Verses of the Year

By Kelly Bridgewater

Colossians 3:15 - "Let the peace of God rule in your heart."

John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you. My Peace I give to you."

Since I'm doing the word peace for 2020, I found two verses to help guide my word for the year.

I need the peace of God to rule my decisions. I need peace with all the decisions I have chosen. Like leaving the USPS when the money was okay. But all the downside of the job drove me to quit.

Lord,

I really need the peace from you to calm my mind from thinking bad depressing thoughts. Bring peace to my mind with all the depressing thoughts. I need to think positive thoughts about where my life is going.

I have so much to be thankful. My loving, supportive husband, my three well-behaved boys (for the most part), my dogs, and my house that we are paying off.

Help me to have a better outlook on life. Help me to keep peace and work hard on my dreams.

Amen.

Psalm 27:9

By Kelly Bridgewater

Psalm 27:9

"Do not hide Your face from me;

Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not leave me nor forsake me,

O God of my salvation."

What a truthful statement by David!!!

Have you ever felt like this?

If not, lucky you. 

But if you're like most people, me included, I feel like God has abandoned me in my times of trouble. Maybe that is why so many people enjoy that "Footprints" poem. 

When we go through trials, we feel all alone. I know I do. I have felt like God doesn't really care for the last sixteen years of my life. I have even doubted why I believe and follow God. I have even put my Bible away on the top shelf and not touched it for a week. 

Don't worry. God urged me to return to his Word and seek him again! 

But . . . I know we all have trials that bring us close to tears and don't see the end in sight. I am in a HUGE crisis right now that has me on my knees every morning praying for the same thing. I feel like my prayers bounce off the ceiling, and they don't reach God's ears.

I feel ignored. 

I feel unloved. 

I feel sad. 

I feel depressed. 

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Why doesn't God answer my constant prayer with the answer I know would satisfy the end result? Instead, I spend every waking moment thinking and praying about the worst scenario to this solution. 

My solution:

Keep praying!

Keep Worshiping!

Keep reading His Word!

Maybe soon, I'll post something a little happier, showing how God took this burden off me. 

Do you remember when you felt so burden by something, and it felt like God wasn't paying attention to you? Please share how it was answered or if you want me to join you in prayer, I will!

God bless!

Scripture came from Journal the Word Bible, NKJV Large Print. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2016.      Print. 

 

Psalm 27:14

By Kelly Bridgewater

Psalm 27:14

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!

 I want to share with you my verse for 2017. I understand it is March, but I found this verse back on December 29th, and it has been stirring in my heart every since. I read Psalm 27, and God spoke to me. I have been in such a depressed state since my father passed away unexpectedly on October 31, 2015 that I have felt like my entire life has turned upside down. I have missed my Daddy something fierce, and I couldn't write to save my life. 

But for 2017, I have decided to get out of this funk and spend more time in God's Word than I ever had before. When the boys are at school, I want to start my day, studying God's Word for at least an hour. Then I want to dive into my writing. From researching my World War II thriller to actually starting my first novel in the three book series. 

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 In January, I began to find books and information on my research. In February, I started to plan and develop my first story. I would love to be writing right now that first story that has been following me around since before my Daddy passed. I need to write this story. I need to see if I can ever make it as a published writer. The longer I wait with no writing. The less likely I will ever be published. I have to sit with my butt in the chair and write. 

I'm honestly tired of waiting on the Lord!

BUT . . .

if I don't get my relationship right with God by allowing him to strengthen my heart, then I know that my writing won't be for His glory, which is what I have been wanting all along. 

So, I am asking you, again, to keep me accountable. I want to finish at least the first story this year and then Wait on the Lord as I compose the second and third story. 

What verse has been your chosen inspiration for 2017? I would honestly love to know what other verses you have chosen. 

 

Psalm 27

By Kelly Bridgewater

Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom Shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked came against me

To eat up my flesh, 

My enemies and fes, 

They stumbled and fell. 

Though an army may encamp against me, 

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me, 

In this I will be confident. 

One things I have desired of the Lord, 

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord,

And to inquire in His temple. 

For in the time of trouble

He shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of His tabernacle

He shall hide me;

He shall set me high upon a rock. 

And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;

Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;

 I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. 

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 

When You said, "Seek my face,"

My heart said to You, "Your face, Lord, I will seek."

Do not hide Your face from me;

Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not leave me nor forsake me, 

O God of my salvation. 

When my father and my mother forsake me, 

Then the Lord will take care of me. 

Teach me Your way, O Lord, 

And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. 

Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;

For false witnesses have risen against me, 

And such as breathe out violence. 

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the Lord

In the land of the living. 

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage, 

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Come back next week where I will share which one of these verses is my verse for 2017! I will be spending a lot of time in this Psalm, memorizing it and applying it to my daily walk. 

Scripture taken from the Journal the Word Bible NKJV, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2016. Print.