Tuesday Morning Devotional - God Loves You

On Tuesdays, I'll publish a devotional that will be short and help you focus for the day and week ahead! There are days I wonder if I'm cut out for this. I doubt myself. I tell myself that I'm spending too much money. I'm not doing enough as a mom. I'm not showing up well as a wife. My house looks dirty. My work isn't as good as I feel like it should be. There are piles of laundry, dishes in the sink, dirt on the floor, my car is a mess (again!), and so on. I even go so far as to tell myself that I'm neglecting my dog and my chickens. Yes we can be so harsh to ourselves. I would never say these things to a friend having one bad day. I would encourage them, and I'm sure you would encourage your friend too but sometimes we just have this negative talk running through our minds - even if it's not true. 1 Samuel 30:6 says "And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God". David was a faithful servant of the Lord. He was always after the Lord's heart just as we should strive to be daily. He was distressed and made terrible decisions, because he strayed from the Lord's light. He started to care more about his image to man than his image to God. Although David did a lot of great things, he also made some very poor decisions. Even though most of us don't make the decisions that David made, we are still faced with our relationship to God being interrupted by the negativity of Satan. When we are feeling down and hard on ourselves we need to remember that “God is our strength and our refuge, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1. He is with us all of the time. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” Isaiah 43:2. He does not want us to talk or think negatively of ourselves. Instead in these negative moments, we can become redeemed by Him and start moving. We can change our circumstance because He gives us the strength to do so. Practical Things You Can Do TODAY: Say 'no' to any negative situations that will help you feel more at peace to not be part of. When your mind shifts to negative talk, remind yourself that you are a loved child of God and that you are doing your best at all you do. Set aside time to relax, and reset. Sometimes we just need to give our brains a break from the constant noise! Journal: What are some things you love about yourself? Are there situations you feel that are negative that you need to remove from your life?