The Bondage of Satan's Lies

Satan stealthily infiltrates every area of our life from the time of our birth. He feeds us his lies; and we gradually believe them, until they actually sound like wisdom. They cause us to deny God’s truth and call it the lie. We are so used to Satan’s fabrication, it starts to feel right and true to us. We buy into his scams and yield to his subtle manipulation. We have no idea how ridiculous we sound when we profess his propaganda and defend his deception.

Even many in the evangelical church toy with Satan’s fraud. They compromise their faith in Christ by walking on the fence between righteousness and sin. They soothe their conscience by making excuses for their behavior and accusing well-meaning brethren of judging them. They decide that they are too busy between work and hobbies to give much time to God. Their whole focus is on work, fun and relaxation.


Some people battle voices in their head, as well as heavy condemnation for their carnal behavior and lack of spiritual dedication. They fear they are mentally disturbed or are having an emotional breakdown. They have no moral fiber or physical stamina. They do not comprehend the spiritual battle for their soul going on in and around them. Their discernment is lacking and they see church as nothing more than a duty to perform for an hour a week.


They live under the heavy weight of temptation, compromise and sinful thoughts and behaviors. They neglect Bible devotion and use every excuse not to assemble with God’s Saints. Their prayers hit the ceiling and bounce back, mocking their lack of spirituality until they abandon communication with God. Some also have rocky interpersonal relationships with their family and peers. They even reap from the sin they sow, so something horrible happens to them (John 5:14).


Prayer:

Father God, you call each person alive to consistently abide in Christ. You give us all the opportunity to live a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life and to have the discernment to walk free of Satan’s deception. Your Christ in us bears much fruit in and through our lives. He frees us from the negative fruit of a life dedicated to Satan. You deliver us from fear, depression, anger, bitterness, anxiety, loneliness, addictions, disorders and other results of sin, which dictate our thoughts and behavior. We are indeed free in Christ (John 8:36).

Thought for the Day:
God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
– 1 John 1:5

The Peaceful Life

Read: 1 Corinthians 3: 1-3

“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” - Romans 8:6 NKJV

Conflict is not only prevalent in modern society, but probable as well. We get so jaded in our thinking, and so fearful in our expectancy of opposition, that we end up walking through life just waiting for someone to say or do something hurtful or inflammatory. We worry that someone or something will invade our personal space and strip us of our power, control, prestige, comfort or intimacy in our relationships. Murphy’s Law is always in play; so if there is anything that can possibly go wrong, it certainly will. Nothing, not even the simplest of tasks, is ever easy.

The potential for harm is probable, and therefore, overwhelming. So, we hide behind a thick wall of suspicion and mistrust. As a consequence of living with all of this stress we bring harm to our body and soul anyway. Physically, we tend to develop ulcers, heart issues, and nerve damage; mentally, we drown in phobias, anxiety and hypochondria; as well as emotionally, we erupt with irritability, anger and defensiveness.

Our only hope of rising above the conflict is to dwell in the spiritual realm. Our goals, outlook and focus are then eternal rather than temporal. Issues that used to affect us, no longer make any impression on us at all. We recognize Jesus as the Author and Finisher of our faith, and we surrender our life to His direction. We live our days in total worship to Him.  

We can actually relax, once we realize that God has plans for us that include peace rather than disaster, plans to give us a future filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11). When negative circumstances do arise, we have the faith that God works even these destructive events out for our good (Romans 8:28). We look forward to the days, which are coming, when God raises up a righteous Branch, King Jesus, who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land (Jeremiah 23:5). Then peace and joy will flood our lives. He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All of the negative issues of life will be gone forever (Revelation 21:4).

Prayer:

Lord, help me not to allow the unknown to threaten my peace, but to totally trust in You. Help me to relinquish the control of my life to You. Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me in a level path, because of my enemies (Psalm 27:11). Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way in which I should go, for to You do I lift up my soul (Psalm 143:8).

Thought for the Day:

True peace and success only come when Jesus sets us free from the power of sin and the entanglement of this world.

Entering God's Rest

Read: Proverbs 3:5-8

"The one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.”
- Hebrews 4:10

The theme of "rest" occurs all throughout the Bible. Leviticus 23:7-36 and Numbers 29:1-35 are detailed and picturesque images of what it means to rest in the Lord. In the beginning, God demonstrated for us how to rest, by ceasing from His own labors on the seventh day (Gen 2:1-25).

Rest is a beautiful word. This state of peace invokes a multitude of mental images, such as serene lakes, babbling brooks, graceful swans, a hammock on a spring day, fluffy pillows and a comforter, or an overstuffed chair and a good book. These ideas denote serenity, tranquility, relaxation, repose and sleep.

Rest is freedom from activity or labor, a state of motionlessness, a serene place of lodging, peace that passes all comprehension, a rhythmic silence in music and a bodily state characterized by minimal function and slowed metabolic activities. There is no striving in rest. Rest is more than all of this, however. Most importantly it includes peace of mind and spirit.

Rest is quiescent, motionless, supportive, quiet, rejuvenating and free from anxiety and stress. Examples of rest are to decompress, relax at ease, leisure time, catnapping, dozing, lazing, napping, slumbering, snoozing, stillness, calm, placidity, respite and restfulness. I don’t know about you, but after reading that list, I am ready for a nap!

Throughout the course of history, mankind spent countless hours of time and a tidy sum of money searching for serenity. However, it is not until we find peace with God that we fully enter into our eternal rest. Entering God’s rest means to no longer strive to please God, or to worry about meeting our needs or to rely on our self-efforts (Hebrews 4:1-11). It means to fully trust in our Heavenly Father's love and care, and to allow His Spirit to lead us every step of the way.

Christ’s work upon the cross and God's promises to meet all of our needs sustain us with joy in our hearts (Hebrews 4:3). God advises us not to stress over the evil person, who prospers, because He encourages us to be still before Him and to wait patiently for Him to exact His revenge (Psalm 37:7). Do not even be impressed with your own wisdom (Psalm 127:2). Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones (Proverbs 3:7).

If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior (Matthew 11:28-30). If you already trusted in Christ for Salvation, then rely on Him for every other area of your life as well, and enter into His rest (Exodus 33:14). Take some time to sit in God’s presence and come away renewed and refreshed (Mark 6:31).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I vow to serve You with all of my heart. I will no longer depend upon my own understanding, but I will put all of my trust in You. I will seek Your will in all that I do, and wait on You to show me which path to take. I will enter into Your rest and find complete solace in Your waiting arms (Isaiah 50:10).

Thought for the Day:

One of the most healing states of being is that of resting.