Join us for Day 18 of Soul Detox and then join us for discussion and community in the comments below!
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47 thoughts on "Day 18"
Day 18
Leave a Reply
47 thoughts on "Day 18"
Reading this scripture is reassurance from God that He is always by myside. When things dont go as planned I need to have faith that he will see me through that He will do all in His power and it will be when He decides. My faith and love for God needs to be constant even during times of despaire, worry, fear, etc.
My everlasting God you alone are my protector, my guide on the path you have laid before me. You are the light at my feet showing me the way. Please forgive me for the times I've not trusted you. Bless me with greater faith. You are love, faith and all things good. – Amen
Thanking my Heavenly Father for all His done for me.. I’m seeking GOD heart, favor, mercy, direction& His loving kindness
I feel like somehow this is my sons life verses. I love my son, my youngest. I almost lost him this year to a choking accident. It's constantly plaguing my mind seeing him there limp and lifeless but God gave him back to me. But I feel like he is always on the edge of disaster. Yesterday we somehow did not get into a horrible car accident. I don't know how the car didn't scape us because I swear I felt it and my son had somehow managed to unlatch the seatbelt holding the car seat while playing in the car at the bus stop earlier and his seat slammed against the back of my seat but he only managed a very minimAl black eye. Not even really a black eye. I feel like his angles God has sent him work so much overtime and may e God has a special plan. I do worry most about loosing my children all of them. I worry how my world would end and the remaining g children would be so broken. But God has this. It's just so hard. I know God has plans for all of them and he will get us through all of it.
I know I’m a day late on this reading, but I really need to camp out on this for a bit. I have done a little soul searching, and I think the thing I fear the most, that I trust God the least with, is the unknown future. My husband is in the military, so the three year outlook is the farthest out I can ever see. I struggle not knowing where we will live next, what our future looks like. But my “right now” is so good, and he is always faithful to redeem the present, even through the hard times. I constantly worry about the future, forgetting that this moment was once a future unknown I was worried about.
Lord, forgive my unbelief, and grant me greater faith. You are faithful and good.
Welcome Karen!
Praying for everything GOOD for you! ;)
Hi Everyone,
I’m just learning how this all works haven’t been on Twitter. I could use some prayer on not giving up on doing new things. Like this, thinking GOOD Thoughts about life and myself. Thanks! :) Karen
This is my absolute favorite psalm!! It’s a long story, but just this psalm alone brought me to faith back in 1995. I fell away from faith for awhile, but I’m back where I should be! Time to reflect tho on what I fear is what I VALUE, yet I trust God the LEAST with …. Idk…having had a healthy fear of death, I’d say what I value most is my life! And I
wouldn’t have life without God. And everyday I’m turning to God to pray and seek answers about the life He’s blessed me with! So how then is it I trust Him the least with my life?? It’s exactly what I trust Him the MOST with!! Hmmm….
Thank you Lord for all you give me!!
Blessings Sisters!
I guess my biggest fear is of death…but not of my dying. The last 4 years of my marriage (and ironically they are the first four years as well) have been very tumultuous. 6 months after we were married my husband was diagnosed with a very fatal Leukemia. He battled through by the Grace of God and was in remission for 2 years. While in remission we got pregnant and I remember feeling that God was blessing me with a baby because my husband is going to die. Then when my son was 6 months old we found out my husband was relapsed. I felt as though my fear was confirmed. Again through God’s grace my husband is in remission and almost 17 months post stem-cell transplant and doing well. But he’s been in 2 major car accidents last year. I guess I’m afraid of losing him. I know God has a plan and He will take care of me but I fear that unknown…it’s hard to imagine finding a 2nd soul mate or even wanting to. So on a daily basis I remind myself how quickly EVERYTHING CAN CHANGE and I thank God for every minute I can spend with my family. I trust God I’m just afraid that I won’t like some of things he has in store for me.
Oh I so can relate! my husband had pancreatitis in 2007 and I so worry about his health sometimes. he has diabetes too. I am always afraid I won't like what god has in store. Because in the past, things he has had in store weren't always to my liking.
Oh man! What am I trusting god the least for? what an eye-opener! all the fears I have mentioned in the past that I won't reitertate here. lord, help me to trust you more!
No particular verse stuck out to me today. Perhaps that's because I've read this psalm so many times. the whole thing is good. what's hard for me is that it says no harm will come to you if you trust god and make Him your refuge. yet harm comes to people who trust god all the time. so how can that be? I am really having a hard time with that one.
I thought about that one too and I think you have to reflect on the larger picture. People may suffer and be harmed during their human life but if you trust God and know he’s taking care of you and that you are saved…then even your suffering isn’t so bad because you know you have something to look forward to. Everything will be perfect in the end. That’s how I’m reading it and I hope it helps.
Thanks. this does make sense. hard because I want all of it now. not a good one for deferred gratification. ,smile>
The devotional today has me sobbing. I've been crying most of the day anyway, long story short…I want my boyfriend to ask me to be his wife. We have been together for almost 4 years and we already live together, and do pretty much everything a married couple would do. Our relationship has been through some rough spots, but we have worked through them and I think we are stronger because of that. I think we are both committed to one another and the relationship. He's been married before and so have I. He feels "we are already doing it why make it official" while I'm the complete opposite "we are doing it why NOT make it official". And his way of thinking leaves me feeling like I'm not good enough to marry. We got into a conversation last night about a couples ring, I want something that will at least signify that we are together. You know girly stuff. He's not ready and I don't want to push him, that's not me. I only want it if you really want it too, but it still upsets me and hurts. I'm really struggling today with letting God be in control, when I know he is and no matter how much I cry it's not going to change anything until it's meant to be. So what AmyKelly213 said about His timing, I think I'm having a hard time with that one today. I know I need to trust him, but sometimes it's hard to be still. I think I started sobbing because I know I'm not being very trusting and that's not what I want. At all. Lord, please forgive me for not trusting in you and not being still to let you work on this. Sorry for the rambling today ladies.
Today's reading reminded me that I am never alone. I hope I can reflect this truth to others.
Wow, what a powerful passage. I find it challenging. The Lord has been working on me for over a year now to just fall back into his open arms and trust in him. The number one thing that I don't trust God with (ouch it hurts to type that sentence how dare I?) is our finances. failing completely …I can NOT think of a time that The Lord hasn't given us what we need. He has either provided the work to supply the need or sent one of his sheep to deliver the need. Our family really is so blessed when I sit here and look around myself…Lord please forgive me.
What things are you not trusting God with that you need too?
The very things I fear are failure and not accomplishing certain dreams or goals in life even marriage or giving birth. I didn’t know thst the very things I fear were the thing I trusted least in God. After reading the scripture and some of your stories I feel better becauseI see we all have something we fear and I’m not alone. I will pray that God strenghtens each and every one of us to fully trust in him and let go of those fears. Be blessed ladies)
I am SAFE. I am PROTECTED. All that I NEED is taken care of.
The fears I struggle with the most are about HAVING enough and BEING enough. Ironically, they happen to be the areas that God has clearly shown his faithfulness to me the most in the past 5+ years. Financially, I have never got without what I need. And when I ask God to help me in tasks that I feel so ill-equipped for, He's always come through. My mind is continually blown at how good God is in my weakness.
I love how the ISR98 translation writes the beginning of v.14:
“Because he cleaves to Me in love, therefore I deliver him…" I picture myself clinging on to God in love. In a death grip. Like, you would have to tear off my limbs to separate us. Sorry if that sounds gross, but I do like a good word picture. But the point is, when I go to God, no matter how I FEEL, He is faithful to deliver me. And that's pretty amazing.
What are the fears that most affect me showing me I am truly lacking trust in God in these areas? Mine are definitely failure (really at anything), I'm a sore loser although I shouldn't be; and also illness, especially cancer for myself or my family. I've watched my biological father die of cancer and I just fear ever having to go through it again. But this scripture is freeing and helped me to stop and recognize the things I fear the most so that I can focus my trust in God in these areas.
Oh my goodness did I need this. I'm 33 weeks pregnant with my first child. And while I'm, of course, excited to meet her, I am also TERRIFIED. I have been plagued with fear and anxiety about her birth, the weightiness of being a mom, loosing the "just us" factor with my husband, breastfeeding, all of it. In my birth class this week I just felt nearly physically suffocated with fear. Oh how I needed to join this plan today. I have a REFUGE, a shadow to hide in, a father to cling to, he promises that I will not be alone and that I have no reason to fear this. Why is it that turning to scripture is always my last resort? Thankful for a God who lavishes us with grace and protects us in his shadow.
i studied through soul detox the first time with she reads truth, but I wanted to share how the words from day 18 of soul detox became reality. it was a typical saturday: quiet time in the morning, which happened to be day 18 of soul detox. “what you fear reveals what you value the most.” i pondered this, prayed, and went about my day. how truth those words became just hours later.
at 8:00 that evening, i was packing up the belongings i could grab. my family and i were being evacuated from our home due to wildfires. i was a mess. i grabbed what i could, but i needed more time. as i sat at my grandma’s house, not knowing if i had to home to go back to, i was reminded of the quote from my quiet time earlier in the morning, “what you fear reveals what you value the most.” i was putting so much value on the belongings and possessions i forgot to grab instead of praising God for safety for me and my family. i was trusting in my circumstances instead of God. i prayed and gave it all to my Heavenly Father. whatever was to happen, i would still praise Him. whether we lost everything or not, He would get the glory because i trusted that He would take the ashes and make something beautiful.
when we were allowed to go back home, not a thing was touched by the fire. what a valuable lesson i learned that day!
Right there with you Allison. Death and not having adequate money. Lord you have always taken care of me; why do I ever doubt you?
Let me share a true story: in 2008 when my mom was dying, she looked at me from her bed and said, “you know, I’ve been afraid of this my entire life. And now, I’m not.”
She meant death. And I realized the Lird had given her that peace and trust right when she needed it.
Ah — the beauty & comfort of verses 14-16:
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him My salvation.”
No one really ever likes to talk about death, but death has always been a fear of mine that I try and not think about. Today, this devotional told me that what I fear most is where I trust God the least. How many times does the Lord reassure us that His death on the cross was for our eternal salvation? How many times does the Bible reassure us that Jesus is coming back to take us to heaven? The Bible is full of talk of the after-life and how glorious it will be, yet thinking of death/terminal illnesses, etc. makes me so fearful as if I don't have an eternal life waiting for me. Yes, I have an amazing life on this earth and a wonderful future to look forward to with my husband and future children (some day), but I shouldn't fear death so much. The Bible says if I am following Jesus here on earth, I will be rewarded with eternal life in heaven. I should stop worrying about this scary thing called death and trust that God means what He says. I know that it's wayyyyy easier said than done but I hope that I can work on it! I know a few people in my life suffering from terminal illnesses and their outlook on life and God's blessings are incredible and something I know is not easy in their circumstances…they amaze me with their strength and give me something to work towards! Now back to enjoying this wonderful life =) Happy Thursday!
Allison….I am right with you….it's so bad I think my fear makes me sick sometimes! I wish we could talk about this more…
Janie
Something that stood out to me in today's Bible reading was Psalm 91:1, "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty." The key word there is "LIVE". I don't know about you ladies, but I think I have replaced the word live with "visit". When times are hard, when I feel like, when I want to, that's when I choose to seek the shelter of the Most High. But God desires us to LIVE there. As I was reading, I was confronted with the thought, "Why do you choose to willingly leave His presence?" Yes, God is always waiting for us to return with His arms open wide, but He never wanted us to leave. His love is so deep for us; and He wants to lavish it upon us. There is safety in His arms.
Why do I fear? Why do I leave that place of complete surrender knowing that my Father will fight for me?
God, please forgive me for not trusting You. I run into Your arms today.
Amen! There is absolute truth in what you wrote! I have to keep dedicating myself to a life in Christ. It's a regular, sometimes daily thing. Every time that I leave God's presence, I realize how little I can do under my own power. Thanks for your post!
Love this Psalm! It really helps me address those fears! Before I started these morning Bible reading plans/devotionals, I was reading my way through the Bible and had landed in Psalms. I think I’m at Psalms 32 right now. It’s been a pretty long journey. I think I am in my second year of working my way through. I have been taking it pretty slow–a chapter from the Old Testament and then a chapter from the New Testament each day. I want to actually say I’ve read the entire Bible. How can I be claim to be a Christian yet I haven’t read all of God’s Word, ya know? I kind of put that on hold because I don’t have enough time in the morning to do both the plan and my regular Bible reading. But I really am enjoying this plan. I look forward to getting back to reading my way through the Bible, though. I read through the New Testament in its entirety and had started on it a second time. Love reading the Gospels! I feel the closest to Jesus when I do that. Still working my way through the Old Testament. Have a blessed day, sisters!
These verses really speak to just how far God will go to protect us. How can we not trust Him?
What things are you not trusting God with that you need to? Mostly future. I feel like I'm the one who has to figure out what my next step is in life- whether that's missions or a new job, or moving. Especially if marriage is in my future. I feel like there are no good Christian guys out there who would be compatible with me, so I've given up on that. I need to trust that God will provide my future for me, and He has good things for me. I don't trust that He is capable or able to help little ol' me.
Emily, I was right there with you! I hardly believed that any “good” men existed! I wanted to believe that I would find a man to share my life and faith with–someone who would be head over heels in love with me–but I just couldn’t see how that was possible. Then God surprised me by bringing me the most wonderful man — a man that I trust God created just for me. And He brought him right to my doorstep! (Literally…we were set up on a blind date and we discovered when I was giving him directions to pick me up that he lived next door to me!) I know that God has created a wonderful man just for you too, Emily. He is out there! And a little piece of advice that I used all the time whenever I was feeling lonely…pray for your future husband. It doesn’t matter that you haven’t met him yet…he can receive your prayers wherever he may be in the world right now :)
I noticed lyrics earlier today in a MercyMe song "I've been the one to believe, That where I am , You cannot reach" and it convicted me about my post. God made me the way I am, so he's capable of creating a good match! *IF* he has marriage for me in my future, He'll pull through. If not, God will still be enough. :) I'm actually pretty happy being single right now, but there are definitely times where I had those wishes. Thanks for the encouragement!
I struggle with trusting in the same areas, Emily! Especially the future husband part. I find that's often the hardest area of my life to surrender to Him in total trust. Praying we can both keep surrendering this area and trust His perfect plan and timetable. :)
Praying for you, too! Thanks for the "single-girls-in-arms-together" reply! :)
This week, in all of my readings and devotions, what's stood out to me most is that God promises to protect us and deliver us from toxic thoughts, but this promise is conditional upon our seeking Him. We must intentionally seek His face. I'm working through this in my own life and asking God how I can more intentionally seek Him more often. With so many distractions in our everyday lives, it's easy to get sidetracked from keeping my focus on Him and His truth. What does intentionally seeking look like in your life?
I don't know that His promises are conditional upon our own weak human effort of seeking Him… God wants us to seek Him and He blesses us when we glorify Him, but God doesn't ignore us when we ignore Him. God's love and grace is always free, always unconditional, always given to us, whether we are seeking Him or not. However, our relationship with Him cannot grow unless we seek Him. Is that what you mean? Just trying to understand and make sure!
That's awesome that you're intentionally asking yourself how you can seek Him more! Praying for your that you would find way to do this, sister!
Hi, Emily, Thanks so much for your response and question. I'd love to expand on my previous statement a little bit. :) I wasn't saying that His promises in general are conditional upon us seeking Him, but rather if we want to experience complete freedom from toxic thoughts we DO need to seek Him in order to experience that fully and to keep growing in our faith. Does that make sense? For example, in Psalm 91, the verse that says "He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with Him in times of trouble, I will deliver him and honor him" is such an inspiration to me to seek Him more in my own life for protection against toxic thoughts/fears/anxieties, etc. But I believe 100% that His grace is ALWAYS sufficient and covers everything. :) I just think that when we seek Him intentionally, we experience such a greater depth of His promises. I hope that helps to clarify my previous statement a little bit. I was definitely by no means saying that our relationship with Him is conditional in any way on our behavior. :)
Makes perfect sense! Just thought I'd ask just in case you *did* believe it was conditional, and then I could speak some truth to you. :) Great verse! We definitely have a greater depth when we seek intentionally. Thanks for replying!
"You are my place of safety, my fortress. My God, I trust in You." I will read and re-read these words all day!!!
I love how protected I feel when I read these verses!
Eye opener today….not like I haven't read this scripture today , but the thought provoking "what are you not trusting the lord for" definitely hit home! I noticed IF is what this reading started out with ….and then the LORD will .
So it's all up to us to trust him and he will cover us with his love! Thank you God for Jesus! Hope all have a great day!!! :)
"This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him." – Ps 91: 2 NLT
I have aways loved this Psalm, but today was the first time I had read it in the New Living Translation, and this has now got to be my favourite translation of these beautiful, powerful promises.
I pray that we would all receive a fresh revelation that would break fear's teeth. Psalm 91 really covers it all.
I'm a big worrier. I have struggles with anxiety and, I admit, that the fears that I have reveal how much I need to grow and trust God – as only He can help me.
God, help me and my sisters rest in You today, receiving Your grace, help, protection, favour for this day – knowing You Have us covered, Your timing is perfect, and you are working all things together for our good because YOU LOVE US! Refresh us with a powerful, fear-destroying revelation of Your love – perfect love casts out fear! – that rooted and grounded in Your unfailing love we would be able to successfully stand up to and resist fear (casting down every imagination crosswise of Your wonderful promises, every though crosswise of Your Truth) and not allow it to put a chokehold on our lives anymore, in the mighty Name of Jesus I pray! Amen.
AMEN!
thank you for mentioning the NLT translation – i agree with you – it's now my favorite also! and thank you for always being "real" with your encouraging posts. have a blessed & peaceful day!
Awesome! Thank you!
Great to read this today and to begin detoxing myself of the fear so I can trust God fully. The mind is so powerful. We have to know that God has our best interest in mind. I always seem to forget that. I love the verses in Isaiah that remind us…
“I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them. (Isaiah 55:8-11 MSG)
I love today’s thought. I never considered the fact that what I fear reveals my lack of trust in God. We must trust God with EVERYTHING and believe Him only. We have to know that He is in control and He will work EVERYTHING out for our good. (Romans 8:28) Have a blessed day!
What things are you not trusting God with that you need to?
I don't want to think that I have ever NOT trusted God… But, when the devotion points out that our fear is where we trust Him the least, it really slaps me in the face. My issue is always His timing. I give my situation to God and try to wait patiently, but His timing is never my own. Of course, I can look back on moments in my life and see His timing was DIVINE and that I could never have planned the outcomes better myself if I tried. But as I wait for God's response to my need, or answer to my prayer, or ending to my trial, I begin to worry– and, yes, even fear– that I will never receive it or that it will not be what I want. Then God proves me wrong. He is that good! And no matter how patient I am with my husband, my kids, or my students, I am never patient with God. I really hate to think of it as a lack of trust. That is something I will definitely work on!!!
Timing! Ohhhhh this is my biggest one too! I am so glad you pointed this out because I am in the exact same boat. I am really trying to work on it though, and I will pray for you to do the same :)