Who Do You Have In Mind?

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You. 

(Isaiah 26:3 NKJV)

I've expressed many times before that our quiet time with the Lord doesn't just consist of a ten-minute devotional time where we read a few verses from the Bible, or a page from a devotional book, say a quick prayer and then off we go. It's really about Who we have in mind. 

Certainly some intentional time carved out of our daily for Bible study, prayer, and meditation is very necessary for us to breathe in a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, but that shouldn't be the only time we think about the Lord. Time with the Lord is an all day affair.

Jesus Christ has always been my best friend for as long as I can remember. I was taught, and understood early on, that God was a very personal God. He walks with me and talks with me, just like the hymn, In the Garden, says.  I can still hear my dad singing those words as he went about his day. 

But sometimes we allow life to get in the way of His walking and talking with us. Our minds become cluttered with the stress of the day, so anxiety and fear tend to crowd out our thoughts of Christ, which provides peace that passes all understanding. 

As a child I spent time with Him all throughout the day. No worries. No stress. My mom said, as she described my preschool days on the swing set, "She would pump her legs as hard as she could, fly as high as her swing would take her, all the while singing at the top of her lungs...

Oh, how I love Jesus, Oh, how I love Jesus,

Oh, how I love Jesus because He first loved me. 

I believe God smiled as He heard my loud, little girl voice floating up to His ears telling Him how much I loved  Him through song. 

I still believe He smiles when, as an adult, Christ is on my mind all day long.  My time with Him is precious. No matter what, I try and focus on Him. He's the center of my being, my doing, my living. 

A mind full of Christ leads to thoughts full of His wonder, His love, His mercy, His majesty, His creation, His blessings, His Word, His grace, His power, His forgiveness, His holiness, His sovereignty, His guidance, His glory...

His peace.  

Just like the bumper sticker states, "Know Jesus. Know Peace. No Jesus. No Peace."

Spend time with Jesus today. Get to know Him. Talk with Him, not just to Him. 

And listen for His voice.

What a peaceful way to spend the day! 

My Pleasure,
Melanie

(In the Garden, words and music by C. Austin Miles)
(There Is A Name I Love to Hear, words by Frederick Whitfield; music, Anonymous)