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What Psalm 52 teaches us about being relevant in midlife "Invisible Woman Syndrome." You may not have heard the term, but you most likely have experienced it. Defined as a feeling of being overlooked and unimportant in American society, invisible woman syndrome is what we experience when our adult children don't call, when stores don't carry clothes to fit our menopausal bodies, or when we keep our mouths shut because we worry about being labeled a "Karen." It's a fear that we have outlived our usefulness and have become unremarkable in our families, our communities, or our career fields. We fear we have become irrelevant . What a terrible label to attach to ourselves! Even if our culture--incorrectly--wants to place that epithet on you, don't accept it! God's Word has something very different to say to us about who and what is actually important. Friend, if we are following God and seeking His kingdom first, we are crucial to God's purposes on earth, especially in our midlife years. God's Word on relevance David grappled with this issue in Psalm 52, written when an associate of Saul betrayed David and the priest Ahimelech after Ahimelech had helped David escape from Saul. This associate had seen Ahimelech and David meet, and he convinced Saul to allow him to execute 85 priests in retaliation for Ahimelech's disloyalty. Can you imagine how David felt when this news reached him? He must have been tempted to give up on the promise of God that he would be king one day. He had to have considered turning himself in or leaving the country and relinquishing his God-given place in the land of Israel. He might have reasoned that it would have been better for him and everyone around him to accept a life of irrelevance rather than royalty. But David didn't give in. Instead, he put his faith in God and followed God's leading because David was committed to God's calling and design for his life. He was not meant to fade into obsurity. No, David believed instead that everything outside of the will of God was to be regarded as meaningless. Irrelevance personified How does David describe the outcome for those who wanted to hinder God's plan? Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at you, saying, “Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!” Psalm 52:5-7, NIV David is telling us that those who work for their own ends rather than for God's purposes are the people who risk becoming irrelevant, or worse. A stern warning, for sure, but also an incredible encouragement and a clear choice for us in midlife: Do you want to be relevant in your circle of influence? Join God in what He is doing and further His kingdom! Share the gospel, make disciples, encourage the saints, give with your whole heart. Then you can say with David, But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good. Psalm 52:8-9, NIV At any age, we can be that green olive tree: flourishing, fruitful, and vital to God's kingdom purposes. Living relevantly Psalm 52:8-9 would be a great passage to put on your bathroom mirror, friend! Every day, let's remember that we are never too old to be part of God's good work. Our midlife days are opportunities to serve Him with greater freedom than ever before. We are not invisible, we are essential! Find out where God wants you to engage, always remember: We are never irrelevant when our lives are surrendered to God's good purpose. Feel free to download and use this image as a reminder of your relevance to God and His people! Daily Readings and Reflections: Monday’s Reading: Psalm 52 Reflect on a time when you felt overlooked or undervalued. How can trusting in God’s “unfailing love” (v. 8) shift your perspective on your worth? What does it mean to you to be “like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God” (v. 8)? What could that look like in your life right now? Tuesday’s Reading: Psalm 53 Psalm 53:1 describes the fool who says, “There is no God.” What is God's view of people who reject Him in verses 2 and 3? How might you as a midlife woman encourage the people around you to take a bold stand for belief in God despite the cultural pressures? Wednesday’s Reading: Psalm 54 In verse 4, David declares, “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” How can you rely on God’s sustaining power to overcome moments of feeling invisible in your daily life? What truth might you preach to yourself in those moments from Psalm 54? Thursday’s Reading:   Psalm 55 In Psalm 55, David laments a close friend’s betrayal. How have changes in relationships made you feel less relevant in midlife? How does David address the abandonment he is experiencing in verses 16-19 and 22-24? Spend a few minutes talking to God about your burden and ask Him to make you unshakeable. Friday’s Reading: Psalm 56 David says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (v. 3). Write down the fears you have about aging or irrelevance in midlife. What verses in Psalm 56 encourage and strengthen you in the face of those fears? Write them down underneath the list of fears and pray those scriptures out loud. Weekend Reading:   Psalm 57 In verse 7, David declares, “My heart, O God, is steadfast.” What seems to draw you away from staying steadfast in your faith during midlife changes and challenges? Spend a few moments refocusing your heart on God's calling on your own life. Ask Him to help you see His glory rather than your challenges. Want to read more Bible verses about knowing Jesus Christ as Savior? Here's a good place to start: https://www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html

Reflections on Psalm 51 and how God wants to renew our hearts in midlife Have you noticed how many advertisements there are for health remedies? Nutritional supplement ads fill my Facebook timeline and interrupt my YouTube videos, each one expertly targeting my insecurities. My vitamin wish list is getting longer by the minute! Aging doesn't just affect our physical health, however. It also impacts our soul's health. At midlife, we often become more aware of soul health as we have more time to reflect on how we have lived our lives and how we want to finish. How is your soul health, friend? Is your heart weighed down and discouraged today? David's psalm of confession and rededication offers us a remedy for weary hearts. Penned after his midlife affair with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband, David's song shows us how to be real with God about sin, disappointment, and despair. To be clear, I'm not equating a sin like David's with being tired and discouraged in midlife. But let's be honest: All the things we are struggling with in midlife are the results of sin, whether it is our sin, another's sin, or just the general brokenness of the world around us. We wrestle with evil every day of our lives . . . David's prayer shows us how to stay fresh in the fight. Heart exam David begins with an honest assessment of his own failings: For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Psalm 51:3, NIV Please hear me, midlife mom: David is not taking responsibility for other people's decisions. He's only confessing his. Much of our midlife mom worry can revolve around the choices our adult children make, but that's not what David is assessing here. In David's heart exam, he is identifying the ways his own heart has drifted from the holy and righteous standard God has given to His people: Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Psalm 51:4, NIV If your heart is discouraged, my friend, start with a thorough heart exam. Be honest with God, and bring your own failings before him with humbleness so He can begin the treatment. Heart surgery After David and God have diagnosed the heart problem, David starts the healing process. I am fascinated by the verbs David uses in asking God to treat his heart condition: wash me, cleanse me, purify me, blot out my iniquity, deliver me from guilt David clearly wants absolution, a fresh start with God. But David's requests go beyond treatment for his own heart. He also asks God to undergo heart treatment Himself: Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Psalm 51:9, NIV David wants such a drastic procedure performed upon his sin that God will forget what David has done. That's radical surgery when even the heart of God goes under the knife. Yet Hebrews chapter 8 assures us that the new covenant written in the blood of Jesus promises us exactly that: For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Hebrews 8:12, NIV If God does not remember our failings, why should we go through life dragging them behind us? Friend, we need to ask God for this level of liberation from everything that weighs us down in midlife. If God promises to take the burden of sin off our shoulders and remember it no more, just imagine what He can do with our midlife disappointment and discouragement! Ask God to remove those, too, and to give you the ability to live in freedom. Heart restoration Finally, David asks God to rejuvenate his heart: Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:12, NIV This final request of David gets to the heart of our midlife weariness: why are we asking God to heal our hearts in the first place? Is it so we can enjoy life or pursue our personal interests or carve out our little corner of inner peace? This wasn't David's motivation at all. He wanted to use his heart restoration to share the goodness of God with those around him, to bear witness to God's saving power, and to proclaim God's tender mercy toward all who seek Him. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise. Psalm 51:13 & 15, NIV God does not renew our hearts in midlife just so we can enjoy life a little bit more. I'm not saying we shouldn't care for our bodies, minds, and souls, but midlife heart health is not an end in itself. By God's grace, we still have a job to do! We have a midlife mission, the same one that David had when he penned the words of Psalm 51 after his own midlife crisis. Just as He did for David, God offers renewal of soul and of purpose for everyone who comes to Him for heart healing. Daily Readings and Reflections: Monday’s Reading: Psalm 51 What personal failures, disappointments, or regrets are weighing you down in midlife? Based on this psalm, what steps do you need to take to release them to God? Tuesday’s Reading: Joel 2:12-13 What does it look like for you to turn to God “with all your heart” in this stage of life, especially regarding specific sins or regrets? How does God’s compassionate nature encourage you to approach Him with honesty rather than fear? Wednesday’s Reading: 1 Kings 19:1- 9 Where in your life are you tempted to feel, like Elijah, that you can't go on? How could you, as the angel did for Elijah, care for your physical needs when you are facing extreme stress? What might you need to do to restore your soul's strength so that you can continue the midlife journey? Thursday’s Reading:   Jonah 2:1-3:5 Jonah made his heart right before God while still in the belly of the fish. If you are going through a trial right now, have you examined your own heart to see where you might need to make things right with God? Where in your life have you resisted God’s call, and how might He be offering you a “second chance” in midlife to pursue a meaningful mission of service for Him? Friday’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:7-1 5 What “jars of clay” moments in your midlife journey are making you feel fragile or discouraged? How might God be using them to display His power through you to the people around you? Weekend Reading:   Psalm 130 How might waiting on God’s unfailing love, as the psalmist does in this passage, help you find strength and purpose in midlife? Want to read more Bible verses about knowing Jesus Christ as Savior? Here's a good place to start: https://www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html

Psalm 32 encourages us that fruitfulness is faithfulness! My daughter likes to teach me new words so I can sound hip. Even more importantly, she lets me know when meanings change so that I don’t accidentally say something really weird to someone younger than myself—very helpful! One of the more interesting terms she taught me a couple years ago was quiet quitting . Quiet quitting is the practice of only giving the bare minimum at work—no volunteering for overtime, no extra efforts, no feedback on how to improve efficiency. A quiet quitter just shows up on time, leaves on time, does the basics, and above all, does not give one ounce of effort that is not required of them. My daughter said that nearly a whole generation of workers was practicing this work ethic because of their disillusionment with their salary package and the demands placed on them by management. Statistically, about 59% of workers around the world classify themselves as quiet quitters, which is a surprising amount! The prevalence of this ethic in the workplace makes me wonder . . . are Christians quiet quitting, too? And is this a problem for those of us in midlife? There are a some interesting facts on this topic: church attendance continues to fall for Generation X, and church volunteerism is also at a low for us. In addition, we may be experiencing the same struggles that quiet quitting workers blame on their decision to check out: we are burnt out, under-appreciated, unrecognized for our contributions, and our expectations are going unfulfilled. Parallels aside, David provides us with a clear list of symptoms in Psalm 32 that indicate a loss of fervor in our Christian walk. Here’s a quick description of each one: Spiritual negligence (verse 2): Not fully living out the lifestyle of a dedicated Christian The word for deceit at the end of the verse means not giving our best efforts, not being honest about our efforts, and not giving due diligence. Physical exhaustion (verses 3 and 4): Lack of energy for doing what God has called us to do David gives a clear description of the physical symptoms of an apathetic spiritual life that lead to ineffectiveness in our service to God and others. Resisting God’s leading (verse 9): Not wanting to fulfill the purpose God has for us right now and looking for a way out David counsels the reader not to be like a donkey or horse that must be forced to go where the rider wants to go. God wants our willing obedience, not our foot-dragging reluctance! Complaints about life (verse 10): A life lived without a passion for God will be filled with disappointments David reminds us that those who are in conflict with God will amass a long list of difficulties, while the faithful will focus on God’s love and provision. As I read through Psalm 32 and evaluated my own spiritual symptoms, I could identify areas of my spiritual walk where I am doing just enough to get by in midlife. It’s so tempting to rest on the spiritual development we experienced in years past and think we can just coast along in our later years! But the reality for me was that I was feeling some of the quiet quitting symptoms. I was in need of a cure! Of course, David offers the antidote to quiet quitting on our faith journey in midlife: Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah Therefore let all the godly pray to You while You may be found. Psalm 32:5-6a (NASB) Our God doesn’t hold us at arms length. Even when we quiet quit our faith walk for a time, confession brings us right back into fellowship with God. All it takes is a prayer and a willingness to embrace the practices and purposes God has for us at midlife. God restores our joy and we learn the truth of this verse: . . . loving devotion surrounds him who trusts in the LORD. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart. Psalm 32:10b-11 (NASB) My prayer for you this week is that you would be willing to take stock of your walk with God and honestly evaluate it for signs of quiet quitting. God wants more for us at midlife—His plans for us don’t grow old and we don’t age out of fruitful service for Him! But we won’t experience His best unless we are walking faithfully and giving our best efforts to continue to grow and develop in our Christian lives. I don’t know about you, but I want God’s best. I’m not ready to quit, yet! Readings and Reflection Questions Monday's reading:  Psalm 32 Read through the psalm and note the symptoms of being out of fellowship with God. Do any of the symptoms occur in your own life? If so, consider writing or saying a prayer of confession and making things right between you and God. If all is well with your spiritual walk, take a moment to list out the benefits of walking closely with God and thank Him for those blessings. Tuesday's reading: Psalm 119:17-24 The psalmist begins this section of Psalm 119 with a plea for personal revival. According to verses 17-24, what are some keys to personally experiencing spiritual revival? How important is God’s Word to our spiritual health according to the psalmist? In verse 30 the psalmist declares that he has “chosen the faithful way.” What practices does he list in verses 30-32 that prove his declaration? Wednesday's reading: Psalm 119:25-32 In this portion of Psalm 119, the psalmist makes eight requests of God. List out these requests. Which ones echo the desires of your heart? Pray and ask God to work His soul-reviving power in your life. Thursday's reading:    Galatians 6:4-10 This passage describes the principle of sowing and reaping. What is the first thing Paul encourages us to do in verse 4? Why do you think he wants each of us to examine our own work and not the work of others? Take a moment to examine your own life in light of verses 7 and 8. What are you sowing and what are you reaping? How are you sowing or how might you sow good things as Paul tells us to in verses 9 and 10? Friday's reading:   Hebrews 12:1-3 What are some of the encumbrances that keep us from faithfully following God in midlife? What are some of the sins we might be tempted by in this season? What is our motivation for setting aside those encumbrances and temptations? How does Jesus’s life and example help us to keep from growing tired and faint of heart? Weekend reading:   Philippians 3:7-16 According to Paul, what is the most important thing in life? How does Paul view every other aspect of life in comparison to this one great thing? Paul was probably around 60 years old when he wrote these verses. According to verses 12-14, what kept him motivated to keep serving God in spite of his circumstances? What is your motivation to keep on serving God in midlife?

Reflections on Psalms 50 and how our relationship with Jesus is our map through midlife. How many of us remember how to navigate by a paper map? I can barely recall what it was like using a road atlas to navigate our family across the United States during a move, but I know we made it! The mapping software on our phones is nothing short of amazing. I put in a destination and the map app gets me there, no matter how many wrong turns I take. If only we had the same app for midlife! I could put in my midlife destination--happy family, lots of grandkids, successful career, robust health--and day by day the app could tell me the shortest route to my dreams come true. Sadly, the software doesn't exist, and I doubt it ever will. Instead, the road through midlife is long and full of unexpected blessings and unforeseen challenges. Often we round a corner to be met with a breathtaking vista. Other times, we have to slam on the brakes to avoid the roadblock ahead. When the road is hard . . . What should we do as believers when the road through midlife isn't straightforward or when we find ourselves staring across a chasm where a bridge is supposed to be? Psalm 50 gives us some great encouragement, but it also asks us to make an honest assessment of how well we are driving on the midlife road. Psalm 50 opens with a courtroom scene where God sits as the righteous, supreme magistrate: He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people: “Gather to me this consecrated people, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice. Psalm 50:4-6, NIV Summoned before the court are two groups of people who consider themselves believers. First, in verses 7-15, are the tired, mind-numbed and heart-weary ones who are still going through the motions of worshiping God but no longer sense His presence. They faithfully offer their sacrifices, but don't really connect. More tuning, less doing Can you relate? I know I can, especially when the midlife road is long and hard and I'm too tired to put in the effort to meet heart-to-heart with God. But God is reminding us in these verses that whole-hearted worship is what keeps us alive to His love. It's less about doing worship and more about tuning our hearts to His. He promises if we live lives of true worship and thanksgiving that He will rescue us when trouble comes: “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” Psalm 50:14-15, NIV A consistent walk is better than "Christian" talk The second group of people God judges has an even deeper problem: they are hypocrites. They advocate for God's law while acting in ways that are contrary to God's holiness and applauding others who do the same: “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers." Psalm 50:16-18, NIV As midlife believers, we too can find ourselves in situations where our words don't match our walk. We know the truth and encourage others with it, yet find ourselves compromising in the challenging areas of our lives. We claim to trust, but take matters into our own hands. We promise to follow God, but compromise our character by the distractions we choose to numb our disappointment. God reminds us in these verses to practice what we profess. What's your midlife roadmap? After the assessment is complete, God offers a choice: Forget God, travel according to what you think is right, and leave God's protection and love. or He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God. Psalm 50:23b, NASB I am struck by the promise that if we order our lives properly, if we follow God's roadmap for our midlife journey, we will see salvation. This word salvation encompasses the ideas of liberty, deliverance, rescue, safety, and welfare, but not just that. Salvation, or yesha in Hebrew, forms the root of the name Jesus , which in Hebrew means God saves . Jesus offers us salvation. And this alone is the answer to my mind-numb, heart-weary self on the days when I feel too tired to seek God authentically. When I order my life to put worship first, I will see Jesus all along the way, and finally, blissfully, when I reach my destination. Daily Readings and Reflections: Monday’s Reading: Psalm 50 In what ways might your daily routines reflect "going through the motions" in your faith? How can you reorder your steps to reflect true worship in your everyday life? Tuesday’s Reading: Psalm 112 In what areas of your life do fears or uncertainties shake your confidence? How can the fear of the Lord help you maintain firm steps and guide you through challenges? Wednesday’s Reading: Proverbs 16:1-9 In what ways do pride or self-reliance disrupt the ordering of your daily life? What steps can you take to commit your ways to the Lord and please Him daily? Thursday’s Reading:   Romans 12:1-3 What is one area of your life where you could daily offer your body as a living sacrifice? How does renewing your mind help you to better discern God's will and direction in midlife? Friday’s Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 Reflect on the contrast between self-effort leading to disobedience and God's grace leading to good works. How does the gift of grace help you to order your steps in a way that glorifies God? Weekend Reading:   Psalm 119:41-48 Reflect on a commandment or Biblical precept you find personally challenging to follow. How might connecting with God's steadfast love help you to order your steps with whole-hearted devotion? Want to read more Bible verses about knowing Jesus Christ as Savior? Here's a good place to start: https://www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html

Reflections on Psalms 48 and how our midlife mindset determines our midlife endurance. I'm not going to lie--midlife is exhausting. Maybe you have tried the diets, yoga, hormone balancing supplements, gratitude journals, breathwork . . . all the things Instagram says will boost your energy and calm your spirit, but nothing has really changed. You are still weary. Let me encourage you to try one more thing: fix your focus. Where's your focus? So often we expect the circumstances around us to bring joy and peace. My gratitude journal is full of entries that reflect my regular experiences of midlife: a fun camping trip with husband Jack, a good talk with a friend, a phone call from one of my kids . . . all great things and worth thanking God for! But most of the things I am thankful for are also temporal. A fun weekend of camping only exists in the moment it was experienced or as a memory to look back on. It's enjoyable and gives me a little break from reality, but camping itself provides little sustaining power for moving forward on my journey. You see, I still have to return home to my normal life and tasks. You see, God hasn't called us to seek comfort in the here and now, but to live courageously in these midlife years so that we can make a difference for Him! If that's our goal, we need to fix our eyes--and our praise--firmly on God rather than on our temporal circumstances. A better focal point The Psalms teach us exactly how to refocus and where to fix our eyes: on Zion . Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. (Psalm 48:1-2, NIV) The term Zion has a multifaceted meaning in the scriptures. It refers to the mountain on which Solomon built the temple, originally a fortress conquered by King David (you can read about it in 2 Samuel 5:5-9). When the temple was built and God's presence filled it, the meaning of Zion expanded to represent the place where God dwells. Mount Zion today Later, when the people of God were unfaithful and God allowed them to be conquered, the prophets spoke of Zion as the fulfillment of the promise of God to gather His people back to land of Israel and once again dwell among them, a prophecy that foreshadowed not only the rebuilding of the temple under Zerubbabel, but the future establishment of the Messiah's rule and reign over all the earth someday. When Jesus came to earth, He made it possible for believers to access Zion now by removing the barrier between God and humans--sin--by His death on the cross. We now have spiritual access to the very throne room of God through the Holy Spirit and prayer: But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24, NIV) But Zion has even one more layer of meaning: the promise of eternity spent in the presence of God which every believer in Christ receives. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4, NIV) A Zion focus in midlife Have you been getting distracted by the pains or even the pleasures of midlife, friend? Both can be a problem for the woman who wants to make a difference for God in her family and community. If we want to stay faithful, if we want to keep going even when we are tired, and if we want to be effective even when we feel discouraged, the psalmist tells us what to fix our hearts and minds on: Zion . Zion reminds us that the God who brought the nation of Israel to Promised Land and dwelt with them in both the tabernacle and the temple is the same God who watches over us today. Zion reminds us that the same Jesus who broke the barrier between God and mankind still lives to intercede for us. And Zion reminds us that the God who loved us and sent Christ to redeem us has promised that we will someday live with Him forever. When we focus on Zion, life's problems retreat to the periphery and we are able to move into God's purpose for us in midlife with strength and endurance. Friend, the answer to spiritual weariness in midlife isn't temporal. It's eternal. Read through Psalm 48, and picture yourself in Zion where all tears and pain are a thing of the past. Walk around, admire the beauty and workmanship of your forever home! Does that inspire hope? Then, take a moment to sing a song or pray a prayer of worship to the God who loves you and is with you always. Fix your focus on Him as He guides you through the challenges of midlife on your jouney to Zion. Daily Readings and Reflections: Monday’s Reading: Psalm 125 How are those who trust in the Lord described in verse 1? How is the protection of God described in verse two? How do these two descriptions encourage you to continue to pursue the purpose God has for you in midlfe instead of chasing temporal things? Tuesday’s Reading: Psalm 48 Consider starting a praise journal or, if you already have a gratitude journal, make a praise entry instead today. Read through the psalm, then using it as a guide, write your own series of praises for God's sovereign care over your past, present, and future. Wednesday’s Reading: Isaiah 51:1-8 Isaiah contrasts the fleeting nature of life and life's problems with God’s everlasting salvation and righteousness. What temporal comforts or distractions are you tempted to focus on instead of God’s eternal presence and power? How can you redirect your heart to Zion’s unshakable hope? Thursday’s Reading:   Micah 4:1-5 This is an amazing description of the future rule of Christ over the earth. How can you make Christ's authority a reality in your own life now? Think about each verse and how it applies to the way you live your life right now. Friday’s Reading: Revelation 21:1-4 Read this passage and then spend a few minutes reflecting on what you are most looking forward to when Jesus comes back. Make a list that you can refer back to when you find this life exhausting. How does looking forward to eternity help you keep going in the present? Weekend Reading:   Psalm 47 Read this psalm of praise and take note of how it talks about the past, present and future promises associated with Zion. Read it out loud as a declaration of praise to encourage you today. Want to read more Bible verses about knowing Jesus Christ as Savior? Here's a good place to start: https://www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html

A reflection on Psalm 46 and how God is greater than the troubles we encounter in midlife. Living in an age where everyone has a video camera in their pocket has its advantages: We can instantly record and archive the best experiences of our lives and share them with our friends and family. I regularly receive videos of my grandkids trying new things and being unbearably cute. But there's a definite downside, too. People record and post the scariest stuff, and once you see it, you are responsible for worrying about it for the rest of your life: new fear unlocked! I recommend you don't search on #newfearunlocked , especially if you are not fond of spiders and insects. But the reality is we can find a lot to be afraid of in this world with its 24/7 news cycle and easy access to videos of the scary experiences of billions of people around the world. There is no shortage of fears, old or new, to crowd out the truths of God's Word from our hearts and minds. But wait! Psalm 46 lists some significantly terrifying circumstances that you may not have thought of recently: Mountains sliding into oceans Seas raging Earthquakes National unrest and the destruction of civilizations Earth melting Desolation Any new fears unlocked? And while we are discussing fears, go ahead and make a mental list of the fears you are dealing with right now and add them to the psalmist's list. If we are honest about where we are right now in terms of world events, culture, and personal circumstances, we can find plenty of things to fear. But are any of our fears too big for God to handle? The psalmist tells us that even in the midst of our fears, there is a place of security in the presence of God. He describes this place of safety as God's own city, Jerusalem, where God's presence is portrayed as a river that winds in and about the city, making it secure and impregnable: There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. Psalm 46:4-5, NASB I certainly don't live in a city like that. In fact, the crime situation in my city is on my list of personal fears. But because I believe in Jesus Christ, the dwelling place of God is within me! And the Holy Spirit flows through everyone who is saved. In fact, Jesus used the same imagery we find in Psalm 46 when He described the ministry of the Holy Spirit: "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive . . ." (John 7:38-39b, NASB). I find this incredible. As a believer, I may not live in a city or country where God's protection and power flow. Instead, His protection and power flow in and through me. No matter where I go or what happens around me, God is with me, God is helping me, and God is strengthening me. Therefore, I do not need to fear. Better yet, I resolve that I will not fear! And when I sense fear creeping in, I will remind myself: The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Psalm 46:7 and 11, NASB Psalm 46 powerfully addresses the distressing realities of life. But it sets them against the power, love, and sovereignty of God so we can clearly see which is greater. Which one is winning the battle for your heart and mind, friend? Fear? Or faith in God's sovereign power over this sin-snared world? God wants us to look to Him with courage and confidence regardless of the challenges we face. Author's note: I'm writing this post on Sunday, September 14, 2025, recognized in the US and internationally as Suicide Awareness month. In the last four weeks, our country has experienced school shootings ending in the suicide of the shooter in both Minnesota and Colorado, the horrendous murder of Iryna Zarutska on a train in North Carolina, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah. On Thursday last week, we took time to remember the 2,977 who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, an event that inspired Americans to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in defense of our way of life, a defense that cost many of our military fammilies so very dearly. But today, instead of becoming unified in solidarity against such violence, our nation is more polarized and divided than ever. I don't remember a time in my life when I have had more reasons to live in fear than I do right now. But I also have more reason than ever to hope: I have seen and experienced God's faithfulness in my life for over 50 years and I believe what He says in His Word. He is our refuge and strength, and He will be exalted over all the evil that plagues our world. "Cease striving and know that I am God . . ." (Psalm 46:10, NASB). Daily Readings and Reflections: Monday’s Reading: Psalm 46 Make a quick list of five things you are fearing right now in this season of midlife. Then, read through Psalm 46 slowly and prayerfully. Ask God to help you see His sovereignty over your life and ask Him to help you know that He is God. Choose one phrase from this psalm to use as a prayer when your mind begins to dwell on your fears. I chose "The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold." Tuesday’s Reading: Psalm 49 Do you ever feel like the people who are doing the worst things are also having the most success? Read this Psalm for a perspective change. What is the outcome for every human being according to Psalm 49? What does the psalmist say will be different for him when he dies? Can you say the same for yourself with confidence? If not, click here to learn how you can know Jesus as your Savior and spend eternity with Him when you come to the end of your life. Wednesday’s Reading: Deuteronomy 31:1-8 What did Moses tell the people and Joshua that God would do in these verses? What were Moses's instructions to the people and Joshua? Read over your list of midlife fears and ask God to help you visualize the promises in this passage surrounding you as you walk through your fears. How would following God faithfully as Moses instructed help you to walk more confidently through your midlife years? Thursday’s Reading:   John 14:25-27 In these verses, Jesus is describing the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of everyone who believes in Jesus for salvation. What does verse 26 say the Holy Spirit will do for us? How does the work of the Holy Spirit help you experience the peace of Christ described in verse 27? Friday’s Reading: 1 John 4 Read through this chapter, then reread verse 4. How does this verse speak diectly to your midlife fears? What is the main characteristic of real faith in God according to this chapter? How can you apply the love of God to the people and situations which cause you fear in midlife? Weekend Reading: 2 Timothy 1:7-14 What is Paul telling Timothy to be bold about in this passage? (Hint: the answer is in verse 8.) What is the role of the Holy Spirit found in verses 7 and 14? How might power, love and discipline help you be a witness for Christ in midlife? Pray and ask God to empower you through the Holy Spirit to share the gospel with those God brings into your path. Want to read more Bible verses about knowing Jesus Christ as Savior? Here's a good place to start: https://www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html

Reflections on Psalms 44 & 73 and what they teach us about reconciling our feelings with our faith when midlife presents us with profound disappoints. Did you think midlife would be those golden years where you reaped the bountiful harvest of all your hard work and faithfulness in years past? If you are experiencing that right now, praise God! If you are not, praise God anyway, but read on. I engage with a few empty nest Facebook groups, and one post in particular pops up several times a day on all the groups. I’ll summarize: “My kids were my life and I gave them everything I could. I wasn’t perfect, but I was there for them. Now, one (or more) refuse to visit or even communicate, and I’m wondering how I’m going to survive this. I am so depressed and heartbroken, I can barely function.” Everytime I read a post like this, I feel the grief and the bewilderment of a parent who never saw this particular tragedy heading her way. She is unprepared to deal with the collapse of her family, and she has no idea how to move forward in life. Somewhere along the line, many of us (myself included) must have developed the expectation that our reward for faithfulness and good behavior in the first half of life would be delivered in the second half. Just writing that, I have to chuckle because it helps me see that I might be acting just a little entitled . . . Jesus clearly taught us that our reward wasn’t coming in this world but the next! Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven . . . (Matthew 5:11-12b, NIV, emphasis added) There’s no doubt that it would be enjoyable to rest on our laurels when we turn 50, but nowhere in scripture is that promised to us. In fact, our psalms this week indicate that the opposite is more likely to happen. In Psalm 44, the psalmist records that he knows God and knows of His awesome works and wonders, yet is still experiencing personal defeat: All day long my dishonor is before me, And my humiliation has overwhelmed me, Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger. (Psalm 44:15-16, NASB) Let’s put that in the context of a struggling midlife mom: All day long, I am ashamed because my adult child has told me I was a poor parent, but I can’t go back and try again. My humiliation over all my failures as a younger person is overwhelming and I’m struggling to trust God with my past. I’m grieving because my boss is telling me I’m not doing well at my job but I really struggle with menopausal brain fog. I’m humiliated because my health is not what I want it to be and everything I see on social media suggests that it’s because of my past choices. Sadly, these scenarios are not uncommon in midlife. But they are also not unexpected by our wise and loving Heavenly Father. What is His answer to our midlife struggles? We must release our expectations and allow God to shape our future according to His will. Psalm 73 reminds us that if we don’t release our demands for reward in this life, we are living in an unenlightened state: When my heart was embittered And I was pierced within, Then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. (Psalm 73: 21-22, NASB) Have you ever been so frustrated that words failed you? The words translated senseless and beast in the verse refer to being like a cow, probably one bawling in frustration over not being fed yet! Certainly, that’s not a flattering description, but if we are honest we will admit that life has driven us to acting in ways that might possibly be described similarly. . . The psalmist himself is giving us quite an authentic picture of how he was dealing with disappointment! Thank God, he didn’t stay in that state: Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. (Psalm 73:23-24, NASB) Did you notice that first line? Nevertheless I am continually with You . . . Even when our psalmist was acting like an angry beast, God never left him alone. It’s no different with us when we are God’s children. He patiently takes our hand and walks with us, giving counsel and guidance. And someday, not in midlife but in the next life, we will experience His promise of glory. Friend, if you are dealing with disappointment and frustration today, give it to God! Empty your hands of what you are trying to cling to, and let God take it from you and lead you into His ways. This week as we study Psalms 44 and 73 together, I invite you to scroll down to the bottom of the page and download the “Prayer of Release” PDF I’ve included in this blog post. Let’s pray it daily together as an act of faith in God’s goodness even when midlife is not what we hoped it would be. Let me know in the comments if you have found it helpful! Daily Readings and Reflections: Monday’s Reading: Psalm 44 Read verses 1-8. What does the psalmist remember about the past that gives him hope? What do you remember? What does the psalmist declare about who God is? Can you make the same declaration? Pray the “Prayer of Release” provided below. Tuesday’s Reading: Psalm 44 Read verses 9-26. Do you relate to the psalmist’s lament? What are you struggling with in midlife that came as an unpleasant surprise? In verses 17-18, the psalmist declares that he has been faithful to God. Can you declare this too? Are there some areas of your faith and practice that need strengthening? Pray the “Prayer of Release” provided below. Wednesday’s Reading: Psalm 73 Read verses 1-9. What did the psalmist say had almost tripped him up in his faith walk? Why is it so tempting to complain about these things? Pray the “Prayer of Release” again, today, and release the things that make you complain about others. Thursday’s Reading: Psalm 73 Read verses 10-20. In these verses, the psalmist contemplates how easy it would be to give up his faith. What changed his mind? What opportunities for worship and fellowship with God’s people are you taking advantage of in order to keep your faith strong? Pray the “Prayer of Release” today and focus on what keeps you from fellowship with God and His people. Friday’s Reading: Psalm 73 Read verses 21-28. When all other expectations have failed, what does the psalmist cling to alone? What would that look like if you lived that principle out in your own life? Pray the “Prayer of Release” while focusing on making God the focal point of your midlife journey. Weekend Reading: John 16:33 Take a few minutes to memorize this verse so that you can quote it when life goes sideways. Pray again the “Prayer of Release” while focusing on the peace that comes through knowing Jesus. Want to read more Bible verses about knowing Jesus Christ as Savior? Here's a good place to start: https://www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html

Reflections on Psalms 42 & 43, exploring how face time with God can give us a midlife spiritual facelift that others can see on the outside. Ah, midlife! That season where we mark the years by the appearance of new wrinkles around our eyes and lines across our foreheads. It doesn’t help that Facebook provides us with a running feed of ostensibly helpful face-firming options to purchase or DIY from household items. It’s just too easy to become worried about the worry lines! The psalmist who wrote Psalms 42 and 43—two psalms believed to have been originally one—understood that the burdens of life show up on our faces. He references long periods of crying (42:3), despair (42:5, 6, & 11; 43:2, & 5), and mourning (42:9 & 43:2), all of which inevitably weigh down our facial expressions and, truth be told, other aspects of our anatomy. Have you seen the marks of grief on a loved one’s face or even your own? If so, you understand what the Psalmist was experiencing when he considered his own appearance, given the suffering he had faced. Maybe you can relate to some of his experiences. Psalms 42 and 43 record that he felt isolated from both God and the people of God, and that he was often challenged by the people around him to prove that God even cared for him. He lived in a godless culture surrounded by injustice and lies. These aren’t individual experiences recorded from the life of one unnamed psalmist. These are the realities of modern midlife that we deal with every day. As a generation, we in midlife are becoming more isolated than the generations before us, and on top of that, our commitment to church attendance is lagging as well. In many ways, faith is an individual and personal practice, and thus an ultimately lonely practice for our generation. But just turn on the news and you will be reminded that many people also reject prayer and other personal spiritual practices as legitimate ways of making a difference in the world today. “Who needs God?” is the cry of the culture. “We can solve this on our own without divine help!” The psalmist himself experienced this public rejection of his faith and belief: As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Psalm 42:10, NASB Where do we go when the criticism of culture and the loneliness of isolation begin to drag us down? The psalmist concludes that only God can help: Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. Psalm 42:5, NKJV It is interesting that the New King James Version translates that last word literally as “countenance.” Other versions use presence, salvation, or help, but the word is most simply translated as face. Imagine with me for a minute if, in our darkest hours, we could look on the face of God. Would that make a difference to us? I think it would make all the difference, and the psalmist did, too. The next two times this refrain is repeated in 42:11 and 43:5, the psalmist changes the last line a bit. He writes, Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 42:11 & 43:5, NKJV The help of my countenance . . . it seems the experience of being face to face with God in Psalm 42:5 has begun to have an affect on our psalmist. Not just his heart, but also his countenance has been uplifted! No creams, needles, or surgical interventions required. What would happen if we spent so much time in the presence of God that our faces glowed? This is not without precedent: Moses’s face was so radiant after speaking to the Israelites on Mount Sinai that he had to wear a veil when speaking to the people of Israel. While we may not reflect God’s visible radiance after communing with God, there is no doubt that spending time with God has an effect on our countenance. Who has not seen the joy on the face of one who has just been freed from some burden by Christ? Or the beauty of a fellow Christian engaged in whole-hearted worship of the Lord? We may not see the changes in our own mirrors, but those around us will notice the “peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension” (Philippians 4:7) reflected on our faces as we go about our daily lives. So, while we take care of God’s gift, our physical bodies, let’s not forget to care for our souls! When we daily lift our faces to His light, His love shines through us for all to see. That is beautiful indeed. Daily Readings and Reflections: Monday’s Reading: Psalm 42 When you feel downcast or isolated, what spiritual practices help you lift your eyes to Jesus's face? How does the psalmist's example encourage you to find strength and peace in God's presence? Tuesday’s Reading: Psalm 43 In moments when you face rejection or criticism for your faith, how do you find the light and truth the psalmist speaks of in verse three? How might praising God as the psalmist resolves to do in verse four help you to have a joyful demeanor even when you are experiencing adversity? Wednesday’s Reading: Exodus 34: 27-35 What was Moses doing while spending 40 days and nights in God's presence? What does this say about the value God places on righteousness? How might righteous living make a difference in our physical appearance beyond simply caring for our bodies? Thursday’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 13 How can practicing the selfless, patient, and kind love described in these verses influence how others see Christ in you? What promise do you find in verse 12? What will your first question to Jesus be? Think carefully about this one! Friday’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 Considering the unveiled freedom we have in Christ, how can you reflect God's glory in a world that often rejects faith in Christ? How does the idea of being transformed into the image of Christ by the Holy Spirit encourage you to regularly seek face time with God? Weekend Reading: John 1:1-14 Read this testimony from a disciple who spent three years in the physical presence of Christ. How did John describe Jesus? Have you experienced Jesus in similar ways? Have you believed in Christ and become one of God's children? If not, why not? Want to read more Bible verses about knowing Christ as Savior? Here's a good place to start: https://www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html

This week we begin our exploration of the Second Book of Psalms with a guest post from my cousin, Jennifer Donaldson, founder and author at TailorJoy.com . She is going to unpack Psalm 62 for us and show us how to find soul rest in God alone. As I've moved through the seasons of life, I have come to deeply appreciate the blessings of midlife. There's wisdom that only comes with years, and two of the important lessons have been these: time can be more valuable than money and rest is good for the body and soul. I used to cut coupons, assemble IKEA furniture with pride, hunt for deals, and cook from scratch. These days, I’ll happily pay for pre-cut carrot chips or a carwash. Not because I can’t, but because I now understand the value of conserving energy for what matters most: peace, people, purpose, and ultimately, God. In the same way we learn not to spend ourselves on every little task, we also learn to stop spending our emotional and spiritual energy on things that won't last, like people-pleasing, control, or striving to prove ourselves. Psalm 62 brings these lessons into focus with clarity and grace.  Rest in God Alone David, possibly in the middle of a major crisis or thinking of a recent one, isn’t scrambling to fix things. He’s not plotting his escape or bargaining his way out. Instead, he waits in silence  for God. He declares: My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. Psalm 62:1 NIV There’s something deeply comforting about that word rest . Especially for those of us who live in the tension of busy schedules, aging parents, grown kids, and responsibilities that never quite seem to end. David reminds us that we don't need to hustle for peace. We need to trust  for it. (The version quoted here is the 1984 NIV that I memorized as a teen and that I quote to myself in the dark of night when I can't sleep.) He says it again and again: He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62: 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Psalm 62:6-7 The world tells us to depend on status, wealth, performance, or power. But David warns us not to trust in those things. Not even the wealth we worked hard to build.  Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen good; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. Psalm 62:10 There’s so much freedom in that. We can enjoy the fruits of our labor, but we don’t need to lean  on them. When everything feels unsteady, we don’t have to panic. We’re not the ones holding the world together. This is the wisdom that I grew to appreciate with age. God's got this! I can find rest and peace in this. One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard; that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. Psalm 62:11-12 Let that settle in your spirit. Power belongs to God. And so does steadfast love. He is not only able, He is kind. He is a loving Father. A Soul Refuge In this season of life, I’ve found comfort in letting God deal with things and people that once consumed my mind. The two-faced friend? The injustice I can’t fix? The worries that keep me up? I remind myself: God is my refuge , and He can handle what I can’t.  I don’t need to micromanage the world or defend myself against every threat. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah. Psalm 62:8 That verse also makes me think of how we welcome our grown kids home. “Tell me everything,” we say. We want to be a safe place for them to talk, to cry, to breathe, to come home to. God wants that for us, too. He doesn’t ask us to polish our prayers. He invites us to pour  them out. And when we do? We find that we are not alone. We are not without hope. God is not a distant museum relic. He is a mighty fortress. He is our refuge. This is a favorite psalm I return to time and time again, especially verses 5-8. As David did, I repeat to myself the truths about God. When life feels unsteady, He is steadfast. When people change, fail, or fade, He remains.  He is still when everything else is moving. He is safe when the world is uncertain. God can handle anything that is on our hearts and restless minds. Nothing is too big for him.  Martin Luther wrote of this steadfast God in his hymn of comfort, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God . The first verse begins “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.” So tonight, as you prepare to rest, let this be your final thought: God is with us.  He is our rock. Our refuge. Our fortress. Our rest. Our salvation. He is writing a story in your midlife that you may not see right now. Sometimes we only see the backside of the tapestry with all the tangled stitches, not the front. But He is worthy of your trust. Let your soul find rest in Him alone. Let that be what others see in you. Daily Readings: Monday’s Reading: Psalm 62 How do you practically “wait in silence” for God in your daily life? According to Psalm 62, what are the benefits of waiting on God? Tuesday’s Reading: Psalm 46 A mighty fortress is your God. How does your theology of God affect your perspective on waiting on Him or trusting in Him alone? How is God a refuge in your present challenges? Wednesday’s Reading: Romans 10:13 ,  Matthew 11:28 , and Philippians 4:6-7 Why are the acts of pouring your hearts out to God in confession and prayer important in your relationship with God? What are the benefits?   Thursday’s Reading: Psalm 37 Are you a good or poor example of waiting patiently on God? Why does waiting on God feel so difficult or purposeless? How can you combat those ideas with truth from God’s Word? Friday’s Reading: Proverbs 3:5-7 and Proverbs 11:28 How can you guard your heart against placing trust in wealth or power? In what ways can you encourage others to trust in God like David does in Psalm 62? Weekend Reading: Go back and read Psalm 62 again. “Find rest, oh my soul, in God alone.” Do you need to make any changes to find rest during this midlife season? Want to read more Bible verses about salvation? Here's a good place to start: https://www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html

In the last 26 installments of our studies in the Psalms, we have journeyed together through Book One of the Psalms (made up of Psalms 1-41) and we are now ready to embark on Book Two of Psalms. According to scholars, Book Two, containing Psalms 42 through 72, parallels the book of Exodus and the journey of the people of Israel from bondage in Egypt to the establishment of the tabernacle. The collection of Psalms in Book Two expands poetically and metaphorically on the themes found in Exodus. The psalmists speak eloquently of our hope in hardship and persecution, the promise of abundance to be found by following God, the repentance and redemption of those held captive by sin, and the assurance of God's coming blessing for His people. What will you find in Book Two? I'll give you just a few examples to whet your appetite! Like the book of Exodus, Book Two of Psalms opens with a plea for the attention and presence of God: As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Psalm 42:1-3, NIV We can imagine the people of Isarael crying out from their captivity in Egypt while their captors taunt them by asking "Where is your God?" God responds by sending Moses to lead them out of captivity and into the presence of their Lord. In Psalm 50, God Himself appears as the redeemer of His people and speaks to those who have cried out to Him: The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. Psalm 50:1-3 When God's people cried out in Egypt, God heard and answered, and in no uncertain terms. He came to their rescue, clothed in light and fire. This reminds us of the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night which lead the people of Israel through the Red Sea and up to Mount Sinai where God would provide them with the law. Finally, in Psalm 72, we see the psalmist celebrating the fulfillment of the promise found in Exodus 19: " Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation"  (Exodus 19:5-6a, NIV) . May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Psalm 72:17-19, NIV As New Testament Christians, we can also see that these verses look forward to when Christ returns to rule and reign on the earth, thus establishing the kingdom forever for all the people of God to enjoy. Book Two of Psalms and the Midlife Journey As we follow along on this Exodus journey through Psalms 42-72 in the coming weeks, we need to pay close attention to the problems described in the psalms and the different methods that people turn to in hopes of solving those problems. After all, if there is one thing that characterizes midlife, it is the wide variety of challenges that confront us. One midlife researcher described midlife as " Searching for balance in the midst of multiple co-occurring stressors while coping with losses and transitions, for some in a context of limited resources . . ." You could use this same description for the experience of the Israelites in slavery Egypt. Initially, they cried out to God for help. But as the story unfolds in the book of Exodus--and as it is reflected in the second book of Psalms--they also tended to look for hope in things that could not help or satisfy. Just read Exodus 32 and the story of the golden calf to see how quickly we humans can go astray. We can quickly go from a soul thirst for the Living God to a search for solutions in our own meager store of resources. Our study of Book Two of Psalms will help us to focus our hearts and hopes on God and God alone so that when those stressors come, we can say with the psalmist, Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5, NIV Daily Readings: This week, I invite you to read through the book of Exodus to remind yourself of the story and to prepare your heart to see the parallels between the journey of God's people from Egypt to the Jordan River and your own journey through midlife. As you read, consider these questions in light of your midlife journey: Is there anything holding me captive right now? What is keeping me from living fully in God's presence and promise of hope in times of need? What am I putting my hope in when challenges come into my life? Do I need to reconsider what I depend on to solve day-to-day problems or the larger difficulites in life? How is God redeeming my midlife experiences for His glory and my benefit? How do I experience His daily presence in my life? Mount Sinai Sources: Thomas, A. J., Mitchell, E. S., & Woods, N. F. (2018). The challenges of midlife women: Themes from the Seattle midlife women's health study. Women's Midlife Health , 4 (8). DOI: 10.1186/s40695-018-0039-9

How Psalm 40 can help us rebuild after the inevitable crises we face in midlife "I survived the crisis, now what?" In the last post we talked about what to do in the immediate hours and days after a significant crisis confronts us in midlife. A quick, God-focused response to any crisis is the key to preventing longterm despair and bitterness. But once we've struggled through the initial shock and have fixed our eyes firmly on our Savior for guidance, we soon find ourselves wondering, "How do I recover from this?" Great question! God wants to bring us through the valley of shadow and into rejoicing on the far side of each crisis we face, and Psalm 40 gives us some guidelines for getting there. I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. Psalm 40:1-3, NIV First, We Rest The immediate crisis is over, but it's not time to spring into action. Instead, we choose to rest. David tells us in verse one that he "waited patiently for the Lord." The Hebrew word for waited patiently is not what we might do in a dentist's office. This is not waiting with dread, hoping that the experience will be over quickly with no complications and especially no pain! Waiting in the biblical sense means resting in God's promise to care for His people. God may not answer immediately, but He will answer. When we rest in God's care for us and His unseen work on our behalf, we are putting our faith into action even though we aren't taking action on our own. I will be the first to admit that this is a hard step to take. Doing nothing but rest in God's promises? How will that solve the probem? But this simple act of faith in God rather than ourselves is an essential discipline for responding to crises. Why? It places our focus on our Savior rather than ourselves. If we truly want the God of the universe to intervene on our behalf, we should know better than to delay that process by relying on ourselves. Instead, we reserve our strength while we watch expectantly for God to move. Because He will! In His Time, We Rebuild Notice the progression in verse two: "He lifted me out . . . He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." It's all about God's timing. He decides when to lift us out and He chooses the firm place where we make a new start. He establishes a foundation for us there that we can rebuild upon. What is that foundation? It is simply the faithfulness of God. We don't rebuild on the restoration of our losses or the rectifying of our circumstances. We rebuild on the covenantal care of a Holy God for His people. David reminds us of this in verse four: Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Psalm 40:4, NIV Our bedrock foundation in life is the Lord. Rebuilding, then, means we focus on the basic spiritual disciplines of living in relationship with God--Bible reading, prayer, worship, fellowship. This is what builds our lives back after a crisis in midlife, and what gives us overflowing hope and joy as we look to the future. Finally, We Rejoice What's the final step in the journey through a "midlife crisis"? God gives us a fresh perspective. In verse 3, David testifies that God has given him a new song of praise. The idea here is not that God has rolled back time so David can go back to what was "normal" before the crisis. No, God has brought him through the crisis into a new and fresh appreciation for God's goodness, faithfulness and love. This new song could only be born from the journey through crisis. Walking through crisis with God leaves us changed, stronger, more convinced than ever of the worthiness of our God. David expresses it like this: I have proclaimed good news of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, LORD, You know. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your mercy and Your truth from the great congregation. Psalm 40:9-10, NASB The new song David has received from God has made him a more effective witness to God's salvation. And it should do the same for us as well. Struggles give us proof of God's love, and we need to use them to share the good news about Jesus to those who don't know Him yet. A politician once advised "Never waste a crisis!" When we walk faithfully through the crises of midlife and share our stories of God's faithfulness on the other side, we will understand better that God wants to use the hard things in our lives to draw others into relationship with Him. Crises are never wasted if we keep our eyes on Jesus. The Everyday Midlife Crisis In the last post , we talked through how to use Psalm 38 in a simple crisis: forgetting a coffee date with a friend. Let's finish the story by applying Psalm 40. We left off with a phone call of apology to the hypothetical friend I left waiting at the coffee shop. What should I do after offering my sincere confession? If you said nothing , you are right! That's because the next step is resting in the Lord. My friend may accept my apology and restore the relationship, and she may not. But that is between her and God--it's not up to me. So I pray and I wait expectantly for God to move. Let's say she forgives me. That's a great outcome because we can easily rebuild our friendship on the foundation of mercy, just as God has shown each of us mercy individually. We might even rejoice together that we made it through that crisis by God's grace. We will probably even laugh about it in the future! But let's say she doesn't forgive. . . what do I do then? Again, nothing. I continue to wait on God to move in His time. Even if the relationship is irrevocably damaged, though, I can still rebuild on God's mercy to me, and a commitment to mirror His grace by offering forgiveness to others when they offend me. I might also ask God to help me address the issues that caused me to forget the coffee date in the first place. Eventually, joy will replace my sorrow over the loss of my friend. It might look like a simple acknowledgment of God's undeserved forgiveness of my own failings. And that's a great reason to rejoice! Midlife will bring us crises, like any stage of life does. But God is faithful to guide us through to the other side when we keep our eyes fixed on Him and wait for Him to move. Are you encouraged by this exploration of what Psalms 38 and 40 teach us about handling the inevitable challenges of midlife? If so, let me know in the comments and share your own story of rejoicing in how God brought you through! Readings and Reflection Questions Monday's reading: Psalm 40 Finish reading Psalm 40 today, How does trusting in the Lord, as emphasized in Psalm 40:4, help you rest in God’s timing rather than relying on human solutions when you are recovering from a crisis? In what ways can proclaiming God’s saving acts by sharing your story of God's faithfulness help you rebuild your life? Tuesday's reading: Lamentations 3:19-26 What practical steps can you take to “wait quietly” for God’s salvation when you’re tempted to act impulsively post-crisis? How can you remind yourself daily of God’s “new every morning” compassion when you are in the process of rebuilding your life post crisis? Wednesday's reading: 1 Peter 5:6-11 What anxieties do you need to cast on God as you rebuild your life on His grace, and how can you practically do this? How does knowing other believers face similar struggles encourage you to stand firm in faith and rejoice in God’s restoration? Thursday's reading:   Romans 15:5-13 How does the call to have the same attitude as Christ and accept one another encourage you as you rebuild from a crisis? How might you encourage others who are in their own time of rebuilding? How can trusting in the God of hope, as Paul concludes, fill you with joy, peace and hope? Friday's reading: Psalm 41:1-4 How does showing regard for the weak help you in your own rebuilding process? Why do you think God wants us to focus on the suffering of others even when we are suffering ourselves? Weekend reading:   Psalm 41:5-13 How does David’s trust in God’s mercy amidst opposition encourage you to rest in God’s care when facing post-crisis challenges or betrayal? What does it mean to be “set in God’s presence forever” as you rebuild your life on His faithfulness after a crisis? How can you cultivate a heart of praise, like David’s, and rejoice in God’s deliverance despite ongoing adversity?

How Psalm 38 can help us prepare for the inevitable crises we face in midlife We've all heard of it, and we've probably all seen it: a midlife crisis strikes. Erratic behavior ensues: a flashy sports car appears in the driveway, fitness becomes an unhealthy obsession, the younger generation's fashion shows up on an aging body. But what if I told you the "midlife crisis" is a myth? In fact, these crises are the predictable outcomes of life choices made across the years, not a lightning strike of instability that only impacts people over 40. "It must be a midlife crisis" is more of an excuse than a diagnosis. What is true, however, is that midlife does offer us plenty of opportunities to experience crisis because of the unique set of challenges that come with that life stage: the emptying nest, changing relationships with adult children, the need to revive intimacy within marriage, the physical challenges of aging, and care for aging parents, just to name a few. Would it help to know in advance what a crisis feels like and how to make it through? God must think so because in Psalms 38, 39, and 40 He guided David to describe his own crisis experience and to create a roadmap for walking through it into joy on the other side. This week, we will look at the beginning stages of a crisis outlined in Psalm 38. Fair warning: none of it sounds fun. But if we know and can recognize the waypoints through a crisis beforehand, we can more clearly see God's hand guiding us through when we do go through one. And if you are like me, small crises arise almost daily. I'm using these principles from Psalm 38 to mindfully and biblically handle even the small stuff. It helps me keep my eyes on Christ rather than my circumstances. Let's dig in! The Crash: Psalm 38:1-8 I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. Psalm 38:8, NIV We've all been there. The phone rings, bad news is received, our minds go numb and our bodies crumple under the weight of tragedy. Even small problems--like narrowly avoiding a fender bender--trigger small reactions. Tragic news triggers more significant reactions, and as David records in these first eight verses, realization of our own guilt triggers the same "fight or flight" response as bad news. How does David cope? He cries out to God: not in a reasonable, intellectual discourse, but in a visceral plea for mercy that speaks of shock and grief: Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Psalm 38:1, NIV Have you been there? "Why are you mad at me, God? Why have you allowed this to happen?" Here's the good news, though. When our first thought is to cry out to God, we have begun our journey through the crisis. Even if our prayers make no sense, we need to keep praying. And this is exactly what David does. The Confusion: Psalm 38:9-14 I have become like one who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply. Psalm 38:14, NIV Have you noticed that once we pick ourselves up (hopefully figuratively, but sometimes literally) off the floor, that our brains get busy trying to answer the big question: why? We turn the problem over and over in our minds looking for the cause and the solution, looking for our part in it, looking for a way out. But nothing makes sense. As David says in verse 14, our ears can't register explanations from others, and we have no explanation to offer them, either. All is confusion. Sometimes, even our closest friends and family can't offer solace, as David notes in verse 11: My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away. Psalm 38:11, NIV But David does not stop praying, even in his confusion. He shows us how to open our hearts in honesty to God as we admit our own inability to solve or escape the crisis: All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. Psalm 38:9, NIV God sees us, God knows us, and God loves us. Even though David is dealing with the fallout from his own sin in Psalm 38, he has confidence in the love of God. David prays even when all he can verbalize is a groan. But God is already answering. The Commitment: Psalm 38:15-22 Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God. Psalm 38:15, NIV Here's the pivot point in David's crisis. He has survived the crash, he has realized he can't clear the confusion on his own, so he settles his soul in the safety of God's hands. The New American Standard version translates the first verse this way: "For I hop e in You, O Lord. . ." The Hebrew word for wait or hope in this verse means to be patient and wait expectantly. David is going to trust God to give him clarity and direction at the right time. This commitment doesn't mean that David is no longer suffering. He clearly states that he is still experiencing grief, anxiety, and opposition. It also doesn't mean that David doesn't take responsibility for any part he played in the crisis. Part of his commitment to wait for God includes making his heart right before the Lord: I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. Psalm 38:18, NIV Along with confession, David continues to pour out his heart to God. But the prayer is now changed from the beginning prayer in the first verse. Instead of praying for deliverance from God's judgement, David now prays for God's continued divine presence: Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior. Psalm 38:21-22, NIV God has faithfully shepherded David through the shock of the crash and the mind-numbing confusion of the crisis. David's eyes are firmly fixed on his Savior and now God's work can take center stage. Preparing for the Everyday Midlife Crisis Let's quickly apply Psalm 38 to an everyday crisis to see if it works in real life for real midlife women. Let's say I forget to write down a coffee date on my calendar and on the appointed day I get a text from my friend saying, "Is everything OK? I'm here at the cafe, but I'm worried about you!" I immediately panic as my body floods with stress hormones. I've stood up my good friend, and I'm still in my pajamas! But I remember Psalm 38, and I tell myself, this feeling is normal and it will go away. God is teaching me something here, but I need to wait for the overwhelm to subside before I can move on. I reach out to God and stay anchored while I wait. Next up is the confusion stage. Because of David's words, I know my mind will start to generate a solution, and I know not to trust it! It might suggest that she got the date wrong, or that I should make up an excuse, or that I can somehow get dressed and arrive in time if I drive over the speed limit! My mind might also catastrophize the situation and tell me that I have lost the friendship forever. But I know to wait this out with a heart open to God even if I don't have any sensible words to say to Him. The Holy Spirit will guide me as I wait for the confusion to clear, so I make a commitment to let Him bring clarity to my mind. Once I make the commitment to seek God for answers, I am at last capable of making good decisions. In this case, confession to both God and my friend are the next right step. Committing to seeking God throughout the crisis means I can't take shortcuts or hide my own failings, so I make a phone call and sincerely ask for forgiveness, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide both my heart and hers. What happens next? Well, the rest of the crisis journey is found in Psalm 40 which we will tackle next week. But let me encourage you, friend: As small crises appear this week, keep Psalm 38 in mind and hold fast to God through the crash and confusion. Commit your way to Him, and wait for Him to guide. Watch for Him to move, and then share what you learn with your other midlife friends. You can even leave me a comment below and let me know how Psalm 38 has guided you through a "midlife crisis." Have a great week! Readings and Reflection Questions Monday's reading: Psalm 38 It's your turn! Read through Psalm 38, then jounal about a crisis situation you dealt with recently. Do you see the three stages in your experience? How did your mind try to solve the problem? What direction did you receive from praying? Did you commit yourself to waiting for God and following His lead? Tuesday's reading: Psalm 39 Read through Psalm 39 and reflect on David's experiences. What is the longing of his heart as he walks through his crisis? Why do you think David guards his mouth so carefully during a crisis? Wednesday's reading: 2 Chronicles 20:1-12 How did King Jehosophat experience and live out the princples in Psalm 38? What did he do in verse three? What actions might you take to seek God in a crisis situation? Thursday's reading:   Luke 8:22-25 What was the crisis faced by the disciples? Why do you think Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith? Hint: the answer is in verse 24. If the disciples had been filled with faith, what might they have said to Jesus instead? Friday's reading: I Peter 5:6-9 What do these verses teach you about crises and suffering? Make a list of the actions Peter tells us to take when life gets hard. Which one could you work on this week? Weekend reading:   Psalm 119:41-48 This section of Psalm 119 talks about the hope we have in God and how that is expressed in His Word. How might you use God's Word in a time of crisis to keep you focused on Christ?