Revive me again....

Maybe it's the NyQuil that made me lose my place in reading through the Psalms. But more likely, it's that I missed something the last time I read it and God knew it was important for me to see. I read Psalm 71 today (again-- I realized when I finished it. But how did I miss this the first time around?).

"You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth, you will bring me up again.
You will increase my greatness and comfort me again" (v.20-21).

Revival. Renewal. Comfort. These are the things I've been praying God will grant me this summer. "You just seem so much happier," friends have been saying to me. Is it because New York is more fun? Not necessarily. Is it because it's that great to be near my brothers? Partly. Is it because I don't have a lot of the stresses that I had back in Philly? Maybe. But really, I think God is just "doing his thing"-- he who has made me see many troubles and calamities is reviving me again. He is bringing me up again from the depths of the earth. To be honest, I'm still struggling to see how he's increasing my greatness right now-- I guess that's still to come?-- but I do know that he is comforting me again.

I have been challenged lately to believe more fully the promises of God. It's not that I don't believe them; it's just that I don't want to be presumptuous. Um.... maybe that's a Christian euphemism for lack of faith. Doh.

I read this tonight too--
And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." Then he touched their eyes, saying to them, "According to your faith be it done to you." And their eyes were opened (Matt. 9:27-30).

I'm thankful that God doesn't just work in my life on the basis of my faith, because my faith is appallingly weak. But I am also thankful that he is increasing my faith and building in me a deep sense that his promises are to me also as one of his precious children.

Revival. Renewal. Comfort.
"Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
Yes, Lord.
"According to your faith be it done to you."
Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.