Rainy Days and Mondays

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing?  Now it springs up;

do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in 

the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

(ISAIAH 43:18-19)

Thought for the Day:  The best thing for me to do is to postition my heart 

in a place where I can experience God.

This devotion is for one of "those days." Yes, that kind.  If you're having a tough start to your day, I understand.  Me too.  I've been up since 3:00 am and will seriously need some Holy Spirit empowering to make it until bedtime.

I'm tired.  But I'm also feeling under attack.  I know you know what I mean.

Satan typically throws everything he can at us to try to make us start off our days on an unglued footing.  There will be kids who don't feel well.  Marital tiffs.  Unexpected demands that pop up on our to-do-lists.  Dogs that run away.  And a mountain of laundry to be done.

And I just might have a little personal experience this morning with each and every item on that list.  Lovely.  On days like this, I have to stand on what I know to be true instead of being whisked away in a sea of emotion.  Here are three things I'm preaching to myself this morning:

1.  I'm not a slave to my feelings.  I'm the boss of them.

2.  Just because I've had a few bad moments this morning doesn't make me a bad person.

3.  This too shall pass.  In the meantime, the best thing for me is to position my heart in a place where I can experience God.

And trust me, there is no better place to experience God than by opening His Word and then opening my heart to that Word.  Which is exactly what I'm tempted to put off doing on an off-track day.  Bust then I read a verse like our key verse:  "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!  Now its springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."  (Isaiah 43:18-19).  See?  God will make a way on this off-track day to put me and my unglued heart back on track.

I'm deciding to boss my feelings, realize bad moments don't define me, and look for the way God is already truning this day around.

Dear Lord, I want to remember that You are always here for me--on good days and bad.  Help me to enjoy the good ones and receive Your help on the not-so-good ones.  In Jesus' name Amen.

Lysa Terkeurst

(Unglued Devotional)