40 Day to Go

It's becoming more real the closer time gets for me to leave for Israel. It's almost here. It was so far away for so long. As I've been praying to prepare for this trip, I thought about possibly fasting to prepare. As I counted back, I realized Sept 23 would be 40 days. Not going into the details of the fast but God has confirmed that is what He's calling me to. Thank You for being faithful to speak.

These may not be posted everyday or actaully on the day that I'm blogging about. But this opportunity to journal about the journey is exciting and I want to be able to tell of His mercies! So I'm taking my laptop home and journaling during the process. Then when I come into the office, I'll post the blog. (since I don't have cable or internet access at home :-)

DAY 40
Today is Sunday. I need to be at the church in a few minutes, but just felt like I needed to get some feelings out on paper. Thank You for Your new mercies today. I'm anxious to see what today holds as I enter Your house. Please go before us.

In my quiet time, God took me to Psalm 32 and 33. And of course, something jumped out at me that I had not noticed before. And, again, of course, God used it later that morning during our worship time before service.

Psalm 32: 7 You are a hiding place for me; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with shouts of deliverance.

Then a few verses later and into chapter 33...

Psalm 32: 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 33:1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

I've never noticed that God SHOUTS deliverance over us. On my behalf, He decides that an "inside voice" is not adequate enough to surround me with Himself as shelter. When you are shouting, the sound takes up the whole room because you want to be heard. Your "inside voice" just won't do. You have to shout. God shouting? Can you imagine?

Then after He shouts for us (not at us... but for us and over us), He commands us to shout back to Him in joy. Well, of course, it's in joy. He just surrounded us with His shouts to deliver us. Why wouldn't we shout back in joy?!? I LOVE the last part of 33:1... Praise befits the upright. http://www.dictionary.com/ defines 'befit': to be suitable to or appropriate for. So first, He shouts to surround us as we're being delivered. Then we shout back our joy in Him. Then we praise. Praise befits the upright. The appropriate response... the only response really. Praise.