July 9 - Psalm 105 | Psalm 106

Good morning everyone,

Well, did you wear your walking shoes while strolling down memory lane? I just loved todays scripture, all the the little glimpses of the past and reminders of what we have already read. 

Psalms 105 and 106 are believed to have been written while Israel was being held captive in Babylon. They are historical psalms and it is because scrolls were so hard to come by that they would preserve their history in a song for the purpose of passing on important lessons to the future generations. They celebrated the many promises God had been faithful to fulfill and also remembered the consequence of choice for the faithlessness of the people. It is impossible to read today’s scripture without recognizing the roller coaster of a ride God’s people lived. How they repeatedly accepted God’s grace and forgiveness only to dive head first right back into the dark and wicked world of worshiping false gods. 

I would like to believe that we are, that I am, so much different than God’s chosen of long ago, however, quite frankly it doesn’t take much to plunge me, to plunge us, to within grasp of the tentacles from our past which longs to drag us back to our “before Christ” lifestyle. For example, (are you ready for this? true confessions, please don’t judge) since January I have purposed to not watch any movies or television, commercials, listen to any music, indulge in any book that would be more than a “PG” or the occasional Disney “PG-13” rating. It is a proven fact that everyone will act according to what their minds are being fed. Thrash in, trash out. Love in, love out. Who you surround yourself with will serve to nurture your behavior, that is to say if you hang around with druggies and sluggards  that’s probably what your life will reflect while on the other hand if you place yourself in a life style of positive thinking, resourceful successful folks, likewise your life will look like that. Make sense? A lot of us do not have a whole lot of choice in who we are “associated” with in our work environment which, btw, you should be praising God for the opportunity to let His light shine through you in a dark, dark place, but that’s another devotional, back to my confession. Last night for the very first time in a very long time I sat down with my husband to watch a movie with an “R” rating for language and violence, we followed that up with the beginning of a television program which also included inappropriate language and violence, suffice to say by the end of the three hours I had had a heavy dose of what mean and violent behavior looks like and so was it any surprise that when my husband asked me the most innocent of questions that I, in my super tired state, weakened by the junk I had just fed my soul, snapped his head off? Ughhh!!! Then of course pride takes over and it took me until this morning to claim it and apologize for being unloving. 

I new better than to watch that sort of programming, it is called programming for a reason (thank you bro) and I was reset back to the default mode called worldly, which I have written about a few different times in my journal and the effect it has on me. The good news is, I learned quicker this time, and the damage was less, and so one more time I will record how the Lord worked His greatness through my weakness. I shudder to think of my life without Him and pray His strength to remember the lessons from my history and hopefully not have to make that mistake again.  John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory!

God bless you all …