As the last post was inspired by my nightly devotions, so is this one. I believe that it was just yesterday that I read this Scripture in Psalms, and was surprised by the impact of it. To give you a little backstory before telling you the Scripture, I will tell you that since January of this year I’ve been on a fitness journey of sorts. Working out (though I’ve taken lengthy breaks in between), eating relatively healthy (though not so much as I should), and trying portion control. Along with some other things in my personal life, something that God has really put on my heart this year as my yearly lesson, is self-discipline and self-control.
Now, based on the post about surrender, you would probably think I have pretty good self-control. I mean, I didn’t eat for six months. That takes restraint. However it is more than just the ability to control yourself. It is the action of doing it. Holding yourself back when you really want to do this thing, or that thing. In our world, we have a name for it. Instant gratification
The idea that I want it, and I want it now. Screw the consequences of later, because the pleasure of this moment is better.
For the past few months my life has been a battle of this. Restraint vs instant gratification. I am sure that it will continue to be a battle for the next few months if not the next few years.
The reason specifically that this is on my mind so much, is because there are a few areas of my life where I am working on self-restraint and self-discipline. Some will remain unspecified, but for example, my eating. Also my working out. Only this week God really convicted me in my morbid sense of humour.
Bad as it may be, I make a lot of death jokes. Mostly about myself. To the point that sometimes I would lay on the road and say hit me.
He convicted me that I should stop, and surprisingly it has been really hard to stop making little comments and ‘jokes’. I am working on it though.
So, last night, with all of this in mind, I was reading from Psalms 71-80. (I read Bible plans from Youversion, and then read ten chapters of the Bible a night). When this verse caught my eye and really made me think.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ~Psalms 73:26 ESV
In the Christian world we are said to have two natures (named in Romans by the apostle Paul). One of these natures being our flesh, and one being spirit. Our flesh is everything in this world that is outside of God. We feed our flesh by eating lots of food (especially junk food), watching TV, sinning (specifically sexual immorality), drinking, smoking, and the list goes on and on. We feed our spirit by reading the Bible, praying, reflecting on God, fasting, and the like.
It has long since occurred to me, that I have wayyyyy overfed my flesh. Now, trying to starve my flesh and feed my spirit, is a massive challenge. It is not easy breaking bad habits, or working out five days a week, or stopping something that makes you feel good (even just temporarily).
So, reading this verse, gave me the reminder that it’s okay that sometimes I will fail. My flesh despite how hard I try to rein it in, will win sometimes. My heart without God is weak and fails on its own. However, God is the strength in my heart. He is my driving force. He is carrying me on.
It was a good reminder that God is my portion. He is my filling and I can be full on Him.
The context of this verse is that a man, Asaph, was lamenting on how the wicked prosper, and how they gain all these good things. However, his reminder was that God is his inheritance. God is his riches. God makes us prosper. And that is an important reminder for us today.
So, whatever fight you are fighting, where you needed this reminder, I hope that it inspires you. God is your portion. Allow yourself to take Him in, and lean on Him.
Don’t beat yourself up when your flesh manages to win a battle. It won’t win the war. Pick yourself back up and keep fighting. Your heart too. It may be frail on its own, but God strengthens it. He puts it back together. He is there in every beat and pulse.
Also an encouragement to reflection, or possibly even a warning.
They made us do this at my Bible college, where we were told to reflect and make a list. Underneath flesh, you write what you are doing that feeds the flesh. Underneath spirit, you write down what you are doing that feeds the spirit. You may be surprised by the results. I sure was.
I definitely believe that that exercise helped me to strengthen my relationship with God.
(For those who may be wondering, the verse I was referencing before about flesh and spirit is Romans 7, specifically 15-20.)
I am going to pray to end off this post, and then we can go on from there.
Lord, thank you for today. Thank you for the lessons learned, and the things taught. Thank you for having your Word on this earth. That it is living, and still applicable to every day life. Lord I pray that you would allow me to see where I could grow, in feeding my spirit. Please Father help me to feed the nature that will bring me closer to you. In the areas that I need to practice self-discipline, help me to have the strength. You are the strength of my heart Lord. My flesh and heart are weak and will fail, but you uphold me. You strengthen me and take care of me. Thank you for that God. Help me to rest in you, as my portion forever. Thank you for giving yourself to me, and help me to give myself to you.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
God bless, have a great day and week, and see you again soon on this blog!
~Ashley
P.S. One of my best friends recently got a tattoo that says “the wolf you feed is the wolf who wins”. I am not sure if she understands the significance of that, but I think it is so crazy cool. I think it will become my newest saying. I am dead serious adding it to my morning reminders as encouragement right now as I am typing this.
P.S.S. Also for those who may want reminders or are trying to memorize Bible verses, I have this great google reminder called Keep, that I can write things I want to remind me, and set a time on them. This is not sponsored or anything, just thought you might want a tip. Psalms 73:26 is on reminder for every day at 3 o’clock.
P.S.S.S. Please comment down below what blog posts you would like to see, I have a few ideas but I’d love to hear some of yours as well. Never know what will spark inspiration.
A Light in The Darkness 