Today I am grateful that my faith and joy do not depend on my emotions. It is so awesome to wake up with joy, not because of something good that happened, but just because it is a gift of having a relationship with Jesus. It is so comforting to know that my faith need not falter because I am sad or disappointed or any other negative emotion… because we all know there will be days when our emotions mess with us.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” I Peter 1:8-9

Like everyone else, life has dealt me some serious blows that tear up my heart. I’ve buried way too many people who took up a lot of space in my heart and life. I’ve had to face terrifying things financially, physically, and emotionally.

But this I know …

David, the shepherd boy-turned king and songwriter, uses this phrase several times in his psalms.  When life is really hard, I read through his psalms because they give me hope by reminding me Who God Is and God’s faithfulness to His beloveds. And I am one of His beloveds.

David was authentic and transparent with God. Of course, we can’t hide anything from God and David certainly knew that, but David was comfortable enough in his relationship with God to cry, scream, holler, lament, collapse, complain, rant, express anger and worry and heartbreak to God. He held nothing back.

And then he surrendered it all to God. He began with the phrase…

“But this I know.”

What did David know?

That God is faithful.  God keeps His promises.  God is our answer to every need.   And God loves us enough to BE the answer to our every need.

Psalms 56:8-11 (TLB)

⁸ You have seen me tossing and turning through the night. You have collected all my tears and preserved them in your bottle! You have recorded every one in your book.

⁹ The very day I call for help, the tide of battle turns. My enemies flee!

This one thing I know: God is for me! 

^10-11 I am trusting God—oh, praise his promises! I am not afraid of anything mere man can do to me! Yes, praise his promises.

So many times throughout my journey with Jesus I have repeated David’s words when I am feeling depleted or defeated, “But this I know…” and immediately Holy Spirit comforts me and points my attention back to God and his faithfulness to me, to not only be enough, but more than enough, able to meet my every need, and many times He throws in a blessing with the solution.

 Surrender is the key.

When David utters these words in his prayers of desperation, he reminds himself about God’s faithfulness to him, and surrenders all his

complaints,

demands,

pride,

willfulness,

and anger,

laying them at God’s feet. As he surrenders these things to God, holding nothing back, God can then begin to minister to him and meet his needs.

And then God adds strength and motivation to do what needs to be done on David’s part.

And then God adds joy. The joy of God’s presence with him, and the joy of knowing that he belongs to God, and that God is for him, meaning that God will work out all things for David’s good and bring glory to Himself. No matter what David has done, God will not turn from him.

The rainbow photo at the top of this blog is of a rainbow that appeared over my house one day last year.  It was a very low day emotionally and I was in the middle of a pity party and grief. I felt the need to walk outside, and there it was – a rainbow right over my house – reminding me of God’s promises and His faithfulness to keep His promises to me.

Psalms 116:1-5  (TPT)

I am passionately in love with God because he listens to me. He hears my prayers and answers them. As long as I live I’ll keep praying to him, for he stoops down to listen to my heart’s cry. Death once stared me in the face, and I was close to slipping into its dark shadows. I was terrified and overcome with sorrow. I cried out to the Lord, “God, come and save me!” He was so kind, so gracious to me. Because of his passion toward me, he made everything right and he restored me.

Restored –   made the past null and void; restored my body, mind, soul, and spirit back to the ME that HE designed, like the blueprint He used to create me; showed me my true identity, revealed my purpose, and empowers me to live out my destiny.

If you are feeling overwhelmed at times, and your soul needs restoration, pray the following scripture, and Holy Spirit will nurture and heal you, and make a way for you through your troubled waters as you look to Jesus.  And when that happens, share your testimony with others, so that they, too, can benefit from God’s faithfulness.

Psalm 51:10-12  (The Passion Translation)

Let my passion for life be restored, tasting joy in every breakthrough you bring to me. Hold me close to you with a willing spirit that obeys whatever you say. Then I can show other guilty ones [hurting, lost, troubled ones] how loving and merciful you are. They will find their way back home to you, knowing that you will forgive them.

I enjoy this old hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, so much.  I hope you enjoy listening to it as you let God’s healing spirit wash over you and encourage you today.