This is another installment of Nancy Campbell's series on encouraging ourselves. I found the last scripture listed very interesting. People are not used to being warned in a loud voice. I grew up with preachers who hollered and pounded the pulpit to warn sinners of judgement. I'll share a story about that at the end of this post.
This series by Nancy Campbell has been so encouraging to me and I hope it will bless you, too. It is from Nancy's weekly e-mail devotional (used with her permission). You can sign up for the e-mails on her website. www.aboverubies.org
PRESSING ON TO HIGHER GROUND
Part 3
“Rejoice the soul of thy servant;
for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul”
(Psalm 86:4).
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3. LIFT UP YOUR SOUL
Our souls are our inner being—our mind, emotions, and will. With the challenges and difficulties we face in life, we can easily allow our souls to become downcast and depressed. But David knew that to live in victory he must keep his soul lifted up.
Psalm 25:1 “Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.” David confessed these words when facing enemies.
Psalm 143:8, 9: “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.” To whom does David lift up his soul? To the Lord. We must make this a habit of our lives. It doesn’t happen automatically. We must stir up our soul.
We must speak to our soul to stir it up. Let’s read again Psalm 42:5, 11 and 43:5 where the psalmist stirs up his soul: ”Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”
When you are feeling down and in the dumps, talk to your soul. “Come on soul, trust in the Lord. Look up. Rejoice in the Lord.” And begin to praise the Lord instead of moaning and groaning.
4. LIFT UP YOUR FACE
Job 11:14, 15: “If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt e steadfast, and shalt not fear.”
Job 22:26, 27: “For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.”
5. LIFT UP YOUR VOICE
a) Lift up your voice for knowledge and understanding
Proverbs 2:3-6: “Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for he as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”
We long for wisdom and understanding. These blessings also do not land upon us naturally. We must seek after them. We must cry out for them—and even lift up our voice. This phrase, “to lift the voice” literally means to lift our voice so that will carry further. In Jeremiah 2:15 it is translated “yelled.” Here it is: “The young lions roared upon him, and yelled.”
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The commentator J. H. Greenstone states: “If it (understanding) does not come at your first call, raise your voice to a higher pitch, put forth greater efforts.” You may need to yell for it! It depends how desperate you are. And you may need to find some place where no one can hear you.
b) Lift up your voice when you sing
My husband grew up in a family of nine children in New Zealand. They all loved to sing in harmony—and sing loud! They milked cows every morning and evening and the boys would sing so loud in the cowshed they could be heard for miles around. Even today, my husband sings with all his heart and encourages everyone else to do so.
Isaiah 24;14: “They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall sing aloud from the sea.”
Isaiah 42:11: “Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice . . . let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of their mountains.”
Isaiah 52:8: “Thy watchman shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.”
c) Lift up your voice to share good tidings
Isaiah 40:9: “O Zion, that brings good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that brings good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!”
d) Lift up your voice to warn of judgment
Isaiah 58:1: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet; and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org
PRAYER:
”Dear Father God, please save me from apathy and from being so casual in my walk with You. Give me such a hunger to cry after wisdom and understanding and to lift up my voice when I’m praying or singing. Amen.”
AFFIRMATION:
I will not let my soul grovel in the dust. I will stir up my soul to trust in the Lord.
***
I had two uncles on my father's side who were preachers. Uncle Charlie lost a leg in WW2 and turned away from God. Later, he repented, became a pastor, and preached from a wheelchair, rolling back and forth on the stage. He was a fiery preacher.
The other uncle was a traveling preacher and warned sinners of judgement. One night there were two young men in the meeting who were resisting the message and scoffing. Uncle Ronnie preached on hell and warned the men that this could be the last day of their lives. He was so moved by their apathy that he came down the aisle, stood by them, and begged them to be saved. They would not. After the service, the men left the church, their car was run over by a train, and both died that very night.
If that doesn't give you chills, I'll be amazed. Hell is real, friends, and judgement can come swiftly. Turn away from your sins, surrender, and turn to Adonai, a holy God. Accept the blood of Yeshua as the only payment for your sins before it is too late.
If what I've said makes you uncomfortable, that is the Holy Spirit convicting you, calling you to come to Him now.
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This series by Nancy Campbell has been so encouraging to me and I hope it will bless you, too. It is from Nancy's weekly e-mail devotional (used with her permission). You can sign up for the e-mails on her website. www.aboverubies.org
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