ALREADY SURROUNDED

 ALREADY SURROUNDED

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” — Isaiah 26:3

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” — Colossians 3:2

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.” — Psalm 139:7–8

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.” — Acts 17:28

“Pray without ceasing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:17

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” — Ephesians 6:18

Have you ever stopped to think about what your mind does all day?

I know mine certainly doesn't stop! 😂

Before my feet even hit the floor, my mind can already be making a list. What needs to be done? What am I cooking? What do the kids need this week? What needs to happen at church? Did I remember that appointment? Where did I put that thing I was just holding?

And then there are the thoughts we don't plan on having—the worries, the memories, the what-ifs, and sometimes the things we wish we could just shut off.

Our human minds are busy places.

But here is something beautiful to remember:

God is not limited by any of that.

God doesn't become distracted. He doesn't

 forget where He is. He doesn't have to stop one thought to make room for another. His presence isn't something we have to create, and we don't have to convince Him to pay attention to us.

He is already here.

That changes the way we look at prayer.

ANCHORED MINDS

Isaiah 26:3 says:

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

The Hebrew word translated “mind” is yeṣer, which can refer to our thoughts, imagination, intentions, and the way our minds are formed.

And then we have the word samak, translated “stayed.”

It carries the idea of leaning upon or being supported.

I love that picture.

God isn't asking us to sit down, squeeze our eyes shut, and somehow force our minds to think perfectly spiritual thoughts all day long.

He is inviting us to lean our minds on Him.

Think about collapsing onto the couch after a long day and finally letting your body rest.

That's what God wants us to do with our thoughts.

Lean on Me.

When our minds are overwhelmed, we can lean on Him.

When we're worried, we can lean on Him.

When we don't know what tomorrow holds, we can lean on Him.

When our plans don't work out, we can lean on Him.

And when our minds are racing at 100 miles an hour, we can simply whisper,

“Jesus, I'm here. You're here. I've got a lot on my mind, so I'm giving it to You.”

That is prayer, too.

CHANGE THE DEFAULT

Paul tells us in Colossians 3:2:

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

That doesn't mean we ignore everyday responsibilities.

Believe me, God knows we still have groceries to buy, dishes to wash, bills to pay, animals to feed, children to teach, and church work to accomplish!

Just look at our Thursdays. 😂

Yesterday was Tribe Thursday, and five kids made sandwiches and candy to give to their church family on Sunday.

Cooking class with three volunteers can get a little crazy!

Thankfully, Audrey helps us tremendously. She brings lots of ideas, helps keep everyone moving in the right direction, and somehow helps us stay on task when there are three volunteers and five energetic kids doing approximately seventeen things at once. 😂

Ross is always tired afterward, but he loves teaching those kids.

And he isn't just teaching them cooking, music, and crafts.

He is teaching them about the incredible love our Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—has for them.

I love planning each week's lesson and then watching it actually happen.

Sometimes it doesn't go exactly as planned.

Actually, let's be honest.

It rarely goes exactly as planned!

But that's okay.

Because our goal isn't perfection.

Our goal is to plant seeds.

And sometimes those seeds are planted while making sandwiches, decorating crafts, singing songs, laughing, cleaning up a mess, or figuring out how to keep everyone on task.

That's real life.

And that's where setting our minds on things above matters.

It doesn't mean escaping our earthly lives.

It means inviting God into them.

WE ARE NEVER ALONE

Psalm 139 asks:

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?”

The answer is simple:

Nowhere.

David understood something we sometimes forget.

There isn't a place we can go where God isn't already there.

When life is wonderful, He is there.

When we're exhausted, He is there.

When we're serving others, He is there.

When we're sitting alone with tears in our eyes, He is there.

When we're surrounded by people, He is there.

When we don't feel His presence, He is still there.

Our feelings may change.

Our circumstances may change.

Our understanding may change.

God's presence doesn't.

And Acts 17:28 takes it even further:

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.”

We don't merely visit God's presence during church.

We don't enter His presence only when we kneel beside our bed.

We live our entire lives in His presence.

Every breath.

Every step.

Every ordinary Tuesday.

Every crazy Thursday.

Every Sunday morning.

Every difficult night.

We are already surrounded.

KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING

Paul tells us:

“Pray without ceasing.”

That can sound impossible until we understand what he means.

He isn't telling us that we must spend every second on our knees with our eyes closed.

He's inviting us to keep the conversation open.

We can talk to God while we cook.

While we drive.

While we're working.

While we're helping someone.

While we're worried.

While we're grateful.

While we're cleaning up after five kids make sandwiches and candy. 😂

A prayer doesn't have to be long.

Sometimes it's simply:

“Lord, help me.”

Sometimes:

“Thank You, Jesus.”

Sometimes:

“Thank You, Jesus.”

Sometimes:

“I don't understand this, but I trust You.”

Sometimes:

“Please help me know what to do next.”

And sometimes we don't even have words.

God knows those prayers, too.

BRINGING IT HOME

Our human minds can feel like a flickering candle—bright one minute and struggling the next.

But God isn't like us.

His presence isn't dependent upon our ability to concentrate.

His love isn't dependent upon our ability to behave perfectly.

His awareness of us doesn't disappear when we get distracted.

He is already aware of us.

He already knows.

He is already present.

And He is already holding us.

So today, instead of trying to carry everything inside your own mind, try something different.

Lean.

Lean your thoughts onto Him.

When your mind starts racing, remember Isaiah 26:3.

When you're tempted to focus only on earthly problems, remember Colossians 3:2.

When you feel alone, remember Psalm 139.

When you're wondering where God is in the middle of your ordinary day, remember Acts 17:28.

And throughout the day, keep talking to Him.

Pray without ceasing.

You don't have to manufacture God's presence.

You simply have to become aware of the presence that is already there.

Because wherever you go today…

God is already there.

And perhaps that is one of the most peaceful truths we will ever know.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank You that we never have to search for You because You are already with us.

When our minds become crowded with worries, responsibilities, memories, and things we cannot control, help us lean our thoughts upon You.

Teach us to set our minds on things above while still faithfully living the lives You have given us here on earth.

Help us remember that You are with us in the kitchen, at work, at church, in our homes, in our cars, in our celebrations, and in our difficult moments.

Thank You for the children You have placed in our lives. Thank You for the opportunity to teach them, serve them, laugh with them, and show them Your love. Bless every child who comes through our doors, and let the seeds planted through something as simple as a cooking class grow into a lifelong relationship with You.

Give Audrey strength and wisdom as she helps keep us organized. Bless Ross as he teaches these children not only cooking, music, and crafts, but the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And Lord, help each of us remember today:

We are never alone.

You are already here.

You are already listening.

You are already holding us.

Help us keep the conversation going throughout this day.

In Jesus' precious name,

Amen.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

Our Father, which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

Amen.

BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED AMEN BOBBA ❤️

Love, Penny 💛 

#Godisgood #faith #devotional