Reading: Psalms 128 - 131
My Verse: "But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me" (131:2).
I love this verse! It speaks to that great need we have for a quiet soul - peace! How the world clammers and yammers at us! Way too often we succumb to whatever it is that is crying out at us! Oh, LORD God, help me to calm and quiet my soul.
Because this verse says "But I have . . .", I realize that I am able to calm myself. I must use the abilities You, LORD God give me to be proactive and do what is needed to calm and quiet my soul. Too many want to say, "Well, that is just the way I am." This is a poor excuse for indulging oneself and giving into those many temptations that You, LORD God, warn us against.
You mean for us to live full abundant lives! (John 10:10)
You mean for us to live purposeful lives! "Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people)" (Ephesians 5:15). We must purpose in our hearts to live for You, LORD God. As Paul told us, "But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit" (Galatians 5:16).
You do not want us to live in fear but to be disciplined and strong. "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7). To be like a "weaned child" I need to exert self-control! This is not an easy thing to learn! How I admire those great spiritual giants that lived before me! And yet, when I read their stuff I realize that they too struggled with self-discipline. I need to remind myself (over and over!) that this is a process that I will get better at but never completely master as long as I live on this earth. I also need to be reminded that I cannot do this on my own power. Calvin Miller gleaned some great truths and strategies from Terese of Avila's writings.
The first is to realize that Satan is behind all the clamoring at our souls! We must defeat him by praising other's achievements; anticipating when we are vulnerable and avoid situations that tempt us; realize that You, LORD God are vital to our true happiness not worldly gain; and avoid falling into the "what if" cycle that spirals into a "poor me" pity party!
Then we need to realize that You, LORD God are LOVE! You love us more that we can ever realize and You allow things to happen to us for our good. Plus, You will never push us beyond what we can endure - how I need to remember this! (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Thirdly, we need to take time to meditate or focus on You, LORD God! I like how Miller explains this. "The essence of focusing is the quietening of the heart and stopping the busyness of the mind." He then says what it does. "Focusing is a way of breaking the thrall that the world has over us."
We are to use what Miller calls "selective listening." Teresa says in her writings that we are "not to listen to everyone who brings their opinion against us." Even You LORD Jesus addressed this in Luke 8:18. "Therefore consider carefully how you listen." It is so easy to allow what someone says to spiral one down into an anguish of the soul!
Finally, we are to remember that You, LORD God, are our Father in heaven! You love us as a father would. Matthew 7:11 and Luke 11:11-12 make this very clear.
Thank you for this. Help me today to use these strategies to calm and quiet my soul!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: "But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me" (131:2).
I love this verse! It speaks to that great need we have for a quiet soul - peace! How the world clammers and yammers at us! Way too often we succumb to whatever it is that is crying out at us! Oh, LORD God, help me to calm and quiet my soul.
Because this verse says "But I have . . .", I realize that I am able to calm myself. I must use the abilities You, LORD God give me to be proactive and do what is needed to calm and quiet my soul. Too many want to say, "Well, that is just the way I am." This is a poor excuse for indulging oneself and giving into those many temptations that You, LORD God, warn us against.
You mean for us to live full abundant lives! (John 10:10)
You mean for us to live purposeful lives! "Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people)" (Ephesians 5:15). We must purpose in our hearts to live for You, LORD God. As Paul told us, "But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit" (Galatians 5:16).
You do not want us to live in fear but to be disciplined and strong. "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7). To be like a "weaned child" I need to exert self-control! This is not an easy thing to learn! How I admire those great spiritual giants that lived before me! And yet, when I read their stuff I realize that they too struggled with self-discipline. I need to remind myself (over and over!) that this is a process that I will get better at but never completely master as long as I live on this earth. I also need to be reminded that I cannot do this on my own power. Calvin Miller gleaned some great truths and strategies from Terese of Avila's writings.
The first is to realize that Satan is behind all the clamoring at our souls! We must defeat him by praising other's achievements; anticipating when we are vulnerable and avoid situations that tempt us; realize that You, LORD God are vital to our true happiness not worldly gain; and avoid falling into the "what if" cycle that spirals into a "poor me" pity party!
Then we need to realize that You, LORD God are LOVE! You love us more that we can ever realize and You allow things to happen to us for our good. Plus, You will never push us beyond what we can endure - how I need to remember this! (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Thirdly, we need to take time to meditate or focus on You, LORD God! I like how Miller explains this. "The essence of focusing is the quietening of the heart and stopping the busyness of the mind." He then says what it does. "Focusing is a way of breaking the thrall that the world has over us."
We are to use what Miller calls "selective listening." Teresa says in her writings that we are "not to listen to everyone who brings their opinion against us." Even You LORD Jesus addressed this in Luke 8:18. "Therefore consider carefully how you listen." It is so easy to allow what someone says to spiral one down into an anguish of the soul!
Finally, we are to remember that You, LORD God, are our Father in heaven! You love us as a father would. Matthew 7:11 and Luke 11:11-12 make this very clear.
Thank you for this. Help me today to use these strategies to calm and quiet my soul!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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