Find the Seam

04 Saturday Feb 2017

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img_0254Tomorrow evening many will watch the greatest game of the Football season as Super Bowl 51 kicks off in Houston Texas. I have loved the game of football since my friend’s family invited me to a Kansas City Chief’s game years ago when I was in Junior High.  Before life with my own family was so busy, I enjoyed playing fantasy football.  Then I thoroughly enjoyed watching my son play the game in high school.

You may not be a football fan, but this game gives me so many spiritual analogies, that I just can’t miss the chance each year to write one. This year I chose a less obvious topic than last year’s “Contend and Defend”.

“Find the Seam” is a term that references a receiver who has the ability to find the gaps or opening in the zone defense. A smart offense will run route combinations that are difficult for the defense to cover.

I recently posted the below picture on my Secret Place Revelation Facebook page.

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After posting it, I just couldn’t get the image of that lock holding that door shut off my mind. I guess I have always operated under the assumption that God opens doors of opportunities in my life, and closes doors where protection is needed.  I do believe that this happens in the life of a Christian, but I recently began to ponder the possibility that perhaps the enemy wants to close doors to prevent us from walking into our destiny.

To say this in my football analogy, the zone defense is closing all the seams and the receiver cannot find the opening to make the forward momentum toward the goal line! This thought made me take a step back and consider the possibility that I didn’t win because I let my opponent out play me!

Tomorrow when Brady faces off against Ryan, they each will look for the receiver who can find the seam. If the defense closes in, they will look for a different opening.

I can tell you for me personally, I plan to look at open and closed doors differently in my future. While there may be times I must trust God’s sovereignty, I am not going to sit back idly and see if an opening appears, I am going to scout my opponent’s defense and make sure he isn’t just blocking my progress.

 

 

What is Your Word for 2017?

21 Saturday Jan 2017

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It is hard to believe that three weeks have already come and gone in 2017. For many people, this is all the time it has taken for their New Year’s resolutions to be scrapped.  We always have such good intentions, but then life happens and few carry through.

I want to challenge you early in this year to consider a different question. Instead of what is your resolution, what is your word for 2017?  On the first day of this New Year, our Pastor challenged us with this question during his sermon.  He told us that God gave Abram a small word “go”, and this word had great significance for his life and future.

I pondered and prayed about this question for almost a week. I asked God, “What word will define my life in You in 2017?”  Finally, I felt clearly that word drop into my spirit…..FAVOR.  When I heard that word, I picked up my phone and asked Siri what the definition of favor was.  She replied, “Support or advancement given as a sign of approval or overgenerous preferential treatment.”  If I consider this definition of favor in the context of my question, it gives me great anticipation about what 2017 could hold for me!

I began to ponder and pray specifically about that word and I quickly saw an acrostic for that word “favor”.

F = Father

The significance for this in my personal life is that our church had been in transition between Pastors for about six months. We had amazing support from our semi-retired staff pastor in the interim, but January 1, 2017 marked the day that our new father was home.  Many fail to see the significance of a spiritual father, but I place high emphasis on this role in my life.  Just as a natural father provides protection, guidance, and authority for a household, a spiritual father can equally bring stability to a corporate body who submits to their headship.  It is a powerful force in the life of a believer.

A = Advancement

I believe 2017 is a year of forward momentum! Waiting is painful, but sometimes essential.  During those delays, we are often being prepared for what is ahead.  At the appointed time, the door opens and it is time to advance.  I am believing for some open doors this year!

V = Victory

2017 can be a year of great victory in your life. Sometimes it feels as if we are circling the same mountains over and over in our lives, but I believe this year it will be more like circling the walls of Jericho, where we see the obedient persistence causes the wall to fall flat and create a bridge into our future! (See Joshua 6)

O = Order

Some Christian references state that the number 17 represents “perfection of spiritual order”.1  I believe this signifies things coming into alignment.  Alignment sets the stage for advancement and ultimate victory!

R = Results

Many people have been faithful for extended periods. They have contended and persevered through multiple challenges and navigated many obstacles, but I believe this is the year for results!

I am claiming Psalm 5:12 for my life this year. “For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield” (NASU).  I believe this is a year of favor for my life.  What is your word for 2017?  I encourage you to seek the Lord, hear His voice, then write it down and watch it happen this year!img_02264

References:
  1. Adam F. Thompson & Adrian Beale, The Divinity Code (Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2011

 

Cast Your Cares

15 Sunday Jan 2017

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This weekend we had a major ice storm come through Missouri. I ventured out of my home on Saturday morning for an appointment and was sad to see so many broken trees on my street in my neighbor’s front yards.

I was instantly reminded of a story I told about a picture lesson the Lord showed me years ago, which I shared in my book, Road to Transformation.  Below is that story.

We had experienced a very bad ice storm in Missouri. A few days after the bad weather, I was traveling between my work locations. As I was praying while driving down that rural highway, my attention was suddenly drawn from the road in front of me to the trees beside me. These were very tall pine trees along both sides of the road. The one on the left side of the road bowed over with the weight of the ice. I heard the Lord clearly say:

“This is a picture of how so many of my people are….weighed down by the cares and concerns of this life, because they will not give them to me.”

Then my attention immediately went to the other side of the road. The trees on this side had been exposed to sunlight since the storm ended. All of the ice had melted away from these trees and they stood as tall as they normally should. This reminded me of another Scripture.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NASU

The picture lesson continued. Next, I noticed the trees, which had not been able to bear the weight of the ice that had broken, and were destroyed. Since I was picturing these trees as God’s children, I asked Him in my prayer, “Lord what about the ones which have been destroyed?” Immediately, in my mind, I saw a picture of a huge Victorian house, and I heard Him say, “I can build something new out of them!” Then I saw a vivid picture of a roaring fire and He said, “They do not have to lay on the roadside and rot! They will never be a tree again, but I can make something great out of them, if they will let Me!” It is amazing what God can do with broken pieces, and vessels others may consider in the natural to be worthless and insignificant.

The lesson the Lord was showing me, was that we had options after a crisis. Some were still so weighed down with the cares, with the grief, and with the mourning. They could cast those cares over on the Lord and He would help all of those concerns to melt away. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what He is asking us to do:

“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.: 1 Peter 5:7 Amplified Bible

“Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Psalm 55:22 NASU

That word “casting” means to throw. If we throw all our cares over on Him then we don’t carry them…..We trust in His provision and stay in faith believing that we don’t need to be concerned.

Just last night I had an opportunity to put this in practice again. My family was going through several different difficulties at the same time.  After I had done what I could to help, I was alone back at my home and I was cleaning and praying.  At one point, I realized that I was actually striving in prayer instead of casting my care!  It was as if I thought if prayed loud enough or long enough I would see the desired result.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in persistent prayer, but I realized that was not at all, what I was doing. I was hanging clothes up when I had this revelation and I stepped back from the closet and said, “Lord, I trust you!  I cast these cares over on You and I believe your Word and Your promises that You will never leave me or forsake me!  I place my family’s needs in Your capable hands and I trust You to intervene on our behalf!

Immediately, I had such a peace rush over me. What a privilege we have as believers to take our needs to God and then rest in the knowledge that He is for us and not against us!  If you feel like one of those trees covered in ice under a heavy load, I encourage you to cast those cares over on the Lord.  Get in His presence and let Him melt all those cares away.

What Will You Do With 2017?

31 Saturday Dec 2016

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img_0201I love the New Year! I love new beginnings, clean slates, and new plans.  Every year at this time, I enjoy reflecting over the past year, taking note of the lessons learned and rejoicing in the blessings, I have received.  I am not much on New Year resolutions, but I do love to seek the Lord’s direction in my life for any needed changes, goals, or activities I should make a priority in the New Year.

Recently I wanted to look up some spiritual meanings of the number seventeen as we enter into the year 2017. What a great number it is!

Seventeen = 1) The perfection of spiritual order 2) Walk with God

Seventeen is the seventh prime number it therefore intensifies the meaning of the number seven. Seventeen is the sum of ten (complete order) and seven (spiritual perfection).

In Genesis 8:4 the ark rested on the seventeenth day of the seventh month, likewise Christ’s resurrection was on the seventeenth day of Abib.

Two men walked with God. Enoch who was the seventh from Adam (see Genesis 5:22-24), and Noah who was tenth from Adam (see Genesis 6:8). 1

I love the thought that goes with this! I would love for 2017 to be marked as a year of perfection in spiritual order in my life and a year that I walk with God unlike I ever have before.

Another reference says that seventeen symbolized overcoming the enemy and complete victory. God overcame the sins of rebellious humans when He began to flood the earth through rain on the seventeenth of the second Hebrew month.

Noah’s ark and its eight passengers rested on the mountains of Ararat on the seventeenth of the seventh month (right in the middle of God’s annual Holy period known as the Feast of Tabernacles.

Christ gained a complete victory over death and the grave when resurrected Him near sunset on Nisan 17. 2

I want 2017 to be a great year of victory in my life as well. Are there areas in your life where you need victory?  Romans 8:35-39 lists seventeen things being impossible to separate us from the love of God.  He will enable you to overcome the enemy and walk in victory this year!

35 Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword? 36 Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, 39 Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39 AMP)

I want to encourage you to make midnight tonight a moment of new beginnings, a time to be determined to walk with God unlike any other year, and a year to walk in greater victory than you have ever known.

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

References:

  1. Adam F. Thompson & Adrian Beale, The Divinity Code (Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2011
  2. http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/17.html 12/13/16

 

 

 

 

What Will You Do With Black Friday?

21 Monday Nov 2016

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Today marks the beginning of a holiday week where we take time to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Often part of that celebration is sitting around a table together enjoying food and fellowship with those we love.

As with many of our holidays, the once simplified celebrations have become much commercialized.  For many, Thanksgiving has become about “Black Friday” which now really begins on Thursday.

I am not here to criticize anyone who takes advantage of the sales of black Friday, even if it is on Thursday, but what I do want to do is look at a parallel story in Scripture.

I always struggle with that term “Black Friday”.  Originally, this was used because it is the day many retailers finally move from the red to the black, or become profitable, because of the large amount of shopping for the upcoming Christmas Holiday.

However, when I hear the term “Black Friday”, it just sounds like a dark thing.  Don’t you think it is interesting that another Friday that was a dark day for many is called “Good Friday”?

Indulge my play on words here for a moment, because I want to show you what a man named Peter did with his “Black Friday” that most call “Good Friday”.  This is the place in the story, where if you were watching it on TV or at a movie, you would see the words flash across the screen “ABOUT ONE MONTH EARLIER”.

Who is this man named Peter?  We first learn about Peter in Matthew 4:18-20:

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

We learn here that Peter was the first man Jesus called to follow Him.  The Bible says that he and his brother IMMEDIATELY left their nets and followed Him, even though they didn’t know anything about Him.

This is the first clue we get about what kind of man Peter was.

     1.  He Was A Man Of Faith

We must use faith when we do not know the outcome.  Peter shows here that he is willing to use his faith to follow Jesus.  We read a few chapters later where Jesus named him the first of his twelve disciples and empowered him for ministry. (Matthew 10:1-2)

The next thing we learn about Peter is that he is:

     2.  A Risk Taker

A familiar story is found in Matthew 14:25-32 (NKJV)

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

 It is easy to criticize Peter for having this moment of weak faith and doubt, but I have always said it this way, “I WOULD RATHER BE A WET WATER WALKER THAN A DRY BOAT TALKER!!!”

Peter was testing his sea legs, he took the risk, and I am sure that his faith and his character were strengthened by it.

The next key scripture we read about Peter is found in Matthew 16:13-19 NKJV

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus tells us the next characteristic of Peter he is:

     3.  A Rock

Again, we see here Peter is at the head of the class.  Jesus asked the question and Peter is the one who spoke up!  If you remember from the first passage we read, his name was Simon and Jesus called him Peter.

The word “Peter”, in Greek, means “a rock”. Christ gave it to Simon when he called him to be a disciple.

There are many different opinions of the interpretation of this passage, but let me tell you my personal thoughts.  When asked who Jesus is, Peter says that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God…..Jesus is pleased with Peter’s response and tells him that he is blessed because this information has been REVEALED to him by His Father in heaven!

Basically, Jesus is saying that because Peter expressed His true character by calling Him the Son of God, He also, has given Peter a name expressive of his character. He called him Peter, a rock, denoting firmness, solidity, and stability.

Further, I believe Jesus is telling Peter that this REVEALED KNOWLEDGE OF WHO HE IS COMES WITH MUCH AUTHORITY!

Peter’s learning curve continues just a few verses later in Matthew 16:21-23.

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Here we see the next characteristic of Peter.

     4.  He Was A Passionate Man

The definition of passionate is, “capable of, affected by, or expressing intense feelings.”  Peter clearly shows in this passage that he is capable of intense emotion, he shows he was dramatically affected by what Jesus described that was going to happen to Him, and he was intense in expressing those feelings!

Peter was a passionate man.  He had left everything to follow Jesus.  He recognized Him as the Son of God, I am sure he did not expect that the Son of God would suffer and die!  I am sure Peter could not bear to think of Jesus’ death, He most likely expected a triumphant Messiah and couldn’t imagine how death fit in that plan.

Has your passion ever gotten you into trouble?  Mine has.  There have been times I have felt so passionate about something at work that I just didn’t know when to be quiet.  It could be perceived here that Peter was in trouble with Jesus for expressing his passion.

For many, this would have been a good quitting place.  A place to get disillusioned and to stop being part of the Jesus team!  Not Peter.  He didn’t quit; he received the rebuke from his Master.  He had to learn that his passion was in opposition to the master plan of salvation for all of us.  He learned submission and continued with fervency.

In fact, we read that six days later he took that same kind of passion up on the mount of transfiguration.  You can read about it in Matthew 17:1-8.  Peter wanted to stay in that place of God’s presence and passionately expressed this desire.

You just have to love Peter.  He tries so hard!  We have already seen he isn’t afraid to move in faith, to be a risk taker, and to express his passion.  He is trying to get it right this time.  He says to the Lord, “It is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Peter recognized that this was a place in God’s presence he had never experienced before….it was a good place!  What he still had to learn is there is always purpose for the presence.  They would need this experience in the coming days.  Furthermore, if they had stayed there, not only would their purpose not have been fulfilled, but also the boy at the foot of that mountain would never have been healed.

This is the place in the story where we began before going back and looking at the previous month’s activities.  Now we find Peter is sitting with Jesus and all the disciples as they celebrate a Passover meal, much like we sat around tables in the last few days with our loved ones celebrating Thanksgiving.

Scripture tells us that they ate, they sang a hymn, and then left for the Mount of Olives.  Just as Black Friday began on Thursday this year, this was the beginning of Peter’s Black Friday.

Let’s pick up reading the story from here.

Matthew 26:31-35 NKJV

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

If you keep reading, you see where Jesus led them to Gethsemane.  Again, just like at the mount of transfiguration, he only took His three closest with him, this time asking them to join Him in prayer.  Peter was the first he asked.  If you know the story, it is in this garden that Jesus is arrested and taken away to face his accusers

Now let’s read about Peter’s “Black Friday”

Matthew 26:69-75 NKJV

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”  Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

We have learned that Peter is:

  1. A Man of Faith
  2. A Risk Taker
  3. A Rock
  4. A Passionate Man

But now we see that He is:

     5. A FAILURE!

This is the place in the story where we ask the question we began with….

“WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH BLACK FRIDAY?”

“What will you do with that moment of failure?”

The one thing I am confident of is that each of us have all had times in our life where we felt like a failure.  Maybe you started as a man or woman of faith, but a situation came in your life that caused you to lose hope/lose your footing/ and your faith failed.

Maybe you were the risk taker….you were the one willing to step out of the boat against all odds only to lose sight of the goal and sink ending in failure.

Perhaps you are the one who is always a rock, your stable, your fixed, your tenacious, yet that one situation caused your rock to crumble ending in failure.

Possibly, you are the passionate one.  The one who is capable of expressing intense feelings and because of your intense passion, a season of failure hits you the hardest.

You can put your own name on “Black Friday” it comes in many forms.  It could be a personal failure, but it could also be a major trial.  Maybe a family issue, maybe a health concern, the list goes on.

THE QUESTION IS, “WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR BLACK FRIDAY?”

Let’s go back and look at what Peter did with his.  Maybe you have heard the phrase, “It may feel like Friday night, but Sunday is on the way!”  Jesus died on Friday but He arose on Sunday, which afforded us the opportunity to make every failure a victory.

Not long after Jesus’ resurrection, we read where he was meeting with His disciples for breakfast…

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”  He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”  He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”  He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”  And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.  (John 21:15-18 NKJV)

I may not have any Bible scholars see this passage the way I do, but let me tell you what I see….

First, I think it is interesting that Jesus called him Simon.  He had named him Peter that means “Rock” yet here for the first time that I know of, He goes back to his given name Simon.  I personally believe that Jesus knew how Peter was feeling.  He knew that he felt like such a failure and didn’t deserve the name given to him by Jesus at that moment.  He knew Peter didn’t feel like a rock and He was reaching out to him in his current state of despair.

The second thing that stands out to me is the fact that Jesus asked Peter the same question three times. “Do you love me?”  I believe He purposefully did that because he was giving Peter the opportunity to “feel” forgiven for ALL three times he denied Him!

Now we see that Peter has a new characteristic.

     6.  Peter is Forgiven!

The third thing I see from this passage is Jesus’ response to Peter each time.  He tells him to feed and tend to My sheep.  To me, this speaks of Peter’s purpose.  He was the first man Jesus called to follow Him.  He had a plan for Peter’s life.  He wanted to take this man’s faith, his ability to be a risk taker, his stability, and his passion and turn him into a mighty minister to spread the gospel.

BUT FIRST, HE HAD TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH HIS BLACK FRIDAY!

Would he let this failure, this disappointment, this difficult day be the end of his purpose or would he allow this black day to propel him into his intended future?

If you know Scripture, you know the answer to this question.  After Jesus ascended  to heaven it was Peter who preached an amazing sermon.  Take the time to read it in Acts 2:14-41.  There were over 3000 people saved that day!

Now we see the last characteristic of Peter, he is:

     7.  An Overcomer!

You can continue to read in the book of Acts where he was used by God to perform many miracles, he ministered to the Gentiles, he was imprisoned and delivered, and he wrote two of the books of the Bible!

So what did Peter do with his “Black Friday”?  He allowed a day of great disappointment, great disillusionment, and great failure to propel him into his divine destiny.

It isn’t all about falling; it is about getting back up.  So the question I have for each of you today is, “What will you do with your “Black Friday”?

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A Thankful Heart

14 Monday Nov 2016

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Like most people, I have found myself in disbelief that the holiday season is upon us.  I often ask myself, “Where has the time gone?”  For me that last five months have flown by as I have been navigating a new job and writing a new book.  As I looked back at what I had written below at this time last year, I realized that I have more to be thankful for this  year than last, as I am sure many of us can agree.  I hope you enjoy reading this message of Thankfulness again and I pray you have a wonderful Thanksgiving season.

A Heart of Thankfulness

While I try to live my life with an attitude of thanksgiving, it is during this season that we often truly reflect on the many blessings bestowed upon us.  I have been listening to the old hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” repeatedly during the last week as I have been thanking God for His faithfulness.

Colossians 3:14-17 (NASU) says:

“Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”img_1086 (4).jpg

This may seem like an over simplified picture of my thankful heart, but if you will indulge me I would like to explain.  Pictured here is the view I have looking out my kitchen window.  As a teacher, the Lord frequently speaks to me with simple analogies like this little tree.  I often get such a clear picture of God’s provision as I care for my plants throughout the year.  I am not an expert, and I cannot even tell you what kind of tree or plant this is.  Honestly, I was looking for something to put in my window that could handle direct sunlight, and this one could.

img_1088 (2).jpgThe thing that drew my eye to this one was the little ornament that was in the soil that says, “Inspire”.  This was my whole goal of shopping for the right plant anyway. This little tree has inspired me over the last two years.   This has to be one of the thirstiest little creatures I have ever cared for! When I first purchased it, it was green and vibrant and had little white flowers….so beautiful. However, after a few months, I watched as its beauty daily began to fade.

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This little tree has endured some diverse seasons. There was a time that my husband was convinced that it was dead and that I needed to put it out of its misery. Yet something in me just could not give up on it, because I had seen what it COULD be! I fed it; I replaced the rocks with better soil, and covered the soil with moss so it would stay moist all day. I refused to give up on it!

Little by little, the tree began to get stronger. It began to thrive again! It had a season of little white flowers again! Then the most amazing thing began to happen…..

One day I notices a stem that just start growing so fast that it reached across the window to the wall. It was quite a sight, and not particularly an attractive one. My daughter would ask me why I would not prune it. I kept telling her I was learning something from my little tree, and she would just laugh at me. Finally, the day came when I felt good about pruning that stem, and shortly after a MORE AMAZING thing happened…..

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SIX MORE GREW! I was reminded of the passage in John 15:1-3 (NASU)

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”

So during this season of Thanksgiving, I am most thankful for my relationship with my God. I am also very thankful for my family and friends who I love dearly. I am thankful for my church family, I am thankful for a good job, I am thankful to be an American, I am thankful for all the provisions God has allowed me to have….the list goes on and on.

I can never list all my blessings, both big and small, but today I want to say I am also thankful for my little tree. This little tree inspires me in so many ways.

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  • Stay thirsty! Never become complacent, there is always more in God!
  • Even in difficult seasons when things seem to be dying, stay faithful, this too will pass!
  • If God prunes you, it is for your good and the good of the kingdom so more will grow!

I wish you an amazing Thanksgiving season!

If the Shoe Fits

10 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in Encouragement

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img_0086It is that time of the year where in many parts of the country we begin to change the style of shoes we are wearing. For me, I have accumulated too many shoes, so in order to make room, I pack away my sandals, and I get out my boots.  It is important to have a variety of types of shoes in order to be prepared for every season, but today’s inspiration is less about the style and more about the fit.

I have a great video of my daughter when she was about 18 months old trying to wear my heels. I heard the clicking sound on the floor and I peeked around the corner to see her trying to walk in shoes that did not fit.  It was video worthy and something I enjoy watching, but trying to walk in shoes that don’t fit for any length of time is simply exhausting.

She no longer needed those cute little white walking shoes I had purchased for her, but she was not ready for mommy’s heels yet either. In fact, as I watched my daughter grow into the wonderful young woman she is today, she never fit in mommy’s heels.  First, she inherited her shoe size from her dad instead of me, but more importantly, heels were just never her thing.  I remember in her teen years how she tried to fit into the mold of wearing what her friends wore, but she quickly went back to the style that was more comfortable for her.

Have you noticed that in every shoe store or shoe department there is a section that houses all the accessories for those shoes we buy that really do not fit? There are pads you can put on the back of a shoe to keep it from slipping off.  There are pads you can put in the bottom of the shoe to keep your foot from slipping forward.  There are barriers we can put on the sides to keep our shoes from rubbing blisters.

The interesting thing is none of these items is needed if the shoe fits!

If we go to a store to buy a suit, it is common that it will not fit every person just right. There are individuals trained to alter a suit jacket so it will fit in all the right places and be comfortable as the person moves around in it.  This may work for suits, but not shoes!

If they are too small, they hurt you because they stifle you and hold you back. They are not satisfying at all to wear.  If they are too large, they slip off when you try to walk. You cannot effectively walk, climb, or progress in shoes that are too large for you.

While our foot size grows during stages of maturity, for most people there is a point where your foot size is maximized and it often will not change for the rest of their life. That is why I have too many shoes!  I have been wearing the same size for a very long time.  Over the years, I have collected a variety of styles and colors for many different seasons and activities.

I love that I am not limited to one style.  Seasons and conditions require us to have choices.  These are options but the size is not. The creator determines the size!  Look at this passage of Scripture.

1 Corinthians 12:4; 11-12; 14-26 NASB

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit…..11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ….14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 

THE CREATOR DETERMINES THE SIZE!

I have a passion today to remind each person reading this of how much your Creator loves you and how He wants to see you walk in the shoes He has selected for you. He chose them long ago before you were even here.

Psalm 139:13-17 NASU

13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

 

YOU WERE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE! Each one of us unique and distinct.  No two of us with the same thumbprint, but each with precious thoughts and plans from our Father!

The thing that we must contend for is our own unique size or our individual identity in Christ. Each unique one is critical to the kingdom and if you are trying to wear someone else’s shoes, then yours are left abandoned on a shelf creating missed opportunities ordained by the Father.

Let me share an example. My sister-in-law and I are very much alike in many ways.  Years ago at her first Christmas with our family, we showed up wearing the exact same sweater and what was so funny was we didn’t even know each other then.  A couple years later, we actually came to vacation and had bought the very same swimsuit, the very same cover-up, and the very same shoes!

We are the same age, we have the same last name, and we even have the same shoe size. However, those who know us well will attest that if I tried to wear many of her shoes, it would not end well!  Here style is often very different from mine, and she wears heel sizes that I cannot tolerate.

This paints such a vivid picture of the fact that even though we have many similarities, I can’t be her and she can’t be me. We can only complement one another, encourage each other, and fulfill our own unique callings.

While it is such a simple principle, I feel this very thing is what has caused too many of God’s children to abandon the plans that He has for them….trying to wear shoes that do not fit!

We often feel like a square peg trying to fit in a round hole, trying to fit the mold, or meet everyone’s expectations. Let’s change that today and become free to be who He has called us to be!

No apologies! Just be who He is asking you to be!  No comparison, no intimidation, no jealousy, or envy, just wearing the shoes that fit you in the right season, and on the right occasion!  Make a commitment today if you have not already done so, to walk in the steps He has ordered for you.

DON’T ALLOW YOUR ONE OF KIND DESIGNER SHOES TO BE LEFT ON THE SHELF!

This is ONLY a Test!

17 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by in Christian growth

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I remember when I was younger hearing that annoying loud sound that would come across the TV followed by a message that said, “This is a test, this is ONLY a test of the emergency broadcast system…”

I often wish I could hear that sound as I go through life and have those moments that seem difficult.  Perhaps then, I would remember that THIS IS ONLY A TEST!

I don’t know too many people who enjoy test taking, yet it is an ordinary part of the world we live in. It begins at the moment we are born with an Apgar test, which quickly summarized the general health of the newborn. Tests are an integral part of our educations system.  We take a test before we are licensed to drive a car, and many endure all kinds of medical tests throughout the course of life to assess proper function of human anatomy and physiology.

Even though we are so familiar with all these kinds of tests we experience in our natural lives, it is often unsettling when we encounter a spiritual test. These can come in many forms.  Some examples of common tests we encounter are relational challenges with family members and loved ones, health issues, and financial concerns.

We read this from the book of James:

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12 NLT

A healthy perspective on the benefits of enduring a test can aid us in our perseverance during them. Three possible reasons for a test are:

  1. TO DETERMINE AN AREA OF WEAKNESS: I already mentioned a great example of this concept. Medical tests are often performed to identify something in the human body that needs attention. By finding the weakness, often treatment can be administered to correct the problem.
  2. To REFINE: Times of testing can be related to “going through the fire”. When you heat up certain metals with fire, a refining process happens causing the impurities or unwanted contents to rise to the surface so they can be removed.
  3. TO PROMOTE: A test is used in all education to determine the appropriateness of promotion. We advance through the school system one grade at a time with passing scores on tests. Higher education is no different, the more elite the profession the greater the difficulty of the test.

How does all of this apply to our spiritual life? First and foremost, let me state that the reason for the test may be unknown and undeserved.  Some tests we encounter in this life are a result of our own actions, but many are simply a consequence of the fallen world we live in.  Regardless of the reason, there can be many benefits spiritually, just as the other examples listed above.

Spiritual weakness is easily identified and impurities often rise to the surface during the seasons we walk through that are difficult. These realizations afford us the opportunity to take action and make corrections.  These are the times that our character and our integrity are more fully developed.

Promotion is also critical in our spiritual walk. We are never to become stagnant, nor should we ever retire on this side of heaven.  We are to be consistently transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).

I believe the enemy uses tests to defeat Christians, but God can bring good from these trials and use them to better prepare you for promotion.

So the next time you hear that annoying sound the test brings……just stop and say, “THIS IS A TEST, THIS IS ONLY A TEST!

  •  Remember that a test is an opportunity for you to assess what you know, and learn from where you are weak and grow!
  • The greater the calling or the destiny, the more difficult the test!
  • In your spiritual walk, failing a test is not the end, the teacher gives make up tests!
  • Prepare for the test, expect the test, and review the answers frequently, because the teacher is often silent during the test!
  • Respond to the test do not react to it!

Persevere!

27 Wednesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Perseverance

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IMG_0314Perseverance is a word we don’t always like, because if you are to persevere, you must need to push through some kind of difficulty, opposition, or delay.  Perseverance often makes me think of endurance, which gives me a picture of a long distance runner.

I have never enjoyed running. When I was in high school, I was on the track team for all the wrong reasons.  I liked to do the jumps or maybe the short races or relays, but I certainly wasn’t committed enough to be the one who ran the long distance races.

Those races required too much perseverance. The ability to push through the pain and fatigue when you feel like your lungs are on fire and your legs cannot move another step.  I like the way the Message Bible describes perseverance in a long distance race.  Read below:

12 Do you see what this means — all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running — and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. 2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed — that exhilarating finish in and with God — he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. 3 When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Hebrews 12:1-3 The Message Bible

This describes our spiritual race during times that require perseverance. We are reminded to keep our eyes on Jesus since He demonstrated for us not only how to start a race, but how to finish it!

In the middle of the race, there are times you feel all alone and you may be tempted to question if you are in the right race. Perseverance is needed when God SEEMS to be absent and SEEMS to be silent!  Scripture tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  While I know that to be true, there have been times I have found myself asking, “Where are you?”

A very familiar scripture found in Galatians 6:9 AMP reads:

“And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.”

Let me tell you two of the greatest enemies in certain stages of the race….doubt and disappointment.

When you are in a season where you have been believing and standing in faith for a long time, and your answer has not yet manifested, it is tempting to begin to question if you really heard from God, or if this commitment to the race is really worth it.

In some situations, the risk of disappointment is so great that people give into hopelessness instead of standing in faith and staying in the race. In these times, you must contend and persevere!

David shows a great example of perseverance when he was running for his life. An interesting part of this story is found in 1 Samuel 21: 1-9.  Let me summarize it for you.

David and a few men who ran with him left with nothing but the clothes on their backs as they ran for their lives when Saul decided to kill him. David went to the temple, and found the priest and asks if there is anything to eat.  The only thing that was there to eat was the Bread of Presence, and the priest gave it to them for nourishment.  Then David asked the priest if there was a weapon, because he left without one.  Look at the priest’s response in verse 9:

“Then the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.” 1 Samuel 21:9 NASU

David was certainly not a perfect man. In fact, he wasn’t totally honest with the priest in this very story.  However, David was a chosen man with a mighty destiny, and he needed to stay in the race and finish!

David is persevering, running for his life, with only the clothes on his back, and he chooses to run to the temple. He is nourished by the bread of presence, which is exactly what we can do when we keep our eye on the prize and focus on our relationship with God.  Our relationship and time spent with God will provide us with the nourishment needed to stay in the race.

In this place of God’s presence, David was reminded of his greatest victory when he defeated Goliath. Often one of the greatest forms of encouragement during the difficult leg of the race is to remember the past victories…remember how it felt to cross the finish line during your last race.

David was also now armed with a sword that originally belonged to a giant.   I suppose that it was huge…..but now in this place of perseverance, in the presence, David is equipped with a weapon that should be too heavy for him.  I feel it was his commitment to the race….first in relationship, his contending in warfare, and his perseverance that brought him to this place where there was a new anointing, a new empowerment for him.  He developed character and stamina that would take him through this difficult season and eventually become the king.

I want to encourage you today to persevere! If you are in a difficult leg of your spiritual race, stay close to God so you will be nourished, keep your eye on the prize, and as you stay committed you will be empowered to finish strong.

Toll Road

08 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by in Christian growth

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13495286_1050293628340128_9036485292408688289_nSeveral years ago, my husband and I took off for Wisconsin to pick up our boat. Since neither of us had ever been to this area, we used a TomTom GPS in the truck to help us find our way.  I did not realize that when I entered the destination in the GPS, that it asked me if I wanted to avoid toll roads.  I inadvertently selected “yes”.  We drove around and around one of the major cities on our way to our destination because the GPS was routing us around the toll roads.  Coming home, we realized our mistake, paid our two quarters to stay on a toll road, and saved an hour of drive time!

Recently, I flew to Houston Texas to train a new employee with my company. My connecting flight was delayed which caused me to arrive at Houston late at night. I was somewhat uneasy finding my way to my hotel because I do not see as well as I once did after dark, I had never been to Houston, and I was in an unfamiliar rental car.  I was using my iPad to navigate me to my hotel.  Siri routed me onto a toll road.  I come to the first gate where I needed to pay two quarters, which luckily I found and kept moving.  Siri told me to exit quickly but as I came off the exit ramp there was an officer waving me back on the toll road.  There had been a horrible wreck with a semi-truck and a car and there were casualties.  There was no way to get over to the street that led to my hotel.

The officer was not patient with me so I sped back onto the toll road beginning to feel even more uneasy with my current circumstances. I came to the next gate and pulled into the lane with an attendant.  I explained my circumstances, and she began to tell me all the turns I would need to take to get back to that exit without using the toll road.  I gave her two more quarters and proceeded to the next exit off the toll road.  Siri autocorrected and began to navigate me through a very scary neighborhood and back streets until I was finally safely at my hotel.

The next morning when it was daylight I could see that I had a choice. The state highway ran parallel to the toll road and I opted to use it each day as I traveled between work and my hotel.  One afternoon on my way back, I noticed one reason people were willing to pay to drive the toll road was to avoid traffic.

I want you to consider these two examples of my toll road experiences in a spiritual analogy. In this analogy, the highway will symbolize your soul and the toll road will represent your spirit.

Scripture acknowledges that there is a difference in our soul and spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 NASA

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We all live in a body, we have a soul, and we have a spirit. When I reference your soul in this analogy of the highway, I am referring to your mind, will, and emotions. We know that our soul is often at war with our spirit man.  Consider this Scripture.

Galatians 5:16-17 NASU

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

“Flesh” in this passage is just another way to refer to your soulish realm which includes your mind, will, and emotions. The focus for this teaching is your mind, or more specifically your human understanding.

Have you ever acted on information that you did not fully understand? If we are honest, all of us have done this many times.  There are two major statements that I want you to consider.

  1. You know some things in your spirit that your mind does not understand.
  2. Your mind battles with what your spirit knows.

I want to reference several Scriptures to drive these two statements home, starting with one that is very familiar to most of us.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart,And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 

I KNOW SOME THINGS THAT MY MIND DOES NOT UNDERSTAND!

This Scripture reminds us that we should not lean on our own understanding. In many ways, this passage is related to the war between your soul and your spirit. Instead of leaning on our own understanding, we are directed to acknowledge Him in all our ways.In the original text, this word “ways” means a road or course, in relation to my analogy; we pay the price to stay on the toll road. What is the price?The word “acknowledge” in Hebrew is yada, which basically means direct, intimate contact with God. The price of staying on the toll road is staying in close communion with your Heavenly Father so He can enlighten your understanding. Look at these examples.

1 Corinthians 2:10-15 NKJV

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

This passage is supporting the fact that your spirit knows some things that your mind does not understand! However, in these next four verses, we read that we can have our understanding enlightened.

Luke 24:44-45 NASU

44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

Ephesians 1:17-18 NKJV

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

2 Timothy 2:7 NASU

Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

1 John 5:20a NASU

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true;

MY MIND BATTLES WITH WHAT MY SPIRIT KNOWS!

We just referenced several Scriptures that show us that the Lord will help us to “know” some things. He will enlighten our understanding.  God reveals things to us in different ways, but in many cases, that understanding doesn’t last forever.  In that moment that the Lord shows you something, or speaks something, you KNOW it in your spirit, but then time passes and your mind or your human reasoning begins to question if it was real or you may simply forget it.

This is why I am faithful to carry a spiritual journal with me most of the time. When God speaks something, or shows me something, I have to write it down because I know that later my mind will question it, or I will forget about it.

Once God enlightens your understanding, it often becomes about obedience and diligence to document and stand firm on the revelation knowledge He provides. This is because many times you will not feel it or your mind will not understand it again at some point in the future. Life is full of distractions and our human emotions and understanding fluctuate with the cares of life.

It is easy to let our mind go to the worse case scenarios, it requires less discipline to allow our emotions to drive us; but that is the highway that most travel. You will be better off to pay your quarters and stay on the toll road, you will do a lot less circling the situation, and you will stay on a road of safety.

So how do we win this war between our soul and our spirit? How do we stay on the toll road?  As I already said, staying in a close personal relationship with your Heavenly Father is key, but with that prayer is essential.

There are many kinds of prayer, but I like to incorporate prayers of declaration into my life. I build those declarations from the promises found in Scripture.  I use these declaration prayers to inspire spontaneous communication with my Father during my prayer time.

Has your mind been warring against what your spirit knows? Do you find yourself wavering from faith to fear or from belief to doubt?  I want to encourage you today to use the below prayer, stand firm on the promises of God, pay your quarters and STAY ON THE TOLL ROAD!

 Toll Road Prayer

Today my soul is warring against my spirit! My soul, which is my mind, will, and emotions, relies on my human understanding.  However, I know some things in my spirit that my mind does not understand!  That is why I commit to trust in the Lord with all my heart and I do not lean on my own understanding. (Prov. 3:5)  The peace of God surpasses all my human understanding and that peace guards my heart and my mind through Jesus Christ. (Phil. 4:7) 

Even though I walk in the flesh, I do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of my warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:3-5) I bring every thought, emotion, and human understanding that is contrary to God’s will captive and I refuse to entertain it.

Father, Your Word tells me to give attention to know understanding, (Prov. 4:1) and I trust You to give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You, and to enlighten the eyes of my understanding (Eph. 1:17-18), that I will see and say what my spirit knows even if my human understanding is limited.