Worshipful Wednesday #1

During this time of waiting and uncertainty, I think it is more important than ever to spend time praising God. Right before my first IVF cycle, my mom came to visit me and brought the movie Facing the Giants with her. She actually had no idea that the movie had an infertility subplot and was the perfect movie for me to watch at the start of treatment (though I do think they wrapped up the infertility subplot a little too neatly). One of the main messages I took from the movie was to praise God, whether we win or lose, whether a cycle is positive or negative, no matter the outcome, praise God.

At we set out on a new course towards adoption, I once again sense the need to spend some intentional time in praise and worship.

This was confirmed for me by my co-worker. A few weeks ago, I was telling her something about our adoption and she told me she had received a word from the Lord that morning and based on what I was telling her, she felt like it was meant for me. She said,

"Don't wait till the battle is over, praise Him now."

Don't wait until the adoption is finalized. Don't wait until we have a referral, travel orders, or anything else. I need to praise God now for what He has already brought about up to this point. I need to praise God for who He is. Because He is worthy of all praise. God inhabits the praise of His people and fills us with joy in His presence. And so I want to start what I hope will be a regular post from here on called "Worshipful Wednesday."

I believe one of the main purposes of my life is to declare the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

Eight years ago just this past March, I committed my life to the Lord. Prior to that my life was in a downward spiral of self-destruction. I lived without God and without hope. But the Lord took hold of me. He lifted me out of the pit, He took me out of my downward spiral and set my feet upon the Rock (Psalm 40). Where there was once self-destruction, there is now restoration. Where there was brokenness, there is now healing. Where there was despair, there is now hope. Where there was condemnation, there is now none (Romans 8:1). I was once lost, but now I am "found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ" Phil 3:9. I was lonely, but now I know God is with me always and has promised to never leave me or forsake me (Isaiah 43:2, Hebrews 13:5). I was once held captive to sin, but now I have been redeemed.

And so in this first Worshipful Wednesday, I give praise to the One who redeemed my life.

Psalm 103

¹ Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

² Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

³ who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

⁶ The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

⁹ He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

¹² as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.

²¹ Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.

²² Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.