Whatever is...

true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4:8


This isn't easy. Without a doubt, there are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy things in my life. But all too often I am blinded by the doubtful, unsure, belittled, hesitant, impatient thoughts that creep into these should-be-joyful recesses of my mind. 

Our dreams fail us, other people will fail us. I am not saying this to be the downer- but to point to the reality that our broken world faces. It's a hard lesson, one that I'm being reminded of quite a bit recently. The only certainty in this world is in the God that so desires my whole life, not just the fragments I'm comfortable sacrificing. Days like these make my thoughts wander to the Psalms.

Psalms 86:15 
But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Psalms 66:20 
Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

Psalms 31:7 
I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.


He knows the desires of my heart. And He knows what's best above all. Maybe our desires have yet to be molded to His? Perhaps I am right were He wants me...or perhaps not. That's hard to answer and retrospect isn't available at the moment. All I can rest in is what my grandmother said today at lunch, "in five years you will be right where God wants you".


I don't know where that is, and I long to know. But tomorrow, or five years from now, is not a guarantee. 


So tonight I ask you the same thing I'm asking myself,
 "(insert your name here), are your thoughts, decisions and actions honoring to the God that owns and loves your life? And are they to those around you? Should tomorrow come, will your focus be on the noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy things? And in your pursuit to dwell on the blessings and evidence of His grace, do your whatever thoughts bring Him glory?"

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