Choose Life

                                                          Philippians 4:8
                                     Finally, brethen, whatever things are true,
                              whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,
                       whatever things are pure, whatever things are of good report,
                          if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -
                                                   meditate on these things.

How often do we think about what we are thinking about? How easy it is to let our minds wander into thoughts of discouragement and defeat.

There is a battle going on in our minds. Satan is a master of speaking lies in opposition to the Word of God. If he can keep us discouraged he has us where he wants us, and we are no longer trusting God.

When we are discouraged or afraid, we must remember our Father is a father of hope, encouragement, and instruction. At times like this, we need to place our focus on the many promises of God, not on the lies of Satan. As we meditate on the Word of God, allowing Christ to draw us to Himself, we will find His peace replacing our desperation.

As we meditate on the Word of God, it is important to not only read the Word, but take it in, digest it into the very core of our being. Only then will we find true victory.

                 Jeremiah 15:16

                 Your words were found, and I ate them,
                 And Your Word was to me the joy of rejoicing of my heart;
                 For I am called by Your name.

                Psalm 91

                He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
                Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
                 I will say of the Lord,
                "He is my refuge and my fortress;
                 My God, in Him I will trust."
                 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
                 And from the perilous pestilence.
                 He shall cover you with His feathers,
                 And under His wings you shall take refuge;
                 His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
                 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
                 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
                 Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
                 A thousand my fall at your side,
                 And ten thousand at your right hand;
                 But it shall not come near you.
                 Only with your eyes shall you look
                 And see the reward of the wicked.
                 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
                 Even the Most High your dwelling place,
                 No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
                 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
                 To keep you in all your ways.
                 In their hands they shall bear you up,
                 Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
                 You shall tread upon the lion and cobra,
                 The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
                 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
                 I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
                 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
                 I will be with him in trouble;
                 I will deliver him and honor him.
                 With long life I will satisfy him,
                 And show him My salvation.
       
                  Deuteronomy 30:19-20 

                 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you,
                  that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;
                  therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
                  that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice,
                  and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length
                  of your days."
                                                                                                           
Think about what you are thinking about. Choose life and live!!
               

Holy Contentment

                                                                  Psalm 30:11
                                              You have turned for me my mourning
                                                                  into dancing;
                                            You have put off my sackcloth and clothed
                                                            me with gladness.

Six months ago I fell over an uneven sidewalk and broke my kneecap. Needless to say, this was not on my list of things to do. Nor did I have time for surgery and months of recovery.

I wish I could say I walked in the way of Jesus the entire time of healing. I cannot. Many days I sat in the recliner with an ice pack on my knee, sulking in self-pity, rehearsing all I had to do.

However, this was not God's plan. He was about to put purpose in my pain. He had lessons for me to learn, changes to be made in my life. One morning as I sat doing my devotions, the Holy Spirit prompted my heart with two words; Holy Contentment. "Whatever does that mean?" I thought to myself. "How do I live a life of Holy Contentment?" What I have learned is;
                             The Lord is more concerned with our heart
                                         than our accomplishments.

When our heart is right with Him, what we had deemed as so important grows dim in all the Lord has for us to learn.

"And how do we keep our heart right with Him?" you may ask. The answer can be found in two Scriptures:

                          If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are
                          above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind
                          on things above, not on things of the earth. For you died, and your life
                          is hidden with Christ in God.                                Colossians 3:1-3

  
                           But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and 
                           all these things shall be added to you.                 Matthew6:33

God loves us too much to leave us where we are. Just as Christ showed us His love on the cross as a living sacrifice for our sins, Christ is continually molding us into perfection, that our lives might be a reflection of who we are through Him.

                            But now, O LORD,
                            You are our Father;
                            We are the clay, and You our potter;
                            And all we are the work of Your hand.
                                                                                    Isaiah 64:8

                            I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
                            that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable,
                            to God, which is your reasonable service.
                                                                                                        Romans 12:1

The next lesson the Lord showed me was;
                            Joy only comes with total surrender.

Only as I have surrendered this fall and all it has entailed to Him, has my joy returned. Just as the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10), the strength of the Lord is our joy!

As we surrender our all to Christ, regardless of the circumstances, we will find a joy that comes only through Him.

                         You will show me the path of life;
                         In your presence is fullness of joy;
                         At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
                                                                                  Psalm 16:11