A Beginning Point That Is Rock Solid

May 15, 2017

A Beginning Point That Is Rock Solid

My life is an example to many,

because you have been my strength and protection.

That is why I can never stop praising you;

I declare your glory all day long.

Psalm 71:7-8

We live in a culture that emphasizes awareness of emotions and feelings. The culture teaches a person to act on their feelings. When you follow this path, your feelings will become your beliefs about yourself and world. Keep on this path, and your beliefs will become the core of who you are.

Gandhi put it this way, “Your thoughts will become your words. Your words will become your actions. Your actions will become your habits. Your habits will become your character. Your character will define your destiny.”

I see a problem with both of these approaches to life. We know that our feelings or emotions do not always reflect the truth. Neither do our thoughts. We need a beginning point that is rock solid. This point is the truth of God. We can begin with God’s word and chose to believe it. We can then take actions based on our beliefs. Eventually, our feelings will line up with the truth of God, but not right away, and not always. This is why the Apostle Paul said, “For we live by believing and not by seeing” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

With this in mind, read again Psalm 71 and I believe you will find it is a good example of prayer as positive self-talk. The psalmist is in a very difficult place, and in his prayer he is rehearsing all he knows, all he has experienced with God. In this way, his faith will rest on God and he will not be overcome by doubt and fear.

Verse eighteen is especially meaningful to me now that I have retired from pastoral ministry.

“Now that I am old and gray,

    do not abandon me, O God.

Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,

    your mighty miracles to all who come after me.”

Yes Lord, by your grace, may I be a witness to the generations following after me. May I be a light leading them to the life in Christ.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.