I have to start out by letting you all know in the time I did not have a laptop I switched Bible study guides. I needed a change and God lead me to a great study based on Joyce Meyer's book Battlefield of the Mind. So you will notice a different format and theme to my blog entries. I hope you enjoy them!
So my daily E-mail devotion today was on being thankful and not complaining. I was up for the challenge to not complain about anything for one day. That was the action plan in my devotion. There are a few things I really wanted to complain about! The other devotion I read on my You Version Bible had a similar title, "Pray and Give Thanks." I am thinking God wanted to teach me something!
It is easy to complain. There does not even have to be big things to complain about. I challenge you to go through one day without complaining. I even challenge you to take it a step further and actually thank Him for the good, bad and ugly. Remember through trials come depth of character, patience, an increase of faith, among many other wonderful things. Heck, since we already went one stop further let's go another. I challenge you (and myself) to also not let your mind be unthankful and complaint-filled. Proverbs 23: reads, "For as he thinks in his heart, so he is."
Galatians 6:9) And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
Today's title has been one of my theme's for many years now. The verse in Galatians has also been very important to me. I have mentioned it in other blogs, the concept of continuing to move in the right direction even when it appears nothing is changing. There have been times when I have grown very wearing of doing the right things. Stack this on top of intense insomnia and that makes for someone who desperately wants to quit. Deep down I know that quitting is not an option and Galatians 6:9 offers a wonderful promise to those who act nobly and righteous. The promise is He will lift you up.
I think of my two devotions this morning and compare them to today's Bible study. How do they relate? I took on the challenge to be thankful for everything today and to not utter a word of complaint. Generally speaking I am not a Debbie Downer, but we can all improve. My struggle is in dealing with my health issues. That is where I can be unthankful and full of complaints. Today I put focus on the good that has come out of my health issues down to the smallest detail. Did my world move? Did I see angels? Did my health issue miraculously disappear? Did my attitude instantly and permanently change? No. I am clinging to the promises in Galatians 6:9.
I firmly believe the Holy Spirit laid the principles on my heart today and I intend to grab on to them. I believe the more I listen and obey God the more treasures He gives me. My mom always said it took 30 days to break a habit. Of course, like usual, she was referring to a horse, but the concept is well known and accepted. After 30 days if the struggle is still there take another 30 days and another and another. The point in Galatians 6:9 is to not lose heart or grow weary...just keep on. So whatever your struggle is I encourage you to keep on, pursue righteousness, and heed the Holy Spirit. He is with you through it all helping if you let Him
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