There are many things we can live without on Sunday. We can make it through the day if our favorite football team fails on the field. If we choose our Sunday best to wear, only to discover in the church parking lot a previously unnoticed stain or rip…we must press on, valiant warrior. Perhaps the sanctuary was a little too warm or slightly colder than we prefer – there need be no expectation of Armageddon to ensue. Traffic, bodily aches, abysmal finances, grief, anemic faith, loneliness, lack of opportunities…we may endure one or more of these but I promise that we can still experience the preciousness of knowing Christ is near. On this Lord’s Day I would like to suggest that the one thing that we must have is the sense of His presence within us.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” -Isaiah 26:3 {ESV}
May we be empowered to cooperate with this divinely inspired remedy against anxiety and hopelessness. If God would enable our minds to become trained to rest wholly and solely upon Him as we rise then our days would begin with a spark, burn brightly for long hours and serve as a nightlight when it is time again to sleep. He has given you His eternal word whereby you are able to know who He is, how He is and what He is doing. For you who are redeemed, He has deposited His Spirit within you for all of life’s journey. As your Shepherd, He leads you and orders your steps today. As your Great Physician he tends to your ills and will give you such strength as is needed to accomplish His will today. Is He not your Counselor? Then today you must pour out your complaint before Him, cast your care upon Him and welcome Him to bottle your tears. Because He is committed as your Strong Tower you are able to gain an exalted view from the upper chamber’s window of faith. You can see things as He sees them and gain a big-picture perspective on what is going on with you. He loves to speak to you but there is an urgent need be very still and quiet at times because His most treasured truths will be whispered to you. Even if there seems to be no fresh, new word proceeding from Him today, He would always have you to remember His promise to return and fetch you someday – perhaps someday soon. Yes, He’s moving you rapidly toward the day when you will be like Him because you will see Him as He is. What tranquility of soul arises from the mist of fretfulness when we recall that the Almighty God of the ages has made an appointment with us.
What will own your mind today? Make it up quickly lest the events of today make up your mind for you. You not only have the right to be consumed with your great God, you have the call to do so. The result of this is for you and I experience a peace that passes all understanding. Peace, power, rest and assurance.
Let us
think
upon Him
today
with a mind
that tarries
long.