Who Will Deliver Me.....

A friend and I started a new Bible study called Redeemed.  It's in conjunction with the Angela Thomas-Pharr conference we attended last year.  I started digging into this with some trepidation and even a little (lol) disbelief.  There are things in my life I really want to see changed.  I feel like I've lived with some sins, bad habits, and attitude problems for far too long.  The progress I see in certain areas is minimal at best, non-existent at worst.  So I thought, another Bible study...is it really going to help? Will anything truly change me?   But then I thought some more, and I came to the conclusion that I will be no worse off for doing it, so I'm going to give it a go.  (And I actually really enjoyed the conference last year)  I'm pretty sure I don't have exactly the best attitude going into it, but God is great and He can get past my lackluster feelings and even my jaded disbelief.  As I sit here typing this blog, I weep in that disbelief that I am ever capable of changing anything in my life. I know myself too well. I know that I keep my focus more on me and my abilities, or lack there of than on the One who can overcome any obstacle in my heart, any wall or barrier that I put up in my mind But the one thing I have is perseverance and that is what I will draw on now.  (perseverance is my gift from God, now I need some stick-to-itiveness, some follow-thru and discipline to go with it.)

So last night I started reading the book that corresponds to the videos.  I came across a sentence "Who will deliver me from________________."  That is the way it was written in the study book.  And so I sat there and listed my failures, sins, shortcomings.....You get the picture.  I wasn't condemning myself, just trying to be as honest about myself as possible.  I really do want to be delivered.   And then God.....I got the notion (hmm, wonder where that came from?!?!) in my head to check to daily Bible verse on my phone app...And God is so good, so sweet and loving, He had and always has the answer to our hearts cry.  Psalm 85:2  You forgave the guilt of Your people--yes, You covered all their sins.  

Personal.  Make it personal.  Your forgave my guilt--yes, You covered ALL MY sins.  Me.  You.  He did this for us.  Not some imaginary people, not some "out there somewhere" people.  But me and you.  And He answers our hearts out of His heart.  Right where we need Him to be.  Our God is personal!  He is present and He is love.

I'm still stuck in my unbelief...but I know that He can see past that to the deepest corner of my heart where I want to believe, where I want to walk in His redemption and freedom.   Something God told me years ago was that  I had to keep the focus off me and put it on Him where it belongs.  It's one of those areas I forget about, struggle with, and seem to fall back into time and time again.  But God delivers, He redeems.  Thankfully He sees the finished product of me!  Someday I will see it too!!

Lord, thank You for Your kindness and Your loving assurance.  I am so deeply touched and blessed.  I love You.

Take Psalm 85:2 and make it personal today.  It is for you!!