Contact Me

If you enjoy my blog and would like to contact me, you may reach me at this email: dena.netherton@gmail.com

Some of my stories are published in:
A Cup of Comfort Devotional for Mothers and Daughters (Adams Media, 2009)
Chicken Soup: What I Learned from the Dog (2009)
Love is a Flame (Bethany House, 2010)
Extraordinary answers to Prayer (Guideposts, 2010)
Love is a Verb (Bethany House, 2011)
Big Dreams from Small Spaces (Group Publishing, 2012)

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Run to the Rock

The other day, it seemed as if events, tons of commitments, bureaucracy, and inanimate objects had all conspired to make my day difficult. By the time I got home that night, I felt tense and irritable.
I plunked myself in front of the tv, hoping to numb those negative feelings by watching something happy and entertaining.
Instead, I surfed over channels offering stupid comedies filled rude or sexual comments, or reality shows  (I hate those programs --what's wrong with those people who create such shows?), or news and political shows, discussing the latest riot that killed xxx innocent people or the horrible state of the economy and our mounting (insurmountable) debt, etc.
How about animal planet? Nope. There was a program on about alligators. Ick!
I shut off the tv and went to bed, still upset.
That was a mistake.

In the middle of the night, God woke me. Come to me, all ye who labor and are heavy burdened and I shall give you rest. Cast all your care on Him because He cares for you. Look to the Lord always; seek His face. I am the Rock eternal. (Matt. 11:28; 1 Peter 5:7;1 Chron. 16:11; Is. 26:4)
He reminded me that He is my first and best refuge, my rock and my fortress.
Why had I resorted to the tv to numb my feelings when I could have gone to my heavenly Father to have my soul refreshed and restored?

"What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer." (J. Scriven/Charles Converse)


4 comments:

  1. Vegging in front of the TV makes me feel worse. In fact, I think I could easily live without TV.

    I love the 23rd Psalm and the verse that says He restores my soul. Our souls are our mind, will, and emotions. Now, that's something to rejoice about!

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  2. Good post, Dena. I think sometimes how the Lord must grieve when I don't seek Him first. Being a mom, I think about how I would feel if my child went everywhere else for comfort instead of me. Thanks for sharing this. God bless you.

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  3. Susan, the older I get, the more I appreciate the encouraging and comforting words found in the Psalms. Paul's letters to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians are also great comforts to me.

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  4. Nancy, I thinks sometimes I run for the tv first because it merely talks at me, not to me. It takes more energy to commune with God!

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