If it had not been the Lord who was on our side.” (Psalm 124:2a King James Version)
First Thought: Yesterday morning I was thinking about how the various neighborhoods and familiar streets that I drive through on Sunday, how they all bring back memories of the past; some struggling times, some successful times, and some situations where sin got in. I was thankful for the former because God brought me through, and I was even more grateful for the latter because God brought me out.
Second Thought: On the same day, pausing in my thought process about the past, I checked my email and text messages. I saw a message from I received from one local school administrator who sends concise, captivating, and motivating sayings to a select group of people daily. What she sent was connected to my first thought. It was a quotation that reads as follows: ”It’s not what I have been through in my life that defines who I am. It’s how I got through it that has made me the person I am today.” Do you see the connection? My second thought led to the third, and most important thought. And when it did, I stayed there, at the third thought for a few minutes. You will see why.
Third Thought: It was the Lord who saw me through all my experiences, saw me through all my problems, saw me through all my predicaments, and through all my perplexities! It was the Lord, who, because of His compassion for me, brought me through tough times and times where victory could have gone to my head. If was the Lord who brought me through poverty, prosperity, plenty of troubles and pulsating trials. It was the Lord, our God whose mercy is everlasting who brought me through my, mistakes and it was the Lord who cause me to make the right turns, right on time, to get back on the path of righteousness. It is the Lord, the gracious One, who deserves the thanks and the praise for bringing me through the times in my first thought, and building me up, as described in the second thought, to make me the person I am today. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what thoughts were on your mind today? If God was not part of it, add Him to the list and think of His goodness to you! Think of His grace and mercy shown to you! Think of how He has delivered you numerous times! Think of how He has seen you through your ups and your downs! Think of how He has blessed you! Think of how He delivered you from the jaws of diversity and the fiery furnaces of life! Think of how He has left you here for a purpose, His purpose. When you fill your mind with such thoughts, even if just three thoughts, it will make you want to shout, “Hallelujah, thank you Jesus, Lord you are worthy of all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise!” Are you shouting yet? If not, remember the lyrics on the song below, written by James Huey! And then, after you have a little personal church in your house or when you have to take an unscheduled bathroom break at home, or if you just have to pull your car over for a few minutes in a safe place, you will feel so much better. Have a good day! (I’m still shouting myself! “Yeah!” “Yeah!” “Yeah!” “The Lord has been so mighty good to me!’) I couldn’t help myself and neither will you be able to help yourself. Be blessed!
“When I Think about the Lord,
How He saved me, how He raised me,
How He filled me, with the Holy Ghost.
How He healed me, to the uttermost.
When I Think about the Lord,
How He picked me up and turned me around,
How He placed my feet on solid ground.
It makes me wanna shout,
Hallelujah,
Thank you, JESUS,
LORD, your worthy, of all the glory, and all the honor,
And all the praise!”
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King