What we call ourselves is who we become. Little children labeled stupid start to think they are dumb, making it difficult for them to excel. While not everyone has every talent, when we speak the truth of who we are in Christ, we grow into that identity over time and space. Second Corinthians 3:18 puts it this way, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (NKJV). The more we gaze upon the Lord, the more we reflect His image and look like Him to those around us.
When we see ourselves a certain way, we strive to become that. Athletes conduct visualization exercises as part of their training to excel in sports. When they see the skill performed in their mind’s eye, it improves performance on the field. If we speak truth to ourselves about who we are, we grow into that. Likewise, if we perceive ourselves as lacking, those thoughts can choke out our abilities. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom. We must remind ourselves of who we are in Christ and fulfill our divine destinies. I recently read a children’s book where the author gave grand titles to the children after they completed certain escapades. Instead of being named by their infirmities, like Linda the Lame, she became Linda the Brave who rushed into the thick of trouble. Instead of Hank the Hungry, he was Hank the Quick who could outrun the enemy. John the Jealous became John the Strong. The naming convention seemed a little odd to me until I thought about the Russian tsars. They had people like Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great. Which one would you rather be called? Names matter. The names other people attach to us, and what we call ourselves. For a couple of years, I called my younger sister “Stinky” because her name starts with the letter “S.” Once I learned more about how the power of life and death is in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), I quit calling her Stinky. It wasn’t true. My sister always smells good. I didn’t want to make her feel yucky by the monikers I placed on her. Now, I just stick with her actual name, which means “princess.” A much more delightful designation, I think we’d all agree. Who do you think you are? I’ve been studying Ephesians, which contains rich jewels of who we are in Christ. In the first fourteen verses alone, we find that in Him we are:
Wow! The wonders of who God has made us in Christ blows my mind. What if instead of feeling like Joanna the Unwanted, I remind myself that I am Joanna – the Accepted in the Beloved. To go beyond thinking about this just once, what every morning I recited the list above about my identity in Christ. I imagine that by the end of a few months I would stand a little taller and walk out my life in Christ more richly. We are who we think we are. If we aren’t intentional to meditate on our identity in Christ, we can lapse into who the world says we are. Christ has anchored our eternities in who He says we are. I choose to be Joanna the Saint, Joanna the Holy, Joanna the Redeemed, Joanna the Blameless. Who will you choose to be? I pray you become who you are in Christ by owning the reality of your identity in Him. May we all grow to be more like Jesus every day to the praise of His glory.
19 Comments
My pastor has given a sermon illustration about the importance of giving things in all circumstances several times. The story goes like this:
Fred arrived at church complaining because he had a flat tire. Fred grumbled to George, wondering if God cared about him since his tire blew out on the way to church. Didn’t God know he wanted to worship? Now his attitude was shot. George replied that Fred had nothing to be upset about, instead, he should give thanks. Give thanks? For what? He had to call a tow truck and pay for a taxi to get to church. He didn’t even know how he was getting home. George said Fred should be thankful he had a car to get a flat tire. Some people have to take the bus. Furthermore, Fred should be thankful for the money to buy a car to get a flat tire. He should even thank God for a job that provided him the money to buy the car to get a flat tire. George was stumped. He hadn’t thought about it that way. Maybe he had a lot to thank God for after all. God has worked in my life a lot in the past few years to grow my gratitude muscles. I have started to notice when God is working in my life, big or small. After I nearly ran out of toilet paper during the start of the pandemic, I thank God almost every day for toilet tissue. I’m also grateful for good health in the last two years. The Lord has blessed me through thick and thin. First Thessalonians 5:16-8 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (NKJV). When bad things happen, we are to rejoice, not moan. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I groan before giving thanks. I recently had the opportunity to put into practice the very sermon illustration my pastor shared. On Christmas Eve, my flight home was cancelled. So, I thanked God for my car to drive the twelve- hour trek. My sister and I set out in the late afternoon because she had to work on Christmas Eve. About an hour south of my house, my low-pressure light lit on my dash. I thought maybe the cold had lowered the air in my tires, and I would fill them at the next exit. Then my steering started getting dicey. I pulled over on the side of the road. You guessed it! I had a flat tire. While I struggled to call USAA for help, my sister watched YouTube videos and tried to change the tire. I couldn’t get a human to answer, and wound up in tears when I encountered problems setting up an online account that wouldn’t let me enter my actual location. Meanwhile, the sun was setting. The day was getting darker by the minute. As I sat there, I watched cars whiz by on the highway. I thought, maybe I should pray for someone who knows how to change tires that isn’t sketchy to stop and help us. Within five minutes, the state Department of Transportation guy pulled up behind us. Praise God! He changed my tire and jumped my car’s battery, dead from overusing the hazard lights. Driving back to my house instead of home to family for Christmas, my sister was really discouraged about missing time opening presents with our family and eating together. I wasn’t too thrilled either. Then I remembered the story my pastor told. Because I’d heard it so many times, I knew what to do. I started thanking God for how He took care of us. “Thank You God that we didn’t take a plane. You know that maybe we would’ve gotten COVID or something worse. Thank you for protecting us from the unknown. Thank You God that the flat tire was on the passenger side, so we could be away from the road while changing it. Thank You for sending the Department of Transportation person to help. Thank You God that I have a car to get a flat tire. Thank You God that I have money to buy a car to get a flat tire. Thank You God that I have a job to have money to buy a car to get a flat tire.” The more I listed the things I was thankful for, the longer the list became. It changed my attitude and helped me drive 45 miles an hour on the highway with people flying at 70 all around me, speeding on my bumper. God held me together through the power of thankfulness. My sister complained because she thought I was doing better. I wasn’t that great, but speaking all the ways God had cared for us in the midst of frustrating times grounded my heart and mind. She drove her car the next day, and my mom held Christmas dinner and gift opening until we arrived. We still had a joyous Christmas together. I even surprised my mom by walking up behind her in the kitchen while she was talking to me on the phone. God gave me a long list of things to be thankful for that Christmas, that I wouldn’t have appreciated as much without the hardship. Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (NKJV). We are to give thank always for all things, even things that don’t look good on the outset. I don’t know what type of season you are in now. Maybe you have had more difficulties that just a flat tire and being thankful seems counterintuitive. Let me tell you from experience, a little thankfulness goes a long way in building endurance through hard times. I encourage you to find things you are thankful for even in your darkest hour. The good is there if you look hard enough. If you can’t see it, ask God for His vision. Let God illustrate His love for you no matter your circumstances, even if you have a flat tire.
This year, instead of listing lots of New Year’s Resolutions, I am asking God for New Year’s Revelations. If you want to craft actionable New Year’s Resolutions, please read my previous blogs with suggestions on how to have holistic and SMART resolutions. Though I try this method every year, I don’t always reach my goals. During the lockdown in 2020, I didn’t visit a new state. I couldn’t control COVID. I also failed to meet other goals, but God reordered my world that year and accomplished different things instead. To better align with God’s desires, I’ve decided to pray for God’s revelations on what He wants me to do. My first goal is to seek insights into His will and design for my life during each day this year. I can set all the lofty goals I want, but have learned that many things reside outside of my control. God knows my future. I need to listen to His will for the moment instead of charting a course when I don’t even have a map. I look to God’s Word for His directions. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (NKJV). God gave us the Bible so that we may deepen our relationship with Him every day. All God-breathed Scripture gives us wisdom to obey God so that will glorify Him and have no regrets. When I seek wisdom, often I use a concordance or go to www.Biblegateway.com to look for verses on a specific topic. For example, when writing this blog, I discovered there are 86 verses in the NKJV that include the word “reveal.” I reviewed those verses, collecting the ones the Holy Spirit highlighted in a Word document to use in this blog. Scripture answers the questions you are asking God. He doesn’t leave you high and dry, but shares His truths with you so you can honor Him in all your ways. The Bible clarifies that when God reveals truth to me, He wants me to obey. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (NKJV). Sometimes, obedience requires action. Maybe I need to apologize to someone or send a note of encouragement. Other times, obedience requires patience. I am to stay and listen. I struggle to wait for God’s timing because I have a bias for action. Yet, in my waiting room, God whispers to my hungry soul that He will provide all my needs. His timing is perfect. God is never early or late. I need to obey without delay, be that stay or go. As I listen for God’s voice to guide my steps, I remind myself that God will never reveal “new truths” that contradict the Bible. When I look for God to reveal His will, I read a passage in context and cross-reference it with other parts of Scripture. Sometimes, people will read the Bible to try find a verse to justify their actions. God is not about helping us find excuses to disobey His Word, but uses Scripture to convict us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). As we go forward into 2022, I challenge us all to sit at the feet of Jesus by reading the Bible and listening to the truths He reveals to us. Daniel 2:22, “He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him” (NKJV). May we listen to the deep things He wants to share with us to lighten our paths. May we obey no matter the call, so we can see greater things in the year to come. I pray that we, our children, and all generations would listen to the secret things of the Lord and live them out in our world for His name and renown both now and forevermore.
As I leave the season of Thanksgiving and enter into the frenzy that precedes Christmas, I can focus on what I want instead of rejoicing in what I already have. One way that I’ve learned to fight off coveting both things from stores or other people’s lives is to practice thankfulness. First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (NKJV). At times, I struggle be thankful when I see people who have gone further in their careers than me or have the families I wish I had. Over time and space, I’ve learned to be more thankful with a few key practices.
Five ways to grow in gratitude: 1. Count Your Blessings Once when I was frustrated because my life seemed to be heading downhill, I met a homeless woman by my local grocery store. She had lost her job and was sleeping in a cemetery. When I saw someone in worse shape than me, I realized I had a lot to be thankful for. At least I still had my own bed. That night, I wrote a list of the top five things I was thankful for that day. Then I started writing them down every night. My whole mindset shifted to looking for the good instead of expecting the worst. Psalm 107:15 says, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men” (NKJV). God does great things for us every day, we just need to watch for them. 2. Keep a Gratitude Journal Beyond just listing the things you are thankful for, you can also journal the experiences to read later. When I go back to some old entries, I see how God got me through circumstances that appeared impossible at the time. Those stories become my testimony of God’s faithfulness. God didn’t just care for people in the Bible times, His goodness extends to me in the present. 3. Ask Others to Share Their Praises If I feel like my list of blessings is lacking, sometimes I ask others to tell me about how God is working in their lives. However, I must have the right mindset. When I am in a bad mood, hearing about good things happening to others can do one of two things to me. I can either pout that I don’t have what they do, or realize that if God cared for them, He would also attend to my needs. The two ways I listed above help us to recognize good things, but our joy multiplies when we share our praises with others. Malachi 3:16 says, “Then those who feared the spoke to one another, And the listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the And who meditate on His name” (NKJV). As we fear God, we share about His mighty acts with each other. This grows our faith and blesses our hearts. The Lord delights in those who abide in the truths of His Word. 4. Talk about God’s Goodness with Others After we ask others to talk about God’s faithfulness, then we share our praises in response. Even on our darkest days, good remains. Take that list of things you are thankful for, even if they are only a pair of shoes and a blue toothbrush, and tell someone. Call your mom, phone a friend, or talk to the lady at the register at the grocery store. When we hear ourselves speaking about what we are thankful for, it registers deeper in our minds. Psalm 89:1 says, “I will sing of the mercies of the forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations” (NKJV). God designed our mouths to sing about His mercy so that every person that ever walks with earth will know the faithfulness of God. 5. Write out the Names of God: Psalm 97: 12 says, “Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name” (NKJV). Another way to flex our thankfulness muscles is to write down the names of God. Jehovah Jireh reminds us that God is our Provider, not our job or our spouse. The Lord provides for all our needs because He owns everything (Philippians 4:19). Jehovah Rapha means God our Healer. As we saw with all the miracles Jesus performed during His life on earth, we see that He can heal our hurts too. The names of God reflect His character. Research the names of God and find out which ones apply to your current circumstances. When we think about Who we have in Christ, it helps wipe out our longings for what we don’t own. These are just a few ways to build our thankfulness muscles. The bigger our gratitude grows, the more capacity we have to be truly thankful in all things. My thankfulness pulls me out of the slump of feeling like I don’t have enough to realizing the abundance of all I have. I am blessed beyond measure. May you grow in gratitude every day as you bask in the Lord favor shines upon you.
As Americans, we celebrate Veterans Day every year to remember our military members who fought to preserve our freedoms. We honor all who have served, including those who paid the ultimate price to sacrifice for our liberties. Over 650,000 American troops have died in battle and over 539,000 have died in non-combat situations. More than 1 million lives have helped keep America the land of the free and the home of the brave. Freedom is not free.
The same truth applies to our lives as believers. As Christians, we no longer live as slaves to sin. Romans 8:2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (NKJV). We are free to walk in the newness of life in daily communion with the Lord. The law of sin and death condemns us before we even get out of bed in the morning because of the weight of our human sins. Fortunately, because of Christ, we live under God’s grace that covers all our trespasses so we can walk in newness of life in the Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit, we walk in the light. We walk in freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (NIV). The Holy Spirt guides our thoughts and actions so we can break the chains of bondage to sin and live lives worthy of our calling. Galatians 5:13 says, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (NIV). Our freedom lets us love others well. We are not free to do whatever we want. We cannot indulge in any sin we want and think God doesn’t notice. Our lives no longer belong to us. The things we say and do represent the God who saved us. Some people forget the price of our salvation. They cheapen grace into a get out of hell free card, forgetting their freedom is not free. We do not have an excuse to justify sin. Instead, the blood of Jesus justifies us from the penalty of sin that is death so that we walk in the paths of righteousness. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies” (NIV). Jesus paid the price of His shed blood for our sins. He endured an excruciatingly painful death on the cross and the full wrath of God so we could be reconciled back into relationship with the Father. May our love be loud and proud as we show our liberty in Christ to the broken word where we reside. America may be the land of the free and the home of the brave, but I can’t think of a better time for us to use our freedom in Christ as a door to share the love of Christ near and far. We are to offer our lives as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2) to spread the good news of a grace that transforms us from the inside out so the world wants that life-changing freedom for themselves. May we never forget the price Jesus paid for our freedom. May it compel us to serve others in love and shine as lights into a dark world.
What do you do when you suffer? Do you moan and groan? Do you complain to a friend? Do you phone your mom? If I’m honest, often I think “Who can I call?” I want to talk out my problems and hopefully find solutions through the discussion. Sometimes this works, but the results are usually incomplete.
I see a lot of suffering in the world right now. Personally, I have a family member in the hospital. Again. Chronic stuff is miserable because as soon as you think the person is better, the pain rears its ugly head. A lot of my friends seem to be under a squeeze right now too with knee injuries, unemployment, cancer. The list is long and ugly and too big for me to crack. Even if I phone my mom, she can’t fix all these problems. Instead of calling friends or family, I need to call God. James 5:13a says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray” (NKJV). Wow. The Bible is clear in what to do when we are suffering. We should pray. When we pray, we unleash the God of the universe, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, to enter the equation. We allow all of His strength and ability to fill in the holes of our human inabilities. God can solve the problems of the world today – be they big or small. We need to come with faith like a child, knowing that God cares and will act on our behalf. Psalm 18:6 says, “In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears” (NKJV). I want God to hear my cry. Many times, I’ve prayed with passion, fearing if I didn’t say all the right words that God may not help. Now I realize that does not align with God’s character. He cares more about the heart of the person praying than the words they speak. When we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans that cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26-27). With the Holy Spirit as our prayer buddy, with the right heart we can never pray wrong. The prayer of surrender to God is never easy, but we will have the best results when we do it His way. Maybe you are suffering right now. Keep your quarter, and don’t phone home. First, call upon the Lord, and He will listen to you. Let Him know the depths of your pain. He can handle it. Leave your problems in His hands and trust Him to comfort you and make a way. The path may not look how you expected, but stay on it no matter how narrow the road. It will lead you deeper into the heart of God as He sees you through all your cares. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7 NKJV). His timing is perfect. Keep praying. Trust God’s character. One day, the Lord will dry every tear you cry in suffering and turn it into a thing of beauty for His glory.
Which internship should I take? I had just been offered an opportunity, but was waiting to hear back on a different position that I wanted more. They say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so I leaned toward taking the offered job, but wasn’t sure. My school required an internship to graduate, and I only had one day to decide because I was leaving for study abroad the next morning and needed to line everything up beforehand.
I asked my mom what to do, and we prayed together. She then got the idea to write the names of the internships on strips of paper and pull them out of a hat. Two out of three would decide the job for me. I pulled the same place that had already offered me a position the first two times, and didn’t look back. I had peace, and the internship worked well. Later, I saw that my decision-making process was the Biblical equivalent of casting lots. Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (NKJV). During the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit only inhabited a few people every once in a while. When the leaders needed to make decisions, they often cast lots. One example is when Joshua divided up the promised land allotments for the children of Israel (Joshua 18:6-10). In 1 Chronicles 24, the priests and Levites decided the order in which they would serve in the temple by casting lots. Nehemiah cast lots for which people would live in Jerusalem and who would live in the surrounding regions (Nehemiah 11:1). Looking at these examples, I noticed they were all in the Old Testament. The one New Testament example I found was Acts 1:26 when the disciples cast lots to decide which disciple should replace Judas Iscariot. Every time people cast lots in the Bible was before the Holy Spirit arrived as a mighty rushing wind in Acts 2:2. On the night before He died, Jesus told His disciples of the coming Holy Spirit. John 16:13 says, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (NKJV). Under the new covenant, we as believers all receive the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit does not come and go, but abides in us and guides us in all truth. The Holy Spirit listens to the Father and shares His heart with us so we may have heavenly wisdom. He is our primary source of guidance. Was I wrong to cast lots to decide on where to do my internship? I don’t think so. We didn’t cast lots as a first resort. My mom had the idea after we prayed together. Nonetheless, I haven’t made any major life decisions using that method since then. God can use whatever He wants to guide my steps (Proverbs 16:9). The main thing is to seek out the Holy Spirit’s guidance for what He wants. He will never direct me in a way that does not align with Biblical truth. Sometimes, we may have two good opportunities, and God just lets us decide. The beauty of God is that when we seek Him with all of our hearts, He will be found by us (Jeremiah 29:14). If we strive to obey God, He won’t drop us on our heads. Even when we abandon the goodness of God and pursue our own desires, we can’t escape God. We can never go so far that we can flee from His notice (Psalm 139:7-12). When we repent, He will pull us back to His side, and is bigger than all of our bad decisions. May we seek the Lord’s direction and allow Him to show us how to make decisions as the Spirit chooses. He won’t lead us astray, but will guide us day by day.
I once had a mountain top experience at a fall retreat with my church. We spent the entire weekend studying the Bible and worshiping God together. The presence of the Holy Spirit was thick during the praise time. I felt joy as I opened the door for friends and helped clean up after meals.
My drive home was a spiritual high. I was ready to tackle the world and spread the love of Christ. Then I went to work on Monday and tried to keep the momentum going. By Tuesday, the daily grind consumed my thoughts and actions. It seemed that my high got left behind at the retreat. Why wasn’t it easier to take God with me into the office? What changed? First, my days weren’t bookended with deep spiritual time with the Lord. Sure, I was reading a psalm in the morning to implant some truth, but I wasn’t meditating on it like I had on the weekend away in the mountains. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” I let the Word of Christ dwell in me richly by applying Scripture and using it in my life and with other believers. I should enjoy the Bible like a decadent dessert, instead of rushing through it like a bowlful of broccoli to get my greens. Just skimming a psalm wouldn’t pour a day’s worth of spiritual nourishment into my soul. Delighting in the Word and deciding how the truth changes me make the verses last longer and the day seem less heavy. I needed to choose to love God more than my snooze button. Another key part of keeping the Holy Spirit active is being part of Christian community. The same verse tells us to teach and admonish each other in the Lord. This teaching sinks the truths deeper into our hearts because we apply the word in our lives in a group, thus breeding accountability and fellowship. Too many times, I just want to hear encouragement, and don’t want to focus on where I need to grow. However, in the safe space of Christian friendship, I can give and receive feedback that convicts me of my sin and points me to truths in God’s word to help me overcome. Service is more than washing dishes, it encompasses speaking the truth in love to help keep one from the error of their ways. Colossians 3:16 also talks about singing praise to God. When we sing, we release stress, fight depression, and boost our immune systems. Praising with other believers strengthens our connection with them because of the endorphins that are released when we when we sing together to bond us together in Christ. When we glorify God with our mouths, it nourishes us spiritually because we are appointing praise in the right direction, upward and not inward to self. We had worshiped with hearty voices that weekend, and I needed to keep the praise going at home. While I can’t go on a spiritual retreat every weekend, when I meditate on God’s Word daily, maintain godly friendships throughout the week, and worship with believers at church on Sundays, I can keep that mountain top experience going even after I return home.
Once a child went to fight a dragon. He underestimated his enemy, and the only weapon he found to defend himself was a pencil. The boy jabbed at the soft underbelly of his foe, but it did not penetrate deep enough. The dragon’s fire soon destroyed the lad. Maybe you memorized verses like John 3:16 when you were younger. That’s great! All of God’s Word is inspired and helps us flourish. However, if that is the only verse you know, you might want to fortify your spiritual arsenal to something beyond a pencil so you are prepared to face the enemy when temptation comes. We Need More Than Digital DataPerhaps you have wondered why, with a world of knowledge at our fingertips through the Internet, would anyone need to memorize Scripture? Isn’t it easier to search online to find a verse than spend time learning passages? Yes, in the world of modern technology, I can pull up information quickly, but what happens when my phone is not nearby? What if I am tempted to sin, yet can’t think of any reason not to give in, and don’t Google reasons why to obey God? Despite the advances of technology, Scripture memory will never become antiquated. Committing God’s truth to memory gives the Holy Spirit more room to change me from the inside out. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (NKJV). When my life is permeated with digital everything, my brain starts to atrophy. The Lord wants to transform my mind, which happens when I let Scripture nourish my soul. Feed Your Mind on TruthColossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (NKJV). When all the riches of God’s Word dwell in me, I will have wisdom to face the challenges that society poses. Without God’s truth abiding in my heart and guiding my choices, I can fall prey to the trappings of this world instead of walking the straight and narrow. My heart rejoices when God’s Word rules in my life because I can give and receive correction in ways that align with good sound doctrine. I desire to obey God, but first I must know what God has called me to do. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You” (NKJV). When I store God’s truths deep inside the wellsprings of my life, the Holy Spirit can use those verses as spiritual weapons to help fight lies from the enemy. Think of Jesus when He was tempted in the desert. He recited Scriptures to Satan to deflect the attack and left without succumbing to the lure of evil. What an example He set for us to follow. Fight with a Full ArsenalAs I learned from the story of the boy and the dragon, I can much better stave off temptation when I have a wide array of truth ready to slay the lies. One way I can escape sin is when the Holy Spirit reminds me of specific verses that apply to my trouble spots. For example, when I am tempted to blow up in anger at someone irritating, the Holy Spirit reminds me of Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (NKJV). In the moment, that verse helps me to bite my tongue and pray for the person instead of stirring up wrath.
This type of targeted Scripture memory applies to a wide set of temptations. For those struggling not to lust or look at pornography: learn Psalm 101:3, for those caught up in gossip: commit Proverbs 16:28 to heart, for those prone to rack up credit card debt: study Proverbs 22:7. I’ve found that learning Scriptures that fit my circumstances lets me live in victory. If your struggles are different than the ones I noted, memorizing Bible verses that address your areas of difficulty can help you triumph too. Now that I’ve sold you on the importance of remembering God’s Word, maybe you are moaning because the thought of committing Bible verses to heart is daunting. Here is a link to an article Know the Word that includes a list of ten creative Scripture memory tips. As you commit God’s Word to heart, don’t forget to pray for the Holy Spirit to help you. Memorizing Scripture is much easier with supernatural power than with just your own ability. Part of the Holy Spirit’s role is to help you recall the truths you’ve planted inside your soul (John 14:26). Ask Him where to start, and He’ll help you throughout the process. His desire is to grow closer to you and equip you to handle the hassles, temptations, and opportunities of each day. The Holy Spirit can give you the right verse faster than any Internet search with His personalized service to help you recall the right Scripture at the right time. Commit God’s timeless words to heart, and they will sustain you for eternity. A sharpened sword of Spirit, the Word of God, will defeat the dragon so you can overcome sin.
This week's guest blog for Labor Day is by Danine Gruber. We met at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference earlier this year. Her quiet spirit produces powerful words that she weaves into morsels of encouragement for her readers. I am honored to share her blog with you today. May you labor unto the Lord and rest in His provision. Labor and Ordered RestWe celebrate a day recognizing the efforts of those before us, coming together as one for their country at large. Their skills were being poured out 12 hours a day, 7 days a week with minimal compensation and often, in the worst of conditions. An uprising occurred; strikes were held to bring about fair working conditions for the American people. Work may be necessary but its counterpart, rest, was as well. In 1882, the president declared the first Monday of September as a National holiday to commemorate the efforts of man and their need for rest.
I had to look up its origination, for like most Americans, I tended to think of it as a day to enjoy picnics and family time. The idea of rest, true rest and the need for it sails out the window in our cultures’ efforts to unceasingly gain or store up “more _____”. This day should cause us to recall why such a day was thought necessary to be instituted in the first place. It reminds us how our forefathers considered rejuvenation critical to the safety, productivity and overall health of the workforce. I delved further into the history and found conflicting opinions as to which man brought the need for rest into focus. It was either McGuire, a labor board co-founder or Maguire, the machinist. In reality, the ideas of fair labor and rest came not from a man but from God. Genesis 1 tells us in the beginning, He performed the precious work of creation in 6 days and rested on the seventh. Did he get tired? I think not. Isaiah 40:28 says, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable” (NKJV). Rest was a framework that He set forth for us to follow. God told the Israelites in Exodus to institute one day every week, called the Sabbath, for rest and restoration. Once every 50th year, they set aside an entire year called the Year of Jubilee. The land, animals and people would be gifted with the chance to recover and rejuvenate (Leviticus 25:1-13). Debts would be cancelled, workers would be freed to go and return to their families and even the land was returned to its original owners. Yet, the greatest rest and greatest work existing outside of Creation can be found in Hebrews 4, and in Revelation. I’m referring to the finished work of the Cross. Jesus made the way to have full relationship with the Father, eternal rest and freedom to walk unhindered. That’s what we share, celebrate, and rest in every day!
|
AuthorJoanna Eccles has led Bible studies for over twenty years and completed the year-long C. S. Lewis Fellows Program. She is passionate about discipleship and helping people grow in Christ. Joanna enjoys coffee and reading, and currently lives in Florida. Categories
All
|