Psalm 119:75-76 says, “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your word to Your servant.”

God’s faithfulness is imprinted on every trial. His promise is that He will always be with us in our trial. Isaiah 43:2 is one of my anchor verses. It says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.”

In 37 words, He used ‘through’ three times. Our trials have an end intended. James 5:11. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “…but God is faithful…will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”

Here is a new song

Celebrate Your Uniqueness 

My hands have made you and fashioned you in My image. There is no one else like you. Don’t try to copy others. Influence them through who you are. Be you in the design of My making.  

Creativity is freedom from sameness. It all begins in your thoughts. Be free to explore and develop the passions I’ve given you. Thoughts can box you in or free your spirit. Accepting who you are will cause you to thrive in every aspect of your life.

All things work together for good to those who are called according to My purpose. Nothing is in vain. I will redeem it all. The things you have been through have given you eyes to see and ears to hear and compassion to minister to others. I want you to celebrate you as I celebrate you. You are created for My glory.

***Embrace Your design because you are Made In God.

I check labels on products to see where they were made. If we had a stamp on us it would say: Made In God. Psalm 119:73 says, “Your hands had made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.”

For years I lived in self-hatred and self-rejection. Why? I did not see myself through God’s eyes. Psalm 139:14 says, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”

We are His workmanship. Ephesians 2:10. We are made in the image of God. Genesis 1:26. He knew us before He formed us in our mother’s womb. Jeremiah 1:5. Psalm 139:13 says, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.”

Ephesians 1:4 says, “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…” We are Made In God to glorify Him throughout our days.

Nebuchadnezzar hardened his heart in pride. His son made no application to his own life. How is your heart in light of Hebrews 3:12-13? It says, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God…lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

Daniel warned king Nebuchadnezzar to humble his heart. Daniel 4:27. In verse 30 he attributed all strength and greatness to himself. James 4:10 is a clear direction for us. It says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

Does your heart stray? Psalm 119:10 says, “With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments.” Psalm 86:11 says, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” Lord grant me singleness of heart.

You would think that Nebuchadnezzar’s son would have learned the truth his father learned. He knew about his father eating grass. Yet he had the audacity to bring the gold vessels from God’s house, and use them in his drunken party.

If you remember, the finger of a man’s hand began writing on the wall. Daniel 5:20 says of his father, “When his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.”

Verse 23 says, “…you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.” I think my breath always sucks in (involuntarily) when I read this passage. May the Lord’s mercy right now be on those who continually oppose Him.

A hymn, In Times Like These, from my childhood rose into my mind after reading Daniel 4. If you will remember, king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. It came to pass the moment he exalted himself. His kingdom was taken from him. He was driven out into the fields to eat grass like a beast. 

Here are his words. Daniel 4:34, “And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever.”

Verse 35 is eternal truth that rings loud and clear in our times. It says, “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or says to Him, What have You done?”

Saul of Tarsus was so radically converted that folks didn’t recognize him. He immediately preached Christ. Acts 9:21 says, “Then all who heard were amazed, and said, Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”

How much does God’s word bring change into your life? I’ve read Psalm 119 many times. I even tried to memorize it when I broke my foot in 2013. However, meditating through it recently has brought course correction several times.

Peter recounted the transfiguration. 2 Peter 1:19 says, “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” God’s word is light that illuminates the unconverted parts of our hearts.

Psalm 119:72 says, “The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver.” As I started meditating on this verse, a song came to mind. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Chorus: More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold…”

Renewing our mind with Scripture converts our soul: mind, will, emotions. Ephesians 4:23 Amplified says, “And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude).”

Romans 12:2 J. B. Phillips says, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within…” The Amplified says, “…be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude)…” Spiritual metamorphosis ~ inner transformation.

Psalm 119:71 says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” How futile it is to go through a trial and not learn from it. Our trials are divinely equipped with sufficient grace to endure. They also contain wisdom to help us navigate through, so that we will bear much fruit which glorifies the Lord.

Afflicted in the Hebrew means: be bruised with, oppress, humble, be bowed down, be downcast. Luke 4:18 Amplified says that Jesus came to, “…send forth as delivered those who are oppressed (who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity).”

As the Lord was with the three Hebrew men in the fiery furnace, so He is with us every moment of our hard trials. He is Present to teach us more about Himself, so that we can be partakers of His very nature. We need to daily ask the Lord, “What do You want me to learn today from this trial?”

The Waodani used to be called Aucas. They were savage killers, who grew up hating and killing. They speared to death five missionaries in 1956. Afterwards, Nate Saint’s sister, Rachel, went to live with them. They heard about God’s carvings for the first time and began following God’s trail. You can read about it in End Of The Spear by Steve Saint.

Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Astray ~ leaving the path of righteousness laid out for us through God’s word.

Psalm 119:67 says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.”  We intentionally keep His word in our heart by resisting any thoughts of doubt, fear, or unbelief. Those fiery darts are strategically aimed at our faith to derail us.