“Then you
will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - John 8:32
As you know, “What we believe, determines how we act.” When we believe
Satan's lies, we exhibit negative attitudes. We get "stinkin' thinkin'."
Satan knows that if he captivates our mind, then he can control our actions
also. Kay Arthur said, "Either you must learn to take your thoughts
captive – or Satan will take you captive with your thoughts!”
Paul reminds us, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as
the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On
the contrary, we have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish
arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of
God, and WE TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT TO MAKE IT OBEDIENT TO CHRIST" (2
Corinthians 10: 3-5).
As we focus on God, He points out all of our negative attitudes and thoughts.
These are the concepts, which we were taught in our youth or which we taught our
self as we got away from home. We erroneously accepted these theories as truth.
One issue at a time, the Spirit replaces these satanic lies with His absolute
truth. God’s truth sets us free (John 8:32). Our only hope of mental
stability in this life is to bring our thoughts into obedience to Jesus (2
Corinthians 10:4-5.). As we do this, we put on the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians
2:16).
We also discover the mind of Christ by reading the Word of God and
meditating on it daily. If you have the Spirit of God living in you, you will
have a hunger to read the Word. Jesus lived an example for us of a life built
upon meditation and prayer. While others slept, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives and spent time alone with God. Then in
the morning, He went to the temple and sat down to teach those who would listen.
He went to His quiet place first and received His power from God through His
time of daily renewal; then He was ready to minister.
We too need time alone with God to renew our peace and to ascertain His wisdom and direction for our lives. We need a physical, quiet place that will minister to our soul, in which we can spend time connecting our spirit with the Spirit of God. When we enter this "inner closet," we strip away all outer clutter. We empty ourselves of our “self” and focus solely on the voice of our Beloved (Isaiah 54:5). We bask in the rays of His comfort and direction and then we rise up to do His Will. We remain in this inner, spiritual place of connection all day long as we go about doing His will for our life.
Jesus did not leave us alone on this earth to accomplish His will. As He ascended into Heaven to take back His
rightful place at the Father’s right hand, He told His disciples to go and wait
in the upper room for the Holy Spirit to come to them. God is the Father and
the first person of our triune Deity. Jesus is the Son and the second
personality. The Holy Spirit is the third person. He is our Comforter and our
Guide. He changed the lives of those disciples in the upper room (Acts
2:4), and
He has been changing willing lives ever since.
When worldly hostility bombards us, our hearts are tempted to faint within
us. We do have the option of sharing our pain, frustration, and sorrow on a
human level with friends and family. They, however, will only sympathize with
us or sermonize about our feelings. It is only in the quiet place within our
spirit, that we experience a profound sense of love, joy, and peace, which
surpasses the comfort we can receive from any earthly entity.
Only in the still, small place within our spirit can we find true empathy
and solace from the God who loves us more than He loves Himself. His love took
Him to the cross to pay the penalty of our sin for us; and His love will bring
Him back to earth for His Bride at the fullness of this age.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when we spend time with You in the sanctity of our spirit, we
have renewed power to meet the needs within our own life, as well as in the lives
of those You sends our way. Due to Your love in our lives, we can forgive,
nurture, empathize and minister to ourselves and others by the strength of Your
grace, compassion and mercy, as well as through the direction of Your Holy
Spirit. Our life in You is fulfilling indeed!
Thought for the Day:
“Create in me
a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” - Psalm 51:10