Jottings from My Journals

Reflections

Journal entries are memorial markers… sort of like the stones Joshua piled up from the River Jordan. Reading past journal entries helps put today in focus, giving insight into candid feelings. This week’s shared journal entries complete our jaunt into the past.

A recurring theme of my journal entries is exploring God’s love, a continuous pursuit of my life. Here are a couple of views.

February 11, 1988

Night Songs

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—
(Psalm 42:8, NIV).

How great it is to know the love of God by day. It is joy; it is laughter; it’s sunlight and flowers. Nothing can compare with knowing God loves me and all is well.

But night comes. The sunlight is gone—and I thought the sunlight was His love. It is dark and I am confused. But then I hear His song—the song of love.

Now I know His love is more than daytime joy; it is also greater than nighttime sorrow. I must not equate His love with what is happening around me.

Night will come, and day; and night and day; and many more nights and days but I must go on singing. The song I sing is a song of God’s love, a song I learned in the night.

(Apparently that song lasted for a little while. Here is another entry that picks up the same thought a few days later—ironically on Valentine’s Day.)

February 14, 1988

The Love of God

Psalm 44

Psalm 44 pictures an interesting contrast. Verses 1 through 4 describe past victories because of God’s love:

It was not by their sword that they won the land… it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them (Psalm 44:3, NIV).

At this point a theology could be written: “God gives victory to those whom he loves.” The argument seems convincing but it fails to include the perspective of the next verses.

The last half of the Psalm has a radical change: instead of victory, retreat; instead of spoils, plundering; instead of triumph, reproach. Questioning brings a plea for God’s help as a demonstration of His love:

Rise up and help us, redeem us because of your unfailing love (Psalm 44:26, NIV).

The message of Psalm 44 is the same as Psalm 42: God’s love is not equated with what happens around me. His love is unfailing, everlasting, always there. We can count on it.

If God loves us, why do so many different things happen to us—both good and bad?

The problem of pride. If only good things happen to us, we might begin to think we deserve good things because we are good.

The problem of greed. If only good things come our way, we might become enthralled with things themselves.

The problem of spiritual discernment. We might not separate God from His gifts to us, if He did not remove the gifts sometimes.

The problem of discouragement. If only bad things happen to us, we might become discouraged with ourselves and disillusioned with God.

Thank you Lord, that You balance our lives. You know when to abase and when to abound. Your love is greater than either condition. Help us remember this throughout this day. Amen.

Points to Ponder:

Spend a few moments reviewing your walk with the Lord. Recall a time He gave you a song in the night. Is your heart singing that song today?

The psalmist in Psalm 44 recalls past victories as a basis for faith during present difficult circumstances. Let memory encourage your faith to recall God’s everlasting love.

PEGGY MUSGROVE is a licensed Assemblies of God minister. She is also a speaker, freelance writer, author and prayer group leader. Her latest book, Musings of a Maraschino Cherry was released in 2004.. You can visit her at www.musgroveville.com.

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