Alternative View - July 3, 2017
His Plan for Your Life
In His Presence: “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart! But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling” (Psalm 73:1).
There will be days when you find that you just don’t feel like worshiping God. Perhaps the temptation to compare yourself to someone else has caused you to feel down and even depressed. Driving home from work on Friday, you tell yourself you are glad the week is over because it has been a rough one. As you lament over how tired you feel, Satan blindsides you with the thought that your friends and coworkers do not really appreciate you.
By the time you open the front door of your home, your eyes have narrowed and your forehead has tightened. You are frustrated and ready to give up. Still, you do not pray and ask God for His perspective. You just keep repeatedly thinking through the day and rehearsing your negative feelings. Saturday morning you get up feeling haunted by the same emotions. By Sunday you force yourself to drive to church, but you certainly don’t feel like singing or praising God.
Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, would understand your plight. He allowed discouragement to grow in his life to the point where he was deeply disturbed.
Whenever we take our eyes off of God and His faithfulness, and begin to compare our lives with those around us, we either end up feeling defeated or prideful. God has created each one of us for a unique purpose, which includes worshiping Him.
Psalm 73 is a rambling account of what Asaph was feeling, but by the end, he realizes the truth and puts an end to his negativity. “As for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works” (v. 28).
The closer you are to God, the less likely the Enemy will have a shot at your emotions. Stay focused on what God has for you to do. You are His beloved child, and He has an amazing plan for your life. Will you praise Him for this?
One Minute Please
Sometimes God seems so far away that you can’t talk to anyone else but Him—because nobody else will understand what in the world you are talking about.
Watch Online Videos of Dr. Tony Evans and The Urban Alternative at LightSource.com
and
Listen to Dr. Tony Evans Online Broadcasts at OnePlace.com.
Weighed down by emotional strongholds, depression, anger, anxiety or others? In this new 5 CD compilation, Tony offers you a solution. You'll also get Tony's new book, Overcoming Addictive Behavior, as a thanks for your gift of any amount. You CAN embrace healing and find liberation. Request your CD series and brand new book with your gift of any amount.
