Trusting in God's Word

We can trust in God's Living Word - sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). Symbolism in the Bible speaks to us about the truth of His Word and the perfect timing of God's plan for all of mankind.

For instance, Jesus - our perfect sacrificial Lamb - was crucified on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish year (1 Corinthians 5:7). That was no accident.

This is the exact day and time that the Passover lambs are slain as a memorial of the Jew's deliverance from the death angel while in Egypt.

Christ's sacrifice makes us fully acceptable and totally pleasing to God by washing away our sins and giving us Christ's righteousness. His Word gives us faith to believe in Him.

The Word informs us that God's Spirit renews our mind and character, establishing in us the fruit of His Spirit and the character of Christ (Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:3-10). Seeing our identity in Christ improves our self-image and deepens our union with Him.

Christ in us makes us the light of the world, a city high on a mountain top, which is impossible to hide (Matthew 5:14). However, this also means that any sin in our life is instantly visible and damages our witness for Christ.

Our words and actions affect our testimony either positively or negatively. That is why we are exhorted to keep our self unspotted by the world, and God's Word helps us to do this (James 1:27).

God's Word also makes us realize that Satan only has power over us if we give him something to devour (1 Peter 5:8). If we submit to God and resist the devil, he has to flee from us (James 4:7).

Trusting in God's Word gives us peace of mind, the security of faith, and hope for tomorrow. His precepts and prophesies give us solid ground on which to stand in this world of shifting sand.

Prayer:

Father God, life on this earth is scary and unpredictable, debilitating and demoralizing, full of pain and suffering. If we had to live without You and Your Word, our hearts would fail us for fear (Luke 21:26). Yet, trusting in Your Word gives us strength within, which permeates all of our decisions and fuels all of our actions.

As we walk in Your Spirit through every moment of every day, there is no guesswork to consider, no mistakes to reap from and no mishaps for which You have not already prepared us. Thank You for not leaving us on earth without Your Word to comfort and encourage us.

Thought for the Day:

Criticizing the Word of God is human arrogance at its worst; only the wise will believe in His Word and trust in its insights. - 1 Corinthians 1:21; Romans 10:17

God is Aways in Control

Although we feel like every trial is the end of our life, we can walk through each one of them with courage, because God’s future plan for us is just on the other side of this mountain. We need the experience of this current ordeal in order to face what lies ahead. Our faith in God’s faithfulness is strengthened by every negative aspect in our life, because He delivers us from them all (Psalm 34:19).

We enjoy our powerful hope because of God’s wisdom and goodness. Although we know that in this world we surely will experience tribulation, He goes through every one of them with us, and He already overcame every trial known to mankind (John 16:33; Hebrews 4:15). Each negative aspect we experience will turn out for our ultimate good and also conforms us into the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:28-29).

Our Father God is in complete control of our life. Nothing happens to us that is not already part of His plan for us. This is true, even when we reap the negative consequences of our foolish behavior, because He knew what we would do before we were even born (Ephesians 2:10). In fact, He loved us even while we were still sinners, although each sinful choice we made broke His heart (Romans 5:8).

God no longer sees our past sins, but the blood of Christ and His love, which covers a multitude of our sins (1 Peter 4:8). We no longer suffer condemnation for our sins, because we are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). As Believers, we are the Bride of Christ and we look forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb as His beloved spouse (Revelation 19:1-10).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for using the negative aspects of life to strengthen us for future ordeals and to draw us closer to You. Remind us that You will never leaving us alone, because You live within us and accomplishing all things through us (Hebrews 13:5; Philippians 4:13). We rest in the fact that You are in complete control and nothing will occur in our life, which is not in Your perfect will for us. 

Thought for the Day:

We may foolishly make our own plans for our day, but God always directs our steps. – Proverbs 16:9

Spiritual Healing - Part 1

Understanding Bitterness and Anger

Once we repent, our sins are always forgiven (1 John 1:9). However, some sins often continue to plague us relentlessly for two reasons. They are caused by a subconscious lie from the pit of hell, and this lie is still affecting us every day of our life. What is the sin, which so easily ensnares you? (Hebrews 12:1) What happened in your past that draws you to that sin over and over again? 

For instance, my besetting sin is anger. I use anger to protect myself from abuse and neglect. Why do I do that? I had incidences in my life of both abuse and neglect. My soul - my mind, will and emotions - do not want to experience either of these issues again. Therefore, I use anger to fight against anything that even remotely appears to resemble either exploitation or abandonment.

I fight the circumstance and I clash with the person whom I perceive is abusing or neglecting me. I do not even think about it before I react. I automatically over-react to any behavior that involves me, which even hints at being abusive or negligent. This over-reaction in anger is a sin, because it is telling God that I do not trust Him to care for me. I want to control the situation to keep myself safe.

As humans, when something upsets us, it triggers the wounds from our past. We react from the anguish of our soul and complain bitterly about the current issue, because of these ancient wounds (Job 7:11). This bitterness, rooted in the hurtful experiences of our past, will spring up and cause us all sorts of trouble. It will even spoil our current relationships and hinder our walk with the Lord (Hebrews 12:15).

Prayer:

Father God, bitterness and anger reside in our heart over past wounds. Show us the root of Satan's lies, which stand against Your truth (James 3:14; www.theophostic.com ). We need Your forgiveness for sin, as well as Your healing and cleansing from the root of the sin, which allows that sinful behavior to perpetually manifest in our life. Remind us that when Your Son sets us free, we are free indeed (John 8:36).

Thought for the Day:

God wants to cleanse our soul from bitterness and anger and allow His sweet, living water to flow from our soul instead of putrid, bitter water from the painful experiences in our past. - James 3:11

To Judge or Not To Judge

Read: Job 34:5-11

"Brothers, if someone is overtaken by a fault, you who are spiritual should restore him gently" (Gal 6:1).

A person reprimanded me the other day for daring to say that I thought it was good to point out our blind spots to one another. He inferred that pointing out blind spots requires a judgment, and that we should leave that to the Lord. He implied that it is God’s duty to point out blind spots, because that was the most effective way to bring about change in someone’s life.

If this was true, then we would have no doctors or counselors in this world, and no teachers or overseers in the Body of Christ (Hebrews 13:17). There would be no older women teaching the younger (Titus 2:4). There would be no teaching and admonishing one another (Colossians 3:16). We would leave all the healing and instructing for God to do.

Many people quote the verse, “Judge not, lest you be judged (Matthew 7:1).” If they would continue reading, they would find, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”

These verses actually encourage us to correct one another. They tell us to “remove the speck from our brother's eye.” If you ever had a speck in your eye, you know how good it feels and how grateful you are when someone removes it for you. But first, these verses caution us to clean up our own act, before we start giving advice to other people. They also warn us that we will be judged by the same standards by which we judge others. This reminds me of what President Harry S. Truman gave as a warning, “If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen!” In this case, if you can't take advice, don’t give it; if you can’t handle correction, don’t provide it.

‎In Job 34:4 Elihu said, "Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good." I love to learn together what is true and right and pleasing to the Lord. I feel so blessed when someone “mothers” me, even when they “smother” me with words of instruction and correction. I usually respond with a sarcastic, “Yes, Mother!” Then, I always encourage them to keep it up, because I know they only speak to me like this because they genuinely care about me.

In Galations 6:1, Paul encourages us to point out our blind spots to one another, "Brothers, if someone is overtaken by a fault, you who are spiritual should restore him gently." That word “gently” is very important. Rather than beating people over the head with the Bible, we can ask them what their motivation is for their behavior, then instruct them using scriptural advice.

Sometimes, people misinterpret our words or actions and they falsely assume we have a faulty motivation for it. I do not mind someone pointing out my faults, but I despise being falsely accused. I already do so many things wrong that to be accused of what I did not do, only discourages me beyond hope! In Job 34:5-11, Job says the same thing. He points out that he is innocent, but he gets no justice. He tells the truth, but he is considered a liar. He informs us that the feeling of contempt for him among his family, friends and neighbors is as plentiful as water. Did you ever feel this way? Eternity will tell the whole truth about our life, unvarnished by what anyone else thinks about us.

In John 8:15-16, Jesus said that human beings judge by human standards. He made it clear that He passes judgment on no one; but if He does judge, His decisions are right, because He stands with the Father who sent Him. That is why it is so important for us to judge with righteous judgment, once our heart is pure and as tender as softened butter. God calls us to discern according to Biblical principles rather than to pass judgment according to our own prejudices or opinions.

Jesus says, “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” He gives us an example here of how we should correct each other, by helping our brothers and sisters to stand in righteousness. Judging with derision and contempt, correcting with condescension and pride, or rejecting someone due to their choices in life is certainly wrong. On the other hand, discerning a fault and correcting, admonishing and encouraging one another is a noble effort. Timothy is another Biblical author that encourages us to correct one another. He simply advises us to use great patience and careful instruction with love when we do so (2 Timothy 4: 2).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Job concludes his speech in Job 34:5-11 by saying that You are our judge. You repay a man for what he has done and You bring upon us what our conduct deserves (Lamentations 3:39). We do not need to be concerned about another person’s opinion of us. You have mercy on whom You will have mercy, and compassion on whom You will have compassion (Exodus 33:19). I am so glad that we can rely on your grace, and that Your love covers a multitude of our sins (1 Peter 4:8).

Thought for the Day:

“Those who mind, don't matter; and those who matter, don't mind.” - Dr. Seuss