Thoughts

You will keep in perfect peace* all who trust in you, 

all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) 

We are all susceptible to a wandering mind.  Something that we perceive as negative happens and it instantly triggers some anxiety or fear.  Our minds begin to focus on the "what if's" and the worries, conjuring up disastrous scenarios for the future.   And, our minds are quick to judgment and blame. When things aren't going well, we can always find someone to blame.  We usually put a negative spin on other people's behavior.  All these toxic thoughts are killers. They destroy our peace and joy in the Lord.  

The question is, who's in control here?  Are we subject to thought-control, becoming slaves to our own thoughts?  Or, can we display self-control?  We are in need of self-control and discipline?  As soon as we sense our thoughts going down a negative path we can call a halt, shift gears and re-focus bringing our mind back to the only focus that brings us joy, peace and freedom.  We must make the choice to bring our focus back to the Lord, throw all our cares on him and trust him to take care of everything. That focus will always relieve us of anxiety, bring us to the point of peace and rest and fill our hearts with an understanding compassion and love towards others.

Lord, grant us the strength and wisdom to get our thoughts to stand at attention - attention on you.  Make us instantly aware when our thoughts begin to wander into negative territory and bring us back to a clear and single focus. 

*An interesting side note on the phrase "perfect peace."  The original Hebrew does not have the word "perfect."  The original has "shalom, shalom."  In other words, "peace, peace."   The word peace is used twice for emphasis.  The Hebrew word "shalom" doesn't just mean peace in the sense of freedom from conflict, but encompasses much more including the ideas of completeness, welfare and health.

Peace & Joy

Las Noches de Las Luminarias
 Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix

 Because of God’s tender mercy, 

the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

 and to guide us to the path of peace.

Luke 1:78-79 (NLT)

Jesus came to earth with a very specific purpose.  To shine light into the darkness of our lives, to set us free and put our feet on the path of peace. Our lives sit in great darkness and confusion until the light of Christ shines upon us.  When we allow him to shine his light into our lives, he begins to expose those hidden things that keep us in confusion and fear. With his light upon us, he begins to guide us on a new path and into a place of peace.  He brings us out of darkness into his glorious light.

Peace and joy are the gifts God has for us. Those are not just empty words on a Christmas card, but real and tangible gifts from God.  Peace and joy are so often lacking in our lives. How can we find our way to this path of peace? When the light begins to shine upon us, it reveals a door.  When we enter through that door we find that the path that leads to peace and joy opens before us.  That door is called surrender.  As we turn our will and our lives completely over to the care of God and trust all into his hands we begin our journey on the pathway of peace.  When we stop fighting for our own way and surrender to his good, pleasing and perfect will, we begin to experience his blessings.  Since he knows us so well, God's will is always perfectly suited for us.  It is the most joyous and satisfying thing we can experience.  There is nothing scary about it.  When we begin to veer off that path into our own way, we may experience some temporary satisfaction, but our peace and joy will begin to fade.  That's the time to turn our hearts back again to the path of peace.

Lord, open our hearts.  Guide us to the path of peace.  Help us to surrender all that we are to you so that we might experience your gifts of true peace and joy this Christmas season.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, 

but let God transform you into a new person

 by changing the way you think. 

Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,

 which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

cathy-meditationsofmyheart.blogspot.com

Heart Transplant

 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; 

I will remove from you your heart of stone

 and give you a heart of flesh.

Ezek 36:26 (NIV)

The heart and attitude that God responds to is a heart of humility and lowliness.  We are so often filled up with ourselves, our own importance, seeking only to fulfill our own wants and needs.  There is no room for God in a heart like that.  The heart God is looking for is the submissive and lowly heart, empty of self, ready to be filled with God.  

How do we get to that place?  Sometimes the crushing difficulties of life bring us finally to a place of brokenness where we become willing to turn from our own ways and turn our lives completely over to God.  This is actually a good place to be for we finally become willing to open the door to the only one who can help us and change us. At the end of ourselves, we find the gateway into all the glories of God.

We cannot effect the change ourselves.  God is the great surgeon. Only he can do the transplant, taking out the old, hard and stony heart and giving us a soft, repentant, and submissive one.

Lord, we ask for a heart transplant.  Take out our old, hard hearts and replace them with new hearts, tender and responsive to you.

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

Psalms 51:17 (NLT)

Whether....or not.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.

 And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.

 So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 14:27 (NLT)

In Al-Anon we have a phrase that we read every week, "it is possible for us to find contentment, and even happiness, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not."

The crux of this statement is the fact that our happiness is not dependent upon anyone else.  Our serenity, peace and joy are independent of what other people say or don't say, do or don't do.  Our joy and peace are gifts from God and we can maintain them as we keep our focus on him and refuse to let the negative words or behavior of others penetrate our shield. 

This is a hard lesson to learn. Amy Carmichael* writes of a time, while riding on a train in India, "when a silly feather-flutter of local gossip..., tried to disturb me.  And it did disturb till these six words were repeated over and over, beaten out, as it were, in my ear by the sound of the wheels of the train: 'Let it be; think of Me.'" This thought came to her mind later when, suffering from illness, she was confronted with unthoughtful, disturbing words.  After reacting negatively at first, she remembered those six little words and her peace returned and so she encourages others, "not to weigh flying words or let their peace be in the mouths of men."

The unthoughtful, cruel words of others may sting, but are of no consequence if we turn to God alone who is the source and resource of all our joy and peace.  

Thank you, Lord, for your promise of joy and peace.  There is so much in this world that trys to disturb us and rob us of this peace.  Lord, help us to be constant in our focus on you and allow the peace of your presence to surround us at all times.  Amen, Lord, let it be.

Now is your time of grief,

 but I will see you again and you will rejoice,

 and no one will take away your joy.

John 16:22 (NIV)

*Amy Carmichael was a British missionary to India who writes of her joy in the midst of suffering.  This quote is from her book A Rose from Brier pg. 19, 20.

Walking in the Light

 Because of the tender mercy of our God,a new day has dawned on us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death's shadow,and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Luke 1:78-79 (ISV)

It has been an amazing experience for me working through the Twelve Steps.   A new light begins to shine on our lives as we take an honest inventory of ourselves (step 4), share it with another person (step 5), become willing for God to change us (step 6), humbly ask for that change to take place (step 7), become honest about the people we have harmed (step 8), and make amends to them all (step 9).

So much of our lives are spent in darkness, denial and making excuses.  What a joy and relief to have light shine upon us so that we can see the truth about ourselves and walk in what is real.

This is the promise of God, that his light would shine into our darkness.  All we have to do is be honest and willing to open up and face it all.

Lord, give us more light.  Shine into every dark area and every dark corner until we see things as they really are.  As we walk in your light, you cleanse and renew us and the day dawns brighter and brighter.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John 1:5 (NLT)

But if we keep living in the light as he himself is in the light, 

we have fellowship with one another, 

and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 

If we say that we don't have any sin, 

we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 

If we confess our sins,

 he is faithful and righteous to forgive us those sins

 and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:7-9 (ISV)

Abide with Me

We are faced with so much uncertainty in life - an unexpected illness, a loss, a crisis.  He hasn't promised us perfection in this sinful world.  There is always the possibility that we will face heartache and suffering. The only thing we can count on is God's steadfast presence with us.  The knowledge that he is always there, no matter what happens, is our constant comfort. 

He tells us,  "Be of good cheer, for I have faced it all and have overcome it all by my spirit and I give that spirit to you."   He overcame the world.  What should I fear? We need not fear change or suffering or an unexpected crisis of health or life because we know that God has already seen it.

In the midst of sorrow and sadness, pain or suffering, let us ask for a consciousness of his abiding presence to cheer and to guide us.  Great is his faithfulness. No matter what happens he is there to help us. This is his promise, "I will be with you always even to the end of time." (Mt. 28.20)

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 (NLT)

Abide with Me

Abide with me - fast the eventide!

The darkness deepens - Lord, with me abide;

When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, 

O abide with me!

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day,

Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see - 

O Thou who changest not, abide with me!

I need Thy presence every passing hour -

What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?

Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?

Thru cloud and sunshine,

O, abide with me!

I fear no foe with Thee at hand to bless,

Ills have no weight and tears no bitterness;

Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still if thou abide with me!

Hold Thou Thy Word before my closing eyes,

Shine thru the gloom and point me to the skies;

heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee -

In life, in death, 

O Lord, abide with me!

Henry F. Lyte (1847)

To hear this beautiful hymn go to:  http://youtu.be/Rw5TtwJFIKU

Streams in the Desert

Apache Lake Arizona

For I am about to do something new.See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?I will make a pathway through the wilderness.I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

What ever difficulties or troubles we may face, God can make a way right through the middle of them.  Whether the troubles are of our own making (and mine usually are) or caused by someone else, we can still trust that God will give us comfort and wisdom.  Often he does not rescue us out of our troubles, but gives us refreshment in the midst of them.  He sets for us a wonderful banquet where we can sit down, rest and eat even in the presence of our enemies.  

What difficulty are you facing right now?  What impossible situation is robbing you of your peace and joy.  Look to the one who can make a shining river right in the middle of the driest desert.  He is there to comfort and guide you.  Look to him.

                     You prepare a feast for me                 in the presence of my enemies.

                                         Psalms 23:5 (NLT)

  When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)