Stop and listen to what is around you right now. Is the television playing? Is music streaming somewhere? Has your phone been pinging and giving notifications? Is there stillness? Our society stirs in us the idea that noise is needed. It’s helpful. Why? Because it covers and masks the noise in our soul.
For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. Isaiah 30;15
In the verse above, Israel is encouraged to rest and trust in God, rather than Assyria or Egypt. The lesson is the same for us. Rather than masking our anxiety or fear, the Lord is to be our confidence. The quietness is a quiet waiting on God. Waiting in faith. Waiting in stillness and trust in Him.
I had a young woman reach out to me recently with this request – She said:
I have been struggling with anxiety over current events recently. It is so hard as a Christian because my God has been so faithful in taking care of me, but in my weakness, I am still fearful. Do you have any advice or favorite go-to Bible verses or songs that you would recommend?
I’m fairly certain that MANY or most of us could concur that this is a very prevalent truth in each of our lives. I don’t even need to list for you the reasons we could be fearful – we all have personal scenarios and situations that pop up daily that threaten to steal our peace, that could cause us to feel like we’re drowning in our own anxiety.
Christ gave a command to His followers to take up our cross and daily follow Him. That means we have an appointment to die every day. Listen to the podcast today to hear what this looks like, and how it could change the way you view and approach everything in your life.
How do you think it would effect your contentment, your relationship struggles or your worries if you followed this directive from the Lord Jesus? What do you need to release to be able to do so?
It’s such a paradox, but our life will have purpose and joy when we die daily.
I’ll never forget the sinking feeling I had one summer day some years back. I had gone out to get something out of my Jeep, and when I opened the driver’s side door there were my cassette tapes (my model was old!) strewn all over the seats of the car. My first thought was that my husband had made a mad search for something he needed. I came in and asked if he’d been looking for something in my car.
His reply was, “No, why?” After I explained what I’d found when I went out to my vehicle, it was obvious to us both that someone else had been searching through my car in the night. The thief had to be sorely disappointed, because I had nothing of value kept there, and the only tapes they found (and left) were Christian music tapes.
It gave me a truly strange feeling to know that some stranger had been rummaging through my car and my belongings, right outside my bedroom door while I slept! We learned that our neighbors had also been burglarized, some losing valuable possessions. We all began taking precautions against this happening again. I began locking my car and we left on a flood light through the night. These were things that we should have been doing all along, but instead we had left ourselves open to the thief because we thought we were safe.
I think how often I’m robbed of other things – things that I leave unprotected and unguarded, and as a result they are stolen away from me in a moment of distraction.
I’m robbed of joy when I am not walking in the Spirit due to unconfessed sin. Galatians 5:22a – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, genleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance… When we are in fellowship with God, we have ALL of these!
I’m robbed of what the Lord wants to teach me if I don’t discipline myself and make time to be in the Word. Proverbs 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
I’m robbed of sweet time in my home when I choose to tear down instead of build up. Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.Proverbs 14:1
I’m robbed of peace when I don’t hide God’s Word in my heart. Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
I have a choice now – to lock up my car and also to leave the light on in hopes of discouraging thieves, or I can leave everything as it was on the day the robbery happened. An even greater choice is the decision to lock up tight, and “leave the light on” in my spiritual life so I’ll be very aware of the thieves that desire to steal precious possessions the Lord wants me to enjoy!
Are you safeguarding against the thieves of your heart?
A good day can turn into a very bad day in a matter of minutes. Here’s how it goes – 1. I allow my feelings to dominate my thinking – (“This is the worst thing ever! I shouldn’t have to deal with this!” Neither of these statements are true.) 2. My reactions then reveal the emotional tidal wave by spilling from my mind into my heart. (I pout, am angry or I retreat) 3. My mouth speaks what I’m thinking. (I may accuse, complain or verbalize in other ways the things I feel) 4. The result is always regret. (Hurt feelings of others, distance in relationships, or spiritual coldness in my own heart)
However, when I begin to feel those emotions (and we will all feel things about our situations or relationships), I must make the immediate choice to deal with it in the three ways I mentioned last week. Then the blessed results of choosing right thinking will follow! The results are…
Joy – Eve lost her joy when she went on her feelings and failed to trust God. But we can follow Paul’s admonition and “Rejoice in the Lord always.” If there’s no one else or nothing else to think about with joy, our dear Savior is always the best place to meditate. In Him we have so many reasons to rejoice! He loves us unconditionally! He will never leave us! He lives within us! He’s made a promise He’s coming again! He’s praying for us! He has provided us access to the Throne of God! For this and so much more, He is the center of our joy.
Peace in your own heart and peace with others. Eve, lost peace with God when she sinned. Her relationship with Adam was scarred, too. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4 to “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” This literally means “don’t worry about anything.” That “feeling” you have can become a fretful thing. Pray instead and let the peace of God rule in your heart!
Spiritual and emotional health – Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.Prov. 31:25 If we want to be strong spiritually and emotionally healthy, we simply live in the strength that comes from resting in the Lord. We can be like the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:25 and have strength when we don’t lean on our emotions, but on our God Whom we are in awe of. We must realize that we can rest in His sovereign care for all that touches our lives and our feelings. When we have this kind of strength, we won’t end up an emotional wreck – no matter what we “feel.” Instead, we will be a woman of strength and honor. We hear a lot about emotional health. Here’s how to have it –
For good emotional health,
don’t depend on your emotions!
I don’t know about you, but I never like it when I’ve had times of emotional upheaval. Thank the Lord for His Divine help that enables us to mature in regards to our feelings.
If this post resonates in your heart at all, and you deal with fluctuating emotions as I have, make it a matter of prayer, asking God to help you apply #1-3 in the first part of this post.
Emotions are part of our make-up as women, but they should never be the boss of our lives! Let Truth override anything you may be “feeling.” Dig to find it in God’s Word. Ask loving questions of others. Then meditate on that truth instead. You won’t have regrets for doing so. Ask Eve.
RefreshHer 