Reflections of Joy: Turn Around and See

When circumstances begin to fall apart, when pain strikes my heart, doubt and worry flood my mind, where do I focus my thoughts? Do I zero in on the anguish of my soul? Do I become a confused mess of emotions? Yes, sometimes I do. Sometimes I take my eyes off my blessings and I turn my heart away from worship and I sink into the dark hole of self-pity and despair. This trap that holds me to negativity brings me down and I begin to wonder “Why.” And I know from experience that when those words of questioning come to my mind, I must refocus to gain strength from the Lord.

In the Psalms, David often would start his rant with the “When, Where, How and Why” questions – pressing God for answers to torrents of anguish, but before he put the quill down to rest, he would turn his rant around with songs and words of praise and thanksgiving. The Psalms show us today how to refocus, how to turn our eyes and our hearts around to see the goodness and blessings of God.

Is it a glib answer to life’s difficulties or is it taking the Sword of the Spirit to slay the enemy that wants to take us down? There is a battle raging for the souls of God’s people. We have our secure spiritual eternity, but while on earth, the enemy wants to render us useless and pitiful. It’s time to open our eyes to his schemes and open our eyes to the power available to us through the Spirit of God within. It’s time to see beyond the circumstances and pain and see the blessings of God, to see God’s provision and faithfulness, to sing the songs of David and focus our hearts on Jesus.

Jesus – King of kings and Lord of Lords.