Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

QT 23 Jul 17, Hope in God, our anchor in an ugly world

Psalm 42:5–6a (ESV) —
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation 6 and my God. …

NOTE: This refrain or chorus is used twice in this psalm, and also in psalm 43. Maybe psalm 43 was an additional verse added later to psalm 42. The chorus is both sad and rejoiceful. The sad part is a recognition that life is not as we would like. Things don't work out the way we hope. People that we count on, let us down, they make poor choices or they act in an evil manner. The world is ugly with sin, in the midst of the beauty of creation. This is real. This is true. The psalmist does not hide his emotions nor does he dally in them. He immediately reminds himself of his reason for joy--hope in God. He is our salvation, and no matter what befalls us; we will again praise him. We will again experience an immeasurable joy that only our creator can give us. He is our Father; we are adopted into the family. His love for us knows no bounds and his favor for us cannot increase any more than it already exists. We are his beloved. In the midst of all the ugliness and pain in the world, there is a place of absolute peace and joy--it is knowing the God of the universe personally.

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