Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. - Philippians 4:8
This was the first thing I read today during my morning devotional. As I continued into my quiet time I began reading 2 Peter.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you and entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend to always remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. - 2 Peter 1:3-15
I have had much unrest in my spirit lately. I have been fighting a battle that has added great stress in my mind and my spirit. This has gone on long enough that it is affecting my body. I kept crying out to God to help me. I found myself in a depression again, my thoughts circling things of pain and a perspective that cannot see past the pain.
I talked to God a long while this morning before starting my reading. I told Him everything that was heavy on my mind. Those things which continue to cause me pain. Notice the recurrence of us needing to be "reminded" of things in the two passages I've shared? Interesting how when I seek God's help when my mind is circling negative things that He shows me - He reminds me - that my thoughts should not be circling those things at all. There is a difference between remembering something that has happened and reminding yourself of it.
Things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praise worthy, are what we are supposed to "think on". When you think on something it is more than just remembering. Thinking on something means we keep it in our mind longer than just a fleeting thought. Can't say that my mind was circling any of those things.
Peter said: His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God's divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. It's through the knowledge found in Jesus that we are granted the things that pertain to life and godliness. He has granted to us the precious and great promises so we can take part in the divine nature. Our salvation through grace by faith in Christ Jesus is what breaks us free from the bondage of worldly corruption because of sinful desires.
Sinful desires are what bring corruption. Because of the sinful desires and the corruption they bring we must do everything we can to supplement our faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. If we have these things and they are increasing (meaning we have to keep feeding them and growing them) they will keep us from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If I had been allowing those things to circle my mind instead of allowing the distracting thoughts of negative things I would not have fallen into depression. ...for if you practice these qualities you will never fall...Therefore I intend to always remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. Even though we already may know about these qualities and we may know that we are established in the Truth we have in Christ, it is good to always be reminded of them. We need to keep these things in our mind at all times. If our minds are full of them then there is no room for the negative thoughts. No room for sinful desires, and no room for corruption to grow from those sinful desires.
Bottom line, keep not just our eyes on Jesus but keep our minds on Him. If our minds are on Him, we will see Him in every situation. Alone, I am imperfect. Alone, I am stained with sin and corrupted. But through Jesus I am perfected. Through Jesus I am washed clean, white as snow, without blemish, without corruption. Why did I ever allow distractions to take over and keep my attention?! Jesus is all I need, and all I need be directing my full attention.
Thank you, Father, for reminding me of your grace and to always circle my mind around whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praise worthy!!
13 August 2013
03 August 2013
A Lonely Road
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long, we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. –Romans 8:35-39
I take great comfort from these verses lately. I have found myself quite alone in my walk with the Lord. But I am never out of the protective covering of God's love for me. God is all I need to keep pressing on.
Seemingly methodically, I have had friendships shaved away in one form or another. In some cases it is strictly a geographic separation. In others, and much more recently, the friendship has dissolved completely.
At first I was upset, deeply hurt, by the loss of what I had come to think of as my support group. I felt sorry for myself as I looked at what friends I did have were so many miles away. I thought I needed a solid friendship right here with me. Yet through all of these trails with my relationships God has been trying to teach me to REALLY depend on Him. I have finally realized that everything and everyone can be stripped away from me; and then what am I left with? God is all I have when all else is gone. Yet if I have not been relying on God alone for all things before these things are stripped away then my whole world is rocked. And boy was it ever! Yes, God showed me that I have been relying heavily on things and people instead of God. I praise Him for showing me each place where I have placed my trust in something other than Him.
I am no longer upset about losing my friendships. I am seeing Romans 8:28 working here. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for the good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
2 Corinthians 6:16 says What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God… An idol is anything you put before God. If I was really putting God at the top then I wouldn’t turn to other people or other things with my life happenings first. If I really held God in the highest position I would have turned to Him first. Instead I turned to my friends. I turned to a bottle of alcohol, convincing myself that it was the only way to calm down and get the relief from stress I so desperately needed.
These two things, alcohol and friends, were idols for me. I had fallen so far behind in my walk with the Lord because I invested more in my relationships with my friends than I did in my relationship with God.
You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you—for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth. –Deuteronomy 6:14-15
My God is a jealous God. How I must have hurt Him by not turning to Him!!
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. –Psalm 25:16-18
This is what God wanted me to do all along. God wants me to always go to Him, for everything. Yet big or small, when any trial or stress came upon me I turned to a friend of a bottle. When it was taken away from me, when all I had left was God, only then did I realize He is all I ever needed.
I also believe He is trying to strengthen me, to strengthen my faith and trust in Him. These are troubling times we live in. I am seeing many of my brothers and sisters in Christ suffering similarly. Seems many of them are finding friendships falling away, even ones that have lasted decades. This is why I am sharing all of this right now. I know my Savior is returning very soon. I feel it will be sooner than many think. I think this is a time when God is testing His children. The more faith we have more we will be able to endure. Though Christ is coming again very soon, we must be able to endure the time before His return.
We crave companionship with others of like faith. Yet we must trust and believe that God really is all we need. This is the part of the narrow road that is so narrow that we must walk alone to continue on. God is our only companion when the road is this narrow. This is the time that all we can do for our brothers and sisters is done through prayer. We need to turn our full attention toward our relationship with God. By stripping us of any earthly crutch we are left to either lean completely upon God or fall into a deep pit of misery and despair. The only way to come out on the other side is with God. Do not fail to finish the final race my friends. The end is just around the corner.
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