The Psalms

Each morning at breakfast we read a Psalm. If, as we're reading, I recognize any songs that have been written based on that particular Psalm, I teach it to my children, and we sing it together a few times. Yesterday we read Psalm 25. It begins with these two verses:

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.


I had a pretty low day yesterday. There's an issue I've been anxious about, and it occupied much of my time yesterday. I spent a lot of time thinking about it, analyzing it from every which angle, fretting and pondering and dwelling on it... (does anyone else do this?!) I spent some time with the Lord, trying to lay it down before him and let it go, but- for the most part I just dwelled on it. So, we had a pretty unproductive day. I was a distracted mama and it showed in my parenting and my housework.

I was up early this morning, and again, my mind began wrestling with this issue. And I asked God to help me set it aside, to stop going there in my mind and just truly and wholly entrust it to Him. I thought to myself, "I wish there was a verse or a song that I could launch into whenever I catch my thoughts wandering back to this issue." And there it was- I remembered Psalm 25, and the chorus my children and I had happily sung around the breakfast table the previous morning, and so I breathed a prayer of thanks and am disciplining my thoughts today: when they want to focus on this particular issue, I am bursting into song (or at least singing it in my head).

The chorus is this:

Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul
O my God, I trust in Thee
Let me not be ashamed,
let not my enemies triumph over me.


The other day my daughter asked, "Mommy? What's the name of that really bad man who wants us to do naughty things? The one who wants us to go to that place with all the fire?" Um. Yes, that would be Satan. I know that the enemy of our souls would like nothing better than to have us dwell, wallow, and be discouraged in our thoughts. Today I'm choosing to tune my thoughts and lift up my soul to my Lord, my God, in whom I trust!


ps- OH! Credit where credit is due: I got the reading-a-Psalm-each-morning-at-breakfast idea over at Large Family Logistics. (Thanks, Kim!)

1 comment:

  1. May. 12, 2006 - Sing It, Girl!!
    Posted by Michelle
    Now I have Third Day's "My Hope is In You" stick in MY head!! I am emailing you the lyrics...is that on the Third Day you have??? I continue to be amazed how often I will be reading along in Psalms and realize "oh yeah....that song (then I sing it)....it is a Psalm"

    ***

    May. 12, 2006 - Ditto
    Posted by Dana
    Oh yes I do that too - try and give it up to the Lord but I keep on fretting and then, I eat. So if I sing then my mouth will be full of praise instead of food!
    I'll try it!
    Dana

    ***

    May. 12, 2006 - Untitled Comment
    Posted by CTdittmar
    I've enjoyed LFL as well! What a great resource for helping to structure our days. i've also used Terri Maxwell's schedulling system Managers of their Homes. A wonderful resource. Enjoying your posts...it is indeed hard to surrender to God's peace and not hold onto worry and fretting. Sounds like you gave the victory to Him. hope things are resolved for your issue...Christa

    ***

    May. 15, 2006 - For the thoughful women who commented here...
    Posted by reformingmama
    Michelle- I love that song, too! Yes, that one is on the CD you gave me! (Thanks!)
    Dana- I like to eat, too! Ice cream, especially! Mmm... or chips, too. I like those!
    Christa- I agree- LFL is such a wonderful resource! Thank you for your kind words!

    Blessings to each one of you!
    ~Stacy

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