Thai Time...Day 2

Today's Thai Time was a little different than yesterday. Today, I found myself really desperate to be near the Lord. I mean, I am always trying to seek after the Lord and really rely on Him, but today was one of those days that you really understand how much you need the Lord.

Every chance I got, I couldn't help but cry out to Him. I needed to be refreshed and to be encouraged and just to know that the Lord still had everything under control. Some days I forget that the Lord knew and knows what He's doing. So today, I just prayed that the Lord would remind me and give me some encouragement along those lines. In my reading, I came to Psalm 142...

I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.

I pour out my complaint before Him;
before Him I tell my trouble.

When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is You who know my way.
In the path where I walk
men have hidden a snare for me.

Look to my right and see;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."

Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.

Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise Your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of Your goodness to me.

The Lord showed me a few things...

1. He wants us to talk OPENLY with Him. He wants us to share everything that is going on...to complain, to be mad, to be sad, to be confused, to repent, and everything in between. There isn't any safer environment to be open and be honest than with the living God.

2. God sustains us. When we grow faint, only He knows what we need. He is the only one who understands and knows exactly what we feel and what we need and what we desire.

3. When it feels like we are running the race alone, He is our refuge and our companion.

4. We only need to cry out...God listens to the cries of His children. He waits expectantly to hear from us and He delights in every minute of it.

5. We are desperate for God. He is the only one who can bring us through the rough spots. Only He can set us free.

6. We MUST praise the Lord. We need to rejoice in the freedom we have in Christ and we need to do it together, corporately. Everything God does in us is for the glory of the kingdom. We need to praise Him for His work and then we need to affirm each other in those changes. Give God glory...

I know, I know, that's kind of a lot. The practical application (by that, I mean what the Lord putting specifically on my heart) is this...In the rough moments, when things seem to be at their worst, God is there. In the good moments when growth and restoration are happening, God is there. He is never far from me. I worry sometimes that the Lord is going to get sick of hearing about how it really sucks that my dad is gone, but then I read these verses and I see that God wants to know. He wants me to tell Him how I feel. He wants me to share the battles that are raging inside of me, and in return He promises mercy, compassion, freedom, and refuge. He is my portion in the land of the living and He sets me free from my prison. He is my supply and everything that I need, long for and seek after.