soul care

Travel Essentials for Life’s Journey – Psalm 63

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment

What are your travel essentials?

Psalm 63 reveals a few essentials for our daily travels around the planet Earth. This world is not our home, so it is wise to pack some items to make the journey a little easier.

  • Water bottle
  • Charging Cord
  • Snacks, My Singing Voice, and a Travel Pillow
  • Velcro Straps

Am I at peace with God? We may mentally assent to this, but do we do salvation by bookkeeping? When we try to rebuild our own sense of worthiness, we nullify the grace of God.

-The Rt. Rev. Andrew Williams, Bishop of New England

Recently, I had an opportunity to hear Bishop Andrew Williams speak at the Anglican Leadership Institute at a camp on Martha’s Vineyard. The first week of this intensive training focused on spiritual self-care. As leaders, Bishop Andrew challenged us, “To know Jesus, to know who Jesus really is, to know Him more.”

Psalm 63 echoes a similar message.


1O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

(Psalm 63:1 ESV)

A Water Bottle for My Soul

Bishop Andrew’s question, “Am I at peace with God?” struck me quite profoundly during my time away at the Institute.

Do I seek the Lord regularly, earnestly, and as if my life depended upon it?

Or do I try to ride out into the “dry and weary land” where I currently reside and get by with no water for my soul? Psalm 63 clearly states how dry and weary this land I inhabit is.

While I would never travel far from home without my refillable water bottle, how often do I deprive my soul of much-needed spiritual water?

Watering my soul involves embracing the grace of God, given generously at significant cost to Jesus. Taking time daily to review these truths reminds me of who I belong to and why. Drinking down cups of living water from God’s word is what truly quenches my soul.

These practices keep me at peace with God. 

2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.

3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.

(Psalm 63:2-3 ESV)


A Charging Cord

Beholding God’s power

Beholding God’s glory

To behold is to look at and pay attention. Something changes inside me when I notice God’s power and glory. When I slow down long enough to truly take it all in.

If I forget to plug in my cell phone overnight, I am not surprised when I find my battery is low.

Do I remember to recharge my soul? Or do I wait until I find myself depleted?

A phone charging cord causes power to flow from the power outlet into my phone. It forms the vital link that transfers the essential power into the device. I could put my phone near the outlet. I could even plug in the charger to my phone; however, no charge will be received if the charging cord isn’t plugged into the power outlet.

I must spend time in God’s sanctuary with local believers focused on God’s power and glory. Attending church on Sunday refills my depleted soul. Somehow, doing this in a community amplifies the experience in a way that is hard to explain. Perhaps it is like hearing a song on the radio versus attending a live concert. A Sunday morning service soaks down into my soul.

When I acknowledge God’s steadfast love, a love capable of sticking by my side, I am set free from what Bishop Williams refers to as “salvation by bookkeeping.” I will never do enough to earn God’s love and acceptance. When I strive, my default setting, I attempt to nullify my desperate need for God’s grace. Accepting His steadfast love is better than life because a life of striving will destroy me.

4 So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

(Psalm 63:4-7 ESV)

Singing, Snacking, and Sleeping 

My soul is designed to be maintained with daily singing, regular meals, and rest. It’s the ultimate soul maintenance plan.

Singing, a mood booster, allows me to praise God, reach out, and be up to Him in new ways. My voice is raised, my arms follow, and I am ushered into the Lord’s presence.

Reading, digesting, and sharing the word of God keeps my soul satisfied and my brain engaged. If I do this every day, then in the middle of the night, I can recall God’s promises. In the darkness, He lights a night light of reassurance that allows me to sleep. Sleep is the ultimate surrender and reminder that God is in control. I can lay my weary head on my travel pillow and know that God watches over me each night.

I can rest in the shadow of His wings and sing myself to sleep.

8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;

10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

(Psalm 63:8-11 ESV)

Velcro

How do I ensure my soul clings to God?

God promises His right hand will uphold me. He uses supernatural Velcro to help me stay attached and supported by Him. It is not all up to me.

When I travel, I often use various Velcro products to hold my things together, seal packing cubes, and bind up cords and cables to prevent tangling.

I can use Velcro to stick God’s promises into my heart and mind by memorizing them, writing them on index cards, and listening to them read to me.

I must actively repeat God’s truth and cling to it because the world overflows with contrary messages.

The good news, worthy of rejoicing over, is what Bishop Andrew shared in the final part of his talk.

“Jesus cuts the tape of accusation that is playing on a loop. The Lord breathes His love into each of us.”

Prayer

Lord, as I travel through this dry and weary land, you are my guide and provider. Thank you for your living water, recharging power, soul food, rest, upholding right hand, and love breathed into me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

How Am I Hard-Wired To Worship? Psalm 95

/ Anthea Kotlan / 2 Comments

Our arms were raised. Our voices united in song. Suddenly I felt a shift in the room as the Holy Spirit flooded the sanctuary with His presence. While I detected fresh power moving about, I found myself utterly focused and engaged in worshipping God. Nothing else mattered. No longer multi-tasking.  I no longer considered the schedule of the event I led. I became keenly aware of the closeness I felt to God. When I picked up the microphone, I couldn’t help but testify to what I just experienced. 

Worship can become contagious in all the best possible ways. Others attending the service that evening also felt the change. Some were ushered into God’s presence. 

Donald S. Whitney in his book, “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life” says, 

To worship God is to ascribe proper worth to God, to magnify His worthiness or praise, or better to approach or address God as He is worthy. As the sovereign judge, to whom we must give an account, He is worthy of all the honor we can give Him and then infinitely more. 

Worship is a spiritual discipline hard-wired into the core of our being. It is what God’s creation is designed to do. However, God wants us to choose and offer it freely. Worship requires intentionality and focus. Each participant can choose to actively take part or be distracted by other activities. 

Psalm 95 calls God’s people to worship. 

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 
Psalm 95:1 NIV

Sing and Shout  

God gifted me with a voice that I can use to sing or speak or even shout. Singing and shouting to the Rock of our salvation, singing along with hymns or contemporary Christian music can provide an easy way for me to worship God. The lyrics help me recall God’s character and ways of doing things. Musical worship can be done in a church service in a building with great acoustics. It can be done in my living room with my small group. It can also be done with me alone in my car singing as loud as I would like. 

2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. 
Psalm 95:2 NIV

Give Thanks 

Another way to worship God is to spend time giving thanks for all He has done for me and my people. I tend to easily make a list of all I don’t have. However, what a wonderful way to focus on God by giving thanks to God for all He has done today, this week, or recently.   

One practical way to create a thanksgiving list is to go through the alphabet and try to think of a thing to give thanks for featuring each letter of the alphabet.  

1.     Avocados 

2.     Beautiful weather 

3.     Cameras to capture photos of those I love… 

3 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. 
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 
5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; 
Psalm 95:3-6 NIV

Bow Down in Worship 

Physical activities help remind me of certain truths. When I bow or kneel before God, I remember that He is God, and I am not. Bowing or kneeling can be physical acts of surrender. While I certainly am not required to kneel or bow, sometimes it is a wonderful way to focus my attention. It is much harder to try to check my phone or take notice of those around me when I am kneeling or bowing with my head down. The Lord my maker knows the struggles I have with distraction and anxiety. He offers this posture to help me with my heart’s desire to wander off. 

7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, 
8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, 
9 where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. 
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” 

  Psalm 95:7-11 NIV

Listen with My Ears and a Tender Heart 

After they left Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert at Meribah where they ran out of water. Fear and anxiety fed a wave of grumbling and complaining that cascaded through the camp. Grumbling hardens hearts and stops up ears. God’s people couldn’t hear the clear directive God gave in His provision of water to come from a rock. Moses was asked to bring water out of a rock for the people and the livestock. (Numbers 20)  

Moses chose not to listen to God and allowed his heart to be hardened by the people’s complaining. In anger, Moses tried getting water out of the rock in his own way. His disobedience and failure to worship God for what he was going to provide had long-lasting consequences.  

Worship matters because it shapes our souls.  

Lent can be a wonderful season to try different spiritual disciplines. Worship could be an ideal one to work on this week by reading and praying through a worship psalm like 95. Some other worship psalms to examine would be:  

24, 27, 36, 98, 102, 103, 104 & 110 

Psalms provide a beautiful blueprint for praise and worship. Try one on for size this week and watch to see how your heart and mind might be transformed.  

Far more often than I care to admit, I do not prioritize soul care. Worship can be a great way to access some soul refreshment. I would love to hear how you practice worship this week.

Prayer 

Lord, expand my capacity for greater worship. Help me to spend time alone and with your people giving honor and glory to You. Cause me to hunger and thirst for more worship in my life. 

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen. 

How Can I Avoid Anger’s Trap? Psalm 5:7-12

/ Anthea Kotlan / 1 Comment

What is a trap? Something that collects and keeps something else that eventually may or may not be released.

I believe that anger a problem because it could lead to some damaging words or actions. However, it is also a problem if it is stuffed down deep into our souls. I believe there it can cause deep and lasting damage. Eventually, the anger may surprise us with how heavy it has become. Much like a stone that is weighing us down.

There is nothing like sitting on hard plastic chairs for hours waiting for my turn in a line moving like molasses to bring out the very best in me. Recently I spent most of a Monday assisting my eighty-year-old mother with renewing her driver’s license at a local office of the Department of Public Safety. I had made an “online appointment” three months earlier but arrived and found two very long lines snaking out into the parking lot. We waited in these lines for about twenty minutes and discovered we were missing a document. We got back in the car and drove home to find it and just over an hour later, we returned to begin the process again. This time, after the thirty-minute wait outside, we gained access to the building and found our way to those hard plastic chairs. We waited there for two more hours. As we sat together, I began to notice more and more people were processed through and all the while my mother’s name was not called. Finally, frustration was boiling over in my heart and mind. My inner advocate propelled me up from my seat to ask, as politely as I could, how much longer we might have to wait. The receptionist went to go check and I found out that my mother’s name had never been re-entered into the queue. We were then assured that we would be the very next customer.

Honestly, when I realized an error had been made, harsh words almost spilled from my mouth. An hour earlier my mother had tried to advocate for herself with this receptionist, and she had been dismissed. I swallowed my frustration hard as I sat back down to wait about twenty more hard-plastic-chair minutes, which I believe should count twice. When I finally arrived back home, about eight hours after I had initially left my house, I did not process all that anger and aggravation. Those strong feelings turned into hard rocks that weighed me down for weeks. Good soul care requires that I be proactive and find healthy ways to process anger, fear, shame, and guilt. While the employees of the DPS are not my enemies, my disappointment with mistakes made can operate like strategic plots by an enemy power that seeks to keep me away from my Father’s business. What happened was a minor inconvenience, but I know it caused a great deal of stress for my mother. She now dreads ever having to return there.

Last week on the blog I wrote about the first half of Psalm 5. Click on this link to see the post. https://antheakotlan.com/2021/06/16/how-can-i-be-angry-and-sin-not/

This week I am going to look at verses 7-12 to see how I could have handled my anger better.
In the second half of Psalm 5 (verses 7-12), David continues to pour out his angry heart to God. He reminds himself of God’s character and asks God for what he needs.

7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.

Psalm 5:7-8 ESV

Keep me in fellowship with you in your house. I thank you that I can approach you this day because of what you have done for me in abundance. I praise you this day for your mercy. Your love is my compass and provision. Please, don’t let my enemies, mistakes others make, or the unfairness of everyday life distract me from living out the life you have for me. Keep me on track with you and in step with you. I entrust you with all my disappointments and trust you to make these situations work out for my benefit, and for those I love.

9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction, their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.

10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
My enemies speak fluent deception, and even their compliments tear down. Please settle the score on my behalf and send them away. While they seek their own counsel, help me to always seek your wisdom first. You are my advocate.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Psalm 5:9-12 ESV

Running into your safe embrace is worthy of celebration. In your presence, I can sing and praise you in peaceful protection. There is always enough room for me in your presence. I choose to give thanks for all you are doing for me and those I love. I will take time today to hide with you.

Last week I talked about my granddaughter throwing a tantrum. One of the most tender moments I have witnessed is when my tall son-in-law bends down to the ground and looks into his tiny daughter’s eyes. He says, “I can see that you have some big feelings right now. Please use your words and tell Daddy what you need.” Psalm 5 is my heavenly father’s message to me to come to him and use my words to let him know what I need. He longs to hear from me and for me to express my anger and hurt with words, cries, and groans. He alone is always a safe place to run.

Lord, thank you. You are my Jehovah Jirah and you have everything I need. You are always ready to hold me in my angry moments and help me process through all my big feelings. Only you can help me avoid the trap of anger that leads to sin. Amen.

How do you process anger in a healthy way?