As most of you know, the post title is taken from Colossians 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Yesterday morning I was feeling discouraged. I was driving to BSF, breaking into tears along the way. Not really wanting to go, but knowing I should be. We all gather together and open by singing two hymns, but I didn’t want to go in there but rather just go up and hide away in our group’s room. Well, I went ahead to the opening as I knew I should, and as I was entering the hymn “Standing on the Promises” (Russell Kelso Carter) was being sung, so as I was getting settled in the pew I began singing along:

His mercies were new yesterday morning!

Throughout the day that lyric continued to be water to my dry soul, because even though I’d heard it in morning, I began to wither once again and lapse into deeper discouragement.

I had begun wondering what I was doing blogging, particularly asking myself why I started up this site, but the others as well, and with that the usual taunting and tormenting thoughts were coming into my mind about ministry in general: “Why bother?” “Who cares?” “What you’re doing won’t make a difference. If you stopped, who would really notice?”

After our study, I once again needed the loving discipline of my heavenly Father (these are things I’ve continued to struggle with and they’re all pretty interrelated). He showed me once again (because I am slow to learn *sigh* – I ask your continued prayers for me…thank you!):

I actually came to a period yesterday when I couldn’t write (even though I have many, many thoughts/ideas I’d like to write on, probably too many!). I didn’t know if I wanted to write any more on this blog or on any of my blogs ever again. The thought of blogging again actually sickened me for a time. I’ve known frustration with writing and I’ve known writer’s block and I have had times when I’ve been discouraged or felt I didn’t have anything to write or wasn’t sure how to write it, but I had never ever had such a temptation like that before. That frightened me.

That said, all this came on the heels of my recommitting myself to blogging here just about two weeks ago. (I wrote about that here).

The devil is prowling but the Hound of Heaven is too! Thanks be to God the One that saved us continues to guard us and keep us!