Restoration

Restoration

This post is different than most I have put up. But the my reason for starting this blog in the first place was for restoration. Here is a verse I read today that helps me to voice my thoughts on why I started this blog.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Fauther 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 have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation;if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope fo you is firm because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in your comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
With it being the new year I always reflect back on previous years and thank God for where I am now. While doing my study this morning I ran across a Psalm that I had prayed over often during the past 2 years. I write in my bible when things come to mind and sometimes date it. Mainly for purposes just as this. Now I can see where I was spiritually in Jan of 2007. This would have been almost 6dmonths after Issac was sent to Mexico and would still be more than another year and would still be another year and a half that we would be physically separated in our marriage. Im going to put the psalm here and in the parinthasis is what I wrote in my bible at the time.
Above this verse I wrote a quote from a song that rang so true in my life during those 2 years
(I was sure by now God you would have reached down and wiped my tears a way steped in and saved the day.) Psalm 73:1-4Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. (The wicked to me are those who hate according to race and who do not educate themselves before they speak against those from other countries.) They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.
v13-18 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; (why did my purity not prevent this in my life) All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. (tears, so many tears) If I had said,”I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed your children. (and I did) When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me (will I ever understand) till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. (truth and light will always come out through the darkness.) v 21-28 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, (as it still is) I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you (forgive me). Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel and afterward you will take me into glory. (Please guide me). Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. (YES!!!) I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds (and I do I love you Lord!)
Then I wrote another quote from the same song above. ( But once again I say Amen and its still raining.
So like I said this is how I was feeling then. This is why the Psalms are so great. They did not try to hide their true feelings. When I needed to cry and scream at God or with Him the Psalms where their for me. And now they remain an addition to my voice.
During our plans for me to move Alana and I down to Mexico for good this is the verse that held me. We had to give up a lot to follow the path God lead us down. And I will never try to lie and say that it was easy. I freaked out for quite some time about what we would do for money, and how bad is sucked to give up my “American Dream” of a life. But what is a dream if Christ is not in it. Phillippians 3:8-21 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
And now this is how I feel after the move. Psalm 71: 20-24 though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you-I, whom you have redeemed. My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all the day long for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.
Let me leave you with one more verse
Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers, I do not consider my self yet to have taken hold of it (perfection) but one thing I do; Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Thanks for reading, just wanted to share a little of my heart.