Journal Entry ~ 02/21/19

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.  - Psalm 34:18-19

The LORD promises to deliver us out of all of our afflictions...but how exactly does He do that?  When we are deep in the valley, it can be so hard to feel His comfort. 

It comes down to what commands our meditations. What are we focusing our thoughts on? Far too often it’s the suffering that holds our attention. We think on it, roll it around in our minds, and imagine the worst. We don’t let it go. 

In moments of suffering, biblical faith never calls you to deny reality.  But if you cannot do this without being consumed by the thoughts, then you don't have biblical faith in your trials. Our suffering should not be the focus of our meditations - if it is, it's time to capture your thinking. 

Our meditations should be on the Lord. He should be what rules out hearts, our minds. You have the greatest influence on yourself and your thinking than...you talk to yourself more than anyone. What are you saying to yourself?  Are you feeding yourself the glory of God? Are you capturing your thinking and making it obedient to Christ? Our meditations should be on goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. We are to be consumed with who He is and all He has done. 

If our thoughts are on ourselves, our focus is self. God calls us to think on Him, and to think on others more than we think on ourselves. One of the greatest ways I have found to distract myself from the thoughts that want to consume me while I am deep in a trial, is to serve others. Get the focus off of yourself, and put it on others. He will do amazing things through that obedience. 

In the darkest moments of suffering, your circumstances have not changed from where they were before your suffering started. Circumstances do not change the One on whom you stand.  Biblical faith requires that you remember where your help comes from.  We must continually call His faithfulness to mind, His comfort, and His strength if we are to find Him in the struggles this life will bring us. 

He *will* deliver you out of this trial - it is momentary in the grand scheme of things, and though it hurts deeply at times - so deeply that it can take our breath away, we must keep the eternal perspective. This moment, this trial, is but a blip in all existence, and He will deliver us from this moment and from this trial. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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