Encouraged

I woke up this morning at about 3:15 or so and could not get back to sleep. Apart from feeling a little nauseous (probably the Mars bar I ate right before bed wasn't a good idea, but a girl's gotta have her chocolate fix), I was also having a bit of an anxiety attack. Why do things always look so hopeless at that time of the night? I sat up for a while and tried to distract myself with an old 90120 episode, but eventually I picked up Will's bible and started reading some psalms. I love the psalms. There's a lot of good stuff in there. I read for a while and prayed for a while, and the Lord comforted me and I had a real sense of peace.

I know I'm going to continue to have some anxious moments, but it is such a comfort to me to know that God already knows where we're going from here. He has a plan, and all we need to do is be willing to do whatever he wants us to. Check.

This is the psalm that really reached me this morning:

Psalm 33

Good people, cheer God! Right-living people sound best when praising.
Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs!
Play his praise on a grand piano!
Invent your own new song to him;
give him a trumpet fanfare.

For God's Word is solid to the core;
everything he makes is sound inside and out.
He loves it when everything fits,
when his world is in plumb-line true.
Earth is drenched
in God's affectionate satisfaction.

The skies were made by God's command;
he breathed the word and the stars popped out.
He scooped Sea into his jug,
put Ocean in his keg.

Earth-creatures, bow before God;
world-dwellers—down on your knees!
Here's why: he spoke and there it was,
in place the moment he said so.

God takes the wind out of Babel pretense,
he shoots down the world's power-schemes.
God's plan for the world stands up,
all his designs are made to last.
Blessed is the country with God for God;
blessed are the people he's put in his will.

From high in the skies God looks around,
he sees all Adam's brood.
From where he sits
he overlooks all us earth-dwellers.
He has shaped each person in turn;
now he watches everything we do.

No king succeeds with a big army alone,
no warrior wins by brute strength.
Horsepower is not the answer;
no one gets by on muscle alone.

Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him,
the ones who are looking for his love.
He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times;
in lean times he keeps body and soul together.

We're depending on God;
he's everything we need.
What's more, our hearts brim with joy
since we've taken for our own his holy name.
Love us, God, with all you've got—
that's what we're depending on.

There are a few things about this one that I like. I like the fact that God's plans are made to last. He doesn't change them from one generation to another. God kept his promise to Abraham after he willingly left everything to go with Him, and thousands of years later, we can share in that same promise and inheiritance. I also like the part where it says that we can't get by on muscle alone. I struggle a lot with trying to do things myself, instead of waiting for God.

The last three verses are good, too. I think I like the NIV version better, though. It's a little more poetical like :)

We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.

I've been repeating that last verse to myself all day long, and it has been a real comfort to me. I like the idea of God's unfailing love resting on us, like maybe a blanket or a cozy sweater. Darren had a good day today and was very encouraged, which was one of the things I prayed specifically about at 4 or so this morning. God really is good all the time.