April 3, 2020, Friday

Psalm 31:11-13 NLT

The idea of your friends being afraid to come near you may seem a little crazy, but in the day and time when this Psalm was written, it was common for friends to fall away when it appeared God had withdrawn his blessing from an individual. In reality, this may be more common today than we realize or are comfortable admitting. We have felt the pain of knowing we are the talk of the town, that rumors were going around about us. 
All of this pain was the reality of the psalmist, and it was even worse because he had people plotting to take his life. During the season of Lent, one thing to remember is that Jesus felt all of these feelings as well, especially as his betrayal and death approached. Sometimes all we need is a shift in thinking. Today's reading offers an opportunity to move from stinking thinking to a Kingdom perspective. No matter how bad we have it, for most, it is nothing compared to the pain and trouble the psalmist faced. This shift in perspective can change everything for us. This shift can wake us up to the goodness of God's grace and help to set us free from the bondage that seeks to control our lives with fear. 
 
How can you break out of your stinking thinking? Does reading this Psalm help with that at all?