April 8: GOD HAS A WIDE-ANGLE VIEW OF YOUR LIFE.

Affirmation: I am loved and cherished.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬~~~~~Ponder: These next few weeks, I am going to focus on Psalm 23 for the biblical meditation practice. Today I encourage you to copy the 6 verses down. Read them over at least 5 times today. 
”The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.“‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.23.1-6.NIV
~~~~~
Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown
Let go of doubt and “supposed to.”Cultivate meaningful work.
~~~~~
Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews
The Compassionate Decision 

6. I WILL GREET THIS DAY WITH A FORGIVING SPIRIT.
By the act of forgiving, I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. I will forgive those who have criticized me unjustly.
I now understand that forgiveness has value only when it is given away. 

~~~~~
Reading for Today
Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

April 8

GOD HAS A WIDE-ANGLE VIEW OF YOUR LIFE. DON'T LET YOUR FOCUS GET SO NARROW THAT YOU MISS THE BEAUTIFUL PICTURE HE SEES. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 
PROVERBS 3:5-6 

When I was in college, I packed up my car and drove across California to win back my high school sweetheart. She had written me a letter outlining all the ways this frat boy she had met was a better fit for her, and I was devastated. I knew she was the one even if she had temporarily forgotten. So I hopped in my VW bug and headed south, rehearsing my speech for eight hundred miles. 

 

The day didn't go as I had planned. She was kind enough to let me in when I showed up unannounced, but her kindness felt more like pity than rekindled affection. As I returned to my car to face my new life as a single guy, I knew my heart would forever beat a little slower.

 
I've often looked back on that lonely drive home with such gratitude. It reminds me that sometimes the best gift God can give is keeping us from getting what we want. We latch on to a vision of what we think will make for the "perfect life," but it turns out our vision is a little shortsighted. God has a much wider angle for your life and mine on His lens. If I had won back my high school sweetheart, I would've missed out on Sweet Maria, and my old girlfriend would have been stuck with me. I never would've known what God had waiting for me if I had only aimed at what I already had. 

 

God is always better than the plans we imagine for our lives. It's okay to dream big, but let's hold our plans loosely in case God wants to give us something different and better. Remember that whatever you're aiming for, God's better. 


What situation in your life right now do you need to trust in God's outcomes, not yours? 

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