You Control Your Thoughts: Feed on the LORD’s Faithfulness

Controlling what You Can
in this Uncontrollable World

Part 5

You Control Your Thoughts: Feed on the LORD’s Faithfulness

The world around you may be out of your control, but you can still thrive when you choose to control what you can. You, and you alone, control yourself. As we continue to follow David’s instruction in Psalm 37, remember…

Only you can control:
Your Foundation: the LORD is in Control
Your Focus: Fret not. Trust in the LORD
Your Actions: Do Good
Your Mindset: Dwell in the Land

Additionally, you control your thoughts. If you want to thrive, you must choose to feed on truth and faithfulness.

3. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness

Only you can control what you think—what you feed your mind. You can feed it fear and negativity, or you can feed it powerful truths and blessings. All of these thoughts are available in any given situation. As we look back again to the time when the Israelite spies came back with their varying reports, we can see that there really were some scary truths to share. But that’s all the people of Israel ate up. Caleb and Joshua tried to feed them the powerful truth that superseded the scary truths, but their minds were completely engulfed in the scary truths. The giants were real, but so was the power of their God and His faithfulness to His promises. We know which truth the Israelites fed their minds and we know the sad results — 40 years of wandering. Listen, friend, God doesn’t want you to wander aimlessly through the difficulties of life. He has abundant life for you, and gives you all that pertains “to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who called us to His glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises…” 2 Peter 1:3,4.

I get myself all off track when I feed my mind scary truths, but some times I feed myself flat out lies. The enemy is really good at helping me with that! Remember, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) The enemy whispers some pretty ugly things in my ears. If I choose to listen to his cruel lies, I end up crippled by my thoughts. When I change dinner plates and feed myself the truths that God says about me and about His faithfulness to me, I can thrive.

You can thrive when you choose to feed on truth and the faithfulness of God. Hebrews 11 gives testimony to the faithfulness of God in those He physically delivered, and those whom He delivered through death. This Hall of Faith is followed by these words, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1,2a) Throughout life, I’ve heard many people say that these extraordinary saints are a cloud of witnesses watching us (witnessing our actions), but I truly believe they are testifying (as a witness) of what THEY actually saw in their own lives. They witnessed the faithfulness of God and they testify as a witness to those of us who come after that whether God physically delivers you, or you walk the road of rejection or martyrdom, GOD IS FAITHFUL to the end! Run and endure, Christian, not because someone is watching you from the clouds of heaven, but because the LORD is faithful! Chew on that! These saints are a witness to His faithfulness. He will faithfully establish you to the end —look to Jesus!

In Psalm 77, Asaph was discouraged by whatever situation he was in, and wondered if God had forgotten to be gracious or had shut up His compassion (:9). He then makes a choice to feed on the truth of God’s faithfulness: “Then I said, ‘I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High, I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds.’” (:10-12) Asaph chose to stop feeding on the problems and chose to feed on the solid history of God’s works and deeds—His faithfulness.

The LORD is faithful! He will bind up your wounds, give you strength in the craziness of life, and guide you with His Word. He cares about you! He is establishing your steps, crazy as they may be, and He will be faithful to the end! Feed your mind this powerful truth!

So in this crazy, out of control life you live (BTW every generation has craziness of some sort), you choose your thoughts. You, and you alone, can choose to feed your brain powerful truths that will allow you to thrive, or the scary truths and down right lies that will sink your feet in the mire. 

This week, focus on controlling your thoughts. What are you feeding your mind today?
Are you feeding your mind powerful truth?
Are you feeding your mind the truth of God’s faithfulness?

You can thrive, if you choose to feed your mind the truth of God’s faithfulness.