The Scroll Marked VI: Today I will be master of my emotions.
“The tides advance; the tides recede. Winter goes and summer comes. Summer wanes and the cold increases. The sun rises; the sun sets. The moon is full; the moon is black. The birds arrive; the birds depart. Flowers bloom; flowers fade. Seeds are sown; harvests are reaped. All nature is a circle of moods and I am part of nature and so, like the tides, my moods will rise; my moods will fall. Today I will be master of my emotions.
“…And how will I master these emotions so that each day will be productive? For unless my mood is right the day will be a failure…And how will I master my emotions so that every day is a happy day, and a productive one? I will learn this secret of the ages: Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts. Each day, when I awaken, I will follow this plan of battle before I am captured by the forces of sadness, self-pity and failure-
“If I feel depressed I will sing. If I feel sad I will laugh. If I feel ill I will double my labor. If I feel fear I will plunge ahead. If I feel inferior I will wear new garments. If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice. If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come. If I feel incompetent I will remember past success. If I feel insignificant I will remember my goals. Today I will be master of my emotions.
“…If I become overconfident I will recall my failures. If I overindulge I will think of past hungers. If I feel complacency I will remember my competition. If I enjoy moments of greatness I will remember moments of shame. If I feel all-powerful I will try to stop the wind. If I attain great wealth I will remember one unfed mouth. If I become overly proud I will remember a moment of weakness. If I feel my skill is unmatched I will look at the stars. Today I will be master of my emotions.
“…No longer will I judge a man on one meeting; no longer will I fail to call again tomorrow on he who meets me with hate today…From this moment I am prepared to control whatever personality awakes in me each day. I will master my moods through positive action and when I master my moods I will control my destiny…I will become master of myself. I will become great.” (pgs. 78-82)
In the Word: 2 Samuel 5:11-23; 1 Chronicles 13-16; Psalm 106-107
It’s interesting that we all follow the story of David’s son Solomon, but what about the others? What happened to his other children Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. Are they not important and also a part of the lineage of Christ? And it is also interesting that the 2 Samuel passages are saying the same thing as the 1 Chronicles passage (just like how the Gospels tell the same stories), but Beeliada is not mentioned in 2 Samuel as one of David’s children. Who was she? (or is Beeliada a he?)
1 Chronicles 16:7-36 is David’s Psalm of Thanks. It not only puts into perspective God’s power, but also the ways he was continuously blessing the people of Israel, despite their constant disobedience. “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods…Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.” (v.25, 27)
Psalm 106 is POWERFUL and humbling. The Israelites kept disobeying God over and over. Once you see their disobedience listed out in one place, like Psalm 106 does, it really gives you an understanding that God wasn’t being harsh by placing obstacles in their way…they were actually causing themselves to fall into those obstacles! (Does that make sense?) “Therefore the Lord was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance…Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented.” (v.40-45)