Psalm 5:11 - 12

Psalm 5:11-12
But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.
For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

Psalm 59:16
But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble.

The God we serve is a very personal God. He wants to be intimately involved in every aspect of our lives. Did you know He defends you from false accusers and attackers, if you put your trust in Him?

This truth became very real to me in October. The court had just given custody of my 9-year-old son back to me, despite my sister’s efforts to prevent it. Right after that, I had to attend yet another hearing for my 5- and 7-year-old daughters.

It was a daily struggle not to be stressed out over the whole thing. I didn’t see any chance for my daughters to come home. Their foster mom has a 5-bedroom house with a pool, two incomes, and a second adult in the household to help with parenting. My daughters' court-appointed attorney has been pushing for my girls to be adopted by their foster mom, who wants very much to keep them. I’m living in a one-bedroom shelter with 3 other children and a meager income. This hearing would determine if my girls would go into legal guardianship, be adopted, or be returned to me.

So, I went to the court hearing feeling apprehensive. The social worker was the first witness called. She was on the stand for almost an hour. Each attorney (mine, social services’, and the girls’) had their chance to ask questions. It quickly became obvious that my social worker had recently sent a report to the court and the attorneys—but not to me. There was nothing favorable in the report about me. All I heard were half-truths, assumptions, and outright lies.

I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. There was nothing I could do. My attorney did a good job of cross-examining the social worker, but it still didn’t look good. I prayed silently with all my heart: “Lord, please defend me. There’s nothing I can say or do. Give me favor and mercy. Don’t let me lose my girls.” I was hoping they would just go into legal guardianship so I wouldn’t lose my parental rights.

As I prayed, something changed. I felt the Lord’s presence heavily in that courtroom. Next thing I knew, the judge himself was cross-examining my social worker. She finally admitted that most of her “evidence” against me was speculation.

And then God did the impossible. After hearing all the “evidence” against me, the judge declared that my daughters should be sent home to live with me! Psalm 5 and Psalm 59 became a reality to me. God had indeed defended me and surrounded me with favor. And you better believe I shouted for joy!

Are you in trouble? Ask God to defend you and surround you with favor. He DELIGHTS in helping those who serve and love Him.

Your fellow servant in Christ,

Cathleen