Thursday, January 1

I can wake up in the morning and start the day out well, head to work, meet with people and everything is going really well and then all of a sudden out of nowhere I can have these messed up thoughts.  Sometimes, I can handle them and sometimes I spiral inside my head.  Then there are other times when I’m spinning with the internal struggle and I bring it into my next interaction with someone and I've noticed things don’t go as well.  I also, recognize that most times when that happens to me after I feel shame, annoyance of the other person, ok, and myself…. I feel this weight of not being good enough and I generally do everything I can to avoid all of the pain I’m going through.

Can you relate?  Maybe this isn’t your exact scenario, how does it go with you?  Have you taken notice of it?  I think most times for most of us (all of us) we are fighting this battle in our minds and we are professionals at hiding it from everyone, even God…  

Take a look at the passage below, I want to encourage you to sit with it, invite God into your heart and mind.  How does this passage speak to you?  

Isaiah 58:6“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:To loose the bonds of wickedness,To undo the heavy burdens,To let the oppressed go free,And that you break every yoke?"

Do you have wickedness within you?  Are there heavy burdens you are carrying?  Do you feel a heaviness in your life at times?  Can you beat yourself up for saying or doing things that were embarrassing? Are you following a pattern of some kind that you can’t break?
This passage is for us!  I encourage you to read the entire Isaiah 58 passage which is on fasting, the first 5 verses are how not to do it.  Verse 6 here talks about when you fast from healthy heart posture how God will see you and love and care for you!

Us acknowledging our weakness, our brokenness within is denying our flesh,  this is us showing God our desperate need for Him!  As you step into this, it will be scary but trust in God our Heavenly Father who will NEVER leave you, and NEVER forsake you.

If music speaks to you please take some time and allow this song to wash over you!

Abba & I Love You Lord + Spontaneous - *Jonathan David & Melissa Helser* (OneThing 2016)

With Love,Sam