Psalm 9:1-2

Psalm 9:1-2
I will praise You, Lord, with all of my heart; I will tell of the marvelous things You have done. I will be filled with joy because of You. I will sing praises to You.

This verse has been placed on my heart the last few days... I have been meditating on it, trying to comprehend it and apply it to my life. There are so many things happening here in Africa, I have no idea where to even begin telling of the marvelous things our wonderful Father has done. Lord, I pray that You alone would speak through me, I take myself out of the way.

So, as I think about the first part of the verse, I will praise You, Lord with all of my heart, I can think of many times on this trip where I have praised my God... but most of them have not been with all of my heart -- every inch of my soul. There have been countless times where as I say "God, you are so magnificent... You are incredibly faithful and wonderful. Thank You for being who You are!" and part of my mind is elsewhere, distracted. I have found this is extremely common in other believers, but I don't want it to be common for me. It shouldn't be normal! I want my relationship with God to be as Hosea describes in 2:16 " ...when that day comes, says the lord, you will call me 'my husband' instead of 'my master.'" I don't know what that means to you, but when you read it in context, there is SUCH an air of intimacy in that statement... when God reveals Himself to me, I want to be completely enveloped in my moments with Him, just like a husband and wife. Through this part of the verse, God has convicted me and made me more aware of the moments I spend with him, making sure I am praising Him with all of my heart. Every piece of it.

Okay, so the second part: I will tell of the marvelous things You have done -- this part is what first caught my eye. It describes exactly what I want to come out of this service in Africa! I want to show our Father's amazing love to everyone I come in contact with, and I know through this experience God will show me the marvelous things He is doing every moment of every day. I am not supposed to keep these experiences to myself... if I did, that would not only be disobedience but it would be incredibly selfish. Who am I to keep God's miracles to myself? I encourage you... if you see God move in your life, please don't keep it to yourself. Tell the world of the marvelous things He is doing!

The third part: I will be filled with joy because of you. Joy. That word is very sensitive in my spirit because of my freshman year in college and the experience God blessed me with during the Bethany tragedy. Joy. These last four years I have been trying to figure out what exactly that word means. Spiritualityandpractice.com explains it as this:

Joy is an essential spiritual practice growing out of faith, grace, gratitude, hope, and love. It is the pure and simple delight in being alive. It is also the deep satisfaction we know when we are able to serve others and be glad for their good fortune.
Through my own personal experiences, God has slowly showed me that joy and happiness are not the same thing. I have realized that complete spiritual joy is drenched in peace -- the overwhelming peace only God provides. Because of this, we can possess joy in the midst of storms, trials, hardships, persecution. Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 -- take note that the verse does not say that it is an opportunity for happiness. Trials are difficult!!!! Trials are usually not happy times!!! However, if we lean on our Father during those troubled times, God blesses our hearts with peace... trust in Him alone... joy. I pray that God will show you what true spiritual, Godly joy is.

The last part: I will sing praises to you. This part feels so much like a statement of peace. I know when my mind and heart completely worships God, especially through music, I have the most overwhelming sense of fulfillment and peace. I encourage you to go into your room, close the door, and let the words of your favorite praise and worship songs take over your mind. Make the words a prayer to our Father. Get lost in our God!!!!

Psalm 9:1-2
I will praise You, Lord, with all of my heart; I will tell of the marvelous things You have done. I will be filled with joy because of You. I will sing praises to You.