But with God You Shall Do Valiantly....

It has been a harsh parenting week and as I sit here listening to God focused CD music, the tears are flowing unabashedly.  Music is such a blessing.  Seriously.   It is comforting.  It gives a peace that calms even the most raging storms in our hearts.  It is no wonder the Bible refers to music often.

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? 
Let him sing praise." James 5:13

"And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:
many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD."  Psalm 40:3

"Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the day time, 
and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the 
God of my life."  Psalm 42:8

 "Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works!"
1 Chronicles 16:9

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one 
another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 
with thankfulness in your hearts to God."  Colossians 3:16

I could fill pages with verses referring to music, but I think you get the idea.  If you hurt, sing!  If you are happy, sing!  If you are in pain, SING loud!  If you feel as though you can't go, sing then too.  JUST SING!  :)

That being said, I believe that God uses friends to sing to us as well.  I am very blessed with a wonderful circle of close to Christ and close to me friends who have spent much time in the "prayer closet" with me.  Just today I had in my private messages a note from a friend who felt led to share her heart with me.  The first paragraph brought tears to my eyes.  The words were placed there to help me focus on Christ and I am sharing them with you here:


Praying the armor. Locking shields with you. That is the beautiful thing...these shields are designed to comprise a wall when all of us are together...so if the faith of one is weak, it is strengthened by the others.

After reading that paragraph, I couldn't see...my eyes welled with tears.  Tears of relief that I am not in this daily grind alone.  Not only do I have Christ, I have friends that God has given me to strengthen me through prayer.  I pray that each of you reading this has a friend like this.

She went on to share Hebrews 12:3 with me:

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." 

then she shared Psalm 60:12:

"Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies."

 Then more encouragement:  


"We have a great cloud of witnesses, cheering us on. Ironically, that verse speaks of laying aside every weight...and Ruthie friend, you have observed the unmistakable ebb and flow of these onslaughts as connected with your determination to deal with the food issue. This is part of how the devil is striving to sift you as wheat. But until now, this truth had not occurred to me...sifting/winnowing is what gets rid of the chaff, the dead, useless stuff. So, you see, our enemy is accomplishing our Father's purposes. That is a delight, a victorious thought! Yes, through God we shall do valiantly!"

I share all that because I suspect some of you are hurting...and need a reminder like I did that God has our days in His hands.  Sifting is hard.  But God is working His will.  Don't lose heart. 

I will leave you with the words from a song called Still, by Craig Curry, that I have on a CD called Complete in Thee, Northland Camp Singers and Orchestra, 2004.
Broken, needy, you know my heart.
Tired, wounded, torn apart.
Shattered longings I place in Your hand,
Kneeling, unable to stand.

Chorus:
Still I will trust You, still I will sing
Songs of thanksgiving to my King.
My eyes are failing, Your promise fulfill,
And till then, I'll worship you still.

Hungry, thirsting, longing for more.
Desperate, crying, pain outpoured.
Lonely, struggling, I look to Your cross.
You bear my grief, shame, and loss.

Chorus

The prayer of my heart in the midst of my storm
Is to see the Morning Star.
I will heed His call to follow Him.
Even though I journey far.

Chorus