Feeling Dry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjNZf878ISQ

Oh My Soul ~ Casting Crowns

 

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Saviour and my God.

~ Psalm 43:5 NIV

 

Have you ever had a good day, but then suddenly, for no apparent reason, you felt sad, like to the point of tears? We’d had a good day, but suddenly, I felt like crying and couldn’t explain why. I did try to explain it: maybe I’m overtired; maybe it’s because I’m a girl; perhaps it’s hormones. Who knows? I certainly didn’t.

 

After everyone had gone to bed, I sat down with my Bible and journal and flipped to Psalm 43:5 and began writing the verse. As I began to write, God did a beautiful thing for me; two things, actually. The first, was that He washed His peace over me, and I no longer felt anxious or sad. The second, was that He allowed my eyes to drift into the next column and see where I had previously underlined Psalm 42:2:

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?

That was the answer to my emotional tizzy: my soul was needing to meet with God.

 

Due to several things, I had an immensely hard time waking up this morning, which left my quiet-time choppy (at best), as I juggled the girls' needs, instead of keeping my “date” with Jesus. And I (clearly) needed that time. I needed to allow God time to hold me, Holy Spirit to speak to me, and Jesus to lead me. But because I didn’t take the time at the start, something in my day left me feeling dry…until I sat and met with God. It’s an amazing and beautiful thing what entering His presence does for you.

 

If, throughout the course of your day, you find yourself feeling dry, take the advice given in Psalm 42:5-8, (MSG):

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
    everything I know of you,

. . .
Then God promises to love me all day,
    sing songs all through the night!
    My life is God’s prayer.

©Heather Potts 2022

A Spirit of Self-Control

Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. ~ Genesis 4:7

It’s been reported that in the third trimester of pregnancy not only do the symptoms of the first trimester come back, but they are intensified.  Yesterday was the day that it all seemed true for me.  I couldn’t find anything to calm my heartburn and everything, including drinking water, seemed to trigger it.  I was exhausted, having gotten very choppy sleep.  And emotionally, I was both drained but at the same time, charged.  Something happened at work that frustrated me.  I wisely, decided I would ignore the situation until another day, when I thought I would be calmer.  All the way home, I questioned my reaction to the situation: was I reacting to due to stress, due to lack of sleep, due to hormones, due to pride, or a combination?  In talking with my husband, he said it was just a test, saying that the end of the marathon is never easier than the beginning, but crossing the finish line in victory is so sweet.

This morning when I woke up, I realized that while physically, medically, my hormones may be coursing through my body, effecting my emotions, my thoughts, and my reactions.  Spiritually, I didn’t have to succumb to any of that.  God whispered His promises to me and those are the things I’ve chosen to stand firm upon: I have the mind of Christ; I was not given a spirit of fear, but one of Power, of Love, and of a Sound-Mind and Self-Control (1 Corinthians 2:16; 2 Timothy 1:7).  And because of that, I have the power to keep myself calm in the fact of temptation and of adversity.  I don’t have to let my emotions control me.  I have been given the tools and the power to overcome them.  Just because many have fallen prey to it doesn’t mean I have to anymore.

Thank you, Father, for this beautiful and amazing promise you have given to me today.

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ~ 1 John 5:4