Very Early this Morning...

... right around 4:00 AM to be exact, my eyes just popped open. Then came the thoughts and the very heavy burden that seems to rest on my chest. This has happened to me before, it's nothing new, but this particular "burden" is new to me in the past few months.

I lay there trying to go back to sleep. Trying to "capture my thoughts". Then the question arises, "Is this of the Holy Spirit or not?" Is it a warning of "wake up (not literally) and do something" or is it the enemy's attack, trying to keep me in fear and burdened down. I can't say, right now, that I know 100% what the answer is. But what good is it to continue to lie there and try to go back to sleep.?.

Finally, a little after 5:00, I got out of bed, which is very difficult thing for me to do when it's still dark outside. I grab my Bible, my "Living Beyond Yourself" study book and head downstairs. I pray to try to clear my mind so I can focus and "hear".

I made it through my day 3 of work in the book and there was nothing in it that "spoke" to me about the whole reason I was up so 'dark' and early this morning. A fleeting thought or desperate prayer, you pick, went through my mind. "Where can I read [in the Bible] to get some encouragement?"

That whisper in my spirit said, "Do your "date" reading through Psalm's." (My "date" reading is when you take the date, so today is the 26th, and you begin with that Psalm and then you add 30 to it and continue to do it until you've read 5 Psalm's. So today I read Psalm 26 +30, 56 +30, 86 +30, 116 +30, 146)

The first chapter. Nothing.

The second chapter. There it was. The living Word, written for all but spoken to me. Words of David that so easily become my own prayers, yet at the same time, it's my heavenly Father reminding me of Who He is.

"Hear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy...

You are my God; save your servant
Who trusts in You.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to You all day long.
Bring joy to your servant,
for to You, O Lord,
I lift up my soul...

In the day of my trouble I will
call to You,
for You will answer me...

For You are great and do marvelous deeds;
You alone are God....

But You, O Lord, are a compassionate
and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in
love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and have mercy on me;
grant Your strength to Your servant...

Give me a sign of Your goodness,
that my enemies mat see it and be
put to shame,
for You, O Lord, have helped me
and comforted me."
~ taken from Psalm 86

"I love the Lord, for He hears my voice;
He heard my cry for mercy...

I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
"O Lord, save me!"

The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The Lord protects the simplehearted;
when I was in great need, He saved me.

Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you."
~ taken from Psalm 116

I ended with this promise,

"Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,"
~ Psalm 146:5