Does your family ever use the phrase “with all your might”? Growing up, my parents and grandparents used that phrase to encourage me when I needed to be physically strong.
While I’m young in correlation to the average lifespan of a human being, I can feel my body deteriorating and I don’t feel so “mighty” these days. As an adult, I’ve come to understand the value of not only physical health, but mental health and being “mentally mighty.” What that looks like for me is space from others, quiet, a journal and my Bible. While that doesn’t happen as often as I’d like, each morning I try to read the verse of the day in the YouVersion Bible app. This was Monday’s verse:
“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago. I will consider all Your works and meditate on all Your mighty deeds.” – Psalms 77:11-12
I read each phrase of this Scripture like a parched plant soaking in drops of water, feeling nourished the more I received. I looked at a few different versions of these verses and found it interesting that several of them maintained the word “mighty” while a few interchanged the word “deeds” with work, works and actions.
Since these verses were making such an impact on me, I stopped and considered a few questions that I encourage you to consider.
Questions
- What are God’s mighty works in your own life?
- What storms has He helped you overcome?
- Think about the miracles God performed years ago. Can you see any similarities with His goodness in your life?
Next Steps
- Thank and praise God for all He’s done in your life.
- Be still and really think – meditate and reflect – on God’s great works (verse 12).
- Who can you tell about His mighty works in your life? (in the King James Version, verse 12 says “… and talk of Thy doings.”)
I discovered after my meditation that these verses are an excellent picture of exercising our mental health. I went back and read the beginning of Psalm 77. The writer was facing much despair and fear, yet he chose to remember who God is and His truth. God tells us that the solution for anxiety is coming to Him with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6), and that’s exactly what this writer did and what we can do to calm our minds.
I pray you feel as light, hopeful and refreshed in your relationship with the Lord as I did after completing this exercise. Share in the comments what recent Scripture you’ve read that’s made you feel “mentally mighty.”
