On Friday, my friend and neighbor (and “fellow” Imperfect Wife!) got married…what a joyous day for her and her family! She is a strong Christian woman who married a mighty man of God. We were delighted to be included in their celebration (Sophia was one of her flower girls) and see the manifestation of the promises of God in their lives.
Psalm 20 was painted on the window of their truck, along with congratulations. I had to go look it up to see what is contained in this psalm:
May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Zion!
3 May he remember all your offerings
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah
4 May he grant you your heart’s desire
and fulfill all your plans!
5 May we shout for joy over your salvation,
and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!
6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with the saving might of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand upright.
9 O Lord, save the king!
May he answer us when we call.
As I read the words of this beautiful psalm, the Lord reminded me how I have used this part of the Word so many times in my life, even though I don’t have the verses committed to memory with their reference. (I’m a work in progress in the area of memorization!)
One of my most common prayers to the Lord is “Help!”
It’s not eloquent or flowery…but it’s always straight from my heart, like a little child.
I rarely never have all the answers and a lot of the time in life I feel like I’m faking it ’till I make it, but the truth of the matter is, my heart and my hope are in God. I don’t have to know the exact details of how everything is going to work out to have confidence that it’s going to be for my benefit in the end. Like the psalmist says in verse 7, I trust in the name of the Lord my God.
But let’s face it: sometimes the end can seem like a long time coming and that there’s a lot of work on my part in the meantime. These days, in the midst of things that are taking longer to work out than I’d planned (or would like), I remind myself that I just haven’t reached the end of the situation yet…and that good things are on their way.
As we walk through our days, let’s remember these principles from Psalm 20:
- On the day of trouble, cry out to God
- God will send help
- God gives us the desires of our hearts and fulfills our plans (for me, that means that He will show me what to desire and then He will make it come to pass)
- God answers our prayers and saves us as we trust in His name
These principles are true for us, whether our circumstances are external situations we must face together with our spouse or a dilemma we face within our marriage relationship. No matter what is going on in our lives, God is faithful!
One more thought: do you remember your wedding day? Do you recall how happy you were to marry that man and that you felt like God had given you the desire of your heart? Perhaps you’re wondering if you desired the wrong one and maybe you should have made a different choice. Don’t give up hope! Continue to cry out to God for help and for Him to fulfill your plans of a lifelong and happy marriage!
With Love,
Rebecca
Image via everystockphoto/flickr
Rebecca,
I really enjoyed this post and the Psalm is beautiful! How happy I was when I married my husband! And, I am still happy, through thick and thin, for I know that my husband strives to walk in the path the Lord sets before Him. Through ups and downs, our marriage has bloomed into a beautiful relationship with Christ as its center. As long as the Lord is at the center of your heart and your relationship, all will be well.
Cynthia, you summed it up so beautifully! Christ at the center of marriage is the only real answer to being happily married. Love your testimony…thank you for sharing!
I feel like I made a wrong choice because ultimately he has committed adultery. How can one hold on to hope after that? I no longer look at him as the man of my dreams or man of God for that matter.
Mona, when husbands fail us, whether in small or large ways (like you’ve described), it is tempting to judge them harshly and assume that their sin and its consequences are beyond hope. However, I know that the blood of Jesus covers ALL of our sins, no matter how small or large. Forgiveness is so hard to do in our own strength…we must ask God for help to extend grace and forgiveness, even when it is undeserved because each of us is a sinner, undeserving of the grace and forgiveness we have received through Jesus. I’m praying for you and your husband today.
Congrats on the wedding. What a joyful day!
Just love your most common prayer. It’s mine, too!
Kim, I feel like I’m in good company…since you’re praying that prayer, too! God is so faithful to answer us when we call out to Him!