March 27
The Good Remembered
"Whatever things are of good report…meditate on these things."
"In 1892, John Hyde boarded a ship in New York harbor and set out for India. His goal was to proclaim the gospel to people who had not heard about Jesus. During the next 20 years he earned the nickname "Praying Hyde" because he often spent hours and even many days in prayer for the salvation of nonbelievers and the revival of Christ's followers. On one occasion, Hyde was upset about the spiritual coldness of a pastor, so he began to pray, "O Father, you know how cold—" But it was as if a finger stopped his lips from uttering the man's name. Hyde was horrified when he realized that he had judged the man harshly. He confessed his critical spirit and then determined not to focus on the shortcomings of others but to see them as individuals whom God loves. Hyde asked the Lord to show him things that were "of good report" in the pastor's life, and he praised God for the man's virtues. Hyde learned later that during this exact time the pastor's spiritual life was revitalized."
-Selected
How many times have we allowed our mind, our thoughts to carry us off in a direction that we never intended to take? The mind is what steers the ship of our life. Sometimes we will float quietly along in the still waters confident and secure but then other times we will set sail right out into the middle of a squall. Remembering the good is choosing the purposeful road of addressing the power that our thoughts have upon our actions. As God’s daughter in Christ, we cannot fail in realizing the detriment our thoughts can have upon our walk and service for His Kingdom. But just as they have the potential to destroy, our thoughts also have the potential to propel. Our thinking can either be a weight or a wing for our Christian walk. The power that the mind has to influence our lives is so profound that God set boundaries of protection around it from the very beginning of time.
When we look back all the way to the account of creation, we see God instructing His child to have nothing to do with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Why? Because knowledge involves the mind! It’s been a frame of protection around our lives instituted by God Himself that we protect our mind by protecting our knowledge. The good is what God wants us to focus on; the good of Him and the truth of His Word which is always good! Our mind is the gateway to our attitudes and actions. If we harness in our thinking, we can have the freedom to become all that God wants us to be.
Stinking thinking leads to sour living.
Pearls of Grace is a book of devotions for the entire year, including a read through the Bible in a year calendar, broken down for every day. Beautifully written with encouraging words of hope and empowering words of joy and strength for every woman. Pam draws from the truth and richness of God's Word and gives real life examples in her down to earth style. A must have in your library, click here for more information.
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