Bible Verse of the Day


2 Peter 1:5-8


For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Monday, January 30, 2012

The Things We do to Ourselves


Luke 9:57-58 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

This scripture was lovingly and mercifully brought to my mind this morning. After a weekend of unwise…okay, really stupid thinking on my part, the Lord reminded me of His words. It was a ‘spiritual light bulb moment’ if you will.

After writing the blog last week on whining, I spent far too much time wringing my hands and whining my way through the weekend. Good grief! That’s appropriate, ‘grief’ was decidedly what I brought on myself with all the worry and whining.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

God’s peace was not my companion this past weekend and it was all my fault. I know better but I still fell into the trap of worry. What do I do? Do I stay or do I go? Do I down size or punt? Will I find a good job so I can stay or will I have to leave to find a job? Which end is up? What do I do? Do I stay or do I go? Do I down size or punt? A merry-go-round of crazed thinking rolling over and over in my head. Needless to say, no answer did I find in my loony-tunes thinking!

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

I was wallowing in confusion and kept repeating that verse above. I knew I was neither thinking nor acting according to the Word. Yet, there I was swimming in a pool of doubt and, yes I have to say it, self-pity. Poor me, what was I to do? Oh, please! It may sound harsh to say but I was the author of my confusion and worry. I listened to my flesh, sowed into fear and reaped a harvest of stress and worry with strength that could take down a bull elephant! I did it. I can’t blame the enemy for it, though I am sure he was entertained by it.

Then, as if to say ‘I love you anyway’, God gave me the scripture Luke 9:57-58 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

As long as I am following the Lord and serving Him, what does it matter where I live? The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. I am calm this morning and my heart is happy. I lost sight of all that is important to me for a couple of days and paid the price. Oh, I prayed over the weekend but it was with self-centered motives. I was seeking my will, not His. Silly girl. The consequences of that turned my weekend into a long nightmare and I suffered physically because of the stress.

I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5 …in spite of yourself. Italics added by me.

No comments: