Psalm 91- Chapter 2: What is Coming Out of My Mouth??

Psalm 91: God's Umbrella of Protection

Chapter 2:What is Coming Out of My Mouth?

I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, 
My God, in whom I trust!"
Psalm 91:2

Have you ever had one bad thing happen after another?  What was your reaction?  Did you find yourself saying things like "oh, well I guess this is just life, it stinks, but I'll get through it some how!?!?" or did you find yourself starting to watch for the next bad thing, almost expecting bad things to happen? As Christians we have been given a way to not only get through these rough times, but to come out better.  Yesterday our Pastor preached on the topic of Satan coming to steal, kill and destroy, and the fact that our God is our defender, and healer, and restorer!  There is nothing that Satan can take from you, that God can't give back 10 times greater than before!  But when we use our mouths to speak curses over ourselves, instead of turning to God and His Word to find blessings and promises...we stop God from giving us the protection and blessing He desires, and we find ourselves in an even bigger mess.  Scripture tells us that there is the power of life and the power of death in the tongue.  What are you using your tongue for today???  When we stop telling everyone how big our problems are, and start telling our problems how great, and powerful our God is...we will see a huge difference in how things go in our lives.  When you find yourself going through hard times, make sure you are turning to your great Shepherd, He will be the one to protect you and make you come out stronger and better off than before.  There are many ways to do this, here are just a few ideas on how to use God's Word as the powerful weapon it is intended to be...

•  Speak the scriptures out loud - there is something about reading scripture out loud and not just seeing it but saying it and hearing it that makes it more powerful in your life.

• Write out promises from God's Word on note cards.  When the hard times come, you already have some basic scriptures full of promise and protection at your finger tips.  Then you just need to read them (out loud) and keep reading them until you grasp that that promise is for you.  Then by faith you claim that promise in your life and situation.

• Another idea, is to find a book of scripture promises...(I have seen many different ones, that list our scriptures for you, they even have them categorized by different struggles and things we might face.  These make it easy to look up your topic, and BAM! you've got a whole list of scriptures that will apply to you.)  Take these scriptures with you everywhere, claim them and believe them. Then get ready to see God do amazing things!!

• Sometimes we just need little reminders as we go through our day...write down the promises of God on sticky notes and place them in strategic places around your home, your car, your work space, etc.

The important thing here is that you are reading God's promises, speaking out God's promises, and claiming them for your situation, by faith believing for a move of God!

Psalm 91- Chapter 1: Where is My Dwelling Place?

Psalm 91: God's Umbrella of Protection

Chapter 1: Where Is My Dwelling Place?

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High 

Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

Do you have a favorite spot to go and just spend time with God?  I remember as a little girl, I would hear stories of people having prayer closets.  I always wanted to find a place that was my space to be with God.  I remember when I was in junior high and high school my parents bought a house, and my room had two small walk-in closets.  I was so excited, I used both of them for clothes, but the one had a little step in it that was just perfect for a little seat, and I thought I had found my place.  But as time went by I really only used that closet a few times, most the time my bedroom was where I would go to be by myself and reflect on things or to pray and read my bible.  Laying on my bed or sitting on the floor.  That room became my special place, I realized you don't have to have a closet, you just have to be willing to spend time with and get to know and love the heavenly Father.  The location really doesn't matter, what matters is that you make spending time with God a priority in your life.

God is our shelter, but we have to run to Him!

Those Who Trust The Lord - Chapter 6

Those Who Trust The Lord Shall Not Be Disappointed

Chapter 6 - Jack's Turn

Some of the stories this family shares are so unbelievable...but with God all things are possible and even though we may not see a way for things to work, God is greater, stronger, and bigger than any situation.  I've heard the saying "God owns the cattle on a thousand hills" all of my life, but in truth there have been very few times when I have stepped out in faith expecting Him to supply my need when there was no other way.  I think most of us have trouble just saying okay God you said to do it, so I'm gonna do it, no matter what it looks like from my perspective.  My hearts desire is to get to a place of trust and faith, where when God speaks I don't hesitate or delay, but I step out in faith, knowing that My God will not let me be disappointed...I want that kind of faith!

Those Who Trust The Lord - Chapter 5

Those Who Trust The Lord Shall Not Be Disappointed

Chapter 5: Don't Negate The Promise

I love reading of this families struggles and trials and seeing how God provided every need in His own time and always it was more than they could have ever hoped for, based on the circumstances they faced.  So many times as we go through life we see the situation or obstacle and we allow the circumstances we see to keep us from believing for the good thing God has planned for us.  Like the story of Tim missing out on the provision God had for him, we too can miss out on provisions from God when we let doubt and disbelief come in, instead of faith and believing. 

In life there are times when we just don't know what or how God could fix the situation, but we need to remember that God is not limited, He can do the impossible...we must believe, have faith and wait for His timing, for His timing is perfect, and His ways are best!

Those Who Trust The Lord - Chapter 4

Those Who Trust The Lord Shall Not Be Disappointed

Chapter 4 - One Step At A Time

One of the hardest things to do is to trust that everything is going to work out for good, when all you can see is the bad.  God has a plan for each of us and though we may not always see it or understand it, if we trust Him, He will work it out for good and we will not be disappointed.  I enjoy watching God work in the lives of others, as it is much easier to see the good coming when you are not in the middle of the bad yourself.  However, when I am the one walking through the bad times, it is a lot harder to see how good could come about, and I think God makes it that way on purpose.  If we were always able to figure out what He was doing and could see a clear path from the bad to the good, we would not need to trust Him, we would probably take it into our own hands and mess it up even more.  God is a good God and He wants good things for us, but He is not willing to do the work and let someone else take the glory for it...so He makes it very apparent that without His hand at work in a situation, it would not have worked out for good at all. I am so thankful that we have a loving God, who desires to see us succeed and who wants to bless us.  My prayer is that each of us will take whatever situation we are dealing with - whether good or bad, whether it looks like it is only getting worse or is starting to get better - and hand it over to God and let Him make it work out for the good of everyone involved. 

Those Who Trust The Lord - Chapter 3

Those Who Trust The Lord Shall Not Be Disappointed

Chapter 3 - Where You Lead Me I Will Follow

This amazing testimony of God's provision and guidance is one of those stories that make you stop and marvel.  I know that it is our human nature to try to figure out a way to deny it as supernatural, we say "oh, that is just a coincidence." Or "Well, they just got lucky!".  But I truly believe that God loves us, and if we are obedient to the things He ask of us, that He will bless us.  Many times we miss out on God's blessing because we are too busy doing our own thing, to stop and listen to what He is asking or telling us.  

One of the stories that really spoke to me, was the story of Jack working on the plumbing under the kitchen sink, when he felt like God was telling him to stop what he was doing and go buy and attach a water hose to the hot water heater, for emergency use, just in case there were ever a fire.  It would have been so easy to say, "oh, that's a great idea, but I'm a little busy at the moment, I think I'll take care of that as soon as I'm done here." But Jack didn't do that, he stopped what he was doing and did as God told him to do.  Because of his obedience, when a brush fire went out of control and headed directly for the house, just minutes later, Jack was prepared to fight the fire and protect his family and their new home.  

God wants to provide for us, He wants to protect us, and bless us, but when we are not willing to listen to and obey God's leading, we miss out on much of what God is wanting to do in our lives.  John chapter 5 tells us the story of the crippled man sitting by the pool of Bethesda, when the Spirit of God caused the water to stir, the first person to touch the water would be healed of their disease.  Jesus saw this man sitting by the pool, and asked him why he did not get in the water.  The man replied that in all the years he had been sitting there trying to get in whenever the water was stirred, he could not find anyone who would help him into the water, and by the time he got there it was too late.  So Jesus tells the man to pick up his bed and walk. And the man immediately took up his bed and was healed.  I don't know about you, but I am sure there were many thoughts that went through this man's mind.  "Sure, take up my bed and walk, like it is really that easy!?!?"  Or "What? You want me to what?"  It would have been very easy for this man to listen to the thoughts full of doubt and disbelief, but He chose to have faith, to believe and to be obedient...his life was changed in an instant because he listened, believed and obeyed the words of Jesus. 
 

Those Who Trust The Lord - Chapter 2

Those Who Trust The Lord Shall Not Be Disappointed 

Chapter 2 - The Miracles Begin

I don't know about you, but reading this chapter is a huge faith builder for me.  To step out in faith and be obedient to God's leading when everything around you is telling you it is pointless and hopeless...to trust God despite the fact that there seems to be no way it could possibly work out for good...I want to have that kind of faith.  

My husband and I have hopes and dreams and there are circumstances that make it look as if it will take years to achieve them and even then it depends on the economy and other things which we have no control over...so it is easy to get discouraged in our planning and efforts, but this story has made me stop and realize that with God it is possible, and it can workout even better than we hope for, if we just trust Him.  

So today I sat down and wrote out a contract of trust to God...saying that no matter the circumstance no matter the issues we face, we will choose to trust God to be our source and supply. We will trust that in His timing all things will fall into place. So the beautiful picture, which looks like a thousand puzzle pieces piled in a huge heaping mess at the moment, will come together to bring glory to God. Because we will all know that without His hand at work in our lives, it would have never turned out so well.  

I imagine our lives without God's guidance and provisions would look something like a children's puzzle.  After years of being played with tossed on the floor, chewed on by little mouths, being stuck in the couch for months, etc.  Each piece is tattered, torn or worse; missing!  You may be able to get the pieces you have to fit together, but there are spots where just the cardboard show through from teeth marks, and the corners are bent and tattered,  there are a few pieces missing, you get an idea of what the picture could or should have been, but it is not the beautiful masterpiece it once could have been.  

No matter how hard we work to keep everything just so, in perfect condition, not loosing any of our pieces; it doesn't matter...there is nothing we can do on our own to make it turn out right.  We have to have the help of a Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is the only one who can take our lives and patch up the holes and tattered pieces to make it a glorious reflection of Himself. 

Those Who Trust The Lord - Chapter 1

Those Who Trust The Lord Shall Not Be Disappointed 

Chapter 1 - One Significant Morning

Trust Is The Key!

I Don't know about you, but I can tell you that in my life there have been times of fear and doubt and disappointment...But I can also tell you that the times when I truly put the situation in God's hands and trusted Him to take care of everything I was not disappointed.  For about 5 years God worked on me to trust Him with everything not just the easy things...I look forward to seeing all of the great things God does in my life and in yours as we start to practice trusting Him no matter the situation.

So far in the book there have been a few key things that I want to highlight...these truths and quick reminders will help all of us to remember to choose trust over doubt and disappointment.

All of the following are taken from the 1st chapter

• "Trust is a decision, not a feeling!"
• "Trust is the state of being that keeps us from stumbling," and "choosing not to be disappointed is what keeps us anchored in trust."
• "Trust and disappointment are opposites, just as faith and fear are opposites, they cannot both operate at the same time."

Here is a quick quote of a prayer that may help us get our focus trained on trust and away from doubt and disappointment:

 "I don't Care what the situation looks like.  I don't care what my reasoning ability is dictating to me - I am just not going to go there! And I also don't care if it looks as though You didn't come through. I don't care what the world says. I don't care what negative reports come down the pike.  I don't care what my emotions are dictating; I have made up my mind that from this day forth I am going to steadfastly trust what You have said.  I will be obedient to do what You tell me to do; I will make Your Word my final authority; and then I will rest in You.

And, when feelings of disappointment try to crowd in I will make that my warning signal, and I will stop and renew my choice to trust in you.  Then Lord, the rest is up to You."

I am so excited that you have decided to read this great book with me...I'd Love to hear how God is working in your life, email me at: inspiringbranches@gmail.com or leave your comments in the comment section below.

Blessings,
Kayla