Financial burdens that threaten to crush. Worries of how to shepherd my children...to teach responsibility and integrity and uprightness of character. Relationships that seem overwhelming at times. Sadness for friends who are losing loved ones all around. Sadness for friends who are battling life-threatening illnesses. Fear of...well, many things. Frustration over weight so easily gained...and so difficult to lose. Frustration over my own lack of motivation to do the things that are good for my body and my health.
And then I realized as I was getting ready to go to work this morning, that I am spending far too much time listening to the whispers of the world and the evil one...and not nearly enough time listening to the Word of the Holy One.
So, as I prayed to the Father to show me a better way today...to open my heart to what He is doing around me...to let me see His glory happening...I heard a still, quiet voice telling me to change my focus. To just for one day try something new...to take each thought captive....to turn those negatives and focus on Jesus...the author and perfecter of faith. I heard Him say that my eyes should be on His Son...on the blessings that come to me...on only Him...His Word....
So today, I will focus on verses from His Word that challenge my negative thoughts...I will allow myself to live in the flow of the Holy Spirit...open to following the path set before me by a gracious and loving God....
Take each negative thought and slice it through with the Sword of the Spirit....
Here goes! (I'll be back to share how my day unfolds...)
Updated at lunch break:
I link my posts to my facebook page and this morning I found this verse in a comment there from a friend, Alex:
Psalm 118:24
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
let us rejoice today and be glad.
And another friend, Joanne, reminded me at work this morning:
Philippians 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Hmmmm....do you sense a theme here?
Updated to add:
So something else happened today. I spent some time praying about my financial situation...asking for a miracle...hoping for a solution...and these verses came to mind:
Matthew 6:25-34
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Now this is not the first time the Holy Spirit has reminded me of these words...and I am getting better at trusting the Lord for help. But today, my son spent two hours at the financial aid office at his school to get some help and answers. And!!!! He found out that we can still get financial aid for next quarter...and even though I still need to make a tuition payment tomorrow..it only has to be one third! Praise God!
hmmm, maybe I will try this again tomorrow!
Updated to add:
So something else happened today. I spent some time praying about my financial situation...asking for a miracle...hoping for a solution...and these verses came to mind:
Matthew 6:25-34
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Now this is not the first time the Holy Spirit has reminded me of these words...and I am getting better at trusting the Lord for help. But today, my son spent two hours at the financial aid office at his school to get some help and answers. And!!!! He found out that we can still get financial aid for next quarter...and even though I still need to make a tuition payment tomorrow..it only has to be one third! Praise God!
hmmm, maybe I will try this again tomorrow!
I love you Kelly. Great insight as I too have lots of issues on my shoulders and had get up for my first PT at 7am with only 2 hours of intermittent sleep..which has been the case for several days because of a ruptured disk that has affected my left leg. Of course not the best of timing to not be working or dealing with stuff as you know with my ailing mother. But it is easy to think of all the negative instead of the joy that there IS in the day the Lord has made. I really needed to be reminded of that today. Thank you sweetie! Blessings to you on this day! ~J
ReplyDeleteI love you, too, my dear friend. I know you've had an exceptionally rough time of it lately. I keep you in my prayers, please know that!! Hope the PT helped this morning...and remember to do whatever exercises or stretches they tell you! Don't quit on those, because you'll regret it! (Speaking from experience!) Hugs, and blessings to you, as well!
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