I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Songs in the Dark
Even in life’s hardest and most depressing seasons, God is with us and is listening to us.
A song of lament, or a lament psalm, is something we see in scripture as a way to be honest with God. We should never be afraid of God or how we speak to Him, because He is able to handle our deepest emotions and complaints. Songs of lament are a way of expressing vulnerability by telling God exactly how we feel.
Psalm 42 is a lament psalm. It is a song about the hopelessness of the writer’s current condition. It speaks to deep sorrow and grief that is experienced in life. The writer of Psalm 42 does not know why he is so downcast. He’s not sure why certain things are happening to him. And so he goes to God in prayer and song, expressing the deepest parts of his soul.
Another purpose of lament is to connect the hopelessness of life with the hope that God gives. Laments act as a bridge between our present situation and the promises we’re waiting on.
The writer of this Psalm speaks to his own soul and encourages himself to continue to hope in God. He knows that no season lasts forever, and there will come a time when joy returns to him.
We will all go through seasons of sadness and grief. And we will have Psalms as a guide. The first step is to come before God and honestly express yourself to Him. Tell Him exactly how you feel.
Next, remember the promises that He has given you in His Word. Recount how much He loves you and cares for you.
And lastly, encourage yourself to put hope in God. Move towards songs of praise in spite of your current circumstances.
A Unifying Mission
Almost every successful company or group in history has shared something in common: they all had a unifying mission.
Missions are critical in not only aligning objectives, but also unifying a large group of people toward one purpose.
As Christians, we all share the same mission. We are unified in following Christ. We're saved by His blood (Romans 5:9) and we're all called to make disciples in His name (Matthew 28:19).
And yet, even among Christians, there is so much division and disunity.
Part of the division comes from our lack of clarity and commitment to the mission that is defined in Scripture. And to make it worse, we are sinful people, and sin naturally causes division in our lives and relationships.
But, the Psalmist in Psalm 133:1 reflects on how good it is when the people of God live together in unity. There is something powerful that happens among Christians when we are unified.
Unity is not putting away our differences, because there would be no need to be ...
