Armed and Ready

In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. Proverbs 14:26 (New King James Version)

My level of confidence is proportionate to my view of and relationship to God as is my sense of security. I find that the times I am in turmoil, distress, confusion, or emotional resignation are the times my mind and eyes are no longer fixed and focused on Him. His truths must be the plumb line for my thoughts, words, and actions. It is imperative that God is my object of confidence and my place of shelter. Not just a shelter from the dangers and storms of life but from falsehoods that abound.

The enemy of my soul knows all of this. Therefore his main objective is to chip away at my connection to God. If I am not on guard to his tactics and lies, I can very easily have my confidence shaken and my outlook on many things distorted. If I am not intent on purposefully bringing my thoughts captive and in line with truth, they will actually work against me and fill my soul with a foreboding darkness.

It has been my practice to write devotionals in an honest and open way. Usually God’s instructions to me include remaining general enough so people are able to see themselves and their situations in the truth I am sharing. This morning I sense His nudging to be specific with a personal example. Yesterday’s devotional centered on walking in God’s forgiveness of past sins and mistakes and moving forward. Little did I realize when I sent it off that I would later become engaged in a four hour attack from the enemy over that very issue. He was ruthless!

While at work, the enemy fed me a lie about a past situation. His interpretation and conclusion of the event left me with a feeling of being a disappointment to the body of Christ, to myself, and even to God. I lost perspective on everything that my journey of the last three years entailed. I could not sense one moment of God’s delight in me. The darkness enveloped me until I was able to identify the enemy being at work. With the renouncing of lies and embracing of truth, my thought process became clear and my confidence and security returned…..until later in the evening when he sideswiped me again as I emailed a friend. I can reread the email I sent her and literally see where my conversation shifted and the enemy’s lies surfaced.

This morning I woke with a completely different perspective. There are no dark thoughts, no question of God’s view of me and love for me, no overwhelming sense of despair. The enemy has backed off but I know he will return. Before he resurfaces with repackaged lies I must put on the armor of Ephesians 6 and stand ready to stand in truth. I must realign myself with what God’s Word says and place my reverential trust in Him and Him alone. He is my covering for any battle that takes place today.

Father, I sustained wounds from the enemy yesterday. May I not give him such pleasure today. I take Your hand, Your Word, and Your Spirit with me into every confrontation that lies ahead. Amen.

A Fresh Start

Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Exodus 2:12 (New International Version)

Have you ever had something from your past continue to give you a nagging feeling? I often wonder if Moses was ever haunted by his killing of an Egyptian. Or was David ever tormented by the thoughts of adultery and murder? Or were Joseph’s brothers bothered by their treatment of Joseph? Or…..you get the picture. The Bible is full of examples of people’s pasts that could have easily consumed them and robbed them of peace and joy and the ability to move on. Outside of the grace of God and an owning of His total forgiveness it is impossible.

In the course of a phone conversation last night something was said that I really needed to hear. As I reviewed some areas of regret, wrong choices, and life altering consequences from the past, I was able to take in this truth that my friend shared with me…..I cannot fix or change the past. I must simply move forward and determine by God’s grace to do the right things now. To walk in truth now and follow God’s lead.

I cannot tell you the weight that came off my shoulders as I saw the freedom in what she was saying. The continual questioning and beating myself up over past decisions has kept me from moving forward. It was like being frozen in time. I had wrongly assumed God wanted me to somehow fix everything and make it all the way it was suppose to be in the first place. I felt like a small child standing over the Grand Canyon with a tiny shovel and being told to fill in the hole. Impossible! And so was the idea with my past areas of concern. Not only impossible but a lie that it was even being expected of me.

To the best of my ability I have sought God’s forgiveness as well as that of someone who was hurt by it all. Now God is urging me to live in that forgiveness and walk in the freedom it brings. No more shame. No more condemnation. No more second guessing. No more “if only” statements. Learn from it and go on with Him. Listen for His daily instructions and then act upon what He says. After all, Moses, David, and Joseph’s brothers had no way of undoing or making right their sinful choices outside of God’s grace and forgiveness, and neither can you or I.

Father, thank you for each fresh start You give to me. I rejoice in the freedom of that thought. What I cannot undo need never hinder me from moving forward with You. Amen.

Awakening Our Hunger

A worker’s appetite works for him, for his hunger urges him on. Proverbs 16:26 (New American Standard Bible)

Appetites run strong in each of us. They drive us to possess the very things we hunger for. Most of us do not have to work at having a hunger for food. It is one of the reasons we get up each day and go to work. Our jobs provide the necessary income to purchase the food with which we stock our cupboards. In the early days of our country, the colonies had a problem with people not wanting to work. The solution was to enforce the biblical standard that if you don’t work you don’t eat. The eventual hunger drove the people to work when their own initiative failed them. In that case, their appetite worked for them and urged them on to work.

The same is true of our spiritual appetites. The hunger and thirst we have to know God is what urges us on to open His Word and take in His truth. It is meant to be more than an occasional snack. It is meant to be a feast and the sustenance our souls crave. It does not take long for our bodies to feel the effect of going without food. Go without food long enough and you experience weakness, hunger pains, a headache, and a general feeling of not feeling well. Our bodies crave food and the negative effects drive us to eat.

And yet hunger for the right foods can be dulled by taking in a lot of sweets and empty calories. I speak from experience when I say, I can feed on so many unhealthy choices that I no longer desire what is good for me. After a while I am eating but not finding satisfaction and a sense of fullness. There are also people who struggle with eating disorders and can eventually shut down the cravings for food all together. Not healthy!

Again, the same is true in a spiritual sense. A hunger for God’s Word is dulled by numerous other activities or shut down completely by pure starvation. But I assure you, the hunger is still there. It just needs to be reawakened. It is simply a matter of asking God to show us how hungry our souls really are for Him. At first, a person may open His Word and nothing seems to happen. But over time, with consistent feedings, the appetite gets stronger and reading His Word becomes an actual desire. It really is a rich food source!

Father, You are never insulted when I ask You to awaken my hunger for You. May my appetite be ravenous! Amen.

Becoming a Possessor

A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel. Proverbs 1:5 (New American Standard Bible)

Today starts a personal journey into the book of Proverbs. I have enjoyed and drank deeply of the Psalms and am ready to venture into the book of wisdom. God is wasting no time in letting me know how to become a possessor of His wisdom. To not only take in truth, but to know how to implement it into my daily walk. He has graciously prepared me for this time and He has done it in progressive stages.

A few years ago, God began to show me how often I failed to walk in truth about Him, His Word, and His ways. He showed me how much of my thinking was connected to the lies of the enemy. Lies about Him, about others, and even about myself. As I began taking in the truth, a profound thing began to happen. I began to hunger for it. This was an essential shift for me, because the hunger led to a willingness to be taught. It affected my hearing as well as my receptability to what was being said or read.

Today’s verse goes beyond being a mere “how to” verse. It is a verse packed full of results and promise. It actually describes the characteristics and advantages of being a wise person. The first half is a stated fact. A wise man will listen and will yield to godly instruction, advice, and wisdom. His open ears and obedient heart are what mark his life. If he is truly a wise person, he will listen and he will act upon what he is being told when it lines up with truth. The result? He will add and join himself to learning, instruction, and teaching. As he does that, he becomes a possessor of the wise counsel he is being given. The way to own something from a store is to purchase it. And the way to own wisdom for oneself is to listen to and obey the words of wisdom that come from God and others.

Many have been the times when I not only refused to listen because of pride and self sufficiency, but I refused to act upon what was being said. It wasn’t until God began to show me the purpose and beauty of hearing and obeying that I finally became open to experience what today’s verse is saying. It is much easier to take in the very things I am hungry for. That is why my daily prayer has become, “Father, instill in me a tender and teachable spirit toward You.” For if that is the kind of spirit I have, I will begin to hear, yield to, and acquire the wisdom that God is continually offering me through Himself, His Word, prayer, and a multitude of sources.

Father, open my ears to wisdom so that I will increase in my learning and possess the wise counsel given to me on a continual basis. Help me to listen, learn, and acquire much today! Amen.

Then They Cried

Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. Psalm 107:6 (King James Version)

When is it that we cry out to God and seek His deliverance? It is not usually when life is going good and everything is the way we want it. It is more likely to be the times life has fallen apart, pain has become unbearable, and we have run out of options. Deuteronomy 28:52 says, “They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land.”

In Old Testament times God’s judgment usually came in the form of other nations taking His people captive. The nations would vary as would the bondage but the pain of captivity would eventually lead Israel to cry out to God for deliverance. That bondage was a picture of what it meant to be besieged….bound and tied up. They would literally be hedged in to the extent that there was no relief or freedom. The picture of a caged or cornered animal comes to mind. I marvel that it usually took decades before Israel would finally cry out to God for deliverance and help.

We as believers still make sinful choices. I have often heard it said that we can choose our sin but we cannot choose the consequence that will result. God knows each of us intimately and wants us to be free. Therefore, in order to turn us back toward Himself, He will select the very consequence that will produce enough pain to cause us to cry out to Him. His desire is that we would immediately call out to Him. The sooner the better.

I would like to say I am a quick learner and tend to cry out to God as soon as I experience the first taste of pain, but that is not always the case. It may take awhile for my heart to get to the point where I am ready to align myself with truth and seek His help for the right reason. Often my first response is to want alleviation from the pain I am feeling. God knows if given, I will quickly return to my former ways. So He waits for my tears to change. When they are free of bitterness, excuses, anger, and pity He is ready to step in and deliver me. He comes when my hands and heart are open to Him, because He knows it is then that I am desiring Him and His ways above my own. This is summed up in the most recent lesson He has been teaching me and that is to walk in truth and give Him total cooperation. That is the key that unlocks anything that has me all tied up.

Father, You know when I am finally lying prostrate before You in complete submission. Bend my knees and my will to Your ways. Amen.

It Comes As No Surprise

Blessed be the LORD, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle --- My loving kindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge. Psalm 144:1,2 (New King James Version)

I woke with an uneasy feeling this morning. I could not put my finger on it but something was wrong. An uneasiness had settled over me and along with it came insecurity, restlessness, and dread. I had two choices. I could continue to allow the uncomfortable feelings to encase me or I could fight! I know where the first option leads. It is not pretty or good. It puts my focus on my weaknesses and circumstances. It opens my ears to the voice of the enemy who is all too ready to cause me to question recent decisions I have made. The picture he has painted is distorted and grotesque. He has repackaged old lies and is hoping for the same result and reaction from me. He has dangled counterfeit messiah’s across my mind and attempted to persuade me that I must seek my answers and help apart from God and His Word. Pick up the phone, send the email, seek the safety net of others. His invitations sound convincing and even appealing but the truth of the matter is they are traps and quick sand. God has a better answer!

My first defense is prayer. Coming against the enemy and taking the thoughts captive are essential. My second defense is realigning myself with truth and seeking the face and heart of God in His Word. A song has driven me to the Psalms and a Bible reading schedule has led me to this particular one. It is my truth list! It is my vital reminder of where my safety, security, defense, and deliverance lie. God is not only my Heavenly Father, He is my warrior Defender!

This attack comes as no surprise to Him. He is reminding me that after significant steps are taken and decisions are made the enemy is enraged. The realization of lost ground has infuriated him and he now determines to undermine any work of God that has taken place. My recent choices have gotten his attention because he knows those choices will lead to freedom, growth, and blessing. He knows I have been wooed by God to step away from bondage and break a deeply entrenched soul tie. He has been watching as I have finally begun to cooperate with God. Hence, his attack is no longer surprising me either!

I will take my truth list into this day and it will become my battle cry and banner! It is not even a complete list, for God is this much and more. But it is effective and it is mine!

Father, Your Word and Your presence have strengthened me once again. I choose to stand in Your truth! Amen.

Better Than Secret Love

Open rebuke is better than secret love. Proverbs 27:5 (King James Version)

I have never been a person who enjoys being rebuked. Does anyone? The first time I saw this verse I cringed. It conjured up in my mind an angry person glaring at me while spewing out harsh, condemning words. After the rebuke ended I would then walk away in shame and condemnation. Not a comfortable thought and not an accurate picture of this verse!

Last week I received an email that epitomized this verse in a beautiful way. While the person had to be direct with me and say some things that were difficult to read, it was done in a way that showed me her heart and desire for God’s blessing on my life. While the initial sting of rebuke was felt, my spirit quickly detected the truth in her email and that is what arrested my attention and my heart. I knew without a doubt that freedom and growth would come if I heeded her warnings and advice.

So what does an open rebuke entail? First, it should come about after much prayer. I believe this person prayed and desired God’s message to come across to me. Second, it should be based on truth! Her rebuke involved truth about my wrong choices, truth about the consequences if I continued in the direction I was headed, truth about what God really wants to do in my life, and truth about her desire for God’s favor and freedom in my life. Third, it should include a directive. She left no question as to what I should do….fully cooperate with God.

Call it tough love. Call it truth telling. Call it open rebuke. Whatever we label it, it is better than a love that sits idly by and remains silent. I don’t know about anyone else, but when I am headed in the wrong direction and in the process of making unwise choices I want what is best. Give me the open rebuke! But do it in love and with a heart that is living connected to God. Let me see that your words are not spoken out of impatience and with a ”last straw” mentality. Be the mouthpiece of God with absolutely no compromise of the truth.

On my part, I too must be daily connecting with God and desiring truth to be my compass and rudder. As God works and develops in me a tender, teachable spirit, I will have no trouble knowing when an open rebuke is coming from Him through another individual. I will have no trouble seeing the truth and then acting on it.

Will it be easy? Rarely. Will there ever be tears? Most likely. Will others understand? Maybe a few. But God’s voice and direction will be clear and the growth will be astounding. Like it says in John 8:32, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Father, thank you for the one who was willing to speak the truth in love. Your message came through loud and clear. Keep my heart tender and teachable toward You. And when necessary, help my open rebukes to be as loving and truthful. Amen.