I woke up the other day fully aware I needed help to get my thoughts aligned and focused once again with God’s truth. Emotions were getting the best of me, and the only way to reign them in is by filling my head with new thoughts.
Paul prayed for the Philippians to be filled with knowledge, discernment, and with truth so they would be able to know what really matters in life. Then they would be able to address life with God’s truth, and thus live in such a way to bring glory and honor and praise to God.
“Do you find yourself at this very moment surrounded with needs, and nearly overwhelmed with difficulties, trials, and emergencies?
The very trials that threatened to overcome you with discouragement and disaster will become God’s opportunity to reveal His grace and glory in your life, in ways you have never known before.
“My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
What a source – “God”! What a supply – “His glorious riches”! What a channel – “Christ Jesus”! It is your heavenly privilege to trust “all your needs: to “his glorious riches” and to forget “your needs’ in the presence of “his riches”. He has thrown open to you His exhaustive treasury.”
(from Streams in the Desert, May 27th)
God not only wants to provide, He has made a way for abundant provision. Our problem is we often try to envision His provision through our feeble thoughts, when what we need most is His eternal truths.
Reading the devotional brought clarity:
- We must fill our minds with His truth. Leave no space unoccupied.
- God knows our needs and will supply them as we humble ourselves before Him.
- Sometimes our “need” is for His peace, for which He will always gives an abundant supply.
“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7, NLT)
Come to Him.
He truly does have an abundance of peace which He will supply;
and His peace will guard your heart and mind.
“When we approach our activities with a sense of wonder, we allow in flexibility to our outcomes.” In her post, Choosing a Rhythm to Shake Performance Stress Away, Lynn Simpson reminds us to relax and enjoy the journey, and become less concerned with perfection.
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
I love that line about how we try to “envision His provision through our feeble thoughts, when what we need most is His eternal truths.” Amen. May we fill our minds with His truth, know and do His will, and experience His peace.
Amen Joanne. Your words remind me of the verse in Matthew 6:8, where Christ tells His disciples the Father knows our needs even before we ask Him, yet He desires we come to Him in prayer. I believe bringing our needs to God is more about us learning to find rest and peace in His presence in our needy estate. Knowing He already has a full understanding of our needs, deeper even than we can possibly express brings the peace that passes all understanding that we are safe, loved, and that our good father will see to it that we have all we need.
‘We must fill our minds with His truth. Leave no space unoccupied.’
Wow. What our lives would look like, what our testimony would would show.
Taking this with me, Joanne!
I can notice when I my focus has wavered away from His word, I begin to get restless and even agitated. So true that His truth produces discernment, knowledge, and peace within us!
Philippians is one of my favorites! And Paul explains in Phil. 4;8 how to keep our minds on truth – “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (NLT) Fix your thoughts – we must be intentional about putting our minds on good things and not allow ourselves to dwell on anything else. Then we will have peace.
“The very trials that threatened to overcome you with discouragement and disaster will become God’s opportunity to reveal His grace and glory in your life, in ways you have never known before.” A good word.
Your insight comes at an apt moment! It refreshed my spirit! He will meet my needs–yes-but His glory will be revealed. Praying that in the revealing, eyes will see Him anew and follow Him. Thank you for sharing your heart today! It impacted mine!
There are mornings in my world that get off to a bumpy or distracted start and I forget or don’t take time to begin the new day in God’s presence. When that happens, I feel off kilter all day long! It never fails! Your message today is a reminder of the peace we find when we begin our day with Him, centering all that follows in His presence! That reminder never gets old!
Thank you for this, Joanne: “The very trials that threatened to overcome you with discouragement and disaster will become God’s opportunity to reveal His grace and glory in your life, in ways you have never known before.” Such glorious, hope-filled truth!
I agree with the divine exchange, Joanne, our feelings and thoughts for His peace guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Thank you for these thoughts on the “divine exchange,” Joanne. Just as we get his righteousness in exchange for our sin at the point of our salvation, I need an ongoing exchange of my out-of-control thoughts for his perfect peace.
Joanne, I’m so thankful God knows what we need and is able to provide abundantly more than we could ask or imagine, even through the hardest experiences. Also, I’ve been reading from “Streams in the Desert” some this year too, and you might be interested to know the copy I’m reading this time used to belong to my Aunt Kay! (My sister gave it to me after she settled my aunt’s estate). Aunt Kay wrote and underlined throughout the whole book, and frequent mentions of hymns makes me think the devotions gave her ideas for songs to play at church on Sunday. I love that!
Lois, I am so glad that you shared this. And yes, I am just reading this now. I have the fondest of memories of your aunt! She played the piano beautifully. That copy has to be a treasure for sure! I cannot wait to share your comment with my parents shortly.