A RE-WRITE OF PSALM 4: Marking my four year anniversary of singleness.
Four ~
Jesus
hear me now as I call to You, for I am at the end of myself, There
is no more I can do, only place my continuing hurt and loss into Your
hands, Oh God of all righteousness! You relieve my distress and hear
my prayer.
Oh
people of this world, how long will you hate my godly morals and what
is just and right? How
long will you continue to love what is vain and live in deception?
But
I know The Lord has set His children apart for Himself; and I am
His daughter whom He hears; He hears my cry, holds my heart, and
gathers my tears.
I
may at times tremble, but I am refusing to sin. I am choosing to die
to my flesh, in love for my King. I
will sit upon my bed and meditate in my heart upon His glorious ways;
I offer my life as a sacrifice, for I trust Him, and therefore offer
all of myself to Him for His eternal care.
Many
are saying, “How is your god any different? You do not love, only
judge!” Shine
Your light Oh Lord, upon their darkened minds!
For
You alone have put gladness in my heart, more than any of their
worldly possessions provide.
For
thanks to You, I am walking in Your Will and therefore lie down in peace and safety, that You alone provide.
We know maturity
is not something that always comes with age...
I'm
sure you're thinking of someone right now!
And
if we're honest with ourselves, we will admit that at times we
struggle to respond appropriately in all situations, and that we're an
ongoing work in progress.
But
if I'm really honest, I will admit that I can struggle and get frustrated with people who think of themselves as better than everyone else. You
know, the people who stink of arrogance...
Yet
we know we're not perfect, and that Jesus who is tells us to pray for our enemies for love overcomes
evil!
Sometimes
I am exhausted. Exhausted
and frustrated, so much that I want to curl up in my house and hide.
I
can feel worn down. I can feel at a loss when I encounter such
difficult things like; disrespect, neglect, abuse, self-harm, eating
disorders, broken relationships, abortion, grief and loss, death,
suicide, apathy, drugs, mental illness, sexual disorders, narcissism,
abandonment...
Yet
by staying close to Jesus, I wait for His renewing strength and
refreshment to come, and it does, every time.
He
keeps me close and secure and again I arise to go out into the world
with Him – I am never alone, for He lives in me constantly.
So
maturity...I think it looks a bit like this.
1. Spending
time with Jesus daily – Prayer and reading your Bible,
daily essentials for life. Worship music is great too.
2. Dying
to self – Our
own plans and desires, given up, to live according to His plan for
our life.
3. Working
hard – Understanding the benefits of working hard and
having a decent, clean home.
4. Giving
up the pursuit of wealth – Living
knowing you receive in order to give.
5. Being
responsible – Taking care of your own family first.
6. Holding
things lightly – Not letting any possession or person take
God's rightful place.
7. Self-Control
– Being able to hold your tongue and saying no to
self-gratification like masturbation, getting drunk etc.
8. Doing
what you say – Not being a hypocrite, rather an example of
one who lives the advice they give.
9. Long
suffering – Living contentedly while patiently waiting for
The Lord's provision and timing.
10. Having
discernment – Being able to read people and situations
well, so to respond appropriately. Knowing when to speak and when to say nothing, taking no offence. Knowing whom to trust, or whom to
have firm boundaries with – to read what actions are from malice or
brokenness or an ulterior motive.
11. Having
wisdom – Knowing your limitations and taking steps to
having your needs met so you don't burn out.
12. Stopping
striving – Knowing we don't have to earn God's approval
that we're loved as His children through Jesus and resting in that
fact; so what we do do comes from the love and intimacy we have with
God, not our need for others to accept and validate us. It is accepting and loving ourselves as He does.
To
conclude, if you've read something that you know you desire to mature
in, I really encourage you to begin praying about it and taking the
necessary steps towards achieving it! Try not to feel down, pray and
arise in His strength to achieve – each new day is an opportunity
to keep maturing in Him!
Melanie. Let me leave you with this challenging and encouraging song: 'Keep Making Me' By Sidewalk Prophets.
