This has been a particularly hard day.  The battle for my mind has been arduous to say the least.  However, as long as I can keep it in perspective, I'm okay.  It is a battle for my thoughts, between God and the enemy.  God wants me to keep my mind on things above, Satan wants me to think about all that has gone wrong, and could go wrong in my life.

When I allow the negative to win, my mind goes to places it shouldn't.  Like, why am I here?  I have no purpose, I should just give up.  That's the lie!

God says, that I have a purpose, that before time began He had plotted out my destiny.  So what gets in the way?  Doubt and unbelief.  Lack of faith.  All of which are sins.  How can I doubt the One who created me?

When I begin to doubt it shows two things at work in my mind.  The need to control and lack of patience.  The more I want to control and the more impatient I am, God is funny this way, the longer He makes me wait.  Think about it.  Whenever you have been anxious about something, it never seems to happen.

It's like the child who is promised that they will go to Disneyland soon.  The day never seems to come, and the longer the parent delays in taking them the more impatient and demanding the child becomes.  However, if the child were to say to the parent, "You're never going to take me, I don't believe you!"  The parent would probably say, and rightly so, "If you're going to act like that, you are correct we aren't going."

Sometimes we step on our own blessings by trying to "demand" that God do it our way and in our timing.  How do we do this?  We go out and try to make the situation happen according to our own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5, say we are to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and we are not to lean on our own understanding.

When we attempt to handle things according to our own understanding and ideas, we really mess it up.  We have to be on constant guard with our thoughts, and ever vigilante against the ploys of the enemy.  Temptation comes from both sources.  We must be careful not to blame or give too much credit for our wrong thoughts to the devil.

The only way to stay on top of this and keep our minds straight is to keep our minds on things above.  Reading scripture on a regular basis, praying consistently, turning away from the things that would distract us or make us despondent.

One way to handle this is to memorize a Psalm in it's entirety.  These treasures are the key to sanity when all is falling into insanity around us.  I would not suggest trying to remember the 119th Psalm unless your just a glutton for wearing out your brain.  That's a very, very long one.

It may sound cliche, but I recite the 23rd Psalm when things are feeling overwhelming.  Sometimes I repeat it a couple of times, until I am sure that my mind is back where it belongs.  Focusing on God's grace and mercy, and the fact that He is in control.

Write the Psalm out on an index card so you can carry it around with you until you have it down, or download an app on your smartphone.  Whatever works, just have it with you always until you have it down to memory.  Try it, I promise you'll like it.

Father,
Please help us to stay focused on You and Your word at all times.  Keep us meditating on what is pleasing in Your site.  We praise You for Your patience with us as we waver in our faith and belief.  Trusting You to get us back to right standing with You, in all our ways, thought and deeds.


In Jesus name, Amen