Casting My Cares At His Feet

Today’s Reading: Psalm 119:1-88; 1 Thessalonians 5

“May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word” (Psalm 119:41-42 NIV).

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV).

Joy, thanksgiving: things that should be so evident in my life, but aren’t at the moment. Fear, anxiousness: the feelings that are riddling my heart day in and day out. God has given me so many beautiful blessings, including a loving husband and a sweet baby girl, yet, right now, I’m not seeing those blessings in their fullest degree. Instead, the devil is being given control of my thoughts and emotions. Oh how I long to be filled with joy and thanksgiving, but how? How do I grab a hold of these things, and banish the others from my heart?

The answer is so simple it amazes me.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV).

I give all my anxieties, worries and fears to the one who is ultimately in control. I let Him take them from me, and replace them with His perfect peace. I claim the joy that is so readily waiting for me, if only I let go. If only I let God take control.

Do you have anything you need to let go of today?

A Quiet Life

Today's Reading: Psalms 116-118; 1 Thessalonians 4

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NIV).

For a moment the house is quiet. My little girl is blissfully napping, and I am enjoying some time alone with God. The house isn’t quiet very often these days. Instead, it’s filled with the wailing cries of an infant at all hours of the day and night. She cries to express her needs: her need to be fed, her need to be changed, her need to just be held. Doesn’t sound very different from us sometimes, does it? We too, need to be spiritual fed and changed on a daily basis. We are in need of a Savior who will hold us close and tend to our every need. And sometimes we simply need to cry, and know that we’ll be understood. But this doesn’t come without a quiet time. I believe that our hearts long for such times, be they a minute or an hour, when we can come before our Savior and open our hearts up wide. We long for moments of quiet where we can hear His voice. Where we don’t have to “guess” what His purpose and plan might be, but we simply know, because we’re so in tune with Him. Yes, we long for a quiet life, yet we neglect to seek it out. We get caught up in this entertainment world and spend every second of our day listening to music, watching our television, and playing on the computer. We neglect the calling of our heart for peace and quiet and closeness with our Savior. We neglect one of the things we need more than anything.

Do you need quiet time with your Savior today? Seek it out. It may be for one minute, or five minutes, or an hour, but you won’t regret it.