Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. —Psalm 123:3
What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. “Take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16). Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God. There are certain attitudes we should never dare to indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in God. Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what rules our lives.
November 23 2015
Journal Entry for Today-JDV
Good morning God and thank You for this day, this life, this lesson. This devotional talks to a number of indicators that tell us when we are not surrendered nor connected to You. We are in need of Your mercy and grace as we fall into contempt for things we do not trust or believe in other people and You. It is hard to trust the goodness of Your unconditional love, mercy and grace, when we feel so underserving and we have so little experience with unconditional love, mercy and grace. It is also hard for us to trust those traits in people, because we do not have much experience with people that live out those traits either. We are much more concerned about the big four issues of humankind that David and I talk about: being right, looking good, feeling good and being in control. How can I avoid being trapped in my own ideas of what is right and good for me and mine, and learn to trust You all the time? Is it just a matter of surrender and connection again?
And God says…”Well, how has it worked out for you to live in your own head and nature seeking to be right, look good, feel good, and to be in control? What have been the outcomes? How has that worked for you? You have enough experience with surrender and connection with Me to have experienced the peace that passes all understanding. You have experienced life abundantly even when you have not enjoyed material abundance. And you have lived knowing that all things are working out for your good, even when it appears that no good thing could possibly come out of your circumstance.”
“You have lived enough to know you can never meet your own needs. But when you surrender your own ways and means and seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, you are then free to receive everything else you need from Me. When you trust in Me with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding and notions of how to “be right, look good, feel good and to be in control”, I am free to make your paths straight. Trust in Me, and believe. And when you cannot, trust that I will answer your prayers anyway. Believe and I will help you with your unbelief. Live out of that.”
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