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
RealChristianWomen.blog
“Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
Photo by Gary Fultz on Unsplash
Visit Gary’s blog at https://garyfultz.com/
RealChristianWomen.blog
Do you ever need a shoulder to cry on? Someone to whom you can honestly express everything you’re feeling? Most of us keep these deepest thoughts inside where they only torment our soul. But there is One with whom you can express your deepest feelings openly and without fear. Talk to the Lord. He loves you and knows what’s in your heart and mind anyway.
A person can be hurt in such a traumatic way that it causes life-long depression or even PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Their soul needs to be restored. Even when all else has failed, there is still hope. Your loving Father’s arms are open wide.
Have you read the book of Lamentations? It is a model for how we should express our laments to God. It was most likely written by the prophet Jeremiah. This was his lament at the time of Israel’s exile and the destruction of Jerusalem. The author pours out his heart to God. He says,
“This is why I weep
and my eyes overflow with tears.
No one is near to comfort me,
no one to restore my spirit.” Lamentations 1:16 NIV
The Good Shepherd is the only one who can restore your soul.
“The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;” Psalm 23:1-3 KJV
We can talk to God about our deepest feelings of anger and despair. We can bring these feelings to God because He loves us and wants us to turn to Him for comfort. He wants us to come to Him because we know He is our loving Father.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV
Adding lament to your prayer life will cause your relationship with God to grow deeper and more intimate. It will restore your soul.
“The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.
I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:19-23 NLT
For more about this, read He Restoreth My Soul.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
RealChristianWomen.blog
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
RealChristianWomen.blog
Real Christian Women 