Joyful, Joyful

1 Praise the Lord, who is my rock.
He trains my hands for war
and gives my fingers skill for battle.
2 He is my loving ally and my fortress,
my tower of safety, my rescuer.
He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.
He makes the nations submit to me.

3 O Lord, what are human beings that you should notice them,
mere mortals that you should think about them?
4 For they are like a breath of air;
their days are like a passing shadow.

5 Open the heavens, Lord, and come down.
Touch the mountains so they billow smoke.
6 Hurl your lightning bolts and scatter your enemies!
Shoot your arrows and confuse them!
7 Reach down from heaven and rescue me;
rescue me from deep waters,
from the power of my enemies.
8 Their mouths are full of lies;
they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.

9 I will sing a new song to you, O God!
I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp.
10 For you grant victory to kings!
You rescued your servant David from the fatal sword.
11 Save me!
Rescue me from the power of my enemies.
Their mouths are full of lies;
they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.

12 May our sons flourish in their youth
like well-nurtured plants.
May our daughters be like graceful pillars,
carved to beautify a palace.
13 May our barns be filled
with crops of every kind.
May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands,
even tens of thousands,
14 and may our oxen be loaded down with produce.
May there be no enemy breaking through our walls,
no going into captivity,
no cries of alarm in our town squares.
15 Yes, joyful are those who live like this!
Joyful indeed are those whose God is the Lord.

Psalm 144

This past week Andy was doing some extra work to try and bring in some money to pay the bills. It's amazing how when the finances get dangerously low, someone asks Andy to do some work for them. His provision is endless! He had two jobs lined up this past weekend, and after he finished the first, he didn't receive anything for the work. We both were a little disappointed in that, but Andy just said that no good deed goes unpunished and said that he was helping someone out. So then he did the second job, and while he was up in a tree, the person left, but not before putting a check in his car. What he didn't expect, was the amount on the check. It was double what we had expected. So now we have an abundance! It's completely crazy! For the first time in a long time we have extra and we are praying that God will help us use it wisely. It's partially tempting to be a little frivolous and pick up some of the things that we've been missing. But after nearly five months of being careful, that urge isn't so strong anymore.

That right there is a victory for me. It's huge that I don't want to run out and spend this excess that we have. I am a shopper, and when I glanced at the check Andy had in his hands, my first thought was a quick prayer to help me spend it wisely. I am sure it will be put to use- but in a good way. It IS joyful to live like this, and it IS joyful to have Our God as Lord.