i was telling a friend recently, an older woman who is becoming a spiritual mom to me (she ministered in the inner city for 10 years. when i heard this, i said, "we need to talk. tell me your story"), how i have been feeling anxious about finances. i know the Lord has called me, that i am doing what He wants me to do, but getting my brain to align with what i know so strongly in my spirit is the challenge. our minds are always the battle field. God says to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things (speaking of food, clothes, shelter) will be added to us (Matthew 6:33). i read these beautiful, freeing words and experience tangible peace, but then my logic clicks into gear and i try to perceive this in the natural and it seems so impossible...i feel the anxiety creeping in, and the peace leaves.
so this woman told me what she does - she reads psalm 91. it says "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God in Him i will trust. Surely He will deliver me from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence; He shall cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will take refuge...." as she was reciting this from memory, i was feeling the weight of God's presence, as was she. i decided to do as she does, verbally speak this psalm over myself, repeat it over and over and ponder the words, visualize the text. i also decided to stop looking at financial circumstances in the natural, thinking of all the money i have to raise, how impossible it seems, etc, and to just do what i need to do - call people, make appointments, go through all the steps - and not dwell on, "how is this going to work out?" i decided to deliberately disengage my mind from my actions, and the whole time look at Jesus and His words to me. when i set my eyes on the heavenly realm where He dwells, i literally feel 100% faith in my heart. when i go up there, i feel, "of course God's gonna do this, no questions asked. it wouldn't make sense for Him not to?"
so here's the 2 keys - reading Scripture out loud, so your own ears can hear it, and by all the force of your will, looking up.
psalm 91, that's a good one. and you've encouraged me to speak it aloud as it pray it over joe. thanks friend, once again, for your wisdom :)
ReplyDeletethis weekend at Shabbot Dinner and service the next day, Pastor John and Ralph both spoke on what it means to meditate from a hebraic understanding. in Joshua where it says "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it." The Hebrew word for meditate means to utter, speak, mutter... That's how we are to meditate and why it's so important to speak the word. I just wanted to encourage you to continue speaking the word over yourself and not just studying it.
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