Soul Scientist

Psalm 81:10 EASY I am the Lord, your God. I brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with many good things.

I hope this isn’t true for you like it is for me…

I have that time in my past when I lived in the land of Egypt. Not literally in Egypt (not that going there wouldn’t be a trip of a lifetime) but living in captivity to someone else’s will and my own sin. Egypt was where the Israelites lived in captivity for many years. Even though my captivity was only for 2.5 years, that time left an indelible mark on my faith and my future.  

I knew I wasn’t supposed to be in that wrong relationship which held me captive in sin and regret many years ago in college. But I plodded on in the lie that if I were just smarter or more successful, braver or beautiful, capable or confident, I wouldn’t have ended up here in captivity in an abusive relationship, in “Egypt”, if you will. I accepted the abuse as just part of what I deserved because I believed I wasn’t enough for anybody, including my abuser. Looking back, I see it wasn’t a man holding me captive. It was my own choices that let evil into my life and let evil win over my life.

My own insecurity kept me there in that relationship making bricks like the Israelites did for the Egyptians. Except my bricks of fear and naivete were used by my abuser to further wall me off from truth and my Jesus.  

(Very important side note here: I didn’t even meet my wonderful hubby of over 34 years now until long after that abusive relationship was over. In fact, I think if my husband had known my abuser he would’ve had a “come-to-Jesus meeting” with him that involved a repeated laying-on-of-hands. (Grin!))

That relationship taught me the hold-on-for-dear-life truth of Psalm 84:10 AMPC For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else]; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell [at ease] in the tents of wickedness. To me and my deep affection for Scripture and for numbers, it’s especially appropriate that 1,000 days is approximately 2.5 years, nearly the exact amount of time I spent in the tents of wickedness in college.

The truth of better is one day is part of the firm foundation supporting my husband and me in the now of today and every day. Because of the strong and faithful truths God has taught us, we haven’t lived this past year in Egypt despite the diagnosis of cancer and necessary treatments for cancer.

Rather, our Good God is teaching us how to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts (Psalm 90:12 HCSB). And in the doing, we can see more and more of His superabundant blessings poured out upon us (see Ephesians 3:20-21). He daily shows us our life as blessed and bountiful here in the Promised Land of His provision, protection, power, peace, and Presence in His courts. And here in this year with cancer, He’s teaching us the hope, heartening, and happiness found in the daily counting of our many blessings and naming them one-by-one.¹  

Naming our blessings is a memorable and thought-provoking way to remind us of our need for faith in our everyday lives. Naming our blessings is especially powerful when we’ve chosen to be vulnerable with others about the suffering (or “not good”) in our lives. Willing to be vulnerable in recognition of our own inabilities and lack of strength is undeniable, unexplainable, and unmistakable evidence for the power of God at work in our lives. Vulnerability can cut through the unimportant and reach deep to the heart of an issue provided we are pointing to our God instead of ourselves.  

As Christians who are actively seeking God with our lives, we aren’t given exceptions to God’s commands for our lives when we are living in hard circumstances. We can’t just take captive every thought as unto Christ when we feel glad or good (see 2 Corinthians 10:5). We can’t just follow hard after Him when it suits our schedules or gives personal satisfaction (see Psalm 63:1). Acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly before our God isn’t limited by our own talents or time (see Micah 6:8). Rather, the treasure known only in and with this moment with our God isn’t dependent on having a fulfilling career or not having cancer, living in our dream house or letting go of long-held hopes and dreams, or acceptance as a popular author or acknowledging God with every single word (see Psalm 118:24).

God Himself is our Treasure, Portion, and very great Reward (see Psalm 73:26 and Genesis15:1-2).

God is the Lifter of our heads and the Lover of our souls, for all time (see Psalm 3:3 and 143:8).

God alone can and will deliver us from whatever might hold us as captives in an Egypt we never dreamed we’d be living in (see Psalm 40:2).  

With all that in mind, my daily prayer of Psalm 19:14 CEB Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, Lord, my rock and my redeemer helps keep me focused and listening at the Feet of my Jesus. He alone gives the fullness of heart I need for writing anything, be it articles or assessments, books or biology lectures, devotionals or letters of dedication. I’ve learned without that fullness in my heart, I am unable to bring a word of hope or help to anyone, including myself. Because without the receiving of grace as a good gift from my Good God, I’m not fit for anything except living in captivity to mine and others’ expectations. And there in captivity, I drown in the defeat and disappointment of believing the lie that this day, this task, these ideas and words are mine. For God has made the day and me and everything in and around me for His glory and the good of His people (see Psalm 118:24).

Yet when I’m choosing to stay here with my Jesus, devoted to receiving whatever assignment He has for me (be it writing, speaking, or not), He shows me a plethora of thought-provoking ideas to notice, ponder, and write. For there at His Feet, I’m free to see new ideas, savor new thoughts, and seek truth in the confidence I have as a co-heir with Christ. 

One of my favorite verses captures this idea far better than I ever could… I, the Lord your God, brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves. I broke the power that held you down and I let you walk with your head held high (Leviticus 26:13 GNT).

With all of this in our minds and hopefully our hearts too, let’s take a minute or two to thank our Good God for His steadfast enduring love and the freedom we can find when we run in the path of His commands (see Deuteronomy 5:33). Let’s set aside some time today (and tomorrow and every day after) to count our blessings, name them one by one.

With that in mind, each and every one of you are one of the blessings I count nearly every day in prayer to my Good God who is exceedingly loving, gracious, and kind in all His ways from the minute to the majestic!

¹Referring to lyrics from “Count Your Blessings” by J. Oatman, Jr., 1897, as found on hymnary.org on 10/2/25.

written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2025.