“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

It’s crazy how easily we can talk ourselves into wanting to be more, have more, and do more. And for me, it happens most when I let the world creep in where Jesus should reside.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Taking delight in the Lord means that our hearts truly find peace and fulfillment in Him. If we truly find satisfaction and worth in Christ, Scripture says He will give us the longings of our hearts. The idea behind this verse and others like it is that, when we truly rejoice or “delight” in the eternal things of God, our desires will begin to parallel His, and we will never go unfulfilled.

Many delight in wealth, status, material possessions, and other temporary things of this world, but they are never satisfied. They never truly get what they want, which is why they are always wanting more.

Everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father, but from the world which seeks pleasure. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

We will never be deeply fulfilled or “happy” with the things this world has to offer. But if we place our joy and hope in God first, He will meet all of our needs.

Have you trusted God first in your life? If not, do so today and receive the desires of your heart.

THOUGHT: What gives you pleasure in life? Does it come from the world or from Jesus?

PRAYER: Father God, help me to keep my eyes fixed on you and look to you and to you alone for true delight and pleasure in life.

By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

FURTHER READING

Our Heart’s Desires

Delight Yourself in the Lord

God is My Delight

The post The Delights of Your Heart appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust. It can’t be half-hearted. Either it is a full trust or it is clouded with suspicion and doubt. So, as we face the everyday challenges of life, or as we look for answers to deep and difficult problems, let’s put our full trust in the LORD. Let’s ask for his wisdom and guidance as we make our choices. Let’s give him praise for the good in our life and seek his blessing for the days ahead. Why? Because he longs to bless us with life, both now, and forevermore.

O LORD, my Lord, I place my trust in you. Please guide my steps as I seek to bring you glory. Help me in the decisions I face. Give me discernment as I seek to influence others and to share your grace with them. Give me the right words to say so that I can have a redemptive influence on my family, with my friends, and among my co-workers. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by Permission
follow Phil’s daily devotionals on https://www.verseoftheday.com

Further Reading

•   Hope for the Hopeless
•   The Healing – A  poem by Katy Kauffman
•  Salvation Explained

The post Trust With All Your Heart appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” Revelation 22:13 (NKJV)

Jesus is the Alpha, the First; Jesus is the Omega, the Last; Jesus is the Beginning and the End. In our walk of faith, we take our first step and last step in Jesus, and He is every step along the way.

Jesus is not only the End of our destination in life, but He is also the End of our motivation in life—He is the purpose and the reason for our journey. He is the End itself! In our walk of faith we do use Jesus as a means to what we desire, because our heart’s deepest desire is met in Him.

In Him we have arrived at God’s desired place for us in this world. Jesus is the fulfillment we seek, the completion we need, the love we long for in our hearts. He is the wisdom that establishes us, the righteousness that justifies us, the sanctification that purifies us, and the redemption that makes us His own.

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (NKJV)

“For to me, to live is Christ…” Philippians 1:21 (NKJV)

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”  Ephesians 3:17-19 (NKJV)

“All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:16-18 (NKJV)

“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him.” Colossians 2:9-10 (NKJV)

By Roy Lessin
used by permission

FURTHER READING

The Beginning and the End

Names of Jesus

In Spite of the Circumstances

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“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.” Matthew 5:13 (MSG)

Can you face a situation that is out of your control without acting out of control? This is a tough question for many to answer. We are so prone to acting out when we are faced with difficult situations much less difficult people.

When we are faced with the choice of reacting or responding to the situation at hand, as a believer, we have a greater responsibility. We must remember that we are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. Our job is to maintain the character of God. When we act out of control rather than responding in wisdom we give others the wrong perspective of what a Christian looks like. No, that does not mean we have to be perfect, but it does mean when we miss it, we should be quick to make amends and get it right.

Emotions are not bad but they must be managed properly. If your buttons are always being pushed then you have handed over your power to other people, it’s time to take your control back. We must actively set boundaries for ourselves to ensure that we are not taken advantage of but we must remember that it is not our place to retaliate or put people in their place. It is God’s job to help change people. It is our place to love and respect others while leading them to Christ. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:14 if at all possible, we should live at peace with all men. This can be a challenge because we are faced with so many different personalities. If we stay in tuned with God He can help teach us how to handle each one.

My challenge to you today is to practice allowing God to fight your battles. How do you put that in action you may ask? Walk away when you are in a situation that you feel you have to yell to get your point across. Take some deep breaths and pray before responding to that irate individual. The point here is to maintain your control.

Father, it is my prayer that You will infuse those that are struggling in this area with inner strength. Your Word declares that You are a perfect help in the time of trouble. May they find the grace needed to keep it together when they want to lash out or act unseemly. May they find the grace needed to maintain their peace in the midst of turmoil. Heal the root issues that keep bringing them back to this response. Open the eyes of their understanding today, In Jesus name Amen.

Thought: What are you afraid of? When did you begin reacting the way you do?
What happened to get you to this place? Take a moment and journal your answers to the questions above.

By Mary Pinckney
Used by Permission

Learn more about how you can know Jesus in a personal way at:
https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws

FURTHER READING

Respond or React

Change Me

When Panic Attacks

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The post It’s All about Control appeared first on Thoughts About God.

In 1969, Reggae singer Jimmy Cliff recorded a song titled, ‘Many Rivers to Cross’. Jimmy Cliff mentioned that the song was birthed out of the frustration and helplessness he felt after moving from Jamaica to the UK. The feelings came about because unlike what he had expected, nothing significant seemed to be happening in his career at that time.

The lyrics go like this:

Many rivers to cross
But I can’t seem to find my way over
Wandering I am lost
As I travel along the white cliffs of Dover

Are you feeling like that today? Surrounded by turbulent waters that you can’t seem to cross? It is a fact that many people are facing turbulent waters today, especially with the ripple effects of COVID-19. In the midst of such challenges, the Word of God gives us great hope and assurance.

Here is a thought from the Bible that encourage us to have hope when surrounded by turbulent waters.

Turbulent waters cannot drown us

In Isaiah 43:2, the Lord gives great assurance about His protection on His children as they face deep, turbulent waters. He says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you” (Isaiah 43:2). What a great encouragement it is to know that He will not let us drown or be swept away when confronted by what the scripture calls ‘rivers of difficulty’ (Refer Isaiah 43:2 NLT).

Closing:

So friend if you are facing turbulent waters right now hold on to the promises of God and stand firm in your faith. As you do so, Jesus will speak to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!”   Mark 4:39.

By Palitha Jayasooriya
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• Struggles and Despair Stories and articles
• Going Deeper with God

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. “ Romans 8:28

Thought

Bad stuff happens in life. Satan has a part to play in the bad stuff. Our own sins and their consequences also play a part. The rebellion against God and the spiritual weakness in those we love bring hurtful things into our life. Sometimes, God even disciplines us to awaken us out of lethargy or to correct some sinful problem in our lives. Yet in all these things, we have an incredible promise: If we love God and are seeking to honor his call in our lives, our Father in heaven will work out all of the things going on in our life for our good.

Prayer

Father, I appreciate your promise to work out all things in my life, both good and bad, for my good. I ask, dear Father, for faith to believe this promise is true during painful and difficult times. I ask for patience, O God, to hang on to my convictions when trying times persist. I believe your promise, dear LORD, and look forward to what you will eventually make of me when you are finished with your work. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used with permission

You can also follow Phil’s daily devotionals on https://www.verseoftheday.com

FURTHER READING

Just How Bad Could it Get?

God Works Things Out for Our Good

Where is God When I Hurt?

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 “For God alone my soul waits in silence.” Psalm 62:1(ESV)

By mere definition, silence is to engage in a retreat, to take a specific time away from the regularity of life.  We leave the stresses and busyness of regular life to more deeply attend to God’s presence and voice.  To do this, many retreats employ some element of silence.  We put down our schedules.  We close our emails.  We turn off the noise.

Silence is one part of retreats that I have often struggled with.  Every year, the clergy of the diocese are required to go on a retreat, a large portion of which is spent in silence.  I would often plan for these silent times, arriving at the retreat with a suitcase of ways to fill up the time; I would bring projects to complete, music to listen to, or movies to watch.  My phone was ever in my pocket, always providing the relief of e-mails, texts, and social media.  The observance of silence became very easy.  I could sit in my room, watching Die Hard, confident that all unwanted noise was being mediated through my headphones.  Who wouldn’t love a silent retreat like this?

Yet as I sat with this, I began to notice how I had grown accustomed to the sounds that encompassed my life; the blaring of the stereo, the flashes of the TV screen, the chirps and whistles of the apps on my phone.   It was as if I depended on those noises to take up the acoustic space within me.  My times of silence were not spent in undivided attention upon the Lord. Even though I was “on retreat”, my engagement with projects, social media, and various forms of entertainment simply re-created the very dynamics I was to be stepping away from.  In my desire to “fill the silence” -or worse yet, make the silent times “productive” – I was actually removing myself from the very retreat I was to be on; I observed external quietness yet knew nothing of an internal discipline of silence.

That’s the difference between being quiet and being silent.  Being quiet simply refers to a reduction in external noise.  It is more of a description of an external atmosphere rather than an internal disposition.  The fact is, one is able enjoy quietness, mediated through headphones or the cessation from talking, and still be filled with the noises of modern life.  Even within a quiet atmosphere, the direction of our soul may remain fixed upon the frantic activity of life around us.  After all, it’s hard to give God our undivided attention when watching Bruce Willis jump off a building.

The discipline of silence, however, describes an inner quality of the soul.  We open ourselves to the presence of God, laying down the noise produced by our own striving and inward compulsions.  Silence involves closing ourselves to that which whirls around us, and (possibly more importantly) within us.  By quieting our environment, we labor to still our inner chatter.  In doing this, we open ourselves to God’s presence and attempt, as best we can, to remain attentive to His voice.  Like Elijah before the still small voice, in silence we willingly allow the presence of God to confront us.

This is the power of silence.  Beyond all else, the discipline of silence is grounded upon the availability of God’s presence.  Silence creates the necessary space for us to interact with God’s presence, unhindered by the clutter of familiar distractions. It may be uncomfortable at first, yet as we push through the feelings of discomfort, we find ourselves entering that silence that is defined, not by the absence of noise, but by the mighty presence of God.

By Rev. Kyle Norman
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

How to Pray and Listen to God

A Moving Mountain

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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“He said to His disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’” Mark 4:40

Being from North Texas, I am quite familiar with storms. I can recall many occasions when I was hunkered underneath a mattress, in a closet or bathroom, listening to the local radio weathermen report on the track of tornadoes in the area. When conditions are right, tornadoes can touch down without much warning. It is important to stay alert and safe.

When we experience storms in life, how do we tend to act?

Do we fearfully take cover, waiting for the storm to pass and life to get back to normal? Does God give us another directive?

The disciples were terrified when they found themselves on a small boat in the middle of a great storm. Yet, Jesus was so calm, He was asleep. The disciples feared the worst. They reacted the way most level-headed people would. They were even appalled that Jesus was not as frightened as they were. His apparent lack of concern was troubling to them. So they woke Him up.

Jesus asked them a simple, yet profound question,

”Why are you so afraid?”

Jesus linked their fear with their lack of faith.

If we ask ourselves the same question Jesus asked His disciples, we might come to a better understanding of ourselves and of our view of God. If He truly is all-powerful and loving toward us, then we can be at peace and trust Him to take care of us in the middle of the storms.

God, You command us many times in Your Word not to fear. Help us understand the root of our fears and help us see circumstances in the proper perspective. Amen.

By Debbie West
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

Fear God and You Need Fear Nothing Else

God is the Answer to all our Fears

Dealing with Fear

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The post Nothing to Fear appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Anxiety is a meteor shower of what-ifs. The sky is falling, and it’s falling disproportionately on you. Anxiety ain’t fun! One would think Christians would be exempt from worry but we are not. It’s enough to make us wonder if the apostle Paul was out of touch with reality when he wrote in Philippians 4:6,

“Be anxious for nothing.”

Is that what he meant? Not exactly. He wrote the phrase in the present active tense—implying an ongoing state.

“Don’t let anything in life leave you perpetually breathless and in angst.”

The presence of anxiety is unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional. Could you use some calm? Of course you could. We all could! We all could use a word of comfort and God is ready to give it.

By Max Lucado
used by permission
From: Anxious for Nothing

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at: https://maxlucado.com/about-max/

FURTHER READING

Be Anxious For Nothing  by Francis Frangipane

Do Not Be Anxious by Phil Ware

Don’t Be Anxious by Rick Thiessen

Save

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“You belong to God, my dear children…because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”  1 John 4:4 (NLT)

Some time ago I was invited to a reunion where people who had attended the same grade school would gather. Since I hadn’t seen many of these people for years—in some cases, not since we had left those grade school years—I anticipated the event with joy. At the check in desk, we were given name tags with pictures from those long ago years so we would recognize each other! My, how we had changed but old relationships were quickly renewed as we reminisced and exchanged new information.

In the middle of one such conversation, I glanced toward the door where a woman stood, glancing uneasily into the room. In spite of the passage of years, I recognized Sharon and walked over to greet and welcome her to the party. “Oh, I don’t know if I want to come in. School years weren’t particularly happy for me. I never felt like I belonged. And I don’t feel like I belong now.”

Psychologists and doctors say a sense of belonging is a basic human need, just like food and shelter. Feeling that we belong is important in seeing value in our lives. In the 1600’s, writers of what came to be known as the Heidelberg Catechism (a document of questions and answers designed to teach the biblical basics of the Christian faith) anticipated and understood the importance of belonging. In answer to the question,

“What is your only comfort in life and in death?”,

the startling and life affirming answer rings out:

“That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.”

I don’t have to pretend to be part of a group. No more wondering if I speak, act, live like others in order to be accepted. Money, education, status, occupation are not prerequisites for this belonging. At a much deeper level, I need never wonder if God is waiting for me to get cleaned up enough to meet His standards. Nothing I do can make God love me more. Or less.

Thus I can sing along with the poet: It is well, it is well, with my soul.  (* I Belong.*Horacio Spafford, 1873)

Belonging to you, Father, is my safe place. I nestle in your arms, I am protected by your strength, I am loved forever.

By Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

Safe Place to Grow

Homey Hiding Place

Blessing of Belonging and Worth

I Belong!

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The post Belonging appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The skies will disappear with a loud noise. . . . So what kind of people should you be?”  2 Peter 3:10-11 (NCV)

Great question. What kind of people should we be? Peter tells us: “You should live holy lives and serve God, as you wait for and look forward to the coming of the day of God” (vv. 11-12).

Hope of the future is not a license for irresponsibility in the present. Let us wait forwardly, but let us wait.

But for most of us, waiting is not our problem. Or, maybe I should state, waiting is our problem. We are so good at waiting that we don’t wait forwardly. We forget to look. . . . We are too content. We seldom search the skies . . .We seldom, if ever, allow the Holy Spirit to interrupt our plans and lead us to worship so that we might see Jesus.

by Max Lucado
Used by permission
From: When Christ Comes
Copyright (Word Publishing, 1999)

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://www.maxlucado.com/about/

FURTHER READING

What are Your Ethical Standards?

What is Your Standard for Living?

What Do You Want Jesus to Say When you Meet Him Face to Face?

The post Waiting Forwardly appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“(What I have done in the past) is nothing compared to what I’m going to do! I’m going to do a brand new thing.”  Isaiah 43:18-19 (Life Application Bible)

As we contemplate the freshness of a new year, we’re tempted to quickly rejoice over God’s words to Israel. Who would not want to be part of God’s “brand new thing”? We get excited as we pray for and anticipate a new work of God in our lives and in the world.

Anyone who has ever worn beautiful new shoes, however, may wish to think carefully about the possible consequences of new things. The shoes looked so good when we tried them on, and we even made sure they were the right size, but walking all day in that new purchase frequently gives us second thoughts. And all of us who start a new diet know that discouragement frequently settles in around the third day!

It is right and good to ask for God’s new things, but are we ready for the sacrifices that may accompany the blessing? Does commitment accompany the request? The new thing that God began in the life of the Apostle Paul on the Damascus road would take him into hostile cities, over stormy seas and through many prison cells. He learned to say “press on” long after the newness had worn off.

Father, my heart is stirred when I think of all the new things you want to do in and through me, but help me understand that following you is a lifetime decision. Thank you for staying with me even when the days are long and the newness has worn off. In Jesus name, Amen.

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• No Turning Back
• 6 Verses for When You Feel Stuck
• Seasons of Change

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