Jan 30, 2026 – Everything New
JC – “Worship Me only. Whatever occupies your mind the most becomes your god.” Point made. I sat down to the blog, but I let a few other things distract me before I got started. God first. Young warns, “Worries, if indulged, develop into idols. Anxiety gains a life of its own…. Break free from this bondage by affirming your trust in Me and refreshing yourself in My Presence…. Guard your thoughts diligently….”
Power – 1 Corinthians 13:5 – “[Love] keeps no record of being wronged.” Gulp. Another point made (justice and vengeance are God’s to pursue not ours). Joyce points out that, “Forgetting is a choice…. [In Philippians 4:8] God is telling you the things that will bring you joy. Nowhere does He say to remember what people have done to hurt your feelings or how they have been rude to you or how they did something you didn’t want them to do. God wants you to forgive and forget and fill your mind with worthy things.”
I just got word that the little girl with the orange-sized tumor, which was successfully removed two days ago, is doing so well (walking and talking long before they expected) that she is going home today (even though they had predicted two months of recovery in the hospital). The power of prayer and positive thinking at work before our eyes! What a blessing to have been a part of and witness to it!!
Utmost – Chambers seems to celebrate with us, “Get into the habit of saying, ‘Speak, Lord,’ and life will become a romance. Every time circumstances press, say, ‘Speak, Lord’; make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline, it is meant to get me to the place of saying, ‘Speak, Lord.’ Recall the time when God did speak to you. Have you forgotten what He said? Was it Luke 11;13, or was it 1 Thessalonians 5:23? As we listen, our ear gets acute, and, like Jesus, we shall hear God all the time.”
Streams – Job 34:29 KJV – “He giveth quietness.” Cowman points out what we have trouble grasping sometimes when we face trials, “He gives quietness in the midst of the raging storm…. As we sail the lake with Him…suddenly…a might storm sweeps down…. His voice is heard above the screaming of the wind…. ‘Quiet! Be still!’ (Mark 4:39). Can you not hear it?… ‘He giveth quietness’ – quietness even in the midst of losing our inner strength and comforts. Sometimes He removes these [joys, pleasures, passions] because we make too much of them…. leading us to distinguish between them and Himself…. He draws near…bringing an infinite calm to keep our hearts and minds.”
Prevail #30 – Larson speaks from Numbers 16: 8-9 about being jealous of the call (and I would add – the blessings) of others, which could be easy to do when we see prayers being answered elsewhere like with our dear friend and her great granddaughter. Larson explains, “When we minimize the importance of our call and sphere of influence because we are jealous of someone else, we set ourselves up for a fall. Our sphere is our place of stewardship…. where we experience the provision and intervention of the Lord…. The blessings of others reveal what really motivates us…. [and they should encourage us to trust God for what He has for us] Concentrate on finding the special purpose God has for you instead of wishing you were in someone else’s shoes…. Holy ambition calls for humility, teachability, patience, and trust.”
Max takes us back to Matthew 6:25 – “Do not worry about your life…” and points out that, “After Jesus rather bluntly tells us not to worry about food and clothes, he gives two commands: ‘look’ and ‘consider.’” This makes me think of how witnessing the faith of others can encourage and bless us in our own faith. Max concludes by asking, “How do we disarm anxiety? Stockpile our minds with God thoughts.”
JA – “I AM MAKING EVERYTHING NEW!” The little girl’s life is new and unburdened by the tumor that was causing the headaches!
