LET ME CONTROL YOUR MIND

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

LET ME CONTROL YOUR MIND. The mind is the most restless, unruly part of mankind. Long after you have learned the discipline of holding your tongue, your thoughts defy your will and set themselves up against Me. Man is the pinnacle of My creation, and the human mind is wondrously complex. I risked all by granting you freedom to think for yourself. This is godlike privilege, forever setting you apart from animals and robots. I made you in My image, precariously close to deity.

Though My blood has fully redeemed you, your mind is the last bastion of rebellion. Open yourself to My radiant Presence, letting My Light permeate your thinking. When My Spirit is controlling your mind, you are filled with Life and Peace.

From the book: "Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence"

You Will Not Find My Peace......

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

You will not find My Peace by engaging in excessive planning:  attempting to control what will happen to you in the future.  That is a commonly practiced form of unbelief.  When your mind spins with multiple plans, Peace may sometimes seem to be within your grasp, yet it always eludes you.  Just when you think you have prepared for all possibilities, something unexpected pops up and throws things into confusion.

I did not design the human mind to figure out the future.  That is beyond  your capability.  I crafted your mind for continual communication with Me.  Bring Me all your needs, your hopes and fears.  Commit everything into My care.  Turn from the path of planning to the path of Peace.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in His Presence"

I AM TAKING CARE OF YOU

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

I AM TAKING CARE OF YOU.  Trust Me at all times.  Trust Me in all circumstances.  Trust Me with all your heart.  When you are weary and everything seems to be going wrong, you can still utter these four words:  "I trust You, Jesus."  By doing so, you release matters into My control, and you fall back into the security of My everlasting arms.

Before you arise from your bed in the morning, I have already arranged the events of your day.  Every day provides many opportunities for you to learn My ways and grow closer to me.  Signs of My Presence brighten even the dullest day when you have eyes that really see.  Search for Me as for hidden treasure.  I will be found by you.

Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in His Presence

THIS IS THE TIME.....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

THIS IS A TIME in your life when you must learn to let go: of loved ones, of possessions, of control.  In order to let go of something that is precious to you, you need to rest in My Presence, where you are complete.  Take time to bask in the Light of My Love.  As you relax more and more, your grasping hand gradually opens up, releasing your prized possession into My care.

You can feel secure, even in the midst of cataclysmic changes, through awareness of My continual Presence.  The One who never leaves you is the same One who never changes:  I am the same yesterday, today, and forever.  As you release more and more things into My care, remember that I never let go of your hand.  Herein lies your security, which no one and no circumstance can take from you.

Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in His Presence

When You Can't See The Road Ahead

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31


I’m not much of a Monday person, but this particular Monday morning, I found myself disliking that dreaded day even more than usual.

Shortly after waking up from a restless night’s sleep, my thoughts drifted toward what the upcoming week might hold. I felt a sense of dread sink into my heart and soon found myself wishing it were already Friday.

Most people long for Friday because it means the beginning of the weekend; however I knew that if the week were over, I would no longer have to worry about what challenges it might bring. If it were Friday, I would already have encountered them, faced them and made some progress in dealing with them.

Yet, the fact remained: It was only Monday.

As anxiety set in, God pricked my heart, reminding me I could either let my anxious thoughts control me throughout the week, or I could choose to be in control of them instead. I could worry myself into a frenzy or ask for His peace to fill my heart. I was blind to what was ahead, but knew God had a crystal-clear view.

In Mark chapter 10, a blind man named Bartimaeus sat beside the road — as he normally did — when he heard a commotion. He soon discovered the large crowd of people following Jesus. And they were all headed his way.

Bartimaeus had no idea what was going to happen. Having no sight, he could have felt threatened and anxious, fearful the crowd might trample him. He could have been concerned he’d be unnoticed and overlooked, yet again. Instead, he focused on what he could see with his heart rather than what he was unable to see with his eyes.

He excitedly began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47b, NIV)

When the people yelled at him to be quiet, he refused and continued to shout, saying, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10: 48b)

His shouting pricked Jesus’ ears.

Jesus stood still, and asked someone to bring the blind man to him. The Bible says Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up and headed straight toward Jesus. (Mark 10:50)

I love that. The blind man threw aside anything that might hinder his running, jumped up all on his own and blindly ran to Jesus.

He ran solely ahead by faith, not by sight — unafraid of falling or bumping into things, nor fearing what might be ahead of him, simply because He heard Jesus’ voice and knew He was there.

Bartimaeus’ eyes caused him to live without sight, but his heart allowed him to live by faith. That small act of blind faith changed his life forever.

As I lay in my bed pondering this sweet story God brought to mind, my heart began to calm. My inability to “see” the upcoming week did not have to hinder my ability to run forward in faith. I could follow Jesus’ voice in blind faith too, if I chose to believe He would watch over my every step, much like He did for the blind man.

I prayed for the strength to live by faith even when I couldn’t see what was ahead. I committed to trust Jesus with all the things He could see coming but I could not.

We can always choose to follow Jesus’ voice, rather than let our blindness keep us paralyzed in anxiousness and pessimism. Just like the blind man, when we choose to follow Jesus’ voice instead of our eyes, our faith can be life-changing, helping us discover peace and blessing.

Lord, help me have the courage to move through my circumstances each day with blind faith and peace instead of worrying about what I cannot yet see. Open my spiritual eyes to see what You want me to see and hear what You want me hear, while helping me trust You more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

From the website Proverbs 31 Ministries - Tracy Miles

Your Problem Isn't Your Problem

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

You probably know this, but in case you don’t, I am so thrilled to give you the good news, you select your thoughts.

You didn’t select your birthplace or birthdate. You didn’t select your parents or siblings. You don’t determine the weather or the amount of salt in the ocean. There are many things in life over which you have no choice. But the greatest activity of life is well within your dominion. You choose what you think.

You are the air traffic controller of your mental airport. You occupy the control tower, directing the mental traffic of your world. If a thought lands, it is because you gave it permission. If it leaves, it is because you commanded it to do so. You select your thoughts.

For that reason, the wise man urges: “Be careful what you think because your thoughts run your life” (Proverbs 4:23). Do you want to be happy tomorrow? Then sow seeds of happiness today. Do you want to guarantee tomorrow’s misery? Then wallow in a mental mud pit of self-pity or guilt or anxiety today. Thoughts have consequences.

Your challenge is not your challenge. Your challenge is the way you think about your challenge. Your problem is not your problem; it is the way you look at it. You can’t always control your circumstances, but you can control the way you process them. We are the sum of our thoughts.

Here is how it works. You receive a call from the doctor’s office. The message is simple and unwelcome. “The doctor has reviewed your tests and would like you to come into the office for a consultation.”

As quickly as you can say “uh-oh,” you have a choice: anxiety or trust.

Anxiety says “These things never turn out right for me. My family has a history of tragedy. It’s my turn. I probably have cancer, arthritis, jaundice. Am I going blind? My eyes have been blurry lately. Is this a brain tumor?”

“Who will raise the kids? Who will pay the medical bills? I’m going to die, broke and lonely. I’m too young for this tragedy! No one can understand me or help me!”

If this person isn’t sick, they will be by the time they go to the doctor’s office. “Anxiety weighs down the human heart” (Proverbs 12:25 NRSV).

But there is a better way.   You “… capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ” (II Corinthians 10:5 NCV). You slap handcuffs on the culprit and march it before the One who has all authority: Jesus Christ. You’re praying before you hang up the phone.

“Jesus, this anxiety just wormed its way into my mind. Is it from you?”

Jesus, who can always be counted on to speak the truth says: “No, get away from here Satan.” And you, as the discerning, sober-minded air traffic controller of your mind, refuse to let the thought have the time of day. Before you call your mom, spouse, neighbor or friend, you call on God. You invite him to speak into the problem.

You lay claim to every biblical promise you can remember and set out to learn a few more. You take up the Scripture, “…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). You pray the promises of the Covenant-keeper. “I will wait on the Lord. I will be of good courage. You will strengthen my heart” (Psalms 27:14). You declare: You are with me. You will never leave me or forsake me. All my days were in your hand before one of them came to be. All things work together for good. You give Satan no quarter. You give his lies no welcome.

You “…fasten the belt of truth around your waist” (Ephesians 6:14 NRSV). You resist the urge to exaggerate, overstate or amplify. You focus on the facts; nothing more. The fact is, the doctor has called. The fact is, he may have good news or bad. For all you know, he may want you to be a poster child of good health. All you can do is pray and trust.

So, you do. You enter the doctor’s office, not weighed down with anxiety, but buoyed by faith.

Which do you prefer?

You want to be free from anxiety? God wants you to be free even more. And he will help you get there.

Max Lucado

I AM CALLING YOU....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

I AM CALLING YOU to a life of constant communion with me.  Basic training includes learning to live above your circumstances, even while interacting on that cluttered plane of life.  You yearn for a simplified lifestyle, so that your communication with Me can be uninterrupted.  But I challenge you to relinquish the fantasy of an uncluttered world.  Accept each day just as it comes, and find Me in the midst of it all.

Talk with me about every aspect of your day, including your feelings.  Remember that your ultimate goal is not to control or fix everything around you; it is to keep communing with Me.  A successful day is one in which you have stayed in touch with Me, even if many things remain undone at the end of the day.  Do not let your to-do list (written or mental) become an idol directing your life.  Instead, ask My Spirit to guide you moment by moment.  He will keep you close to Me.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence"

I LOVE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE...

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

I LOVE YOU FOR WHO ARE YOU, not for what you do.  Many voices vie for control of your mind, especially when you sit in silence.  You must learn to discern what is My voice and what is not.  Ask My Spirit to give you this discernment.  Many of My children run around in circles, trying to obey the various voices directing their lives.  This results in fragmented, frustrating patterns of living.  Do not fall into this trap. Walk closely with me each moment, listening for My directives and enjoying My Companionship.  Refuse to let other voices tie you up in knots.  My sheep know My voice and follow Me wherever I lead.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence"