Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.
The wild animals honor me,
    the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
    the people I formed for myself
    that they may proclaim my praise.

• Isaiah 43:18-21

“This devotion is for one of ‘those days.’  Yes, that kind.
“If you are having a tough start to your day, I understand.  Me too.  I’ve been up since 3:00 am and will seriously need some Holy Spirit empowering to make it until bedtime.
“I’m tired.  But I’m also feeling under attack.  I know you know what I mean.
“Satan typically throws everything he can at us to try to make us start off our days on an unglued footing.  There will be kids who don’t feel well.  Marital tiffs.  Unexpected demands that pop up on our to-do lists.  Dogs that run away.  And a mountain of laundry to be done.
“And I just might have a little personal experience this morning with each and every item on that list.  Lovely.
“… Here are three things I’m preaching to myself this morning: 1) I’m not a slave to my feelings.  I’m the boss of them.  2) Just because I’ve had a few bad moments this morning doesn’t make me a bad person.  3) This shall pass.  In the meantime, the best thing for me is to position my heart in a place where I can experience God.”

• Lysa TerKeurst, Craving God

When I read this devotion a few weeks ago, it was not a Monday, but she entitled the devotion, “Rainy Days and Mondays.”  That instantly sent me down a rabbit hole, and off and on for three weeks, I have had an earworm of a song that I have not listened to for years, until now.

“Funny, but it seems that it’s the only thing to do
Run and find the one who loves me”

• Paul H. Williams, Rainy Days and Mondays

“it’s the only thing to do, run and find the one who loves me.”  Indeed!  We know God loves us.  The only thing to do is run to Him.

I cannot agree with Ms. TerKeurst’s three points – entirely.  At times, I am not the boss of my emotions.  I have known people who were the boss of their emotions.  They were made of stone.  They bottled everything up, that is, if they ever “felt.”  They gave no indication that they ever felt, until you did not do as they said.  Then, they might show anger, but they would never show compassion and forget giving a hug.  I am free to roam along with my emotions.  They do not control my day, but they affect my day.

On the second point, I see how people try to convince themselves that they are not bad people, and I immediately turn to Romans 3:23 in my mind.  Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.  In the world’s eyes, we may not be bad people, but in God’s eyes we cannot be “good” people – except.  Yes, our sins are washed away by our faith in Jesus Christ.  When we believe in Him and even that belief is a gift of God, we have a total commitment to Jesus Christ and our belief in Him and His power, and our trust in Him is unwavering, even when our emotions betray us.

That leads to the last point in Ms. TerKeurst’s devotion, the point that makes reading the devotion worthwhile.  We can wallow in self-pity or we can seek the One who makes all things right.  I chose the latter.

In God’s presence, the circumstances of the day melt away.  They may not be corrected, but we gain strength in God’s presence.  We can put priorities on what is going on around us and redirect our focus on the important things of life.  We can cast aside any residual issues of which Satan will most assuredly remind us.

Today, as you read this, it may not be Monday.  It may not be rainy.  But it may be one of “those days.”  These days, having “those days” could be a common occurrence if we read and watch too many news reports.

But…  With our eyes fixed intently on the goal, to be more like Jesus, we can ignore the craziness of this fallen world and find Peace in the arms of our Lord and Savior.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.