He Crowns Us With Love

This morning I awoke to some sad, yet peaceful news. A friend of this community is at rest from all the busyness and hurt of this world. Can you imagine being in a position of complete rest and peace with no more sorrow and no more pain?
I praise God for what He has done in my friend's life. I praise Him for her teachings and encouraging words. During a time in my life when I didn't understand or know why God said what He said to me, I followed Him. I went through what my friend revealed to me as "faith by fire." God wants to know if you are going to trust the people in front of you or the God who created you."  We were sitting in her home, face to face and in  the presence of the LORD. Her voice was soft and tender like that of a mother speaking to her small child. Isn't that like God though?  He speaks truth with such a tender and soft voice?
I praise Him for the work He has completed with my friend, Pat Kinney.


 Praise the Lord, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewedlike the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
As for mortals, their days are like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep his covenant
    and remember to obey his precepts.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the Lord, you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    who obey his word.
Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
    you his servants who do his will.
Praise the Lord, all his works
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

After reading this passage this morning, the song from Matt Redman came to my thoughts and I began to sing it to the LORD. 

With this season of my life and all the transformations I am going through, this song truly speaks to my heart. 

Psalms 103

You can hear this song on 91.3 Hope FM online or on your radio dial. 

I encourage you to praise in your misery and in your joy.

~Be encouraged today and sing like never before!