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Sacred Whispers Devotional
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As I saw the rising Coronavirus infection rates, the resultant increasing death toll, the images of the protests and riots and the constant fighting from our political leaders, it seemed as if everything just went black. My mind went to a lost place that day, because I just couldn’t take any more. I finally verbalized what had been screaming in my subconscious for days, even causing me to toss and turn all night, “GOD, where are you? What is going on? What are you doing?!”
Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Psalm 62:8
As I saw the rising Coronavirus infection rates, the resultant increasing death toll, the images of the protests and riots and the constant fighting from our political leaders, it seemed as if everything just went black. My mind went to a lost place that day, because I just couldn’t take any more. I finally verbalized what had been screaming in my subconscious for days, even causing me to toss and turn all night, “GOD, where are you? What is going on? What are you doing?!” It was not an accusation that God was doing this to us, but more of “I just can’t see how this - all of this - is somehow a part of your good plan for our lives!” What question that I was struggling with is, if God is in control, then why does the world seem so chaotic right now?
I didn’t need all the social media prophecies to answer me, I needed the authentic Word of God to speak. Psalm 62:8 was the place God led me: “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.” I thought to myself, “that’s it?” Sometimes when life is pressing in like it was for me on that day, I can tend to minimize the importance of something as simple as “trust God”. It is not that I don’t have faith, but I am tempted to think that the writer was some super spiritual person that simply wrote what God downloaded to them on that day. However, nothing can be further from the truth. The biblical writers wrote from their experiences with God, how he showed up in ups and downs, tragedies and triumphs of their everyday lives. In fact, when David wrote this Psalm about trusting God, he was likely running for his very life.
Dr Tony Evans comments on Psalm 62 in The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, “Given what he was facing, David confesses that his sole focus was on the God of his salvation. Only such an undistracted, divine focus could give him rest, for God alone provides David with a stronghold—a sure defense against those who attacked him…Therefore, he encourages fellow saints to pour out [their] hearts before him, as he was himself doing. Believers have every reason to trust God as their ever-present refuge.”
Wow! Now that you put it that way! Saints, it does not matter how much chaos we are currently having to navigate at this time, God is a refuge for us, we can pour out our hearts before him for he is trustworthy at all times.
By Sabrina Botts
Published on Jan 11 @ 3:03 AM EDT
2 comments
The Bible teaches us that God created us with a purpose. In Ephesians 2:10 (ESV), the Bible says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Imagine that! God not only knew us before we were born, but He created us with a purpose in mind, and He expects us to walk in that purpose!
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5
nWhat would you say if I showed up to your house, opened my car door and said, “Jump in! We’re going on a trip?!” Now you want to know how to pack and prepare so you ask me, “Where are we going?” Imagine now that I reply, “I don’t know! We’ll figure it out along the way!” And if you took me up on my offer, how would you feel if after a few days, I still offered no clue as to our destination. Now I’m all for fun, but if you showed up at my house with a similar proposition, I’m sorry, but I would have to respectfully decline.
As crazy that sounds, the truth is that there are way too many people who live this way. They go through life without a sense of direction or purpose and, as a result, bounce from job to job or change careers almost annually. You almost fear seeing them come your way because they are always sharing some new scheme or “business idea” they’ve invented. The truth is all of these changes reflect a lack of direction or purpose in their life.
The Bible teaches us that God created us with a purpose. In Ephesians 2:10 (ESV), the Bible says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Imagine that! God not only knew us before we were born, but He created us with a purpose in mind, and He expects us to walk in that purpose!
When confronted with this truth, many people ask, “So how do I know what my purpose is?” We can actually find a clue to that answer in the first chapter of Jeremiah. After God tells Jeremiah that He has given him a purpose, and that purpose is for Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations, Jeremiah objects claiming that he is too young and doesn’t know how to speak (1:6). God responds to Jeremiah by urging him not to be afraid and then, in verses 9 and 10, Jeremiah records, “Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and break down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.’” We learn two truths from this passage. First, God will gift you according to your purpose and, second, He will set the boundaries of your influence according to that gift.
Regarding the first truth, God appointed Jeremiah a prophet to the nations and then said to him, “I have put my words in your mouth.” In other words, God gave Jeremiah what he needed to accomplish his purpose. So, let me ask you – How has God wired you? What gifts, talents, and experience do you possesses? We often find our life’s purpose and calling through identifying our talents and areas of giftedness.
The second truth – God sets the boundaries of our influence relating to our gift – is also helpful in identifying our purpose. God seems to always put us in situations where we can exercise our giftedness. If you are a singer, for example, isn’t it interesting that you frequently find yourself in situations where you are asked to sing? One of my other favorites is the reluctant leader – that person who says they don’t want to lead but always seem to be in charge of something. God created you for a purpose and gave you the gifts you need to fulfil that purpose, and then He will place you in situations to exercise that gift.
Consider the following questions:
- What have you done to identify your gifts? What steps have you taken to know the way God has wired you?
- Have you noticed that there are certain activities that come more natural to you than others?
What can you learn from Jeremiah’s experience?
By Angel Cartegena
Published on Jan 10 @ 3:00 AM EDT
2 comments
While clinging to hope and holding strong to our faith, we are often discouraged by the challenges and setbacks that appear in our lives. Just when it seems things are looking up and your optimism is restored, something happens that shakes your faith. Trying times seem to come at the most trying of times.
And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 16:3
While clinging to hope and holding strong to our faith, we are often discouraged by the challenges and setbacks that appear in our lives. Just when it seems things are looking up and your optimism is restored, something happens that shakes your faith. Trying times seem to come at the most trying of times.
God’s chosen people understood that feeling. For centuries, God had promised that he would give them a land of their own. But they found themselves enslaved in the land of Egypt for 400 years. With extraordinary signs and miracles, God delivered the Children of Israel from Egyptian slavery. The final and most notable of those miracles occurred when God split the Red Sea so that the Israelites could escape on dry land. Things seemed to be on the upswing. But having escaped Egyptian slavery and traversed the Red Sea on dry land, the Israelites found themselves traveling through the desert for days without water. To make matters worse, when they finally found water, it was too bitter to drink. “So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’” (Exodus 15:24). God performed another miracle through Moses and cleansed the water so that it was suitable to drink. Nevertheless, the people remained unsatisfied:
In the desert, the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt . . . but you have brought us into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death. (Exodus 16:2-3 NIV).
Although God had delivered them from the awful conditions in Egypt, their discomfort in the desert challenged their faith in God’s promise. Has that ever happened to you? Is that happening to you now? Has your present condition caused you to forget how far God has brought you and how much God has done in your life? It is all too easy to get distracted by the difficulties of life and to even cause us to question God.
Be encouraged. Do not allow difficult circumstances to make you question God. If you are doing what you know God has called and directed you to do, don’t allow life and its challenges to cause you to change your belief about what God has said. Never allow the discomforts of the journey, to distract you from your destination. When that happens, you’ll surely want to turn back. Going back is simply not an option. Egypt was never meant to be your burial ground. You are destined for the promised land. Don’t turn back, no matter how many discomforts there are along the way. Keep moving forward.
By Derin Dickerson
Published on Jan 09 @ 3:35 AM EDT
2 comments
For me, rest, in general, can be a difficult concept to grasp. Logically, I understand what it means to rest, but transparently, I don’t give rest and relaxation the same value that I assign to work. For me, there is nothing more significant than executing good work. This mindset can be an incredible asset for accomplishing tasks, being productive, and achieving goals; however, lately, I am experiencing some ‘side effects’ of this constant ‘go’ lifestyle. It’s an exhausting lifestyle to always be continually needing to accomplish something
As you read today's devotional, play "BELIEVE FOR IT" from the Sacred Whispers Playlist.
Spiritual
THE GIFT OF SABBATH
By Sabrina Botts
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work…, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work…”.
Genesis 2:1-3
For me, rest, in general, can be a difficult concept to grasp. Logically, I understand what it means to rest, but transparently, I don’t give rest and relaxation the same value that I assign to work. For me, there is nothing more significant than executing good work. This mindset can be an incredible asset for accomplishing tasks, being productive, and achieving goals; however, lately, I am experiencing some ‘side effects’ of this constant ‘go’ lifestyle. It’s an exhausting lifestyle to always be continually needing to accomplish something. I find that I am still able to achieve goals, but my quality of life is beginning to suffer.
This has me wondering if this mindset is the one that God intended for my life? Am I dishonoring God by not prioritizing rest and relaxation? It brings me to explore the biblical concept of “Sabbath” and how God intended for it to be lived out in our lives as modern-day Christians.
Consider the above passage, Genesis 2:1-3. God did incredible work in six days, but on the seventh day, he chose to rest. Why is that? Some biblical scholars note that God’s resting signified that his work was complete, leaving no need to continue working. This is an obvious truth, but the importance and weight of Sabbath goes beyond that. As we look through scripture we see that God’s action to rest becomes a pattern for his children to follow.
The first time we see Sabbath ‘instituted’ for his people was from the very beginning of when they became God’s people.
Exodus shows us that once God led the children of Israel out of Egypt, fulfilling the promise to make them into a people for his own, the Sabbath was included in the commandments given at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20:8-11). In fact, it was so critical that it applied to them, their children, their families, animals, and even visitors in the land. Additionally, note that in Leviticus 25:1-7 they were even commanded to give their land a Sabbath year. If we look closely, I think the reason will begin to emerge.
Notice, in Leviticus 25:3-4 God says to give their land a complete rest. “For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather your crops. But in the seventh year, the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.” This means that for an entire year, they were not to put in any work to bring about a harvest; no tilling, no pruning and he gave an added command for them not to store up what grew the six years prior to the Sabbath year. I can’t imagine what it was like to be an agricultural society, solely dependent on crops for food and for livelihood, and every seven years you are commanded to not plant, prune or harvest any crops for an entire year. To make matters worse, you can’t even store up a food supply for the year that you can’t work!
But notice, in verse 6, they were allowed to eat whatever grew on its own during the 7th year. Grow on its own? Without any help from the landowner? Without fertilizing, pulling weeds, fighting pests, providing water? Yes, God was inviting them to watch, and see what He alone could do for them.
See, Sabbath highlights an important principle that is critical for us to remember today. Sabbath is not about the prohibition to work, or the commandment of inactivity, Sabbath is about trust and ownership.
Often the fruit of our labor can confuse us into believing that we are our own source. We have been blessed abundantly with material and physical gifts, and many of us are blessed to use those gifts to accomplish great things on the earth that reap financial rewards, enjoyable employment, accolades, and success. However, when we Sabbath, it forces us to push back, take our hands off, and remember our true source.
When we recognize God as our true source, then it is much easier to ask Him to assist us, to provide for us, and to look to Him for a solution when things do not go as expected. Sabbath is our reminder to trust God with our growth, prosperity, and financial futures rather than doing it at any cost to us and our families. It forces us to trust Him to grow our ministries, build our families, improve our health and cultivate our hearts as we work, watch, and wait. God alone is our provider. This gift of sabbath helps us to rightly relate to Him in every area of our lives. For that, we are truly made better, and God is indeed glorified.
PRAYER
Father, I am learning how to trust You and see You as my true and only Source. Thank you for commanding me to rest. To take my hands off of the driving wheel of my life, and let You step in and take over.
May Sabbath not simply be a day for me, but make Sabbath a lifestyle. Remind me that in all of my labor, You are the One who produces every result. By the strength of Your Strong Name, I pray. Amen.
DAILY SPIRITUAL EXERCISE
I challenge you today to sit before these scriptures and ask God to speak to you about the areas of your life that need the concept of Sabbath. Is it in your career? Your family? Your ministry? Some other thing? Are you able to trust God with it in such a way that you can push back and leave the results to Him?
Practical
LET IT REST
By Marlin D. Harris
“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.”
Psalm 3:5 [KJV]
“I sleep and wake up refreshed because you, Lord, protect me.”
Psalm 3:5 [CEB]
Sleep is the body’s tithe of its overall energy.
It is returning back to itself energy that has been expended in the process of the day. Everything sleeps. The day sleeps and gives way to the night, and the night sleeps as soon as the sun rises in the morning. All of nature sleeps, the bear that hibernates in the winter, or the squirrel that scrounges around in the day, but finds a nesting place for the night. God even commanded for the ground to sleep every 7 years as the farmer is instructed to not plant any crops or seeds within that 7th year allowing the ground time to replenish its natural nutrients for the next 7 years’ harvest. God even commanded our ‘debts’ to sleep every 70th year, the Year of Jubilee, when all debts are to be canceled. Wouldn’t it be nice if that was still a thing! All of this emphasizes the importance that God places on our sleep.
Sleep plays an integral role in aiding our body with good health. Productive, consistent sleep at night empowers the body to recover and lets you wake up refreshed and refueled with the energy needed for the demands of the day.
In so many ways, the best thing that a person can do to boost their overall health outlook is to find ways to get a good night’s rest.
Without question, nearly everything gets better when you learn how to ‘let it rest’. Marriages get better when you learn how to let some arguments rest, relationships get better when you learn how to let bitterness rest. You think clearer about problems or dilemmas that you are facing when you can just give your mind a rest. It’s the reason why companies include vacation time in their employees’ overall compensation because they understand that their employees’ productivity increases when they are able to get some rest. The same is the case with you. You actually get better, and sharper when you allow your body to get some rest.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, current national statistics tell us that almost half of all Americans say they feel sleepy during the day between three and seven days per week, with many saying it impacts their daily activities, mood, mental acuity, productivity, and more.[1]. This sleepy feeling indicates that many people are suffering from inadequate sleep.
This reality is further confirmed by the Center for Disease Control, which found that 35.2% of all adults in the U.S. report only sleeping an average of fewer than six hours per night. [2] Getting less than seven hours of sleep can be harmful to human health, and if it happens repetitively, it can lead to sleep deprivation. Consecutive days of sleep deprivation causes a condition known as “sleep debt,” which represents a cumulative effect of insufficient sleep for any period of time.[3] Isn’t it powerful to see sleep as a debt that we all owe to our bodies.
Now, a legitimate question would be, “why does all of this matter?” I understand that there are physiological implications associated with sleep, but are there spiritual and emotional concerns associated with sleep as well?
The answer is a surprising – YES. Let’s begin with the emotional impact of limited sleep. When you deprive yourself of healthy sleep habits, it causes, and even exacerbates, disturbances in your emotional equilibrium. Emotions such as anger, depression, and anxiety can become byproducts of sleep debt and can lead to fatigue, irritability, and a lack of energy. [4] Even just one sleepless night can contribute to changes in the way your brain functions and processes data, as well as the normal way it releases hormones that control emotional stability. This is critical because your ability to manage your emotional expressions has a direct impact on your relationships, family, and home life, as well as your own personal sense of wellbeing. Many people are praying about their health, relationships, marriages, or their personal sense of drive and motivation, but very few realize that sleep may be at the root of many of these concerns.
The emotional toll that a lack of healthy sleep has on your body is quite significant, but it pales in comparison to the spiritual implications that it carries.
When we fail to sleep it says something about us spiritually as well. In scripture, sleep is presented as a gift from God. Psalm 127:2 says that God “gives His beloved sleep”.
As a gift from God, when we deprive ourselves of sleep, it is to express defiance at the very gift that God gives.
Not only is sleep a gift from God, but it is also an expression of our confidence and trust in the protective and loving care of God. Most people who are sleep-deprived are also suffering from stress and mental anxiety. How we handle stress, anxiety, and worry is covered for us in scripture. We are instructed by Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 to “not worry”, and we are encouraged in Philippians 4:6 to be “anxious about nothing”. Psalm 3:5 reminds us that if we know that God is in charge of the affairs of our life, then we should sleep and awake each morning ‘refreshed’. In some instances, sleep is really much more about my faith than it is about my time or my schedule. When I sleep, I have the calm assurance that God is working on my behalf, and when I awake, my physical and my spiritual strength is renewed.
PRAYER
We come to the Lord of the Sabbath asking You to grant us rest. Give us rest in the night, not only for our bodies, but also for our minds, our emotions, our daily worries, and our anxious thoughts. May the nighttime bring us restful sleep, while we trust in Your grace and wisdom to work all things together for our good, and for Your Glory. We pray for restful sleep, in Jesus' Name. Good night, and Amen.
PRACTICAL ACTION TODAY
Set a definite time for you to sleep. Make a determined decision to be in bed by that time.
Before you lay down to sleep, seek the Lord for His peace throughout the night, and commit your night’s rest unto Him as your “evening sacrifice of worship”.
Let Worship be the last thing that you do just before you drift off to sleep.
[1] National Sleep Foundation. (2020, March 7). The National Sleep Foundation’s 2020 Sleep in America® Poll Shows Alarming Level of Sleepiness and Low Levels of Action. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/professionals/sleep-america-polls/2020-sleepiness-and-low-action
[2] National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health. (2017, May 2). CDC - Data and Statistics - Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.html
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Published on Jan 12 @ 12:49 AM EDT
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Philippians 4:8
As you read today's devotional, play "HOW GREAT" from the Sacred Whispers Playlist.
Spiritual
PERFECT PEACE
By Terence Watts
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:3
In the movie "Kung Fu Panda," there is a scene where the legendary Master Shifu is attempting to meditate and find inner peace. He is sitting down in a quiet place with candles lit and he begins chanting "inner peeeace...inner peeeeace." While he is doing this he keeps hearing a flapping sound. Finally, he loses his patience, and his attempt at finding peace, and he yells "WILL WHOEVER IS MAKING THAT FLAPPING SOUND QUIET DOWN!"
He then tries to return to meditating, but alas, the distraction has won.
This is how it can be for us in life. We seek inner peace through our own efforts and inevitably we get distracted by the multitude of flapping sounds life has to offer: issues concerning employment, sickness and loss of loved ones, a global pandemic, relationships, family, etc. All of these are the noises that crowd our minds and disturb our hearts. How do we find peace in the midst of all of this flapping!?
Fortunately, the Bible tells us how. The nation of Israel would soon go into exile under the powers of the Babylonian regime, and life would be difficult, to say the least.
They would be taken away from their homes, and villages and farms and would be led away as captives into a country that they had never seen before. Families would be separated and torn apart, children would be removed from their parents and many of their husbands and sons would be killed on the battlefield in a losing effort to defend their nation and homes. But God promised that He would bring them back to their land and restore them back to their country. However, that prophecy would not come to pass for several years and would not change their immediate circumstances. So how were they to find peace in the midst of exile with only a promise to get them through it? God, through the prophet Isaiah, said the way to do this was to trust fully and completely in Him.
Isaiah then gives a list of the abilities of God to let the people of Israel know that God will keep His promises. He says that “in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:3), and that God “brings down them that dwell on high” (Isaiah 26:5).
He also reminds this soon-to-be-exiled nation that God, who is the “most upright, weighs the path of the just” (Isaiah 26:7) and will bring righteous judgment to the earth. The words of the prophet were to be an assurance to the people, that though they would face the difficult tyranny of the exile, they would be vindicated by the Almighty God if they would not fail to trust in Him.
As it is written about Israel, so it is true with us today. When our minds are set and centered on God, He will respond by placing us and keeping us in His perfect peace. The scripture seems to be specific about the quality and nature of this peace. It is called a ‘perfect’ peace. This kind of peace is to be distinguished from the ‘peace’ that you may get from a nice relaxing walk, or from sitting in front of the fireplace curled up with a good book, or even from an afternoon at the spa. These are all peaceful, without a doubt, but they are not ‘perfect’ peace.
Perfect peace is an unwavering and undisturbed peace that is maintained by God's promises and our trust in His power.
This is the kind of peace that isn’t distracted by the flapping noises, and deafening sounds of the world that whirls and spins around us. This peace cannot be found by searching for it within ourselves, or in some fruitless and empty pursuit. This peace is only found when we trust wholeheartedly and unreservedly in God. Life will disturb us. But when we trust in the One who has not only promised to work out our situation, but also has the proven ability to do it, we can have perfect peace. As long as our minds are stayed on God, His peace stays with us as well.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we humbly submit ourselves to You and in You, we place our trust. Your peace is our deepest need, and we trust only You to provide it. When the noises of life are screaming around us, we pray that You will silence them. May we hear Your voice gently whispering to our spirit and may we have the courage and the faith to lean upon Your every word. This we pray, in the Mighty Name of Our Savior, Amen.
DAILY SPIRITUAL EXERCISE
Write out several passages of scripture that promise, or speak about the peace of God on small sticky notes paper.
A few passages are:
Numbers 6:24-26, John 16:33, Isaiah 26:3, John 14:27, Philippians 4:6-7, etc.
Then post them somewhere in your home where you can see them every morning. Spend the first 15 minutes of your day reading and reciting those scriptures to yourself and claiming their truths in your life. This will help you place your mind on God and His promises, and then claim them for yourself.
Practical
PEACE OF MIND
By Melanie Reed
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Philippians 4:8
All too often in today’s society, it seems that the world we live in is full of news or stories about some tragedy or calamity taking place, whether it is globally, locally, or even within our own homes and families. “Breaking News” stories are no longer the exception but have become the norm. Whether it’s the nightly news reporting on local crime sprees, or the national news doling out the latest pandemic statistics that keep us awake at night; there will always be bad news to fill the headlines of our minds and frightening events that make the world feel just a little bit colder.
If we allow all the negativity that we see and hear about to invade and consume our thoughts, then it will be easy for any of us to fall into a sense of hopelessness, depression, sadness, confusion, madness, and even despair. These negative events can take a toll on our mental well-being consciously or even subconsciously, and that is why we cannot deny or ignore the importance of taking care of our mental health.
I certainly do not believe that the Bible supports the idea of ignoring the events around us, or placing our hands over our ears and pretending not to hear. But rather, not to let it be the loudest thing that we hear, and certainly not the predominant thing that we focus on. We are to form a regular habit of seeking to find the good in the cacophony of bad news that we are constantly bombarded with. And then to intentionally choose to limit the negative input, so that it doesn’t have a damaging effect on our minds.
There is a time to tune in to the news around us, and there's definitely a time to ‘tune it out’. When you find that it is disturbing your peace, tune it out. When you see that it is affecting your mood, tune it out. When you determine that it is distancing you in relationships, tune it out. And certainly, when you notice that it is negatively impacting your relationship with God, tune it out, and tune it out with urgency! Your peace of mind is important for managing your heart and keeping you sane in an insane world.
Here are some suggestions that may help us to reset our minds so that we can gain and maintain a sense of peace.
Activity: Resetting the mind
Daily
Thank God for something as soon as you wake up in the morning.
- Pray, worship, and read God’s word early every morning.
- Remind yourself that God will keep you in perfect peace if you keep your mind stayed on Him.
- Surround yourself with positive people, and limit negativity’s access to your life.
- Limit the amount of news you watch, read, listen to, and especially the time you spend on social media.
- Take a minimum of 20 minutes in the evening to sit back and relax from the day
- Pray, worship, and read God’s word before going to bed
Weekly
- Do a weekly mental check-in with yourself and identify any areas that you struggled in and seek God’s guidance along with Godly counsel or professional counseling on how to improve or cope in those areas.
- Practice a new hobby or participate in an activity that you enjoy.
Periodically
- Plan a solo retreat/getaway a couple of times a year or a trip with a friend or family member (preferably with someone who will not disrupt your peace)
Incorporating some of these practices on a regular basis will help us to redirect the storms raging in our minds and we will be able to say to the storms raging around us, the same words that Jesus said in Mark 4:39 when He calmed the sea, “Peace, Be Still.” So let us set our minds on the things that Paul listed in Philippians 4:8. Only then can reap benefits like more joy in our lives, better relationships with others, a spirit of kindness and gratitude, successful living according to God’s Word, more positive thinking, and finally, peace of mind.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, help me to find the quiet in the midst of all of the chaos. I ask You to walk with me on this path of life that You have chosen for me, and when negative influences would crowd out my mind, grant me the blessed assurance of Your peace. The peace that surpasses all understanding. I will not fear the daily threats that this world presents. You are the Master of my sea, and You will speak peace to the raging storm. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Published on Jan 11 @ 12:49 AM EDT
Who among us can forget those classic scenes in the “Rocky” movie series when Sylvester Stallone’s character, Rocky Balboa, is pummeled to the mat after suffering round after round of brutal punishment by his challenger? Almost every movie included the heart-wrenching scene of Rocky being nearly knocked out by his boxing challenger. Whether it was Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang, or Ivan Drago, it was a certainty that Rocky was going to hit the ground.
As you read today's devotional, play "KNOW YOU" from the Sacred Whispers Playlist.
Spiritual
DARE TO HOPE AGAIN
By Marlin D. Harris
“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God…”
Psalm 42:5
Who among us can forget those classic scenes in the “Rocky” movie series when Sylvester Stallone’s character, Rocky Balboa, is pummeled to the mat after suffering round after round of brutal punishment by his challenger? Almost every movie included the heart-wrenching scene of Rocky being nearly knocked out by his boxing challenger. Whether it was Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang, or Ivan Drago, it was a certainty that Rocky was going to hit the ground. And hit the ground hard. I found myself on the edge of my seat praying that he would just stay down. I couldn’t bear to see the torture any longer.
Rocky was being pounded, punch after punch, in each case with little to no mercy. His eye would be swollen shut, his ribs broken, and his face deeply bruised.
Each of Rocky’s opponents was bigger than he was, stronger than he was and for all intents and purposes, they were winning the fight. But then – at that moment when you thought Rocky had nothing left to give – you would hear his theme music. That low-sounding horn belting out its rhythmic notes that just grew stronger and louder until it reached a symphonic crescendo. You knew, despite the beating he just endured, Rocky was getting up; he still had some more ‘fight’ left in him. Beloved, that is what ‘hope’ does!
In days past you experienced great sorrows and pains, and now your heart seems empty, and your joy has been stolen. Your first impulse is to give up and make your home in the lonely village of despair with all of your hopes and joys dashed before you. Let this be a call for you to defy that temptation. Despair is a never-ending hole that once you fall in, it becomes tragically difficult to pull yourself out. Whatever it is that has dealt you blow after blow, and sent you crashing to the ground, you must not let it win. You have endured a beating, but there is more ‘fight’ left in you. You have to get up. Often we don’t always consider the other people that are at stake in our struggle for hope. This fight not only affects you. It affects so many people around you. Your spouse, your children, your family, your future, but most importantly, your God. Hear the voice of the Holy Spirit nudging you in your heart to get back up off the mat, clench your fist, and swing again with all of your might.
So, how does our hope get stolen, and how can we get it back? First of all, hope is stolen when any particular disappointment visits our heart one time too many. You can bounce back from one blow, and maybe even two, but how do you bounce back from multiple blows crashing down upon you from the same sorrow. Many people have lost someone they love, and every holiday, birthday, and sometimes, just a ‘normal’ Friday, reminds them of how empty life now feels without them. The blows of grief visit them over and over again in successive waves. They understand what the prophet Isaiah meant in Isaiah 53:3 when he said even Jesus would be a man “acquainted with grief”. For far too many people, grief becomes their old familiar friend. Some people are grieving over a life that they dreamed of but never lived. The dream was so very real, which makes its loss so very painful. They struggle to find a reason to embrace the life that they have because they are left grieving the one that they missed.
Disappointment and sorrow cause deep scars that indelibly carve their story onto the suffering heart. We are never exactly the same after having passed through our deepest hurt. Be careful not to journey too far into that darkness; the trip will slowly cause your hope to leak away. Jesus warned us that “the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10a). There can be no clearer words that describe what despair will do to the human heart.
But, take heart! This verse does not end at the word “destroy”! The next phrase is important. Don’t overlook it’s significance or the freeing power that it brings to the heart that will trust in it. This is the truth that God desires to plant deep in the rich soil of your soul every time despair knocks at your door: “I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b). It is almost as if God just couldn’t end this verse with the enemy destroying, because that is certainly not the end of the story. The story… your story… ends with life; even life more abundantly. Once your heart has embraced the unconditional and unimaginable love of our Savior, you will begin to see life pouring out of your cup and running over.
I am talking about an abundant, extravagant, joy-filled life. A life that oozes from the inside despite what’s happening on the outside. This life only comes from Jesus. This life only comes from love. If only you could grasp “the breadth and length and depth and height” of this amazing love, you would find the courage to hope again.
Yes, you are in a fight; and yes, you are suffering some heavy blows. But look around you. You are not alone in this fight. Your champion, the Lover of your soul is fighting for you.
So, when life hurts, weep; but don’t weep blindly.
Even through your tears, fix your eyes beyond the current sorrow and look for the joy that God promised would come in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Your morning might be yet for many days, but never doubt that it is coming. Give proper attention to the pain, but don’t focus on it. Look beyond the pain and find the strength. Hold on to the “joy that is set before” (Hebrews 12:2) you.
This fight is growing you, strengthening you, and building your character. You are not yet the person that you will be once you come out on the other side of this battle. If you can endure the fire today you will come forth from it tomorrow shining like pure gold (Job 23:10). This is how you dare to hope again.
PRAYER
Merciful and Loving Father, I will yet hope in you. When Satan hits me with deep dark sorrows, I will look to You for light. You are my hiding place and my refuge from the storm. I know that You will come swiftly to my rescue and that You will be the lifter of my head. Heal my wounded heart, and grant me Your hope. In Jesus Name, Amen.
DAILY SPIRITUAL EXERCISE
Take out a sheet of paper and write down the following affirmations that you will repeat every day this week.
- Because nothing can separate me from God’s love, I will not lose hope. (Romans 8:37-38)
- Because God’s goodness and His mercy pursues after me, I will not lose hope. (Psalms 23:6)
- Because I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, I will not lose hope. (Philippians 4:13)
- Even though I fall, the Word of God promises that I will get back up, therefore I will not lose hope. (Proverbs 24:16)
- Because God promised me life more abundantly, I will not lose hope. (John 10:10)
Practical
YOU CAN’T RENT SPACE OUT IN MY HEAD!
By Gabrielle Jones
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:32
Have you ever wondered how some of the beliefs that we have in our head ever got there in the first place? We believe we can’t measure up, or we believe that we are not worthy of love, or maybe we believe that joyful days will never come.
Satan sometimes uses those closest to us to tell us we’re worthless, not enough, and not deserving of God’s love.
He loves to manipulate our thoughts when we’re alone, or cloud our judgment when we’re confused. Surely the unguarded mind becomes Satan’s free-roaming playground.
Over time, those voices become louder and more constant and before we know it, we’ve given the enemy a lease agreement to rent out space in our head. This leased space in our minds then leaves an open door for depression, anxiety, and hopelessness to get invited in as roommates.
A full house of lies and images leaves no room for God. These lies are an unruly tenant. They are not satisfied until they have spread out into spaces that they were not invited.
Soon they leave no room for God.
No room is available to discern God’s voice, to spend time with God in prayer, or to read and meditate on God’s word.
Left unchecked, the lies of our enemies will soon overtake the entire house of our minds.
It’s so easy to become blinded to the real culprit behind the thoughts that have claimed space in our heads. We begin thinking it’s the person who hurt us so deeply, or the friend who betrayed our trust, or even the loved one who failed to love us when we needed it the most. We find ourselves unarmed and ill-equipped for the mental battle that we are facing because we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.
The source of the lies we think comes from a number of places. Television tells us we don’t have the right look, society tells us we are not the right race, our neighbors tell us that we can’t keep up, the rich tell us that we don’t belong, and the list of lies keeps on going. It’s time to break the rental agreement and evict every emotion that has held us captive to mental pain and bondage.
The way to evict the lies from our thoughts is to fill our thoughts with truth. Jesus reminded us that “the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). Truth will never be found in the shallow images of our celebrity-driven culture, or in the malicious words of hateful people, or in the blind arrogance of those who are stuck in their own pride. You will never find truth if you look for it in any of these things. Truth is only found in Jesus. He is the Truth. If you make Truth the landlord of your thoughts, only then will you be able to evict the lies that have taken up residence in your mind.
In order to break the lease agreement, you must:
- Submit to God. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” James 4:7-8
- Evict every thought that is offensive to God. ‘We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.’ 2 Corinthians 10:5
- Pray for those who scorn you? “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31
- Give thanks to God every day for who He is. “Give thanks to the Lord because he is good, because his faithful love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34
- Sign a new rental agreement with the Author and Finisher of your faith by joining a New Life Church Life Group at https://www.newlife-atl.org/about-life-groups/
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, by the power of Your Name, and by the victory won through your Cross, I evict every lie and false thought that comes from the enemy. You are the Truth that crushes every falsehood. May You reveal Your truth to me through the words that You have spoken. Make them a lamp for my feet and a light unto my pathway. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Published on Jan 10 @ 12:49 AM EDT
If you've ever worked with clay, you understand that it has two basic functions. It can conform or it can be transformed. In either instance, it starts out as a lump. The conforming property of clay means that it takes the shape of whatever you place it against or whatever you press it into. Clay will conform to that shape. Its life or purpose is determined by whatever it is pressed into, and only that is its purpose.
As you read today's devotional, play "PROMISES" from the Sacred Whispers Playlist.
Spiritual
TRANSFORMED INTO HIS PURPOSE
By Terence Watts
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:2
If you've ever worked with clay, you understand that it has two basic functions. It can conform or it can be transformed. In either instance, it starts out as a lump. The conforming property of clay means that it takes the shape of whatever you place it against or whatever you press it into. Clay will conform to that shape. Its life or purpose is determined by whatever it is pressed into, and only that is its purpose.
Like clay, before Christ, we found ourselves in this same type of mental state. We were mentally conforming to the ways of this world. This often brings stress because we feel helpless as it relates to finding meaning in this world. But we must understand that meaning and purpose will never come through conforming to this world. We become like millions of others, all busy doing the same old things and following the same old patterns, and getting the same old results.
But there is hope. Not only does clay conform to the mold being pressed against it, let us not forget that it can also be transformed. Transforming the clay is when the lump is taken and it is shaped or made into something else. It is transformed from a lump into something unique that serves a purpose for the one who created it and transformed it. The scripture tells us that God is our Potter, and we are His clay. He takes us and forms and makes us according to His design and purpose. We will only find stress and disillusionment if we try to find meaning in our lives outside of Christ. The challenge for the clay is to not be conformed into the molds of the world around us but to be transformed into the purposes and callings of God.
This is what Paul is challenging us to do here. He challenges us to stop conforming ourselves to the ways of this world and to allow our minds to be transformed so that we can fulfill the unique purpose God created us for. Purpose is what breaks us out of the mental state of living stuck in the same old ruts of life. When we focus our minds and thoughts on Him, and we allow the truth of His Word to transform our thinking, then we are able to fulfill the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. It is here, within the Will of God that we find meaning and purpose in our lives. This is where we find what we need to deal with the pressures of life that threaten to undermine our faith in God and our faith in His good will for our lives.
So how are we to be transformed into God’s purpose for our lives? The key to transformation is managing what our mind dwells on. The passage above says that we are to ‘renew our minds’. Renewing the mind is the intentional act of focusing your daily thoughts on the truth and promises of God. It is to passionately fight against every thought that lodges itself in our minds that does not agree with what God has said in His Word. This is true concerning thoughts of our health, our family, our finances, our past, our sins, our hurts, and any other area that the mind chooses to roam.
Your mind is the battleground. This is where the clay will either be formed into the world’s mold or transformed for the purposes of Christ. We are fighting that battle every day, and the only way to win is to use the truth of the Word of God. Philippians 4:8 says, “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.”
If you will allow God’s word to be the foundation of your thought life by spending intentional time meditating on Scripture, the battle for your mind will be won. The negative thoughts and insecurities you face every day will flee from you in the glorious light of God’s truth. That’s how God wants to transform the clay of your life into His wondrous purpose and design.
PRAYER
Loving Father, today I submit myself as clay in your hands. Give me the strength to surrender every thought I have to the truth of Your Word. I choose to believe what Your Word says, no matter how loud my mind seems to scream.
I turn this battle over to You.
My life is in Your hands, mold me and make me after Your perfect will. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.
Physical
ARE WE THE FAITHFUL “SICK AND SILENT”?
By Gabrielle Jones and Marlin D. Harris
“Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he already had been [in that condition] a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"
John 5:5-6
A concerned Pastor from Houston recently shared his thoughts about the challenges we face in prioritizing health education in impoverished communities, and Communities of Color. To sum up his assessment of our current health condition in Black and Brown communities, he said “We are the Sick and Silent”. His words echo the thoughts and feelings of so many people who live and work in communities where marginalization, poverty, and limited access to quality healthcare are the norm.
Chronic health conditions in Black and underserved communities are often unaddressed and ignored by the members of that community because of the stigmatization that is so frequently associated with disease and sickness. Fear and anxiety paralyze us physically and emotionally when we are forced to face symptoms, diagnosis, or the cost of care and medical treatment. There is an understandable concern with how families will be able to afford medical care if someone in their household were significantly ill, or chronically sick. For many families, this legitimate concern causes them to avoid annual examinations and delay investigating any illness signs and symptoms when they appear.
In essence, we bury our heads in the proverbial sand when it comes to healthcare because the social and financial burden of care is far more than many of our families’ ability to shoulder.
Compounding the problem of health apathy that has plagued many in impoverished communities, is also the pervasive concern of a lack of health education. For many families, we simply don’t know how to care for our physical, emotional, or mental health. Many women in poor communities have never been taught what signs to look for when it comes to breast cancer, and many men have not been educated about how to prevent prostate cancer. Parents are unsure of what are the best nutritional meals to feed their children, and many others don’t believe that they could even afford it. As seniors in Communities of Color continue to age, options for quality long-term care are significantly reduced, and they become reliant on social and governmental programs for their quality of life. When these realities are assessed, it is understandable why many in these communities are sick, but they remain silent.
People in marginalized and colored communities are suffering privately, and are often quiet about their battles with illnesses until those illnesses have reached a critical state. The common resolve is to pray about health issues and have faith that they will quietly go away. However, we must learn how to develop the mindset that mixes prayer and faith, with action and personal responsibility. Surrendering to guilt or shame about a health issue won’t make it go away. Our mental and physical health conditions are directly connected to our spiritual conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) constitution states: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." We must resolve to trust God and get the education we need so that we can be His healthy, faithful servants.
Healthcare is more about ‘investment’ than it is about ‘income’. It is more about education than it is about economics. Finances play a significant role, but that doesn’t have to be a prohibitor to caring for our health. With a little investigation, research and patience, we can learn of the various options available to us and begin making healthy living a priority for our lives.
PRAYER
Father, we pray for those who are living under economic and social conditions where they feel forced to place their health in a much lower category of their life’s priorities. We know that you understand their fears and their thoughts and only You have the power to open their eyes to see a clear path towards better health. Give us all the strength and the courage to face our health challenges head-on, and to trust You with every illness, sign, and symptom of disease that we may find. Be with us as we journey towards becoming a healthier person for Your name’s sake and glory. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
PRACTICAL ACTION TODAY
- Make your appointment to get your annual physical.
- If you take medications, take them as prescribed. “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” - 1 Corinthians 14:40 Get 7-9 hours of restful sleep per night by turning off notifications on your devices, darkening your room, and setting a comfortable room temperature. “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.” - Psalms 3:5
- Increase your daily intake of water and reduce sugary beverages.
- To make healthier food & beverage choices, read the nutritional information on food labels BEFORE you make your purchases.
- Learn more about healthy living by joining “The Kidney Connection”, New Life Church’s new community support group.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Published on Jan 09 @ 12:49 AM EDT
My wife has a very peaceful pastime activity. If the weather is right, she loves to sit out on our back patio and look out into the trees in the backyard and watch the birds melodically singing while perched on one of the tender branches.
As you read today's devotional, play "HERE AS IN HEAVEN" from the Sacred Whispers Playlist.
Spiritual
WHAT DO THE BIRDS KNOW?
By Marlin D. Harris
“Look at the birds of the air...”
Matthew 6:26
My wife has a very peaceful pastime activity. If the weather is right, she loves to sit out on our back patio and look out into the trees in the backyard and watch the birds melodically singing while perched on one of the tender branches. They come in red, orange, dusty brown, and ever so often, blue.
I have often wondered when I would sit with her, what do these birds know that we don’t?
They seem to be so at peace nestled on a tiny branch or nipping at a leaf or berry for food. Gently they come, and haplessly land on some tree and softly belt out their melodic tunes as they call out to one another in a ritual that they never tire of repeating. This they faithfully do each morning as soon as the sun rises over the eastern hemisphere. They sing, even after the fiercest storms. They sing, even when the clouds hang low and the morning sky is smeared with a gloomy grey. They sing, even when the trees have lost their leaves and the berries have all fallen away; yet still, they sing.
Perhaps this is why Jesus instructed us to “Look at the birds…” We have not learned faith and trust in God until we have learned how to be at peace. Peace is that one emotional quality that when possessed, has the power to master all of our other emotions. Peace has been called the great stabilizer. Real peace locks anxiety away in its cell and refuses to allow worry a voice in the meeting chambers of our hearts. Peace transforms the darkness from being a paralyzing presence that haunts us in the night, into a comforting blanket that lulls us to sleep.
Peace is that rare treasure that few people have been able to find. But we need not lose heart; God has laid bare in His Word how we can find it.
Isaiah 26:3 tells us clearly how to find peace. It says, “God will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed in Him, because he trusts in You.” Without using any ambiguity, the Bible teaches that the man who would be at peace keeps his mind on God and trusts in Him.
Perhaps the birds know this. They have learned how to trust God. It is as if God has established a covenant with them whereby He has promised to provide for their food, and their shelter and they simply fly about trusting that.
It seems too simple to be profound – but it is. Trusting in God is the only way to peace. Trust in God happens when you are absolutely convinced of His trustworthiness.
When you are convinced that God is faithful and will always honor His promises, then you will trust Him. When you are convinced that God is wise and navigates the circumstances of life in such a way as to bring about the greatest possibilities for personal growth, then you will trust Him. When you are convinced that God loves you and will walk with you through every season of your life’s journey, then you will trust Him.
Be assured that trust is not a casual matter. You only learn to trust over significant periods of time. Trust is not a confidence that is easily achieved, but it has to be nurtured through the intimacy of relationship. The more you know someone, the more you trust them. The more you do life with God, the more you learn to trust Him. Peace can’t be found without trust, and trust can’t be found without relationship.
Secondly, the birds know how to sing. I am not proposing that you learn how to physically sing, but rather I am suggesting that you and I learn how to adopt the ‘spirit of singing’. We must learn how to sing even when the deepest sorrows are knocking at our door. You see, your song is your victory, and you can only sing it when you have found peace.
No matter what happens to you, don’t ever lose your song. In that beautiful hymnbook of the Old Testament, the book of Psalms, we are admonished and instructed to sing a song unto the Lord over 55 different times.
We are told to sing unto the Lord a new song (Psalm 96:1), to sing of His wondrous works (Psalm 105:2), to come before His presence with singing (Psalm 100:2), to sing of His mercy and judgment (Psalm 101:1). On and on, verse after verse, the Psalms instruct us to sing.
Could it be that the psalmists understood that when we sing, somehow we defy the sadness and sorrows that seek to silence our voice and rob us of our joy? Your song – your worship of God – that is your power. And if you can push past the sorrow and sing your song, you will soon see peace welling up in your soul like springs of water overflowing the banks of the river.
I truly believe that this is what the birds know. This is why they sing, even when the wind is contrary and the storm clouds loom above. They sing because, like Job, they know that their Redeemer lives (Job 19:25). They sing because they know that weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). So the next time you see a bird singing sweetly in the trees, don’t let him sing alone. Wipe the tears from your eyes, and muster up the spiritual strength to sing your own song. And when God hears your song, surely He will dispatch His angels to come to your aid and strengthen you with His peace.
PRAYER
Be our Peace-Giver, O God. Let not our hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
You are our hiding place and in You, we find our peace. O Lord, be our refuge from the noise, and our shelter from the storm. We look to You to calm our hearts from its fears, and grant us, Your children, peace. In Jesus’ Strong Name we pray, Amen.
DAILY SPIRITUAL EXERCISE
Take a few minutes every day this week to listen to your favorite worship song. Perhaps when you are driving in your car, or just as you rise from bed to prepare for your day. Press the pause button to your life for just a moment, and take time out to worship. You will find that it is very difficult to worship and worry at the same time. You have a song. Find it, and sing it with all of your might.
Physical
LIFE IS DIFFICULT
By Frank Luke
“In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.”
Psalm 18:6
I was reading the book, The Road Less Traveled, written by M. Scott Peck, M.D. The very first sentence of the book’s introduction was short, simple, to the point, but oh so profound. The sentence simply read, “Life is difficult”.
Now, I can’t recall the date this book was written, but I am certain it was written before the COVID era, yet the opening sentence resonated with me as if it had been written in just this past year. I am sure it resonates with a plethora of others trying to figure out how to survive these challenging times. David, the writer of Psalm 18, could also relate to life and its difficulties, for he endured many challenges. David’s life was marked by a host of challenges: fighting a lion with his bare hands; being overlooked by his father in consideration for the throne; fighting a giant with only a slingshot and a stone. In addition to all of this, he spent years of life running from a king he once looked up to. In this passage we see the perils of life overwhelming David to the point where he called on God in distress, and in tears. This would easily be considered today as depression, even if for only a moment.
The ‘fact’ of the matter is, “Life is difficult”, but the ‘truth’ of the matter is, God is the healer of all mental, emotional, and spiritual pains. David, in one of his most overwhelming moments, leaned in and rested on his truth, which was God. David chose to trust in God, and not his facts, which were his current realities.
Depression is caused by the overwhelming weight of the negative facts of the past. It is the emotional state that is experienced when we are overcome with yesterday’s trauma, disappointments, personal injuries, or guilt. Not only is it the weight of some negative fact of the past, but it is also the burden of carrying some negative fact in the present. Even the fresh wounds of our current reality can bring a depression that weighs heavily upon us mentally and emotionally. The instruction given to us in 1 Peter 5:7 says to “give your cares to God”. God, who is the truth, and “a very present help in the time of trouble” is able to carry all the cares and heavyweights that you were never designed to carry.
If you would only give those cares to Him, then the very things that once depressed you, you will find that the Lord will use it to bless you.
PRAYER
Father, there is no way around life and its difficulties. So I pray your Holy Spirit will guide us toward peace, and cause us to grow from every challenge that comes our way. I pray for Your strength, courage, and wisdom to stand in the midst of it all. Thank you for Your truth, in which I stand. In Jesus' name, Amen.
PRACTICAL ACTION TODAY
• Don’t dwell in the past; IT’S OVER.
• Rejoice in the present. Life is the first blessing of every day.
• Continue to give your cares to God, until he gives you peace. BELIEVE that He will.
• Replace all painful thoughts with a positive action (exercise, going back to school, counseling, volunteer services, etc.).
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Published on Jan 08 @ 12:48 AM EDT