I have decided to trust God and what he says.
            But what about what others say?
            But what about those who belittle me and make fun of me?
            But what about those who target Christians, they play dirty and shoot from the shadows?
            But what about when my world and stability is shaken to its core?

What do I do? What does trust and surrender look like then?
 
The LORD is stability.
The LORD is holy, he is god, he is God.
The LORD is the ruler of every realm.
The LORD is above and beyond and outside of the world.
The LORD is within and active and a part of the world.
The LORD sees.
The LORD comprehends.
                        He looks on the righteous with favor
                        He hates wickedness and violence.
                        He will judge them and bring justice.
                        Hardship and pain will follow wickedness

The LORD is righteous
The LORD loves justice.

He will be seen by those who seek his face.
I will trust God and what he says.

Ps. 9:1-2. All my heart ( the center of my decision-making and trust) will sing and tell of your amazing acts. 

3. Before you all that stands against me must give account.

4-5. Clearing my name from unjust accusations, you have called my opponents into accounts.

6. Destroying their lies and declaring me righteous through your Spirit, and delivering me to live a righteous life

7-8. Establishing his throne of judgment, he rules in righteousness and equity.

9-10. For the oppressed, you are a refuge.  For the troubled, you are a strength. You have never forsaken those who seek you.

11. Give God the praises he deserves. He is GREAT and GLORIOUS and GOOD and GENEROUS.

12.  He remembers my unjust suffering. He avenges and brings justice and healing.

13-14. If I intentionally look past my bitter moment toward your salvation and deliverance, I will be able to declare you praises now in the midst of my pain.

15-16. Justice comes when the schemers fall into their own schemes and their traps trap themselves.

17-18. Know that God will not forget the needy, he will keep safe the hope of the oppressed.

19-20. Lord, let the world know that you will judge them for their deeds.

 10:1. Meet me here Lord. I feel alone. You feel so far away.

2-3. Noxious men seek out the weak and stand on the piles of their victims boasting of their wisdom and power.

4-5. Only for himself does he think. Only for his comfort is he concerned. Outwardly he looks successful and prosperous and carefree.

6. Preening his feathers he proudly professes his power.

7. Quite full of lies and equally full of trouble and evil and threats, he makes those around him quake.

8-9. Rotten and reviling and his actions. He leaves no repulsive thing undone to the innocent and the helpless.

10. Smugly, he misunderstands brutality for strength and fear for power.

11. Thinking he is above the notice of God, he does anything for his own advantage.

12. Uncover your face! Rise up! Show your wisdom and your understanding and your unmatched power and compassion for the weak.

13-14. Victims who commit themselves to you will see you victory. Those who revile you, in justice will be reviled by you.

15. Wickedness will be uncovered and the wicked will be punished

16. eXalted forever, you are King and you are God.  Cultures and philosophies will rise and fall, but your truth and your power will never fade.

17. You hear, you listen, and you encourage all who call on you.

18. Zap the wicked so that mere mortals will not cause so much fear. Zero out their power and the terrors they have caused.

      Your name is one of the greatest gift that you have ever given to us.   “I will be what I will be,”  “I am,” “You are”, and you are my Lord.

Exodus 33:19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

Exodus 34:6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.  Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”… 14 Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

       Your strength is enough, all by itself, so that you can choose any vessel, any person, no matter how weak or vulnerable, in which to establish your stronghold against your enemies.

       When I think of what you could do, what you have done, your power and your awesome works, I am humbled and awe-struck that you choose to use me-- so insignificant!--that you have chosen me and your choosing makes me significant.

       You have given me so much good work to do , so much to enjoy.  You begin every day with the sunshine and end every day with twinkling starlight.

     “You are,” You are my Lord and I stand with joy and awe in the midst of what you have done.

   The thing about a refuge is that you don’t need one if everything is okay.  You don’t need a Lord if you are the one in charge.  You don’t need to be saved if you are safe.

      A refuge means both that you are protected and that you need protecting.  

     I do need protecting.  It’s not that I try to live outside of your righteous guidelines.  It is not sin that I have done that is bringing confrontation or condemnation or consequences.  But I feel ripped apart.

     Arise. Awake. Act. Do something!

     I want to call the world into account for all that has happened.  I want justice to be given to the vulnerable women and children and power to be taken away from the selfish and wealthy.

      Why can’t you just help the righteous more? Why can’t you give jobs to people who love you and are trying to serve you?  You know our hearts.  You know we are trying to serve you!

       Yet.  You are my shield. You do save me.  When I am at the end of myself, at the very end, and I crouch beneath your protective hand, you do protect me.

       You do see evil clearly.  You will not overlook it.

Vengeance belongs to the LORD. 

       Anyone who plots and plans evil will have it visited upon them, eventually.

       If you make trouble for others it will cause you trouble.

      I will choose to give thanks in the midst of frustration and praise You for your righteousness when I don’t understand.  I will choose to sing praises of your perfect love and character.      

      So I will rejoice that you are my refuge, rather than complaining that I need a refuge.  You are my safety and my strength.

(1)        God, I feel like you are angry at me, or maybe punishing me for something I did.  Please
God, stop. Please be generous to me; don’t yell at me or punish me. 

(2)        I am so tired.

(3)        My body and my spirit ache. I feel so weak. I feel like my most vulnerable and intimate
self is curled up and trembling, hiding under a blanket.  How long? God, how long!? I
don’t know if I can make it any longer.   (4)  Come back from wherever it feels like
you've gone to. Save me from this mess, because I know you love me and have always
loved me.

 (5)        How can I praise you when I am so weak? How can I talk about your love when I can’t
feel it?  (6)  I am worn out from groaning. My nights are dark and long and my bed is
soaked with tears.  (7)  The light from my eyes is dim with worry and frustration.

People are doing me wrong. Life is treating me unjustly. The power and the money is
with the selfish and uncompassionate people.  (8)  I just want to get away from bad people who drag me through the muck! “Get away from me, God hears me!”

(9)        He sees my tears.
He hears my crying.
He listens when I pray.

(10)      All those who do wrong will be ashamed and dismayed; they will be turned back. They
will be disgraced. 

You are a God of justice.
You love what is good and hate what is evil.

1. God I am having a hard time.

2.  So I’m trying to come to you instead of just complaining to others.

3. I’m going to start this day right and come to you. To pray and tell you that I really need you today.  I have so much to do, and the kids due home and I have family coming and there’s a million emotional issues as well.  But I know that you will be with me and help me.  I wait for you expectantly.

4.  Keep me from sin today in my heart and in my words to my children.

5.  Keep me from pride.

6.  Make my heart joyful and generous.

7.  Thank you for welcoming me into your presence. Help my heart to honor you.

8.  Lead me today, help me see the straight best smooth path.

9.  Help me to clearly as sin as sin, to see its destructiveness.

10.  Help me to banish it far from me.

11.  Let me rejoice and take refuge in you.  Give us your protection and your joy.

12.  Lord, I have seen your blessings and I have seen your favor. Surround us by your good presence.

1. Answer me when I pray. Sometimes I feel like I’m talking to empty space. Answer me and give me relief—I feel like I’m just making decisions and doing stuff about my problems, all on my own.  Please help me.  Have mercy.  You are righteous, I am not.  I need you God.”

2.  And you ask me Lord, “Why are you turning glory into shame?  I have given you my glory.  I have poured into you holiness and righteousness and you run after lies and stage props and cardboard cutouts.  3.  Know that I hear you, my child.  I have chosen you and I listen when you pray.”

4.  So when I pray, help me Lord to tremble at your holiness. Help me to meditate on you in my bed, snuggling into your heart as I fall asleep. Help me to make decisions based on the truth of your world, your love and (5.) your holiness.  Help me to trust in you.

6.  Many ask about economic issues, but you are the Lord of all prosperity.  You hold money and jobs and resources, and you give us what is best and you give good gifts.

7.  Help me to rejoice in your good gift and to see them clearly.

8.  You will give me peace and rest.  You are my hope and safety.

Psalm 3

God, sometimes I feel so torn up by life. It just feels overwhelming.

I feel like people are telling me all sorts of solutions, but none of them are you, God.

But You are my shield, my wall, my defense. It is good and right that I trust in you and surrender to You.

You give me recognition and you give me blessings. You provide the finances, even when you don’t provide the job.

When I pray, You hear me. I cry and it reaches You. I will not fear even when things are scary,

Show me Your face. Come, Help, Deliver, Protect, Provide.

Break the hold that fear has on my heart.  From You, Lord, comes my help.

Bless those who have been such a blessing to me.

Psalm 2- The Rule of God
By S. Jewell S. McGhee

Everything thinks it’s better than God these days. Science thinks she can outthink God. Economics thinks he can out pay God. Sports and Entertainment think they can out play God. All together they expect to throw off the chains of “outdated religion” and “superstitious beliefs.”

Sitting on his uncontested throne, God laughs in the halls of heaven. He rebukes the pride in his anger and his wrath will terrify them. He has established his Kingdom on earth.

He calls to the princes of the earth, he calls to his children and tells them to ask.

“Ask anything in my name and I will do it”

“Seek first My kingdom and My righteousness”

I have told you that you will have authority to drive out demons and that what you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.

So, listen up, “modern era,” listen up power of the earth. Wise up! Be warned. Serve the Lord, Your power is borrowed.

Fear God, don’t doubt that He can destroy you in a flash. Take refuge in God. Find your strength in Him not yourself.

Psalm 1 – Why do devotions?
By S. Jewell S. McGhee
9-12-14

Dear Jr. High Sunday School class,

        What I want to teach you, more than anything, is to delight in the law of the LORD. God’s word brings happiness, joy, and -yay even- fun.

        But you must not believe what “everyone” says, or do what “everyone” does, or laugh at all the jokes.  Wicked counsel, a life of sin, and humor at everyone else’s expense will lead to sorrow and pain. 

        However, the one who loves God’s word and thinks about it and puts it in their heart, the one who fills their day with the aroma of scripture- this person- this student- this Jr. Higher will have strength and endurance, peace and happiness.  They will succeed in their plans and hopes.  They won’t be full of hopelessness, or withering depression. No matter how it appears.  God will honor them.

        Not so with the sarcastic, irreverent, scheming friends will not be honored or successful.  No matter how it appears.  God will not honor them. They will have no strength.

        I pray that God will be your strength and on his rock you will stand firm.