How long O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Psalm 13:1-2
When I read this psalm I am encouraged to know that David, the psalmist, also struggled with his thoughts and that there was a battle going on for control of his mind. In the same way today there is a battle for your mind and your thoughts. Bible teacher Joyce Meyer calls it ‘the battlefield of the mind’.
This battle is a very real thing and it is important for us to win the battle for our thoughts because as Joyce says, “Where the mind goes the man follows.” The Bible says “As a man thinks, so he is.” Proverbs 23:7 (KJV). Our thoughts determine our attitudes and actions so our thought life is very important. If I harbour negative, gloomy, critical thoughts then that is the kind of person I will become; depressed, angry and bitter – not nice to be around. On the other hand, if I determine to obey God’s instructions in Philippians 4, to think on the things that are good, pure, lovely and of good report, I will be a happy, confident, thankful and loving person.
David made a decision in this psalm. He began by crying out to God, “How long do I have to deal with these thoughts Lord? They are making me miserable.” He did the right thing; he took his complaint and misery to God. He went to the one who could help him. Suddenly his tone changed and he decided to change his thinking. In verse 5 he says, “BUT I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I WILL sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.”
David changed his mindset by changing his thoughts from negative to positive. It happened when he went into God’s presence and poured out his complaint. As he put voice to his thoughts the Holy Spirit began to remind him of God’s faithfulness. A song began to rise within him and he determined to sing praise to God instead of whining and complaining.
How is your thought life? Do you need to change your mind? Try putting the Philippians 4:4-9 verses into practice and see what a difference they make to your life. I call these verses ‘The Recipe for Mental Health.’ God’s word really works!
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for holding onto negative thoughts. Help me to think on the things that are good, pure and lovely and to always remember to be thankful for your goodness to me. Amen
When I read this psalm I am encouraged to know that David, the psalmist, also struggled with his thoughts and that there was a battle going on for control of his mind. In the same way today there is a battle for your mind and your thoughts. Bible teacher Joyce Meyer calls it ‘the battlefield of the mind’.
This battle is a very real thing and it is important for us to win the battle for our thoughts because as Joyce says, “Where the mind goes the man follows.” The Bible says “As a man thinks, so he is.” Proverbs 23:7 (KJV). Our thoughts determine our attitudes and actions so our thought life is very important. If I harbour negative, gloomy, critical thoughts then that is the kind of person I will become; depressed, angry and bitter – not nice to be around. On the other hand, if I determine to obey God’s instructions in Philippians 4, to think on the things that are good, pure, lovely and of good report, I will be a happy, confident, thankful and loving person.
David made a decision in this psalm. He began by crying out to God, “How long do I have to deal with these thoughts Lord? They are making me miserable.” He did the right thing; he took his complaint and misery to God. He went to the one who could help him. Suddenly his tone changed and he decided to change his thinking. In verse 5 he says, “BUT I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I WILL sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.”
David changed his mindset by changing his thoughts from negative to positive. It happened when he went into God’s presence and poured out his complaint. As he put voice to his thoughts the Holy Spirit began to remind him of God’s faithfulness. A song began to rise within him and he determined to sing praise to God instead of whining and complaining.
How is your thought life? Do you need to change your mind? Try putting the Philippians 4:4-9 verses into practice and see what a difference they make to your life. I call these verses ‘The Recipe for Mental Health.’ God’s word really works!
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for holding onto negative thoughts. Help me to think on the things that are good, pure and lovely and to always remember to be thankful for your goodness to me. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment