"Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word." Psalm 119:37
What worthless things are your eyes focused on right now? To me worthless things are the things that won't last-- whether it be that problem you can't stop thinking about, material goods, or anything that distracts you from walking closer with God.
I know I can get so fixated on worthless things-- really letting them pull me down, down, down. I find myself in that pit the Psalmist wrote about (Psalm 40:2), needing God to lift me out. In today's verse, we see that the way to restore life-- and I like to think he's talking about that "abundant life" that Jesus talks about in John 10:10-- is to go to the Word, allowing it to set me straight, refocus my vision, and lift me out of the pit.
Last week I got some hard news. Not devastating news. But hard news nonetheless. For a few days I went around with my Eeyore face on. You all know the Eeyore face: "Woe is me. My life stinks. Think I'll just sit here and sulk." It was only through prayer and submitting myself to the Truth of God's Word that I began to move back to a place of joy and abundance.
I will leave you with this quote I read in My Utmost For His Highest:
There are certain things we must not pray about-- moods, for instance. Moods never go by praying, moods go by kicking. A mood nearly always has its seat in the physical condition, not in the moral. It is a continual effort not to listen to the moods which arise from a physical condition; never submit to them for a second. We have to take ourselves by the scruff of the neck and shake ourselves, and we will find that we can do what we said we could not. The curse with most of us is that we won't. The Christian life is one of incarnate spiritual pluck.
I love that phrase in the last line: incarnate spiritual pluck. Sometimes turning to the Bible and letting it work out the ugly stuff and work in the good is the last thing we "feel" like doing. And yet, we must make the effort to go there, opening the Word and our hearts to the work the Holy Spirit wants us to do.
11 comments:
Thank you Marybeth for this timely mid-week pick me up, I surely needed it! I had been walking around like eeyore for couple of days..so God bless you for the words of wisdom :) God bless your beautiful family too!
Thanks. It is a good reminder that we have to sometimes "kick ourselves in the pants" and get going. I have had some ongoing difficult situations that have dragged me down, along with many dark days.
It's time to say "NO!!!" to my bad/sad/mad mood and tell it that it has to go and make room for joy and peace in the LORD. God bless you and thanks for the reminder!
Thanks for the good words, Marybeth...both through Encouragement for Today and your blog.
You are in my prayers!
Thank you for your devotional today. You have NO IDEA how that hit me right between the eyes! I have needed to "throw my net on the other side" for quite some time, but have refused to do so with the excuse of "I don't know how to do it". I know I need to cry out to God for help and trust HIS ways (my ways have certainly not been working). Thank you for your encouragement today!
Thank you Marybeth. God has truly blessed you with a gift of writing. Your words go straight to the heart.
I received your devotional just moments after having a long conversation with my husband about things I personally need to change if I want to grow, get that promotion, move past financial issues, and personal issues in our marriage. God speaks... Thank you, and please pray for me.
Thank you Marybeth--I was having an Eyore day--now thanks to your sharing I hope I have a Pooh day!!! I so enjoyed it--blessings,Barb
Thank you soo much for the encouraging words in your blog and devotion.I so needed all of the words because I have been stuck in a "mood" from being unemployed since Feb,not having a dime in my purse to bills piling sky high,a 15 yr old that has almost driven me to the point of craziness&a husband that works out of town.I often stop and pray for the Lord to see me through but as a human,I continue to try and do things on my own so,again thanks for the encouragement!!! Please pray for me.
Ok, so this devo is SO perfect for me and my hubby right now. We tried for a while fertility treatments to have a 3rd baby, with NO success. SO, we decided to let go and let GOD. Yes, I worried and prayed HARD for another baby, but we never timed anything. Well, now we are 7 weeks pregnant! Talk about letting your nets on the other side of the boat. This is truly a miracle baby! Actually our other 2 are miracle babies too! GOD is SO good ALL the time! Thank you for this most timely devo. Thank you for your ministry. GOD always shows up right on time!! Julie
j-bug@att.net
Proverbs 3:5-6
Our family always uses the Eeyore comparison when someone is acting gloomy...Thanks for this post-I've got some kicking to do. BTW, I loved The Mailbox, and She makes it Look Easy is on the way!Blessings,Jane @ See Jane Learn
Thanks to each of you who let me know this devotion was just what you needed. I know sometimes I just need a kick in the pants to get me going in the direction I've been avoiding. That's why I wrote this devotion-- when I read that verse I knew that was what Jesus was showing me through it. That sometimes I've had to try the other side-- when really I just wanted to do what was comfortable and familiar.
Thanks again guys-- your encouragement was welcomed!!
And for those who said you're buying my new book, a million thanks.
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