Dwell on these things…
By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor
Text: Psalm 16:7&8
"I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
The Lord is good, even when things in our lives go horribly wrong.
I've been asking myself if the Lord is preparing me for something especially disastrous - seriously! Now, lest you find me suddenly pessimistic or worst, fatalistic because of this, don't get me wrong. I have no intention to dwell on it – however I confess it and now want to share how this fleeting thought has also encouraged me to feed, no gorge all the more on the WORD of the Lord.
I'm painfully aware, as are many of you, how quickly our joy can be diverted and our focus impaired by the circumstances of our lives. I too have fallen victim to distractions, good intentions, misguided dreams and emergencies that have derailed my spiritual progress, and still I know there is something, rather some one that sustains me beyond these present circumstances. 2 Corinthians 4:17 tells us that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Perhaps your thinking your circumstance is literally not light or momentary.
I’m quite certain when Christ walked the Via Delarosa road carrying the weight of the wood upon His back, having just been beaten, flesh ripped open with wounds and blood being mixed with dust from the road He didn’t think His circumstance light or momentary and then again, compared to the glory He knew was ahead, I have to believe they paled in comparison. I’m convinced He put His mind on the ultimate prize; purchasing our freedom. I’m convinced He brought our faces to mind and thought of our joy, our peace, our eternal happiness, if you will.
We can take His example and apply it to our own lives this way. Many things in life are out of our control, but this one thing is perfectly ours–the thoughts we choose to dwell on. The giants may come knocking, the storms of life’s trials may come blustering by, the tide may try and pull you under but when they do how you choose to respond is what makes all the difference. If you choose to dwell on the circumstances that are beyond your control, what good will you be to anyone? Paul instructs us with such finesse to direct our thoughts towards things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8). I believe with Christ’s help we too may be able to look at our present circumstances as light and momentary when put our thoughts on things above and beyond what we presently see.
Text: Psalm 16:7&8
"I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
The Lord is good, even when things in our lives go horribly wrong.
I've been asking myself if the Lord is preparing me for something especially disastrous - seriously! Now, lest you find me suddenly pessimistic or worst, fatalistic because of this, don't get me wrong. I have no intention to dwell on it – however I confess it and now want to share how this fleeting thought has also encouraged me to feed, no gorge all the more on the WORD of the Lord.
I'm painfully aware, as are many of you, how quickly our joy can be diverted and our focus impaired by the circumstances of our lives. I too have fallen victim to distractions, good intentions, misguided dreams and emergencies that have derailed my spiritual progress, and still I know there is something, rather some one that sustains me beyond these present circumstances. 2 Corinthians 4:17 tells us that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Perhaps your thinking your circumstance is literally not light or momentary.
I’m quite certain when Christ walked the Via Delarosa road carrying the weight of the wood upon His back, having just been beaten, flesh ripped open with wounds and blood being mixed with dust from the road He didn’t think His circumstance light or momentary and then again, compared to the glory He knew was ahead, I have to believe they paled in comparison. I’m convinced He put His mind on the ultimate prize; purchasing our freedom. I’m convinced He brought our faces to mind and thought of our joy, our peace, our eternal happiness, if you will.
We can take His example and apply it to our own lives this way. Many things in life are out of our control, but this one thing is perfectly ours–the thoughts we choose to dwell on. The giants may come knocking, the storms of life’s trials may come blustering by, the tide may try and pull you under but when they do how you choose to respond is what makes all the difference. If you choose to dwell on the circumstances that are beyond your control, what good will you be to anyone? Paul instructs us with such finesse to direct our thoughts towards things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8). I believe with Christ’s help we too may be able to look at our present circumstances as light and momentary when put our thoughts on things above and beyond what we presently see.
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