Top 5 Tuesday- influential verses

For this week's top 5, I have chosen to pick my top 5 verses that have influenced my life starting at 5 and counting down :)

5) Psalm 37:3 "Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness."

I meditate on this verse when I am in need of what to do in times when I feel frustrated about a situation or feel distant from God. It tells me that trusting in Him helps me to do good, but trusting also means dwelling and feeding on His faithfulness. I ask myself, "What did God do in another situation like this in the past?". Or, I dwell on times when I thought I was unable to go on and how He helped me in that situation and now it does not seem like a big deal. That is His faithfulness and when I dwell and feed on that, it helps me to trust in Him and proceed in doing good. It brings me so much peace and joy in those hard times reflecting on this truth.

4) James 1:2-6 ^"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind."

Trials are hard times in your life when things just don't go your way. They happen. It is just life, but what you do during those trials is what is important. If I can hold on to the fact that in and through a trial 1) there is a purpose for my trial, to make me perfected and complete and 2) that if I am clueless on what to do I can ask God for wisdom and He will give it to me. These verses are a command, but also a promise. All I have to do is go through these trials with joy and have faith that what God says through His Word (wisdom) will help me get through them. I have to confess, having joy is hard, but asking God for wisdom and seeing Him work through that makes it a little easier.

3) Psalm 32:8-9 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.⁹ Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you."

Life is not suppose to be me aimlessly wandering around with no purpose. But how can I remain focused on what my purpose is? I need to realize that God is instructing and teaching me in the way I should go. He is guiding me with His eye. I don't have to be clueless. He knows. He is leading me in the way I should go. But what is neat about God is He gives me a choice. I can make it hard and be stubborn like that horse or mule and fight Him or I can allow Him to guide me knowing that He sees what is ahead. It is kind of empowering when I let Him direct me.

2) 2 Samuel 22:31 "As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven;He is a shield to all who trust in Him."

This verse has gotten me through so much! For 5 years I waited to have a child. My husband wanted to wait to have a set income and be more establish. I have always wanted to be submissive or servant-like to my husband, even when I disagree because God has called me as a wife to do so (Ephesians 5:22). But it was so hard because I wanted a little one so much. Being a mommy was my dream job. So I had to trust in God to know that this was the way He had for me. It was perfect for me no matter how much I did not like it sometimes. How did I know His way was perfect? Because He showed me through His Word how reliable it is and how He is a shield for me when I trust in Him. I can say now with my little 4 month old that His way was perfect because of who I am now and how my husband is with her too. This is one of the ways He was so faithful to me. 

And now for #1... Psalm 139. 

I cannot pick just one verse in this chapter because there are so many good ones. This has become more real to me ever since my daughter was conceived. In verses 13 and 14a, it states that He knew her while she was being formed in my womb and was being fearfully and wonderfully made. What is even more amazing is in verse 16 that when her substance was yet to be completely formed, He had written down every single one of her days. He knew when she was going to be born. That she was going to be breech. That she was going to be a fireball. He knows when she is going to take her first step or say her first word. He knows when she is going to be disobedient. He knows when she is going to accept Him as her Lord and Savior. He knows what she will be when she grows up. Like it states in verses 2-4, He knows her sitting down and her rising up and her thoughts far off. It is freeing when I reflect on these verses to know that her father and I, no doubt, have a role in her life because He has written it down, but that also He is ultimately in control of her life. No detail is misplaced. No event is an accident. He knows it all. Scary, but also exciting. A big responsibility to teach her these things, but to know ultimately He will be glorified through her.