Thursday, October 24, 2013

Calming the Storm Within You



I loved these wise words from Nancy Leigh DeMoss that I read early this morning after my Bible time so I wanted to share them with you:


"Devotions" Without "Devotion"

Some of us have had devotions, but we have not had devotion. There's a big difference. We may have gone through the motions of reading our Bibles and "saying our prayers" but we have not been cultivating a love relationship with our God. We know alot about Him, but we don't really know Him. 

We are active and busy in a multitude of spiritual activities, but we have lost perspective of who it is that we are serving and why.

The result of our "devotionless" religion is seen in the way we respond to pressure. So many of us as Christian women are chronically stressed out. Everywhere I go, I see it in the eyes of women; I hear it in their voices; and too often I see it when I look in my own mirror. I know what it is to have demands coming at me from every direction. I know what it is to respond of weariness, with an impatient, demanding spirit.

And I know what it is to contend with God Himself, even as my eyes fill up with tears of frustration with myself and my reactions.

I also know that there is only one place where that angry, reactive, overwhelmed self can be transformed---the same place that Mary chose--the feet of Jesus.  I must take a conscious, deliberate, daily choice to sit at His feet, to listen to His Word, to receive His love, to let Him change me, and to pour out my heart's devotion to Him.

When I get into His presence, the whole world looks different. When I draw close to His heart, I find mercy when I know I deserve judgment; I find forgiveness for all my petty, selfish ways;  I find grace for all my inadequacies; I find peace for my troubled heart; I find perspective for my distorted views.

In Him, I find an eye in the midst of the storm.  

Oh, the storm around me may not immediately subside;


but the storm within me is made calm.













This is an excerpt from the book A Place of Quiet Rest, you can find it here



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Encouraged here?

Please also check out my book True Christian Motherhood.

 

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow, such penetrating words! How very true, our fruits (our actions) should be those of the Spirit, if we are truly devoting ourselves to Him!!

Rebekah said...

Yes, yes, yes. I have this book by NLD and I remember holding tightly to this paragraph there when I read it years ago. It is so true of the ladies, albeit Christian ladies, in today's American culture.

Christine said...

THIS is why I enjoy your blog so much!
Thank you!

Mrs. Laura Lane said...

This is good. I needed to read it.
Laura

Anonymous said...

Love this. Thank you so much!

Sarah D. said...

Thank you.

Emma Joy said...

This is so true! What a difference there is with knowing about God and actually knowing Him.

When we spend time in unhurried prayer, make the time to read God's word daily, and worship Him in gratitude and for the wonder and majesty of who He is, we have an intimacy with God that just isn't possible through a number of "spiritual activities" when God isn't even in the equation!

Please check out my blog. It has a variety of articles on different topics including: "God's word", "Our Need for God", "Prayer", "Purity", "Women", "The Importance of Family", "Self Esteem", and "Self-Injury".

http://babypinkroses.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

It's as of those words were written for me today. I so needed to see and read this. Thanks!

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