Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from The Beach Is Calling.
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How precious to me are Your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. — Psalm 139:17-18 NIV
What, or who, is consuming your thought life today? The answer will determine what kind of day is ahead. If there’s a problem that looks insurmountable, a struggle to forgive someone, a feeling of loneliness, an endless list of things to do, the first thing to do is to keep putting Jesus first! If we put every thought in line behind Him and remind ourselves that He thinks about us constantly, our soul’s sigh of relief comes.
We’re on His mind and there isn’t a single thing we can do to stop the avalanche of love coming into our lives right now.
God’s love is the only thing we should allow to overwhelm us. It’s unstoppable and all-encompassing. It’s constant and comforting. It’s in every thought He has of us, and those thoughts outnumber the grains of sand. And what does love do? Love does what is best, love does whatever is patient and kind, love does everything it can and more than enough. YOU are what Jesus is thinking about! He sees any turmoil going on in your heart, mind, and life, and He has loving truth to cover it all:
I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. — John 14:27 NLT
Peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:7 NLT
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. — 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
We can’t let fear have the last say today because we’re loved higher, wider, and deeper than it can ever go. The grains of sand, the ocean waters and the skies of blue can’t come close to measuring God’s love for us. When our thoughts begin with Him, our days begin to get better. The only thing mandatory is letting Jesus manage everything, allowing His love to keep our hearts and minds at peace.
Father, let Your love come and overtake me today, so that all of my thoughts turn to You.
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Turning Our Thoughts
He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! — Isaiah 26:3 TLB
Beach sounds woo our hearts and minds into a quiet, restful state. The waves and the breeze are constant, like the peace of God constantly inviting us to rest in Him. Every day won’t go as planned. Our lives won’t be free from pain. Our journey will not look exactly the way we dreamed it would. But God’s peace will keep us. It will be constant on the days when unexpected news comes and fills our heart with fear. It will be constant when we lose someone we deeply love. God’s peace will keep us and guide us through the steps of our lives even though we don’t see things unfold when or how we imagined.
We can have a steady, constant peace when life goes up, down, or sideways because God is the master of our days.
He’s also the One who knows us best and loves us most. There’s no one in our life more trustworthy. Even on the disappointing, difficult days when it’s nearly impossible to believe, He’s in the center of our being doing what it takes to make the painting of our lives more beautiful than we imagined. That’s what God’s love does. It brings out the breathtakingly beautiful parts in all of us and produces a fulfilling, faithful life that reflects His glory.
We have a lot to think about from day to day, but if our everyday lives don’t have us turning our thoughts often to our only hope, we won’t be able to enjoy His perfect peace. God is in constant listening mode when it comes to His children. He’s never too busy or distracted or tired. He can keep us steady and peaceful if our thoughts become prayers. “Show me how to handle this, it’s not going to be easy. Help me stay calm and be kind. Lord, give me wisdom for the conversation I need to have and give me the courage to speak what needs to be said.” Our need for our Father is all day long, in all things. There’s perfect peace in turning often to Him—and it’s always worth it.
Father, give me the courage to keep my trust in You as I keep turning to You throughout my day.
Excerpted with permission from The Beach Is Calling, copyright DaySpring Cards, Inc.
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Your Turn
Don’t be overwhelmed… unless it’s by God’s love! God’s peace will keep you through every anxious moment, stressful thought, and painful experience. He’s in the center of our being doing what it takes to make the painting of our lives more beautiful than we imagined! ~ Devotionals Daily