THINK!

Friday, October 7, 2011 (7:02 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

Thank You. Thank You that the very first thought [song J] I had this morning was ♫Think, think, think on these things. Think on the things that are lovely. Think, think, think, think on these things, Think on the things that are good♫

(8:59 a.m.)

Lord! It is SO easy for me to think negatively! This could go wrong. That person might misunderstand me. What if…

And the next thing I know, I wake up singing a simplistic song from our children’s childhoods and I am reminded, ♫When I am starting to think about things that are yucky and gloomy and dreary, I stop myself short and start over again To think about things that are cheery♫

Truly Lord, I wish it were that easy! Your Word reminds us repeatedly of all You are. All You’ve done. How much You have overcome. And still I sit. Paralyzed by the fear of making mistakes. Not being good enough.

Thank You Lord that You DID come to save this world and not condemn it (John 3:17). Thank You that You have provided our every need.

In reading ‘A Fruitful Life’ thought for the day “Peace is not the calm before the storm, but the calm during the storm” I was reminded of another of Your Truths. John 16:32-33, “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Ah, yes! YOU are our calm during the storm! Thank You Lord. We can endure trials and sorrows with Your help. It is with You that we find the peace and courage to make changes in our lives. Thank You Lord! You have the power we need to walk the path You would have us go. You have already overcome all the obstacles that stand in our way.

Lord God, how readily I forget that. Through You we really can focus on solutions instead of problems.

(11:21 a.m.)

And once again, You fascinate me Lord! Right in the midst of typing the sentence above, I thought of a Patch Adam’s quote I have referenced in The Life Recovery Bible. Not thinking I had a snowball’s chance of finding it any other way, I began single page turning in the book of Acts. Ending up empty-handed in Revelation, I went backwards through John. As time was drawing close to my leaving for a walk, I found myself wondering, “Why didn’t you just pray and ask God to show it to you?”

My very sad answer to that simple question was, “Because I don’t think He will.” Followed immediately by my prayer that You would prove me wrong. Still not quite believing that You would indeed give me what I asked, I shot up the “Please help me find the reference Lord.” Three random thumbs through the Old Testament (and not a full minute) later, I saw the arrow I had drawn to point me to the comment for Isaiah 26:3. Lord God, thank You!

Whether I am to be reading Psalm 104 and thinking of how all of nature displays Your glory, or Philippians 4:8 and the ‘true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy’ things You can help us concentrate our attention on I am grateful for Your call to me this morning to THINK!

A commentary for the Philippians verse reads, “True happiness can be found in any situation of life when we recognize that God is at work. Because Christ is with us and His return is certain, we can act calmly in the face of painful and difficult situations. Peace comes when we focus on those things that provide lasting value to our life.” Thank You Lord.

Again I turn to Isaiah (26:3) and read, “He [that would be YOU! J] will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord!” Thank You Lord! ♫I capture my thoughts before they capture me And drag me to depths of depression. I think about things that are lovely and true, Thought after thought in succession♫

Thank You Blessed Lord for calling me to think and feel and be and do (Mark 12:30) Your love and peace this day. I love You so very much. Thank You. Amen.

(764 words ~ 12:11 p.m.)