Hiding Psalm 27 in My Heart--verse 3

Good Morning Everyone!

We are smack dab in the middle of working on memorizing verse 3 this week, in our beautiful chapter of Psalm 27.  I definitely need to spend some more time working on this verse, but my major accomplishment was I DID get my entire chapter and the first letter helps laminated and posted up in my shower--yea for me!  Much easier for me to remember to review my verses before I go to bed each night now that they are staring at me in the shower and I can't help but to read them when I am standing in there! ;)

I had some thoughts I wanted to share with you about verse 3--a Bible story that God reminded me of last night, and I felt it really did help reveal a bit more about this verse we are working on memorizing this week.  I love it when God does that--connects for us one part of the Bible with another.

So here is this week's verse:
"Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident."  Psalm 27:3

And the story that God reminded me of?  It was about a man who had this very thing happen to him--quite literally!

You see, it went like this. . . the king of Aram was at war with Israel.  And it seemed that every single time he went to attack Israel, the Israelites were already prepared for him!  It was driving him crazy!  The king thought one of his officers must be a spy--and be leaking out this information ahead of time to the Israelite king, but when he demanded of his officers to tell him which one of them was doing this, they told him it was not them, but Elisha the prophet.  In fact, they went on to tell their king that Elisha could tell the king of Israel "the very words you speak in your bedroom."  (2 Kings 6:12)

So somehow thinking that he would be sneaking up on prophet Elisha, the king of Aram sent his army to surround the city of Dothan where Elisha was.  An army was very definitely encamped against Elisha--yet his heart did not fear.  War was definitely arising against him--yet he was confident.  Why?  Was he confident in himself?  Not at all!  I will let the Bible speak for itself:

"Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.  When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city.  'Oh, my lord, what shall we do?' the servant asked.
 'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered.  'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.'
And Elisha prayed, 'O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.' Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."
  2 Kings 6:14-17

WAS an army surrounding Elisha, wanting to do him harm?  Oh yes--that army was very very real.  But no less real was God's army, which was surrounding the king of Aram's army!  Just because they were not at first visible to the human eye did not mean they were not there.  And when Elisha prayed for his servant's eyes to be opened, the servant was able to see God's army that had been there all of the time.

I love the end of this Bible story.  Elisha prayed to the LORD to strike the people with blindness, and suddenly the Arameans were blind.  Elisha then led them right into the city of Samaria--the heart of their enemies territory.  After they were inside the city, Elisha prayed for the LORD to open their eyes, and there they found themselves inside the city.  Can you imagine their fear?  The king of Israel saw them and asked Elisha "Shall I kill them?," but Elisha told him no--but to feed them instead!  To give them food and water-- to prepare a great feast and entertain them like honored guests!

From enemies to honored guests!  Not THAT is a twist to a story!  And listen to the end of the story:  "So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master.  So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory."
  2 Kings 6:23

Because of treating their enemy well--because of this feast--Israel had peace for years.

Our enemies may not all become our friends, no matter how kind we may treat them.  But whatever army is encamping against us--be it a physical army,  cancer army, or any other type--we can know that God and His army are right there with us.  And that His army is greater than whatever army is surrounding us.  He is able to carry us through, no matter what.

And THAT, my friends, is GOOD NEWS!

~Susan

Hiding Psalm 27 in My Heart

Photo Credit:  Jody Ohlsen Collins--used by permission

Happy Sabbath Everyone!

I hope you are having a chance to rest and spend some time with God today.  I love the Sabbath!  It is, in my opinion, the very very best day of the week.  A time we can say STOP to our crazy-busy lives, a pause in time, a weekly holiday with our Creator and Redeemer.  And we don't have to feel guilty about not doing or working during these sacred hours, because our Creator actually TELLS us to pause and rest.  He tells us the most important thing we can DO is to BE with Him--it is not an achievement we must strive harder and better for.  He just wants to spend time with us--because He loves us.  Breathe.  In.  Out.  In.  Out.  Sigh. . . Can't you just FEEL the stress of the week start to depart?

Anyway, I wanted to take a moment and tell you all about the new memory challenge I am participating in.  It actually started this past Monday, so I am a bit late in sharing about it, but it is still not to late to join us if you would like to!  :)

We will be memorizing Psalm 27--the whole chapter, but it is not too long and our pace will be a very doable one verse a week.  We will even be taking off for Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, since often we are so busy with extra activities during those times.  Anyway, so even though this first week is already over, it would be super easy to hop in and join us--and I promise that you will be blessed!

If you are at all intrigued, hop over to the Do Not Depart site and read all about it.  You can find the link here: Memorize Psalm 27
Also at that link you can find free resources to print off and help you in memorizing.  I have especially been helped by the first letter helps.  I like to print out the chapter I am working on, and then print out the first letter helps, and then glue them back to back with glue stick.  Then I run them through my little laminator--this is not necessary, but is only because my background is teaching and I can't help myself.  I love laminating things! ;)  Anyway, that copy I can carry around and ask my daughter to quiz me sometimes--I turn the sheet with the first letter helps on my side, and the full chapter on her side, and she checks me as I recite my verses.  I also laminate the chapter and post it in my shower, then laminate the first letter helps and post those on the opposite shower wall.  I have found this as a good way to review myself every day when I am getting clean.  Soap washes on the outside--God's Word washes on the inside! ;)  You would be amazed at how much you can learn just reviewing each day in the shower!  And I am going to be standing in the shower anyway, I might as well make good use of the time!

Well, that's it for this little invitation.  Go read all about it at the link I gave you--it really won't be as hard as you think, and I promise you will be super blessed!  Don't worry about whether you can finish the entire chapter or not.  Each verse of God's Word that is hidden in your heart will be a blessing--so I hope you will consider joining me! :)

~Susan