Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. – Psalm 116:7

Lately, I have been operating at extremes.  My highs are amazingly high, and my lows are pretty low.  As soon as I realize I’m in a low place, I have as immediately as possible forced my thoughts to the goodness of God.  I bypass all the evil speaking to me that gives me reason after reason that I can’t go into God’s presence.  I cannot even begin to tell you how valuable this has been.  I don’t know if the spiritual forces of evil are really ramping up, but it sure feels like it.

One of my favorite things to pray lately is the armor of God. The piece that means the most to me right now is the breastplate of righteousness.  When I’m putting it on in my mind, all I can do is thank God over and over.  One of the evilest ploys of the devil is to make you and I believe that we must earn our salvation.  I don’t know about you, but when I give an honest grade to my Christianity, it is never that high of a mark.  Even when God shows up the most, there is usually some bad attitude that I had beforehand or some horrid thought that, if I had followed, would have derailed it all.  In His presence, there is nothing but awe and wonder that He even allows me to participate.  It is an amazing feeling knowing that I can simply put on righteousness.  He gives it to us!  All other religions make you earn it.  Jesus just straight up gives it to us if we will simply put it on.

Even this morning, it is like my mind is gravitating towards anxiety, busyness, and worry.  But the truth is, I have over an hour before I even leave my house.  I have spent those single hours before just playing on the internet, meandering around the house, or just thinking about all that must get done and how expensive it is going to be.  Not once has doing any of that made my day better.  What has made my day better is getting lost in the Word of God, worshipping to a great song, praying and/or soaking in His presence.  It does not change what has to get done, but it sure changes me.  I find that so often I wind up enjoying what normally would have been an exhausting, drama-filled, and stressful day. 

Our God knows how to work all things for our long-term good.  You and I have an enemy whose sole purpose is make you think otherwise.  Do not trade short-term pleasures for long-term peace.  It is never worth it!  

Ask Eve in Genesis 3 

Ask Achan in Joshua 7

Ask Samson in Judges 16

Ask David in 2 Samuel 11-12

Ask Gehazi in 2 Kings 5

Feel free to comment any more of these that you can think of.

Lord, with all my heart I love You, I thank You, I appreciate You, and I simply worship You.  You are the God over all gods. You are the ultimate truth.  I’m still amazed with all my flaws, with all my disobedience, and with all my apathy that you still find ways to work in me and through me.  Help me to slow everything down, Lord.  I want to walk with You.  I want to walk with You through the hard parts of my day as well as the easy parts.  Lead me, O Lord!  Guide me, O Lord! Keep Thou my feet on the narrow path.  May the joy of my walk lead others to join me.  Amen.