January 21, 2018

"You, o Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop, with my God I can scale a wall" Psalm 18:28

I found myself wondering this week, why everything in the news has to be so negative, and filled with so much fear? The other morning, in less than 5 minutes, I was informed about the chaos in Hawaii generated by a false nuclear alarm, a mother crying over her son's death due to the current flu, and an airplane in Turkey with more than 150 people on board, hanging off a cliff, about to plunge into the sea. The next day, as I was passing the TV room, I heard a woman crying over her sister's death during a c-section.

My first reaction was anger and frustration, why can't they show something positive? Upon reflection, I reminded myself how important it is to choose God, His Word over the world's wisdom. It is a choice. It doesn't mean that I need to be oblivious about what is happening around me, but I can only assess and ingest that correctly, if I first spend time with God, so close that I can hear His whisper. When I feel overwhelmed by the loud voice of the world, I need to take refuge in the Lord.

 I love this passage from the devotional, Jesus Calling. "Therefore, you don't need to be afraid of anything- not even cataclysmic circumstances. The media are increasingly devoted to fear-inducing subject matter: terrorism, serial killers, environmental catastrophes. If you focus on such dangers and forget that I am your Refuge in all circumstances, you will become increasingly fearful. Every day I manifest My grace in countless places and situations, but the media take no notice. I shower not only blessings but also outright miracles on your planet."

There are indeed so many miracles happening. How do I get to see them, besides spending time with God and His Word? I think gratitude is the key for seeing miracles. It's first, a great cure for negativity. We can't practice negativity and gratitude at the same time. It's like an eyeglass cleaner; it helps us to see well. "God gave you a gift of 86, 400 seconds today. Have you used one to say 'thank you'?" William Arthur Ward. There are indeed so many things around us that we can choose to be grateful for.

Lord, help us to keep our focus on you. Help us to remember that no matter what the world around us tells us, no matter how many Superman and Wonder Woman Hollywood produces, You are our strength and you are the only one who can truly make us go against a troop, and scale walls. Help us to trust in You.