I met Jennifer through a giveaway on her blog and am thankful that God used that gift to lead me to an even greater gift- getting to know this gal.:) My favorite post of hers is found here. I shared it on twitter by saying, “Because we all need to read this…” That means you, you should read it too- such a great reminder and poignant reflections in this social media age.
Jennifer Kostick is a wife, mother, conference speaker, executive director of The Mercy Retreat, and author of the upcoming book, Nothing to Hold but Hope. She blogs about hope and faith at A Girl On the Doorstep. You can find Jennifer on Facebook and Twitter too.
Take a few minutes to read Psalm 100.
I love the Psalms. There is something about the transparency of heart from which they are communicated that makes me feel like I’m going to be okay. I’m a fan of transparency. I’m someone who longs for the story of the buried, beating heart.
What does your heart say?
What is your soul cry?
King David doesn’t make us do any guess work. He communicates the faithfulness of His God, even if it’s through sorrow and angst. He allows us to see the spilled out broken pieces in the dry and weary land. He paints a clear picture of what is wrong before it can ever be made right. And then, he shouts praise. He declares the faithfulness of his God. He isn’t shy about it because He knows what his God can do.
David obviously saw glimpses of the glory of God throughout his life. He held tightly to the Holy One because he knew he was somehow part of His handiwork.
If your heart is beating, if you have a pulse, and if you have breath in your lungs, then you are also part of His handiwork. You are living a beautiful story written by the Author of freedom, life, and faithfulness. Even if you can’t see His hand through the clouds of grief, it doesn’t make it any less true that He is working for you. He is fighting for His beloved and your name is written on the palm of His hand.
Our scars are lines in a story that have opportunity to shout the beauty of our Savior! (You can tweet that!)
My story is a 15 year battle through miscarriage, stillbirth, and secondary infertility. There were days I wasn’t sure if I would ever find joy. I wept over a small pink casket that held my daughter inside. I fought overwhelming grief and despair. And, still, His hope wrapped itself around the core of my soul. Hope screamed out the testimony of a faithful God, even when I stood in the dark unable to see Him.
His hope and faithfulness belong to you, and you can show ownership by declaring it. Psalm 100 is a powerful declaration of His mercy and truth! Every verse is a statement of pure praise unto a faithful God.
Will you say it out loud with me?
“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”
– Psalm 100
May you find freedom and peace as you declare His faithfulness. Hold tightly to His hope! We serve a faithful God!
Love,
Jennifer
Deep Breaths:
1. Reread Psalm 100 and turn it into a song of praise. Make up a tune or read it back to the Lord as a prayer. May its declaration uplift your soul as you offer a joyful shout of praise to Him.
2. How do the scars in your story point to the beauty of the Savior? How has His faithfulness carried you through the fog? Consider sharing your thoughts with us in the comments.
3. Write “Faithful” at the top of a fresh page in your journal. Set your timer for 5 minutes and record His faithfulness to you. What comes to mind? Turn this list into a prayer of thanksgiving. Add to it from time to time, and revisit it, especially in hard times.
So glad to be introduced to you, Jennifer. I can’t wait to check out your site. I love what you say here, "Hope screamed out the testimony of a faithful God, even when I stood in the dark unable to see Him.” Yes, I’ve been in the dark before, too, and the Hope that only comes from the Lord led me out…and held me while I was there. Thank you for this beautiful reminder from a beautiful Psalm. Blessings to you today!
Thank you so much, Meredith. I'm glad to "meet" you here! And I'm so happy you found rest in our faithful God!
God bless you,
Jennifer
Just beautiful. Truly. It's wonderful to see you here, Jennifer. Thank you for this amazing post. Katie, I love this series. What a beautiful idea to have many come alongside of you to share their hearts. <3
Thank you, Beth!
Jennifer I just love your story – so beautiful, thank you for sharing your heart here today…even through the broken pieces, I see hope and beauty!!
Thank you, Kristin!
God is so wonderful. He never ceases to amaze me in the stories I hear of how He has brought people through their darkest times. The psalms are my hideout when darkness surrounds me. It is in them that I find comfort and hope and strength. And I pray my life becomes its own psalm–crying in the hurt but turning always to God and finding my rest in Him. Thank you for your beautiful words, Jennifer.
I love that Sabra, "a hideout when darkness surrounds me" and "I pray my life becomes its own psalm". Love the Psalms!
Thank you, Sabra! Finding rest in Him is the key to peace in all situations:).
I am glad you are a part of the series, that led me to your blog and then on to some others (intrigued by "spiritual whitespace!").
"He held tightly to the Holy One because he knew he was somehow part of His Handiwork" – Love that!
From the question prompts – I have many scars from different physical maladies – accidents, cancer, and other. Despite the loss of body parts, I am alive. HIS scars…they gave me life eternal. MY scars point to physical healing. HIS scars point to my spiritual salvation. I rest in a nail scarred hand. A scarred face looks down at me in love, quiets me, sings over me, assures me. I have scars that are emotional – loss, grief, disappointment, betrayal, abuse. YET with PRAISE, I am in the presence of the King, in HIS courts!
Thank you for helping us to Declare, from our souls, that He is God, He is LORD!
Kelley- These are beautiful, transparent reflections that I think you should pen in a post all its own. Love to you friend!
Kelley, Thank you for sharing some of your story with us! I'm so thankful you've found rest in Christ and in His scars. God bless you!
Wow…just beautiful! Your post reminded me yet again why I love reading through the Psalms so much.
Thank you, Alecia!
Whew, Jennifer! What beautiful words and testimony. Thank you for sharing your heart, your story and this Psalm!
Thank you, Holly!
Jennifer, such beautiful truths in your story to go along with Psalm 100! God is faithful, even in the dark! I love that! Thank you for sharing your heart and your life!