To overcome any obstacle is to have focus. We are told, “Stand your ground” (Ephesians 6:4) but it’s difficult to stand our ground in battle if we can’t hear God over the noise- external or internal. It’s hard to stand our ground when we aren’t in the line of sight to see God.
Thank God he has given us as Christians his Spirit so when we focus on Him, we can partake in His wondrous reinforcements to inspire and encourage our soul.
“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.” Matthew 6:22
To live in contentment in any situation is to accept the supreme authority of God over our life… To find contentment is not dwelling on the dark side of the battlefields of life but remembering to look for the light of God’s faithfulness in the darkness.
“And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness--secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.” Isaiah 45:3
It’s unanticipated in the human understanding, how in the challenges and trials of the Christian life- the hidden treasures of God’s love and faithfulness are given and revealed to us in a supernatural way or manner. Fear is whittled away; the firm grasp on this life is lessened, the burdening baggage is abandoned, and the playground swings higher and higher as we are intimately shrouded in God’s love. We are hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:3).
What the world considers absurdity becomes reality standing before them, as we trust God. We may not even be aware of our testimony to world because we are so focused on God’s assuring love. What does this mean? It will mean the crowing assurances in our selves and in this world have been shooed out of the canopy of our branches by a song, beautifully written and composed by God. In these songs, our branches bear good fruit because of God’s assuring love. The fruit will not be eaten or ruined by the crowing flocks but preserved and kept safe by God himself.
“For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17
Ever wake up singing a song or during the day a song comes to mind to remind you of God’s love? Who do you think put that song in your head?
We all need to meditate and sing those songs in all the different circumstances that life brings.
“At the moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had finished off the army of Seir, they turned on each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the outlook point in the wilderness, there were dead bodies lying on the ground for as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped. King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder. They found vast amounts of equipment, clothing and other valuables- more then they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all!” 2 Chronicles 20:22-23
Sometimes it takes us days to see all the good things God had done for us, after the battle has been won and we are humbled by all God’s goodness.
Ever see a little child being steadied by their parent’s hands as they begin to learn how to walk? God, as our Heavenly Father, is also there to steady us as we walk in the uncertainty of battle.
David writes, “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” Psalm 40:2
Do you see the little excited child in yourself, being led and held up by our Heavenly Father?
In the complexities of life we actually observe the great truth of the rod and staff of our shepherd that protects us and comforts us. (Note Psalm 23:4) They become as visible as the shadow of the tree trunks in the sun.
The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? Proverbs 20:24
At times in life, we all want to know what is going to happen as we walk this path of life… and I don’t think that is bad. We should always seek the Lord for guidance. Conflicted or not, we should ask. But more importantly God wants us to be abundantly aware of His watchful and provisional care of us. He wants us to be surrendered to this empowering freeing truth as we are also surrendered to his will for our lives.
I find we as Christians know many truths in God’s word, the Bible, but they are no use to us if they are just words on the page that we have memorized and recalled having read them or hearing them many times before. We are not to be just theologians. The words of God are to have meaning and life in them. They are of have great value to us because God has shown them to be true and we sincerely mean them when we say and sing them back to the Lord. The words of God are love letters to us – with so much depth we will probably not completely comprehend their entire meaning.
The words of God are to build a bond been our Heavenly Father and us as his children. God not only gives us his word but provides proof to his word by his actions just as a father and mother are suppose to build a loving bond with their children. But unlike our earthly parents, God knows us intimately and knows the story of our life- every detail, from beginning to beginning (from earth to heaven).
For God’s word to be active and of any powerful use to us we have to continually seek to have and live in our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ.
Not a relationship with words on a page but a relationship that transcends the words on the page to a relationship with God and where the word of God comes to life.
A person is not in love with the love letters but the sweetheart who wrote the love letters.
The cry of my heart is to love God more - knowing the more I love God the more I will be able to experience the freedom of his love. We won’t have to fear. We won’t have to be afraid. We won’t have to have anxiety. We won’t feel less of a person. We won’t have the circumstances of life manipulate and trip us up. We can be the person God wants us to be regardless of circumstances. God can’t love you or me anymore then he loves us now it’s us that has to chose to live in his love more.
Hillsong wrote a song years ago called “Show me your ways”. I believe its was inspired by Psalm 25. Here are some of the lyrics.
Show me Your ways
That I may walk with You
Show me Your ways
I put my hope in You
The cry of my heart
Is to love You more
To live with the
Touch of Your hand
Stronger each day
Show me Your ways
It is that the cry of your heart? We all need God’s love to show us the way through this life. We need God’s up close and personal presence, instruction and assurance in our life. We all need to love God more so we can be stronger in his love. Jesus replied, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” Matthew 22:37
God’s love doesn’t take affect because in our anxious we forget God is with us. We forget God is omnipresent. He is always present. God is the Jello/gelatin and we are the piece of fruit in the Jello/gelatin. Plus in the believer, the Christian, God doesn’t just surround us but is inside of us- the Holy Spirit,
“for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Note Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 31:8)
That is why David wrote, “I shall not want.” in Psalm 23
That is why Jesus said, “Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” Matthew 6:32
I guess the question is, are we living for ourselves or for the Father? Are we living to glorify God in our life? Do our thoughts to our actions glorify God?
Thoughts we should be having in our heart, “I do not need to fret about tomorrow because I know the Lord has prepared everything I need for tomorrow. LORD thank you for preparing and providing provision for me this day and for tomorrow. Thank you Lord that you will be with me. Thank you Lord you will be touching and guiding me every step of the way. Thank you Lord it is not my battle, but yours. I shall not want.”
Thank you Lord that by thinking and meditating on these things in our hearts we may live in your love, in the moment and glorify you, in Jesus name Amen.
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