Sometimes you have to grab your soul by the “scruff of the neck,” and talk to yourself about what thoughts that come to your mind which you are going to CHOOSE to LISTEN to, and in reality allow to DOMINATE your thinking and influence the decisions and life you are going to live today!!
The Psalmist as it were took the initiative, called a meeting with himself and laid out that he was in charge of what he was going to allow his mind to continually think about and talk the truth to Himself about! And he said, “Bless the LORD O my soul, and all that is WITHIN me, Bless His Holy Name!” If you don’t talk truth to yourself you will have thoughts talk to you! “Whatever is TRUE …THINK on these…” -{ Read Psalm 103:1-5; Phil 4:8} –
What Thoughts have you been listening to and allowing them to “speak ” to you?
The Psalmist determined he would “Bless,” “praise… Speak well of ” the LORD… and in verse 2-5 specifically reminding himself of His Pardoning his sins, His healing his sin sick soul, His redeeming him from the pit, His crowning him with mercies “Bless the LORD O my soul and ALL that is WITHIN me, Bless His Holy Name!”
What Truth will you speak to yourself about now?
NOTE the highlighted words in Psalm 103, as a means to help you THINK on truth in order to PRAISE Him …
“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. “-{Psalm 103:1-5}
You Can’t Stop Thoughts Coming to your mind, But “In Christ,” you have the POWER to CHOOSE What you THINK CONTINUALLY on and PRACTICE…according to Philippians 4:8-9.
For example a discouraging, depressing thought comes to your mind, examine it and reply as the Psalmist, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again— my Savior and my God.”-{Psalm 42:5 nlt}. Note he asks questions “why?” twice and he answers with what he will do”I will…I will.” He does not succumb any longer, he takes action. An anxious thought comes to you, know the LORD wants you to cast ALL of your anxieties upon Him because “He cares for you.” -{1 Peter 5:7}.
And how do you and I do that? By prayer, talking to Him about it and Giving to Him your anxieties in EXCHANGE for His Peace! Hmm, hold onto your anxieties and forfeit peace, or Give them all to Him and have peace and forfeit anxieties! One or the other has to be forfeited, which one will you and I choose?
Here is how to practically do it, “Be anxious in nothing but in everything by prayer, supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ.”{Read Phil 4:8-9}.
The anxious thoughts which seek to dominate your thinking and dishearten and distract you from devotion to the LORD and occupied with Him, “But God…” has made His way for you not to be beaten down, He did this through the Cross to save us, anxiety is a sin issue, a false belief system that God does not care, is not able to meet you, Anxiety comes with the poisonous tip to dishonor Him and destroy you! Anxious thoughts may come to your mind, But you do not have to choose to let your mind dwell there, you have the Power and pathway through His Spirit by His Word to lead you to the LORD and turn the temptation into Supplication…talking to Him! So even the temptation God can use for good as it can turn you to…HIM!
Coming to the LORD Jesus does not mean you are free from troubles or troubling thoughts BUT GOD… He has made a way for us not to be DOMINATED by them but to DOMINATE them by replacing them with Truth and THINKING and REPLAYING truth again and again in your mind. It takes faith, it takes obedience, in Him who is Faithful!
You are in charge of what you CONTINUALLY CHOOSE TO THINK ON… That is GREAT News, GOD’S NEWS, that’s why we are to MEDITATE on His Word, and our lives are “transformed,” by the “renewing” of our… Mind… and the First and greatest commandment is that we “LOVE the LORD our God with ALL…your MIND.”
So, your mind, helps instruct, influence your thinking, your motivations and actions and also the highest purpose is to love God with your mind…. so, grab your soul by “the scruff of the neck” and you determine what you will CONTINUALLY THINK, LISTEN and TALK to your soul about! – {Read Psalm 1:2, Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8-9; Luke 10:27; Philippians 2:13}.
Christ died to save us from sin and to help us know how to align our thinking with God’s and set our mind on things above, which helps us to live on earth, with Heavens perspective, and to develop new Godly habits such as learning to THINK RIGHT. Think Right in our relationships, Think Right when we are alone. Think Right about our work, Think Right how we behave at Ball games, Think Right in order to Do Right in His eyes and understanding He will enable us .
Is it a fight? Yes, some days worse than others, “BUT GOD..”…“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”-{Phil 2:13 nlt}. How do you combat thoughts that are full of unbelief, lies, accusations, despair, anxiety etc, tempting to turn you away from the LORD? Paul tells us to “…take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”-{Ephesians 6:16}. The Truth of God’s Word is our weapon to know and use by faith! The LORD Jesus this when tempted by the devil in Matthew 4! We feed our mind’s with His Word, and depending upon Him to remind us when our minds are straying and to develop and strengthen new Godly habits in our THINKING…. in those quiet moments, CHOOSING to THINK on His Word,
What Truth will you speak to yourself about now? –