The Gears In My Mind

So, today as I opened “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young and reading the WRONG day (8/17 instead of 8/15), I read, “Find Me in the midst of the maelstrom. Sometimes events will whirl around you so quickly….” As I read this a crazy children’s song came to my mind, and is often the case (which my kids can attest to), I can rarely leave the words as they were written. Following is what came as a result.

(Sung to “The Wheels on the Bus”)

by Joe Burgess

The gears in my mind, they grind and grind

Grind and grind, grind and grind

The gears in my mind, they grind and grind

All through the night.

The thoughts in my mind, I capture them

Capture them, capture them

The thoughts in my mind, I capture them

And give them to God.

The peace in my heart, it grows and grows

Grows and grows, grows and grows

The peace in my heart, it grows and grows

For He calms my soul.

(Other thoughts)

The strength for my day, is from my Lord

From my Lord, from my Lord

The strength for my day, is from my Lord

As He guides my way.

The gears in my mind, they slow and slow

Slow and slow, slow and slow

The gears in my mind, they slow and slow

As He gives me rest.

There are times for all of us when something sparks a strain of worry in our minds. We might think it warranted in some way because of an upcoming or recent event or a pressure, but at other times we can’t even put a finger on the source or cause. We have an incredible thing in our brains which God designed and gave us the ability to use, but this incredible thing can also be a force to drive a wedge between us and Him. It is for that reason that Scripture speaks so frequently about the battle that wages in our minds, and the need we have to actively deal with it.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5 we read that those things we worry about are best dealt with when we take them captive and turn them over to God and do as His Word instructs. “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,… (NASB95)” I like that the words “Speculation” and “every lofty thing” are used, because worries seem to grow as we give them credence. They can become a consuming monster, while for the most part they are based in things which have not happened or over which we have no control. God tells us to surrender these things to Him, first of all by taking those thoughts captive. In taking them captive we rein them in and recognize them for what they are—things which He has control over and through which He has promised to faithfully direct our steps and bring us through (Proverbs 3:5-6; 1 Corinthians 10:13).

Knowing this of our God, we can then also know the peace that He gives, a peace that passes way above all understanding or comprehension—what we can grasp. Paul wrote of his confidence in God as one that drove him to his knees.  “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14–19, NASB95)

Paul also said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, NASB95)

Peace is found in replacing a focus on the size of your worry with trust in the size and faithfulness of our Lord. He knows our every thought and He knows how to lead us to victory. So when the wheels start spinning, remember who is the owner and driver of your bus.

Therefore, I will place my trust in Him and look not to the size of the situation, BUT to the size and faithfulness of my GOD.

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (8/17)

Find Me in the midst of the maelstrom. Sometimes events will whirl around you so quickly that they become a blur. Whisper My Name in recognition that I am still with you. Without skipping a beat in the activities that occupy you, you find strength and Peace through praying My Name. Later, when the happenings have run their course, you can talk with Me more fully.

Accept each day just as it comes to you. Do not waste your time and energy wishing for a different set of circumstances. Instead, trust Me enough to yield to My design and purposes. Remember that nothing can separate you from My loving Present; you are Mine.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1