When Your Mind Is Somewhere Else - The Crosswalk Devotional - April 16
When Your Mind Is Somewhere Else
By: Kelly Balarie
Bible Reading:
“The Lord is my Light and My Salvation – whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid.” – Psalm 27:1 NLT.
Ahh!!!!
For days, I was internally screaming inside while pretending to be there for my kids. I was internally agonizing while trying to calmly answer questions about stop lights and what’s for lunch and playdates with friends. Half the words they spoke would fly over my head lest I pay attention and ignore the tight, clenching pain of anxiety thumping in my chest. I tried to call myself to attention.
“Mommy, what do you think we will do for Valentine’s Day?” My kids asked me.
Who in the world knows?! My world is combusting! How will I handle what I am facing?! How can I disaster plan? If the worst-case scenario happens, how do I rise?
Going somewhere else, in the car, while my kids chatted away, I could see all the dominoes falling. I could see all the marbles rolling everywhere, unable to be contained. I could envision my agony as I couldn’t handle the future.
Ever been there? Have you ever been to a place you never wanted to arrive at? Ever seen the darkness you didn’t want to see? Have you ever confronted a monster you only hoped and prayed would pass you by?
And what do you do when you can’t stop thinking of worst-case scenarios?! When you keep considering all the ways you’ll be hurt? When you’re already experiencing the shame that hasn’t even yet come?
These are viable questions—ones I was contending with for days. God knows I didn’t want to be anxious or worried, yet I kept on confessing to God that I was.
So here I am. Distracted.
And I’d be a liar to tell you I have everything worked out now. I don’t. There seem to be a handful of problems I can’t fix alone, but I can tell you I found a couple of verses that have encouraged me. Here they are:
“The Lord is my Light and My Salvation – whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid. When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamps against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rises against me, (even then) in this I will be confident.” (Ps. 27:1-4)
In these verses, I have safety.
The Lord is my Light. Light brings clarity and direction on the best paths to walk and, like a spotlight, can even be a weapon to blind opposition.
The Lord is my salvation. Salvation brings salvation. I will be saved. The Savior is faithful to save. I can rest in Him to do the saving work. I can turn to Him for salvation and trust Him. He may save me and those who come in contact with me during this challenging time. No one can come against the saving power of God. In this, there is no fear.
The Lord is my refuge. In Christ, I am in the biggest, most secure, steel-reinforced refuge. No one is as safe as Jesus. I am hidden in Christ, and Christ is invincible in battle. I am protected, not a sitting duck. Enemy forces have a hard time penetrating that safety. I can trust Him to protect me.
The Lord is the Stronghold of My Life. When I feel like I have no hold on life, I can trust that God has a strong hold on it. He knows everything going on, sees every issue, knows the way, and has a strong hold on my problems.
I can cast my care on the Lord and trust Him with it. Full release is the only way. If I get in His way, I block the way. If I move out of the way – by releasing worry and fear, I make way for the Way Maker. It’s that simple.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
What would happen if you tried to help a friend with their groceries, but they wouldn’t let go of their grip on the grocery bag? Would you effectively be able to assist them with the load they are carrying? The same happens when we don’t release our load to the Lord. Scripture encourages us to cast our cares, but we will still carry their heavy load if we don't let them go. What load might you need to cast on the Lord?
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Related Resource: 3 Simple Steps to Manage Your Emotions
Are you tired of up-and-down feelings stealing your peace, sabotaging your relationships, and filling your mind with self-defeating thoughts? What if you had a proven emotional management tool to biblically respond to your feelings with compassion and clarity? Join us for today’s episode to discover three simple steps to manage emotions, reduce stress, improve decision-making, and grow closer to God. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
