Sitting Quietly at Jesus' Feet

Sitting quietly at Jesus' feet is a tremendously healing endeavor. We cease from our labors and listen to His voice, feel His hand stroking our head, breathing in unison with Him as He listens to our troubles and trials, and receives our praise.

His presence fills us with His peace and joy in spite of circumstances. His ministry to our spirit by His Spirit makes a lasting impression on our soul as He calms the raging sea within our thoughts and emotions.

It is easier to keep busy than to sit quietly and still. We rush headlong into life and ignore the deep recesses of our soul that need healing; but these unresolved conflicts tear us down every day for the rest of our life - until we are willing to sit quietly and listen to our soul.

We feel vulnerable when too much of our inner self is exposed to the light of day. Satan's condemnation, the world's expectations and the negative self-talk in us from years of input by significant others in our life, make us uncomfortable with confronting our fears and insecurities.

It is important to pause during the day to prop up our feet, drink a cup of tea, do a craft, watch a wholesome show or movie, play a video game, paint a picture, learn a musical instrument, etc. This gives our soul a much needed chance to play and experience a time of abandon and creativity.

Proven scientific studies show that meditation decreases our negative attitudes and neurosis, as well as increases our feelings of control and security. Meditating on God's Word heals these psychosomatic issues and decreases their effects on our life.

                                                                  

God's Spirit is sanctifying our soul little by little and day by day. Our carnality is decreasing so that He may increase in us and through us. We do not attempt to perfect our self (Galatians 3:1-3), but we surrender to God's work within us (Romans 8). 

We pray without ceasing by consulting God each moment of our day (Proverbs 3:5-6) and we walk in the Spirit rather than fulfilling the former, diminishing, carnal desires of our flesh (Galatians 5:15-25; Colossians 3:3-4). We live in victory and fulfillment with His ceaseless peace and joy.

Prayer:

Father God, You draw us to Your heart through our wounds, scars and brokenness. You accomplish Your most powerful miracles through those of us who turn toward You in our weakness, rather than blaming You and turning away from You in our distress. You plant a seed for a miracle in every trial.

You use our brokenness to prove Your love for us and that You are sovereign in our life. You call us by name and give us treasures from our darkness and riches in the midst of the secret places of grief in our soul (Isaiah 45:3). Thank You for setting us free from worldly concerns and for reminding us to stay focused on You and Your will throughout our day.

Thought for the Day:

When we walk in the power and anointing of Christ in us and fulfill God's will for our life, we see the lasting fruit both of God's sanctifying work in our soul and of our spiritual endeavors in the lives of those God brings into our life; this causes us to rejoice constantly in God's faithfulness and goodness. 

Overcoming Life's Hurts

 

As we age, events occur in our life, which influence our belief system. Maybe our parents, a school experience, family members, neighbors, a stranger, or a combination of any or all of these factors imposed some harm on us or failed to protect us in some way.

We develop a warped perception of life caused by these painful events. Most of us adopt coping skills based on what we perceived as fact, because of these experiences.

Those without coping skills develop neuroses, which we think will protect us from what we fear the most. These anxieties, obsessions, compulsions, indecisiveness and social and interpersonal maladjustments are driven by fear and insecurity.

These perceived notions of life cause us to breathe in shallow breaths, to fear change, to act suspiciously of new people and situations, and to stay in the background; yet, we may also come out fighting when backed into a corner.

Many counselors believe that an effectual method to overcome a neurosis is to daily recite affirmations and to use human will power to change our behavioral patterns.

However, there is a better way to face the grief from our past or the challenges of our future. Only through prayer will a person truly experience freedom from the memories, which drive neurosis in our life. ( www.theophostic.com )

As we seek God’s will for every moment of our day, He will set us free from having to face life alone (Ephesians 2:10; Proverbs 3:5-6). He is our Champion, who never abandons us (Hebrews 13:5).

Prayer:

Father God, life is so hard. Nothing is ever easy. There are constant roadblocks, which hinder our progress. The abuse and abandonment, which we experienced in our childhood and even in our adult life, cripple us with neurosis and negative behavior.

We look to You to replace our negative character with the fruit of Your Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), for transforming our mind into the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14-16) and for giving us the divine nature of Christ (2 Peter 1:4). Thank You for strengthening our inner being so that we, through Your Spirit, can accept Christ as our Savior (Ephesians 3:16-19).

Thought for the Day:

Once we recognize that we really are a nobody, we can come to the clear revelation that only in Christ are we truly a somebody - a child of the King and co-heirs with Christ of the Kingdom of God.

A Hopeful Existence

 

There are many facets of this life, which rob us of every positive emotion known to man (2 Corinthians 4:8). Circumstances buffet us and beat us up until we have no emotional energy left; and, sometimes, not even any physical stamina to put one foot in front of the other (2 Peter 2:9). We lose our optimism, feel hopeless and grow bitter and cynical.

We draw within our self and push other people away (Isaiah 41: 10, 13-14). We lose all hope of a better life and we have a hard time getting out of bed. Our soul - our mind, will and emotions - often deflates with worry, doubt and pessimism. Our negative self-talk beats us up. Our heart is disturbed and we see no solution to our problems.

Total surrender to God is the key to making sense of our circumstances. Relinquishing our self, our family and our future to God, and putting our worries in God's capable hands, is the only way to keep sane (2 Corinthians 9:8). God only gives us grace for today. Tomorrow's grace will not come until tomorrow.

The only resolution for hopelessness is to keep our hope in the Lord (Psalm 43:5). As we walk in obedience to His Spirit, moment-by-moment throughout the day, we find more fulfillment than we ever thought possible. Our soul finds rest only in God (Psalm 62:5). As long as we are still breathing, there is hope for our situation (Ecclesiastes 9:4).

If we dictate our plans and goals to God, He remains silent; but if we relinquish our future to His will, everything is possible (Mark 9:23). We take our eyes off our self and put them on Him. With our faith in God's faithfulness, He keeps us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

Prayer:

Father God, You care about us and draw very close to those who are defeated and heart broken (Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 53:4). You not only binds up our wounds, by nursing us back to physical, emotional and spiritual health, but You also heal us by repairing the situation, which caused the injury in the first place (Psalm 147:3). We put our hope only in You and You lead us through life one step at a time (Matthew 6:31-34; Psalm 39:7).

Thought for the Day:

Our Lord is our Helper, so we have no need to fear what mere mortals can do to us. We cry out to Him in our distress and pray to Him for help, and He hears us from His sanctuary; our prayers reach His ears. - Psalm 18:8