If you’d like to join me for my weekly Scripture reflection series, I’ll be using the RSVCE of the Bible. Here is the entire Psalm IX passage.
“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all thy wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in thee, I will sing praise to thy name, O Most High.”
I went through a very rough spot last weekend, and I decided to take a week off from social media and blog posting. Although I find a lot of fulfillment in writing Scripture reflections, I ultimately decided against posting because I needed to focus on my own relationship with God. It may be easy to believe that those who heed and spread His word have a good relationship with Christ, but this isn’t always the case. Humans are fallible and imperfect, and we all lose our way sometimes. It took me a long time to finally accept that the reason I was feeling so utterly lost is because my relationship with God is not in a good place. It hasn’t been for a while.
When I entered college, I began to re-evaluate my worldview and values. I realized that I was a Christian only in the most basic sense of the word; while I had received the sacraments throughout childhood, I did not know what it meant to live my life for God. I began to research more ways that I could dedicate my life to the Lord, and I quickly understood that one of the ways I fell short in being a practicing Christian is that I did not actively voice my beliefs. I started reading the Bible more frequently, thinking about God in all that I do, and praying for guidance regarding how I could be a better follower. I made it a personal goal of mine to begin attributing all of the positive things in my life to His grace and to spread His word to those who are open to listening to me.
“When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before thee. For thou hast maintained my just cause; thou hast sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.”
It is a common misconception that Christians who openly spread His word to non-Christians are ‘judgemental,’ but this is simply not the case. Spreading the word does not have to mean going up to strangers on the street and telling them about Christ; for me, it was important to tell those closest to me about His grace and glory. I was met with a lot of surprise and criticism, being called a ‘zealot’ and told that I’m acting ‘high and mighty’ for voicing my beliefs. I was – and still am, to a certain degree – dissuaded by such comments, because the last thing I wanted to do was portray a ‘holier than thou’ attitude. My goal in spreading the word has always been to encourage others to commit their lives to the Christian faith and get them closer to Heaven. Jesus promised that those who follow Him would be persecuted and scorned by the world and that the path to salvation would be narrow and difficult. Practicing Christians may live a tougher life here on Earth, but all the worldly suffering they could possibly endure cannot compare to the joy they will experience when Christ returns for His final judgment. They should look forward to the day that they are able to stand before their Creator and tell Him that they tried their best.
“The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know thy name put their trust in thee, for thou, O Lord, hast not forsaken those who seek thee.”
I love how you integrate practical life into your messages – that really makes it stick for me and see how it applies to me.
Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed reading this.
Great post……
Spreading God’s word through one’s own life is the most challenging and an important thing…….
I’ve not seen many gospel writers
Thank God I found this 😇
God bless you and Keep on writing 😇
Thanks for reading & for your thoughts on this!
Thank you for posting this personal and reflective article. You seem passionate without being pushy and I think that your blog will help people relate more to the Bible. Thanks again!
Thank you! I do feel very passionately about this, but I also understand that religious conversations may not be for everyone. I try to make them as informative, understanding, and welcoming as I can. Thank you for reading xx
This was such a personal post. Thank you for sharing it. I think it is really brave that you are helping to spread the word.
Thank you so much for reading!
Thank you for sharing this personal post! That’s great that you are able to share something you are so passionate about.
Thanks for reading!
THere’s a lot of safety and security in this passage… I really enjoyed reading this article quite a bit. Very thought-provoking
I’m glad to hear this was thought-provoking for you!
Disconnect to reconnect. Taking a break from social media to focus on your own relationships is so powerful! Proud of you!
Thank you so much!
I love reading how you’ve connected this Scripture with your life and how you’ve found ways to implement it and really apply yourself to learning it and growing. So encouraging to read about!
Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed reading this.
Love your writing skill. Although I don’t agree with your topic I admire your talent.
Thanks for your feedback. I always welcome all viewpoints, and I’m glad you enjoyed reading this.
This is a really nice post. You do a great job of presenting and relating Scripture to our life occurrences. I too find it a challenge to express my beliefs without being “holier than thou” and found that my actions truly speak louder than words and make more of a difference than most things I could say.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this!
Great post, I love how you explain the scripture. I’m not really big on following organised religion to the letter, but I do believe in god, and I do identify as a christian.
I find it really sad how people who are open about there religion are jumped on these days, and often met with abuse, especially online. You shouldn’t be dissuaded by people, your beliefs are your own 😊
I wholly agree! I wish people were more open to different viewpoints. We can all learn from each other in some way. Thanks for your thoughts!
Amen! I absolutely love this post and the heartfelt way you express your love for Christ. It is sad that so often, Christians are considered ‘high and mighty’ simply for stating how they feel. Sharing the Word and God’s ways will bring persecution, but maybe, just maybe, one person’s heart will be changed along the way!
I am so sorry you went through a rough patch. Many people, including myself, can wholeheartedly understand. It has been a trying time – pandemic related and non pandemic related. My prayer is that peace returns to your heart and soul through the comfort only our Heavenly Father can give. 🙏🏼
Beautiful post. I’m grateful you’ve shared it and am proud of you for being transparent through it all. God bless you, sis! ♥
I wholeheartedly agree. I really wish Christians could express their views without automatically being labeled as judgmental for doing so. My hope is that this post helps at least one person move closer to God. Thank you so much for your thoughts and support, Holly.
It is my pleasure! ♥ And I wholeheartedly agree with you. The intent of the heart is what counts! As long as we know that our hearts are right before God, we’ve done all we can do!
Thank you for sharing this personal post! such a Great post!
Thank you!
This is such an amazing post. Thank you for spreading the word. Keep it up.
Thank you!
What a wonderful verse! Thanks for this
xoxo
Lovely
http://mynameislovely.com
You’re welcome!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and beliefs about Christianity. It’s wonderful to hear you implement the learning and understanding in your daily life. It is also very interesting because in Sikhism and Islam (two of us at T.B.C come from those faiths) it also says, that those who follow the path of righteousness, or those who are journeying to get closer to and deepen their connection with God, will always feel hardship and have a tougher life – perhaps because we are trying to connect with something that is non-physical and we live is such a physical dimension. We are also curating 21 Days of Abundance (our blog series) which journeys through maintaining an abundance mindset. That there is abundance for all of us, by the Grace of God. That we should never feel alone, because one way or another we will always be delivered. It is a much more spiritual journey but we love hearing about other peoples experiences and relationships with the Divine. Your post has given us food for thought and piqued our interest. Our work on earth is forever ongoing… x
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this Scripture reflection and for explaining how it relates to your own faith. I believe it’s an extremely important time for people to be able to trust in God, and I’m glad to hear that you found this interesting!