I don’t know about you, but life has felt like a lot right now. There are good things and heavy things. There are things our family is walking through. There are things the people around me are walking through. It’s a lot. And has anyone else felt like January had 51 days in it??? Man! It lasted forever.

I had been hanging out with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 12-25. Have you read their story lately?

Genesis 12:8 says: “From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.”

As Abram started his journey in following God, he stopped to call out to Him. I love that because it can feel overwhelming walking through this life at times. The fact that Abram just stopped to spend time with God reminds me that I can call on Him at ANY time I need to.

When we seek God in those times of being overwhelmed, God gives us the strength to continue on.

Some scholars believe that Psalm 42 & 43 are one song, one chapter.
I can relate to the lament and longing of the writer here. He is living in a time of despair, confusion and being overwhelmed by it all.

Take some time to check it out, but we are going to talk about Psalm 42:11:

“Why so downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I praise him,
My Savior and my God.”

Let’s take a few minutes to talk about the word PRAISE here. That word in Hebrew is Yadah (Yawdaw) which means to throw, cast off, confess, glorify, thanksgiving.

When we are overwhelmed and all the other feelings we can have we need to Yadah!
* We need to throw and cast off those things that are weighing us down. Remind ourselves of the faithfulness of God.
* Maybe we need to ask for forgiveness about something. There is nothing worth holding onto that will separate us from God. Carrying around sin is also heavy and too much for us.
* We can glorify and be thankful for Who God is, His love for us and all that He has done and will do.
It’s a whole church service in one word. :)

Rich Villodas says: “The image we have of God in our head in many ways determines the degree of worry in our soul.”

What things are we carrying around with us? What are are dragging behind us and wearing us down on this journey of life and following Jesus?

We need to YADAH the HECK out of that thing!

There have many times that I pitched a tent like Abram and hung out, not sure if I could go on or if I wanted to. But God in His gracious and faithful way would be there with me, loving and guiding me out of it.

“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,
for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk for I give myself to you.”
Psalm 143:8

I am so grateful that I can trust God! He has proven Himself faithful time after time. I may not understand it or like it, but I can trust Him in it.

I pray that you will continue to trust Him on your journey today and if you need to … Yadah, baby!

Have the most amazing day and find time to get some sabbath in your weekend!
All My Love ~
xo Jodi

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