Thought-O-Meters

 

Chris sitting nicely at the 34 Project

I'm so glad no one has ever invented a thought-o-meter. But if they did, it would certainly be entertaining! My thoughts go a thousand miles an hour, and they can be all over the place. But you know what? God has enough grace for that. I've said before that I don't like to brag, but I can go from totally elated to completely bottomed out in less than a millisecond! 

That's kind of what I saw as I read through Psalm 118 this weekend. I don't know who wrote this particular psalm, but they just about covered it all! :-)

He started out good, just like caregivers try to do every morning. The psalmist talks about how God's mercies are forever; they won't run out! But if you glance down through the psalm, you may notice some raw emotions. Expressing our raw emotions does not negate the brand-new mercies God gave us this morning! 

Here are a few of the words the psalmist used that stood out to me. Why? Because I feel them in my bones most days!

  • Distress (v5)
  • Fear (v.6)
  • Surrounded (v. 10-12)
  • Pushed violently (v. 13)
  • Chastened (v. 18)
I think I've felt all of these at some point or another, and I could add a few to the list! Lol.

But mixed in with all these raw emotions, the psalmist also gives more-than equal time to God's mercies. In fact, he starts and ends the psalm on that note. He talks about how God is his strength (v. 14), and praises the Lord (v.19 & v. 28). He also talks about how God gives light and how His hand does valiantly. The voice of rejoicing is in the tents of the righteous! (v. 15)

What a mix, huh?

Pretty much sums up a day around here where I can go from praising God to wringing my hands back to thanking Him for His mercies. But God gets that. He totally understands the emotional roller coaster we live on day after day. He doesn't respond to emotional vacillations: He just remains constant in my topsy-turvy world. I love that about Him!

Today, I will remind myself that God does not condemn my crazy thoughts and emotions. Instead, He meets me in them. He's not afraid of all the ups and downs, twists and turns, and other crazy things that can go on in a day. He stays engaged and stays right here. My crazy emotions don't run Him off - He can handle it and He can handle me. He gets me like no one else! I think I can trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?



Cover of "Peace Out It's in the Bible!"

 Peace Out! It's in the Bible is a 31-day devotional that is focused on letting God's peace reign in our hearts - no matter what. You can get the eBook from my shop at Buy Me A Coffee. Or the print and kindle versions are available in my Amazon Shop.





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