As surefooted as a deer!

I got to look at Psalm 18 a few days ago and some verses jumped at me. One is verse 33:

"He makes my feet as surefooted as a deer, leading me safely along the mountain heights" (NLT)

I wrote it on a piece of paper and stuck it in my car,so I could look at it when I had to wait for a green light. It really comforts me to know that HE made me so I can walk on those mountain heights. The mountain heights don't represent the HIGH times in my life but rather the difficult times...the times of struggle where I am afraid to slip. But then it says that HE is leading me SAFELY along those heights. That is amazing and really calming. I love the picture I found as I googled IBEX: An ibex is a kind of wild goat that lives in the mountains and has to come down for food and pasture every day: here we have two ibex in the alps looking down - in the background we see the vastness of the alps. Just like the little ibex has the bigger one to the left, I have Jesus. SO awesome....and not only for the hard times in life. In good times HE jumps around with me over the green pastures :) The picture at the bottom shows how surefooted these goats need to be to maneuver around. Stunning. I blogged on IBEX already on this blog. so

Fear versus Trust on a Wendesday morning

These mornings, I have problems to concentrate, I feel weak and have weird stomach problems again. It reminds me of the summer of 2009 when I was in the States and Germany. I was knocked out by that pain and my German doctor suspected helicobacter pylori. She sent me to swallow the scope which I was not able to do. Hence, I never found out (grrr). I just want this thing that causes such discomfort to leave. Apart from all that, I find myself in a spiral of fear. That shows me that I don't really trust my God. I am reading Psalm 84 and Psalm 139 this morning. Psalm 84:1-2

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 2 I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.

My longing is big and just like the Psalmist says: whole being, body and soul. Yet, it is hard for me to concentrate which makes my quiet times sort of "quiet" and short. I know that He is my refuge, my light and protector as it says further in verse 11. Still I find it hard to trust God and give Him all my fears. One fear adds up to the next and then I read verse 12 and I stop:

12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.

"Yes, I want to be happy and trust Lord, help me to trust, help me to trust today, I put my worries into your hands, please show me your favor and grant me your peace, Lord!"

The verses 6-7 always encourage and comfort me. Yes, this is my God, the one who transforms the valley of weeping into refreshing springs where pools of blessing await me!

6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,[a] it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. 7 They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.[b]

I am thankful that my God chose me, that He knows me and that He even knows what is on my heart this very minute. Reading Psalm 139 strengthens my heart this morning again.

"Thank you my Lord and Maker that you know me, you know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest (verse 3), you place your hand of blessing on my head (verse 5), your hand will guide me and your strength will support me (10), thank you Lord, I love you. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! You live in me and I praise you with all I have today...with the tiny little bit of trust and faith I have. Thank you for your faithfulness! Your sunshine K"