I’ll say it again, I love the Psalms. (And you’re saying, yes, we know that already Cherie! Okay okay…)
So one thing I’ve been thinking about lately is our growth as Christians. My faith has grown as I’ve gotten older. This doesn’t mean I believe more, because I always believed. What I mean is that as I’ve gotten older my relationship with God and understanding his word has deepened.
One of the things I used to struggle with more is doubt. Again, not doubt of God, but of the world. Will this happen for me? Will I get this job? Will this occur? You know, just the everyday things of life that we spend doing and work for. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that every time I have one of these thoughts, I can pray about it. God doesn’t want us to sit around wondering about things and having doubts about the world. To that end, I think these thoughts from Psalm 94:19 say it perfectly.
When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. (NLT)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.~ Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
The thing I like best about this quote is “do not depend on your own understanding.” I like this because we are so NOT SMART most of the time. Oh, some of us think we’re really smart. But smart in the way that God is? No way. We’re not even close, and He knows this. He gives us numerous ways to learn about his word and understand the things He’s trying to teach us. If there is one thing I could say to my younger self it would be: “When in doubt, look up.”
And if you want further inspiration, consider taking one of my Painting the Psalms ecourses. These ecourses are all separate projects where we create a mixed media painting with inspiration from a particular Psalm. It’s a great way to get into the beauty of the Psalms in a different way. OR, consider picking up my book, Painting the Psalms.