Devotional for June 29

Saved in This Life for the Next

1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. Psalm 91:1-10 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Looking and feeling good is great, but holy thoughts and righteous deeds are of far greater importance. Learn to enjoy what it takes. Make the accomplishment of the daily work your goal, and the abiding presence of the Lord your reward. Do this and motivation will never be a problem for you. Stop worrying about tomorrow. It is enough to deal with the problems of today. God has commanded us to be strong and courageous. Have faith in God to be strong, and trust in the Word to be courageous. Love will call you to it.

Question

Why is it so easy to fall into negative thinking?

Answer

Our negativity bias stems from a biological mechanism designed to increase our odds for surviving danger (Psalm 49:20). Negative thinking that keeps you from trying to play with a full grown grizzly bear is a good thing, but living in fear and unbelief is worse than being eaten by a bear (Revelation 21:8). Don’t just let unprofitable negative thinking run amuck in the mind like little foxes with tails on fire (Judges 15:4-5). We cannot stop the birds from swooping down to steal the sacrifice, but we can chase them away (Genesis 15:9-11). Evaluate all thoughts for consistency with love, hope, and faith (2 Corinthians 10:4-6; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Ephesians 6:10-18). Since the mind can only attend to a few things at a time (Philippians 4:8), practice rejecting all thoughts that cannot be framed by faith in God, the love of God, and hope in God (Romans 15:13; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; 1 Peter 5:6-10; 2 Corinthians 13:14).  

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Lord, make me have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your lovingkindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, fore ever and ever. Amen.