What is a stronghold?

Time for a brief history lesson!

As populations of the earth multiplied and formed cities, people realized that living in the open left you vulnerable to nature and becoming a victim to others. Conquerors would attack unsuspecting or defenseless cities, taking goods and people. Citizens within the city learned that walls were needed for protection and a gate to control who came into the city.  The better the defense, the more secure the inhabitant.

A city with strong walls and a safe location, usually a hilltop or mountain, would grow in status and power, enriching its people. As the city prospered, it could then begin to control the surrounding towns and villages, which were less secure. An army could rest and relax between offensive campaigns within the walls of their city. Thus, their point of operation became a “strong hold.”

Scripture defines strongholds as a “sophisticated argument, a  high and proud thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God.” (2 Corinthians 10: 5)

A stronghold is a point of operation which weakens and even chokes the power of the Holy Spirit within believers. Thus the commands to not quench or grieve the Holy Spirit. (1  Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30)

Do you have thought patterns that are faulty, erroneous that have molded themselves into your thinking, establishing a lifestyle/pattern in your thinking and actions?

These thought patterns can affect our feelings and how we respond to various situations in life, and they play a significant role in our spiritual freedom.

How does a stronghold begin – where do they come from – why do we allow them to take root?

One of the first indicators and defining marks of a stronghold is its recurring pattern.  It has a “strong hold” on you so that you find it extremely difficult to break free from it; thus, you keep coming back to it –  your comfort zone.

To identify those strongholds that hold you a prisoner, ask yourself these questions:

With who or what am I in a constant struggle?

What unhealthy habit or unhealthy thought pattern has a solid hold on me?

Our parents, siblings, friends, environment, and life events can significantly affect what we believe about ourselves resulting in strongholds we establish in our minds for our protection.

Three primary sources for our strongholds come from:

1. Ourselves: Proverbs 23:7 “As he thinks in his heart (believes within his soul) so is he.”In other words, whatever we personally believe about ourselves, we become – thoughts become actions.
2. Others: Proverbs 13:20 He who walks as a companion with wise men will be wise, but the companions of conceited, dull-witted fools are fools themselves and will experience harm. (See also, Proverbs 22: 24-25, 1 Corinthians 15:33)
3. Satan/evil forces: Ephesians 6: 11-12  Put on the full armor of God for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier, so that you may be able to successfully stand up against all the schemes, strategies, and the deceits of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, contending only with physical opponents, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly supernatural places. (See also Revelation 12:10)

The troublesome aspect of a stronghold is that it is toxic in our life.

At the root of many fortresses is a desire to want to prove our worth and our value, or in many cases, not feeling like we are worthy of love, affirmation, or success.

Remember, your value is not determined by whether people like you or not, nor is it determined by your performance.

It is determined by who you belong to, and you belong to Jesus Christ. You are a child of the King, having received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.

Often, strongholds begin with a wound we experience, hurt or disappointment that makes our heart fertile ground for seeds of lies to be planted. On this foundation, we begin to build brick by brick, a wall of lies, mistaken ideas about the person of God, flawed interpretations of Scripture, prideful thoughts, and distorted perceptions of how God sees us and feels about us, especially when we sin or stumble.

Have you been betrayed by the one you trusted – a spouse, sibling, parent, or even a close friend? Our arch-enemy whispers thoughts in our minds that no one can be trusted. We believe the lie and decide that we are on our own.  We then become highly independent, trusting no one,  including God and His promises which are sure and steadfast!

Romans 4:21 be fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

For years, I identified myself as a survivor and relied upon no one. I just needed to try harder or be better. But a stronghold is not something that can be overcome or silenced by “trying harder” or “being good or better.”

Some destructive thought and behavior patterns that create strongholds are more obvious than others; such as bitterness, unforgiveness, obsessive worry and fear, jealousy, all types of addition. Maybe the following are not quite as obvious: perfectionism that drives you to control, selfishness or a fragile ego,  a complaining attitude, low self-confidence, lying (including those that we call little white lies), people-pleasing, gossip, judgmental thoughts, or feeling superior to others.

Paul warns against making even small compromises in Galatians 5: 7-9—noting that just a little bit of yeast can work its way through the whole batch of dough.

You were running a good race. Who stopped, interfered, and hindered you from following and obeying your conviction about truth the right way? The deceptive enticement did not come from the God who chose and called you to freedom in Christ. Be careful! “Just a little yeast or leaven makes the whole batch of dough rise; a tiny error will pervert the concept of faith and mislead you. Galatians 5:7-9

When we buy into these lies and agree with the enemy,  surrendering control, that area of our life becomes a stronghold, which the enemy vigorously defends and retains power. The negative words and thoughts control our thinking processes, our perception of others, and situations. We have now formed an imagination, a false idea that we believe to be true, but in reality, it is not. These imaginations, or false beliefs,  will ultimately lead to actions.

We find ourselves struggling to live the victorious and abundant life that God has for us.

But God has given us a way to overcome these strongholds. We do not have to be bound or controlled by our emotions or thoughts. We were promised in John 8:36,  “He whom the Son has set free, is free indeed.”

Ridding yourself of these strongholds requires identifying the strongholds, having an understanding of their root cause and how they were constructed in the first place. Acquiring this knowledge will help us to create strategies, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to break free – to demolish the stronghold!

Do not delay! Begin today identifying the strongholds and ask the Holy Spirit to show you its root cause and why you found it necessary to build the fortress. Then you will be ready to create a strategy to demolish it and to be set free!

Next time we will look at David’s strategy to destroy his strongholds! He has a plan that guarantees victory!

To be continued …….

We wipe away the tears as they fall over our cheeks and wonder why or how or what is happening. Maybe it is such a painful happening that we are not aware of any thoughts we may be having at the moment…..

JUST THE TEARS…..AND MORE TEARS…..AND MORE TEARS…

Several years ago, experiencing one of these moments – no thoughts, just tears – I was led to the following verse – Psalm 56:8 “You put my tears in Your bottle.”

God, if You collect all my tears, Your heaven would be filled – jammed packed with bottles!

Over the years, as those experiences have come and gone, I always found comfort in knowing how notable each tear that rolled down my cheek was significant to God – valuable for Him to collect.

With my last tearful episode, I found myself pondering this truth a little deeper. My mind was taken to Romans 8 and the depth of God’s love. Romans 8:38-39  For I am convinced and continue to be confident—beyond any doubt that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the unlimited love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Then I was reminded of the value God places on the sparrows, the hairs on our heads.

Listen: Matthew  10: 29-31 Are not two little sparrows sold for a copper coin? And yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered, for the Father is sovereign and has complete knowledge. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Our Creator, our Jehovah, understands the depth of our pain – the meaning of each tear that falls from our eyes! The pain, hurt, rejection, feelings of insignificance; the why of how come this happened to me, not understanding, desiring that my situation would be different – maybe even finding a way of escaping the pain. I am sure that you, too, can identify each tear from your pain.

 But how can God understand my pain? Why would the LORD find value in my tears?

Hebrews 12:2 Jesus. for the joy of accomplishing the goal set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame.

Hebrews 14:15  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted knowing exactly how it feels to be human in every respect as we are, yet without committing any sin.

Jesus has firsthand knowledge and experience of the human soul because God became man. He chose to join humanity, not only to show us who God is, but He came so that we would know God understands us — you — me!  Love communicates at a depth of human longings.

Every November, we set aside one day when our focus is centered on thanksgiving and gratitude.

Have you ever thanked God for collecting your tears? This is such a powerful thought – If my tears, your tears, are so valuable, does that not demonstrate our value to God!

Imagine what it will be like when we enter heaven and understand why God collects our tears in His heavenly bottle and recorded them in His divine writings!

Several years ago, when I participated in Bible Study Fellowship, I was introduced to the book of Habakkuk, often called the questioning prophet. And that is what impressed me about Habakkuk; he was not afraid to ask God questions….

Those big WHY questions.

Until then, I believed (mistakenly) that we were not to ask God the big WHY questions—asking why indicated that I did not trust God or I was not accepting His plan for my situation at that moment in time.

Through my study of Habakkuk, praise God, I learned that God encourages the questions when asked by those humbly seeking help or understanding. The problem lies in what we do with God’s answers; do we accept or resist, demanding more information – disguised by another question.

We see in our subject passage that Habakkuk moves past his questions, that he accepts what has happened and says: Yet I will choose to rejoice in the Lord; I will choose to shout in rejoicing and triumph in the victorious God of my salvation!

What is Habakkuk’s trial? What is he facing? Let’s see what we can learn from Habakkuk!

What is the problem that Habakkuk faces in Chapter 3, verse 17?

His fig trees have no blossoms,

nor are there any grapes on the vines.

The olive trees have not produced olives,

and his fields have grown no vegetables.

He also discovers that his sheep and cattle have disappeared.

Remember that the nation of Israel was primarily an agricultural economy. Most people lived off the land – growing crops and raising livestock. Consider the problem that Habakkuk was facing: no figs on his trees, the olive crop has failed, no food for his family in his fields, and on top of that, his flock has been scattered, and there are no cattle in the stalls. Now that is a predicament! His farm is a mess, and his family is facing sure poverty or even death!

I did not realize that it takes 3 to 5 years to bear fruit for the specific fruits mentioned, making it a long-term time commitment. The farmer prepares the soil, plants the crops, and gives them the water and nutrition they need. By preparing and caring for his crops during the growth cycle, he expects and requires a good return for his hard work. These fruits would be sold to provide his livelihood.

The day for harvesting has arrived. But as the farmer walks through his fields, he does not see what he expected. His trees and vines are not producing fruit. The figs are not even blossoming! The big question – Why are they completely barren. Even the vegetables he planted provided no food. It is not just a lousy crop – it is no crop whatsoever.

Imagine walking through your fields, expecting a harvest, but there is nothing. The magnitude of the disaster becomes more evident, causing panic. How will there be enough food to feed his family in the coming year? How will he repay the debt he owes?

His solution: I will sell my sheep and my cattle to get us through this unexpected catastrophe. Going to the sheep pens and the cattle stalls, he finds nothing. Every animal is gone; all have disappeared.

The trial Habakkuk is describing has happened without any warning; it was sudden and severe. The causes of this disaster cannot be seen.

There are no answers to the questions of “why?” Or “how?” Or “why me?”

But maybe you are not a farmer, and perhaps it isn’t easy to wrap your head around this moment in Habakkuk’s life. Today in our time era, it may be more like this:

Though my salary never arrives,
and I am fired suddenly from my job,
though my bank account was emptied through a scam
and the overdue notices begin to arrive,
though my refrigerator is empty
and there is no food on the table…

For me, it was more like this in the past month:

Though I paid a $3500 repair bill on our car to find that a wasp nest was causing the problem,
though the refrigerator no longer works and must be replaced,
though Mel has difficulty remembering how to put on his coat…

Some trials are short-term, but others are long-term. It is easy to tell someone “everything will be OK” or to quote Scripture to them like a robot.

Habakkuk’s solution is found in verse 18: “Yet I will choose to rejoice in the Lord; I will choose to shout in rejoicing and triumph in the victorious God of my salvation!” 

We can ascertain by his response that he knew he was not in this trial alone. He knew where to turn for help and strength.

“The Lord God is my strength, my source of courage, my invincible army; He has made my feet steady and sure like hinds’ feet and makes me walk forward with spiritual confidence on my high places of challenge and responsibility.” Habakkuk 3: 19

His response reminded me of James 1:2-4: “Consider it nothing but joy whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith through experience produces endurance leading to spiritual maturity and inner peace. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work so that you may be perfect and thoroughly developed in your faith, lacking in nothing.”

When we face trials, we may complain instead of seeing the good in them. All problems have a purpose – to produce endurance or perseverance. 1 Peter 5:10 tells us, “after you have suffered for a little while, God will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you, making you what you ought to be.”

What are you facing? What sudden and unexpected calamity has come your way? Where do you turn? What do you say to yourself? I have come to believe that the most important words we speak are the words that we speak to ourselves.

Here are a few of my favorite verses to help me stay connected with God so that I do not begin to complain or murmur but allow God to work out His plan in my life.

“For I the Lord your God keep hold of your right hand; I am the Lord,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’” (Isaiah 41:13)

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can mere man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6)

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—Whom or what shall I fear?
The Lord is the refuge and fortress of my life—Whom or what shall I dread?” (Psalm 27:1)

“So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper in time of need, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)

“Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand.” (Psalm 73:23)

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will also help you, and I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” (Isaiah 41:10)

We are likely familiar with these Scripture passages “perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18). Or “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10). You have possibly heard many messages, maybe even read books about what it means to fear God. It is said that there are at least 360 verses in the Word of God that command us “do not fear.”

In the past few months, I have read several interesting books and various articles about fear. A couple of definitions for fear that struck home for me were: False Evidence Appearing Real; fear is putting faith in the enemy rather than God.

Fear of God is often referred to as reverential awe of God, honoring and respecting Him as our God, our Creator. And on the flip side of this coin, we must add that to fear God is often described as a healthy fear because we understand that violating His Word, His boundaries, or standards always results in discipline from our heavenly Father (Hebrews 12).

I am often asked, how does perfect love out all fear? 

What does God’s love have to do with my fear of rejection, failure, disappointment, pain? 

We were all created to experience relationships because we need to be loved and give love. But because of past experiences where we have been hurt, rejected, disappointed, we resist love to avoid pain. We even dismiss our dreams because we fear failure. We decide to play it safe rather than take a risk, a journey into the unknown.

I look forward to my quiet time with the Lord each morning, as I am sure you do likewise. During this time, I am listening to hear the heartbeat of my God, His footsteps guiding me as I ask Him for direction about my day.

How does God’s heartbeat or His footsteps sound?
How do I know that I am hearing God and not just my thoughts?

Recently I read this fantastic description of God’s voice and how it sounds. His voice sounds like my voice because the Holy Spirit speaks to me through my conscience as well as through His Word. When I am reading Scriptures, the voice I am hearing is mine reading the text. Give it a try. Open the Word, silently read a passage. Whose voice do you hear?

The voice of God is an intimate experience but not an audible one. It is a voice that comes deep within my soul, not from the outside but the inside. Every conversation I have with God challenges the boundaries of my imagination as I seek to understand how what I am reading is relevant to my day.

God never speaks to you or me without purpose and meaning. He is in the business of transforming our lives into the character of His Son. Hearing His heartbeat and footsteps are always fueled by His love, which transforms you and me and ignites a new passion. We now begin to discover the power and the force of His love in the purest form.

And at the same time, when we follow Him, hear His heartbeat, His footsteps, all of our fears are consumed by one fear: the fear of God, and God only.
Remember, what we fear is what we become subject to – our fears define our master. Where there is no fear, there is no control. When I fear God and God alone, I am no longer bound by all other anxieties that desire to hold me captive —

                                     the fear of death, failure, rejection, insignificance!

All other concerns become powerless when I know the fear of God!

“Perfect love casts out all fear.” (1 John 4:18) Notice that God does not even control us with fear. I now have the freedom to love and experience freedom from my fears. I have the freedom to live out my dreams.

The more my identity is rooted in God’s value for me, the less I am controlled and limited by what others think of me. The healthier I become, the freer I am to be myself, the unique person God created me to become.

On June 12th, my youngest granddaughter spoke at her high school graduation. She titled her speech Fear of the Unknown. It reads:

“To be completely honest, I was dreading this speech from the moment I found out I had to write it. I wanted to pass under the radar along with everyone else in my class, unnoticed and unseen. But now that I am here, I am going to make the most of these few minutes and give you all some of the hope that I cling on to as we set foot into the vast expanse of opportunity and unknown that lies before us.

It only gets better from here. Any stress from these classes and people will not follow you after this moment. Because of your hard work and dedication to yourselves and everyone around you, you are here today and can radiate with pride that “You did it!”

You have the entire world open to you now. It doesn’t matter how cheesy it sounds, but you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Yes, it will be scary. Yes, the world is unpredictable, and some of us will never feel prepared enough to jump into it, but don’t be afraid to take those risks. Do not dread failure and rejection because even if you fail, you’ll always wonder what would have happened if you took that leap. The unknown is full of just as much fear as it is triumph, but it is up to you to decide how to act on that knowledge.

I was terrified of this speech, this moment, because it was an unknown. I couldn’t predict it like an algebra problem. I didn’t have a rubric to guide me like an English essay. But I realized that the unknown, no matter how daunting, is whatever we make it to be. It can be the thing that stops you dead in your tracks, hiding behind the curtain for an eternity, waiting to step into the spotlight. Or, it can hold endless possibilities, an adventure that you never dreamed of, winding and turning roads that your life will be taken down.

In short, don’t throw away the incredible time in your life because you are too scared of what might go wrong. After all, worrying about things only means you feel the pain twice.”

And now Martha is preparing to leave for college in a couple of weeks, into her unknown. She has prepared for this moment for 13 years, and now she will experience her dreams of becoming a secondary teacher majoring in art education!

What are your dreams, desires, passions? Have you allowed fear to stop you from experiencing all that God desires for you – the purpose for which He created you?

         I LOVE ROLLER COASTERS! 

         ANY KIND AND ANY DESCRIPTION.

How about you?

But sometimes, our lives seem to be on an unplanned roller coaster. And that describes our household. A few weeks ago, our dog, Piper, was diagnosed with diabetes and, shortly after that, lost her eyesight. Amazing how adaptable to her situation she has been! Constant blood glucose checks, insulin shots, learning to walk up and down the steps that she cannot see, no longer free to run our large yard as she once was able to do.

We often say that God is faithful – and He is. But when our lives take an abrupt turn, it is then that we are reminded of His faithfulness. God provided a naturopathic vet who has made two house calls and has started Piper on eye drops that hopefully will dissolve her cataracts. God has met every need – at every moment.

When we find that our life is riding the ups and downs, the sharp curves of emotions and decisions, where do we turn?

PRAYER

A definition I read recently for prayer: the means that God has provided that brings down the power of heaven into my own experience. I like this definition for prayer as it describes the means for victory – the power of heaven – the Holy Spirit within each believer.

In an earlier post, ‘Timber,’ January 9, I referred to an incident in 1 Samuel 14. Remember Jonathan and his armor-bearer trusted Jehovah when He said that Israel would be victorious over the Philistines. Jonathan and his armor-bearer climb the cliffs to where the enemy was camped while his father, King Saul, and the army of Israel were asleep under a tree.

In that first attack, Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre. Then panic struck the whole Philistine army; the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God. Saul’s lookouts saw the Philistine army melting away in all directions. Upon seeing the Philistines in retreat, what does Saul do next? Wouldn’t you think he would join the battle? No, instead, he calls for the priests to bring the Ark of God to him. It seems like a spiritual action that one would do; pray and seek direction from the Lord. After all, how can you act without knowing God’s will? We would likely do the same as Saul.

Remember that during the Old Testament period, the Ark represented the place where God dwelled – God was in the midst of the moment. The Israelites never forgot the safety the Ark provided for them as they crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land. (Joshua 3:13) Nor how they carried it around the walled city of Jericho for six days, and then on the seventh day, armed men and priests did the same, but the people shouted a great shout, and the walls of Jericho fell – flat! (Joshua 6)

Because of these great miracles, the nation of Israel believed that the mere possession of the Ark meant God’s favor was upon them. They had lost sight of the reason for the Ark of the Covenant; they looked to the Ark for safety rather than Jehovah. But back to our subject passage in 1 Samuel 14. 

While Saul was talking with the priest, the noise from the battle became louder and louder, becoming very disruptive. So much noise, Saul decided that there was no time for meaningful prayer, reflective in his words, “Withdraw your hand.” God had already told Saul that the victory was his; why did he decide it was time to pray? He already knew what he was supposed to do.

Have you ever felt that you were one step behind everyone else? You show up for the task after it has already been completed. Possibly you have had the same experience with divine opportunities God places in front of you. But you show up one instant too late, and God has given your opportunity to another.

Saul missed his divine opportunity. He was sleeping when he should have been fighting, praying when he should have been moving, advancing with God as Jonathan and his armor-bearer were doing. Saul struggled to do the right thing at the right time.

Was the problem that God’s instructions to Saul were not clear?

Were they confusing?

Let’s see what we can learn from the Word.

Consider the incident at Gilgal when Saul offered a sacrifice. Even though, as king, he knew Samuel was God’s authorized agent to make the offering before the Lord, he made the offering in Samuel’s place. Samuel had instructed Saul to wait seven days, and he would join him at Gilgal to make the sacrifice. But when Samuel did not arrive early enough on the seventh day, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered a sacrifice. When Samuel came, he rebuked Saul not for acting in ignorance but for disobeying what God had commanded him to do. (See 1 Samuel 10:8; 13: 8-14)

Saul knew to wait on Samuel, but he chose not to. He understood to go to war, but he didn’t. It was not because God’s will was so challenging to comprehend that he kept missing his divine moments. It was clearly because he did not trust God to act on His Word.

Do not miss the point: God has not remained silent.

He has spoken both through the Word, Who has walked among us, and through His Word that He has written to guide us.

Live out what God has already said, and you will not find God silent.

On the surface, Saul appeared to be deeply spiritual when he called the priest of God to bring the Ark of God so he could seek God’s guidance on what to do. It is essential to seek God’s face, take time to enter God’s presence and be transformed by who He is. To live a prayerless life is to miss the life that God created you to experience. Yet, there are times when prayer can become a religious veil for an empty life.

For some reason, we have the misconception that God is impressed with how much we pray, how many lofty words we recite. If one danger regarding prayer is prayerless, another is to pray without genuinely making contact with God.

Prayer is not about informing God of our needs, nor is it even about trying to convince God to help us; God is not insensitive to our needs. Prayer is about connecting with God. It is about experiencing His presence and moving with Him in intimate communion.

God is eager to give us both His gifts and Himself if we ask Him, yet there is an even greater and more subtle danger in the arena of prayer.

It is the way we cleverly use prayer not to seek God’s will but to delay our obedience to His will.

While Saul was praying, Jonathan was obeying. While Saul was trying to figure out the will of God, Jonathan was busy working out the will of God.

Prayer can be a religious form of rebellion. While pretending a need to get clarity from God, we are avoiding what God has made clear. Even though the instructions are clear, even though God’s will is written without confusion, we deceive ourselves by claiming a need to seek God in prayer.

Sometimes it is more difficult to obey than to pray!

Praying about things already decided and confirmed by His Word is wasting our time and missing divine moments. However, we are not positioned to seize divine moments when we neglect prayer.

The spiritual environment that we desire to live in means that we must be in continuous conversation with God because prayer keeps us in step with God’s Spirit and in tune with His voice, sensitive to every prompting and whisper of God.

We do not need to pray about loving, forgiving, or confessing our faith. Nor whether we should be arrogant or humble, takers or givers, indulgers or servers. God has already spoken on all these and more. When we pray about them, God confirms what He has said with the added words: ‘Why are you waiting to obey?’

Saul was praying when he should have been obeying. Are we using prayer as a way of resisting God’s will rather than as a way of accessing God’s will? The purpose of prayer is to know God, in knowing Him, to hear God’s voice, and understand that God has heard our voice. The result of this kind of prayer is a pliable heart, so we move with God, wherever He is calling.

In my last blog post, I shared the importance of decisions in conjunction with determining God’s will for our life. But is this the right question? Am I restricting my thinking by asking God this enormous question: “God, what is your will for my life?” Or is the right question, “God, what is your purpose for my life?”

I believe asking the right question will lead us to the answer of knowing God’s will. We will also discover our silent weapon provided by God for our use if we only use it! Sound confusing? Let us begin our journey in discovering the silent weapon God has given us.

Once we become God’s child, saved through the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, what is God most interested in after our salvation? What is His plan?

Why do we encounter trials, persecution, rejection, and the list goes on? What is God doing anyway? Did He not tell us in John 10:10 that His purpose in coming was to give us a rich and satisfying life – in abundance, full until it overflows?

Romans 8:29 tells us that God plans to conform us to the image of His Son – someone with the character of Jesus. (You might want to check out 1 Peter 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Colossians 1: 9-10; Ephesians 5: 15-17)

So what does God use to build our character? When asked this question, my first response is that He uses trials, tribulations, difficulties – translated circumstances. We know this is true from passages such as James 1: 2-3; 1 Peter 1: 6-7. God unquestionably uses trials to grow our faith, to build our character.

We also know that we experience trials and difficulties because of our own foolishness (Galatians 6:7-9) and because it is God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:6).

But is my thinking restricted – not incorrect, just limited? Consider this possibility: God’s primary tool for building the character of His Son in us is

DECISION MAKING

Have you ever wished that you could open your Bible and find a chapter and verse that would say when buying a home, do this? Or you want to know what college or tech school to attend or what job to accept, do this. And here is a big one – indeed, He could have included a section entitled, “finding your spouse”!

Instead, Scripture tells us about God’s character;

He shows us His heart.

As we fellowship with Him, we can truly hear His heartbeat;

follow His footsteps!

Think about how many decisions you make in one day from what time to get up, what to wear, what to eat, what to do, which book to read, what to do in your free time, and the list goes on and on. Every single decision we make evolves into another decision and another.

Our character is shaped through the decisions that we make – both large and small. Because this is God’s character-forming tool, we no longer have to be afraid to fail. No longer the what if’s loom over our head. We begin to understand with each decision, we are given a new opportunity to look for God’s door of blessing – a new adventure where He is already present. Viewing decisions with this perspective helps me to realize perfection is no longer necessary – never demanded by God.

God has given us a silent weapon to enable us to make decisions. And what is that weapon?

WISDOM

What is wisdom? How would you define wisdom? My first answer would be to quote Proverbs 9:10, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Have you ever read through Psalm and Proverbs and noticed how often the word ‘wisdom’ used?

As defined by Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, “wisdom is the correct use or exercise of knowledge, the choice of worthy possibilities, and the best means to accomplish them. It is discerning or judging what is most just, proper, and beneficial. It is the exercise of sound judgment either in avoiding evils or attempting good”.

From my Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: “wisdom is the divine perspective available to and applied by believers to the issues of their lives. It is taking the knowledge that we have and treating it with spiritual wisdom and insight so that we live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way (Colossians 1:10). Both the Old and New Testament make it clear that only when our life is oriented to God and His revealed viewpoint is applied to our daily experience can we become wise”.

Thus, wisdom gained by experience is of immeasurable value. And how do we gain experience apart from making decisions – hundreds of decisions every single day.

Consider this as a new principle for your daily life: “God’s will for your life is ‘You Decide.’ Often when we pray for guidance and direction, God’s answer is, “You decide. All your options are within My character and My heart. You decide.” God knows that we will grow more by deciding than by getting a memo from heaven telling us exactly which open door to choose from the many doors available to us.

Decision-making can be not only fearful, but it can be tiring as well. We want the freedom to choose, but we dread making a mistake that could wreck our lives. We dislike the pressure of responsibility—the possibility of being wrong. Decisions wear us out!

But what happens when we make a mistake?

What does God do next?

Does He give up on us?

                                         NEVER!

God forgives and recalculates our route – kind of like my GPS when I make a wrong turn – recalculating! Accept this reality: It is not if I make a terrible decision. Instead, it is about when I make a terrible decision. As soon as I accept my responsibility and own up to my wrong choice, God will recalculate my route and put me back on His journey of character building. (Proverbs 24:16; 2 Corinthians 4: 9, 16-18; Psalm 34:7)

Wisdom is like a river.

A river’s power is its ability to adapt to its environment and change its course when necessary to reach its intended destination. By pondering the river’s flow, we see that it is not always a straight path that leads me to where I want to go. Whether the river is broad or narrow, no matter how many zigs and zags it may make, it is always moving towards its intended destination.

And what is our destination – our purpose? God is conforming us to the image of His Son, building His character within us – accomplished through our daily choices.

Wisdom is not gained in a moment but in an endless number of moments when we make choices. Wisdom is the ability to get to the core of a problem. It simplifies, clarifies, untangles, unshackles, illuminates, liberates, enlightens. It always finds a way through the mess that I have made. Likely it will not be the easiest way, but God’s footprints mark the path.

How do I apply the knowledge I have gained through studying Scripture, God’s character, His heart? By making countless daily choices.

How many times have you asked yourself or heard others say: “If I only knew God’s will for my life. I don’t know whether to turn to the left, to the right, or to move straight ahead or somewhere in between?” When faced with many good choices, this is especially true. For example, what college to attend, where to go on vacation, choosing between 2 or more excellent career opportunities, which car to buy, which home, and the list goes on.

How important is one decision?

Can one decision truly determine my destiny?

We are not talking about those times when we allow our flesh or wrong desires to manipulate us into making choices that are clearly stated in His Word as crossing God’s boundary of righteousness. We would all agree that choosing to sin will result in consequences that can change our hoped-for destiny in life.

We must not allow the fear of being outside of God’s will to paralyze us. God’s will is good, perfect, and acceptable. Romans 12:2, “As you mature spiritually, be transformed and progressively changed by the renewing of your mind. Focus on godly values and ethical attitudes, so that you may prove for yourselves what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect in His plan and purpose for you.”

Recently I was reading about knowing God’s will, and I was referred to Philippians 4: 8-9. I have always used this passage to help me change my wrong thought patterns.

The Word instructs us to center our thoughts or focus on those confirmed by His Word; those that are true, honorable, right,  pure, wholesome, lovely, and bring peace. Think continually about things that are worthy of praise and plant them in your heart.

The author stated that I could not only change my thought patterns by applying this passage, but I could also determine God’s will for my life. I remember thinking – ‘how in the world did he get that out of this passage’?

Now before you decide that I am not correctly applying Scripture, hear me out. I would like to hear what you think about what I am about to share.

Have you ever noticed how often God repeats His instructions in the Word; He presents the same truth or principle, over and over, just using different words. Think about the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. We are told that we will not fulfill the flesh’s deeds if the Spirit leads us and that His life, the Fruit of the Spirit, will be evident in our walk.

Consider 2 Peter 1: 5-10. We are instructed to add to our faith or supplement our faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. If we do this, we will grow spiritually, and we will live a life that inspires and encourages others in their faith.

Both Scripture passages give us instructions on how we can deepen our walk with the Lord; to have a continuing, intimate relationship with God. As you read through these passages, what is the common thread that runs through each one?

The words describe God’s character, God’s heart.

I am reminded of Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” What does it mean to you to delight yourself in the Lord?

A few meanings from Webster’s 1828 dictionary: Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy and not dependent on sudden excitement. To please highly, to give or afford high satisfaction or joy; to receive great pleasure in, to have or take great pleasure; to be incredibly pleased or rejoiced.

I believe that God has shown us in His Word that He finds pleasure in not only our obedience but also in taking the time to learn about His character, to know His heart so that we reflect both His character and His heart in our relationships.

Note what Jonathan’s armor-bearer replied in 1 Samuel 14:7 when he was invited to join Jonathan in fighting the Philistines; his response was, “do everything that is in your heart. Here I am with you in whatever you think best.” His armor-bearer completely trusted Jonathan’s decision, and he willingly followed him into battle at the risk of his own life.

Do I know God’s heart like that? How often have I said to God, ‘do everything that is in Your heart; here I am with You in whatever You think best.’ It is when we find pleasure in our heavenly Father, when we take the time to delight ourselves in His ways, His heart, that God’s desires become our desires.

I am willing to follow Him wherever He leads – no matter the risk to me.

What does all this have to do with knowing God’s will and Philippians 4: 8-9? These verses describe God’s heart, His character. He is everything and more.

As I look at the unique and excellent options before me, how do these lead me to know His will?

First: because each choice reflects the heart of God, I can know that whatever decision I make, it will be God’s will. I do not believe that God has only one good, perfect and acceptable will for our lives. If that were true, would any of us be in the center of God’s perfect, good, suitable, and pleasing will? Of course not!

Instead of fretting over which one God would have me choose, instead see them all as noble, excellent, and pleasing. God will be pleased with whatever one I prefer.

Once that is settled, what is the next step? How do I decide? 

Have you ever stopped to consider what you are passionate about, what excites you, what are your dreams?

I encourage you to take the time to answer that question. For many years I have expressed that my passion is to share God’s Word to women, teaching the truth, and seeing women’s lives be transformed! Many different avenues are possible to fulfill my passion. It can be within the body of Christ, outside the church, on the internet, through cards, a blog, and the list goes on and on. I am discovering all the many, many avenues available to me as I continue to follow my passion, journey, and destiny.

So the next time you wonder what God’s will is as you face a decision, look at each option; think about your motivation for choosing your most desired choice.

Does it fulfill your passion?

Does it meet the test of God’s heart, God’s character?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, you can know that your Heavenly Father is smiling in the heavenlies.

WELCOME 2021! 

There is something about the arrival of a new year; we often see it as a new beginning. We may even write out a list of resolutions or goals for the new year, an opportunity to begin anew. I wonder where we got the idea that the new year will bring with it the moment we have been waiting to start our change?

Did anything change from 12:59 pm on 12-31-20 to 12:01 am on 1-1-21?

Some appropriate questions to ask ourselves about change might be: “When can I make changes? How do I begin? What about consistency?”

For years a stronghold that I held in my mind in regards to dieting was this: After eating something from the “no, no” list, I would say to myself: “This day is over, it is ruined; it is wrecked. I will start again tomorrow because tomorrow is a new day. I will do better tomorrow – or maybe next week I will begin, or next month.”

Where did I get the idea that one bad or wrong decision must be followed by another–that eating junk food in one moment meant I had to continue eating junk food the rest of the day?   I  kept using this excuse so that I  abdicated my responsibility in changing the direction of my life.

What do I mean?

To continue submitting to my addiction,  I concluded that once a day is ruined by a wrong choice, a dreaded phone call, an argument, etc., the day has lost all purpose and value. I will wait for tomorrow because as Scarlett O’Hara says, “it is a new day,” and everything will be unique and fresh. 

The other day, I heard a speaker clarify a passage in Ecclesiastes. I don’t know about you, but the book of Ecclesiastes is not a book that I have spent a great deal of time studying. Honestly, I have difficulty connecting the dots between understanding and applying what I have read.

Listen to Ecclesiastes 11:3b: “If a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.”

I have some experience with falling trees, especially since moving to Yelm. My son, David, is my personal lumberjack. When he prepares to drop a tree, he studies the tree from all angles and considers all possibilities of where that tree may land. He knows at what angle to cut so that the tree will fall precisely where he wants. So what does being a lumberjack have to do with Solomon’s words? It is evident to me that wherever a tree falls, there it will lie.

So what is the application?

Could Solomon be teaching us that whatever condition we find ourselves in at this moment is because we made choices to the right or the left? When I made a decision, did I consider the consequences of that decision? Did I listen to the Spirit warning me that my tree was going to land where I did not want it to drop if I acted on my choice?

I believe that Solomon is giving us this illustration to teach us that we do not have to wait until tomorrow to change the direction of our lives. We can choose in an instant; every moment of every day is new, never experienced. It is up to us to determine what we do with that moment!

Remember Jonathan, King Saul’s son, and David’s closest and dearest friend? Jonathan knew His God; He knew God’s character and His heart. God did not intend for His people to live in bondage, to be terrified by the enemy. So what did Jonathan do? He seized the moment, and in an instant, set victory into motion. (See 1 Samuel 14.)

Yes, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were victorious. The Philistines were defeated while his father, the king, 600 soldiers, and the Lord’s priest, Ahijah, were sleeping under the pomegranate tree.

Jonathan and his armor-bearer were exhausted from battle. They became weak as they traveled through the forest, pursuing the Philistines. What did God do? On the forest floor, they found honey, and after eating God’s provision, they were refreshed, nourished, and inspired to continue their pursuit. 

Earlier, unknown to Jonathan, his father, Saul, had issued a foolish–yes, stupid–command placing his soldiers under oath that no one was to eat all day long until he had full revenge on his enemies (vs. 22-26). His army was exhausted. Did Saul consider the consequences of his command – his ruling? He was more concerned about how he looked to others, how his son, Jonathan, had overshadowed him. He had to save face. He was wearing the religious mask of “Look how holy I am! Look how spiritual I am!” Yes, God had blessed him and the nation of Israel with the victory. But whose victory was it? Saul did not win the victory. It was God’s victory.

Jonathan did not sit on the sidelines and wait for success to happen. No, he made a decision – to move with God. Johnathan seized the moment, realizing its urgency. He moved with the heart of God, the character of God.

At the same time, his father had allowed fear and his lack of knowledge about the heart and character of God to paralyze him. It was easier for him to become defensive and to wear a mask.

How many times I have made precisely the same decision. I have worn many masks in my lifetime. Any of these sound familiar?

Using humor, being the funny person in the room to divert attention away from my insecurities.

Or the need to be just like everyone else often referred to as “keeping up with the Joneses.”

Ever numbed yourself with food, alcohol, drugs, shopping, social media, etc.? I wore this mask often. I became numb to my fears, anxieties, my emotions through food, watching television.

And yes, I, too, have worn the religious mask. My focus became what I could do for God, not what God does for me. 

Another disguise that I often wore was the “I’m fine” defense—pretending that everything is just great. That way, no one would know the real Neva.

          I believed I was protecting myself; I was afraid to be vulnerable!

In this new year, I have asked myself this question: Will I be an observer to life, sit on the sidelines and watch others, or will I live life?

To follow Jesus is to move with God, as Jonathan did. To follow Jesus means to seize the divine moment that God places before me, just as Jonathan did.

Learn the value of each day.

Within each day, God-given opportunities are waiting to unfold. Every 24 hours are full of divine moments. From the sidelines, these moments look ordinary, but when I seize them, they become extraordinary. Do not wait to begin a change.

Your moment to start is NOW!

Have you ever wondered why it seems that you are not growing spiritually? Do you seem to be going backward, not making any spiritual headway? Maybe it has something to do with the clothes you are wearing.

You might want to check yourself against James 1: 19-21. My paraphrase of this passage is:

“My beloved brethren in the Lord, you must be a careful, thoughtful listener; slow to speak, carefully choosing your words; slow to get angry; rather be patient, reflective, forgiving because the resentful, deep-seated human anger does not produce the standard of behavior God requires from us. With a humble, meek, and gentle spirit, receive the word of God.”

Also, James 3:13. Again my translation: “Who among you is wise and understanding?  Give evidence or show proof of it for others to see by your good behavior, your deeds in the gentleness of wisdom, which is the ability to view life from God’s perspective.”

What in the world does it mean to show our deeds in the gentleness of wisdom? First of all, wisdom is not measured by the amount of education one has or the number of degrees hanging on their walls.

Nor is it the amount of knowledge we carry around in our minds; it has nothing to do with intelligence, or what our IQ may be. Rather it is understanding the Word of God and knowing how to apply truth in our every day relationships and interactions. The words become action; we are “living epistles read by everyone.” (2 Corinthians 3: 2)

The Pharisees described Jesus as a man of integrity in Mark 12:14. “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and have no personal bias toward anyone; for You are not influenced by outward appearances or social status, but in truth, You teach the way of God.” He lived what He taught. He was the same person no matter who crossed His path, no matter the situation; He was transparent to all.

When you receive the Word with meekness as James 1: 21 instructs, you accept it as the voice of God speaking. You do not argue or twist it to conform to your thinking, but honor it as the Word of God. Do not assume you are living a life of genuine submission to God because you agree with God. The real test of submission is when you do not like what God requires from you because you do not agree or understand; regardless, you humbly submit to His Word. Submission is not about being powerless; it is about meekness, gentleness, humility, controlled strength. To be in complete submission and reliance on God makes us ready to receive God’s word.

James is telling us, if you want to know if someone is wise, look at their behavior. One of the indicators of wisdom, putting truth into action, is gentleness. And no one can demonstrate gentleness, who is not at the same time humble.

Remember, humility and gentleness go hand in hand; you cannot have one without the other. If a person is wise and understanding, he will demonstrate it by his gentle conduct, “deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.”  God has given every believer the Holy Spirit, who enables and empowers us to walk in the Spirit so that we will not fulfill the lust of our flesh. He will, also, create in us the desire to become the person God desires. My motivation to endure, hold fast, is my longing to have the image of God revealed in me.

Second Corinthians 5:17, tells me I am a new creature, a new man. I have been transformed with a new heart that reflects God not only in action but also in desire. God changes me from the inside out. In contrast, religion and laws work to restrain my actions from the outside in. It has never worked, and never will it work. You do not have to look very far in today’s world to understand what I mean.

Biblical gentleness should be an ever-present restraint in all our thoughts and actions. It must be developed since it is generally lacking. Here are some tests to see if you are developing gentleness:

Harshness: If you are mean in your treatment of others, if there is an absence of gentleness in your treatment of others, TAKE HEED.

Grasping: If you make sure you always get yours first, if being #1 is the subtle driving force in your life, if you care little about how your actions affect others, BEWARE.

Vengeful: When you are on the highway, do you want to get even with the driver who just rudely pulled in front of you? If you are known as someone never to cross, if you always get your “pound of flesh,” BE ON YOUR GUARD.

Uncontrolled: Do you get angry at the slightest annoyances or inconveniences? Do you blame others for your anger? Is your life a series of explosions caused by the “fools” in your life? WATCH OUT.

 TO DEVELOP GENTLENESS:

We must choose to be humble. The key to humility is in learning to see our own mistakes and weaknesses. When this occurs, we soften our attitude toward the mistakes of others.

We will forgive readily because any offense toward us is nothing compared to our offenses against God—offenses He’s already forgiven (Matthew 18:23-35). The humble and gentle attitude expresses itself in patient submissiveness to the offense, free from malice and the desire for revenge. Competition, bigotry, narrow-mindedness,  bias, prejudice, judging, and criticizing others will disappear. I come to God, not out of obligation, but out of gratitude. Humility makes no demands on God; it does not even consider any rights or stipulations!

We must choose to have restraint and control over our flesh. I must empty myself of myself, any attitude, thought, or emotion that is motivated by selfish ambition – self-centeredness.                                                                                 

Only then, can I receive all that I need from God. As we bring our actions and emotions under the supervision (control) and the power of the Holy Spirit, He will enable us to bridle our tongues as one would bridle a horse and lead it where it should go.

He will teach us how to train our feelings to respond righteously, and enable us to restrain and subdue any harshness in our temperaments.

 We must allow the Holy Spirit to develop a gentle character within us. Our abrasive conduct can only be brought under control by restraint. Still, we will never experience peace within until there is a change that takes place within our character—until we have a humble disposition or temperament that automatically prompts us to deal kindly with people.  Our attitude is shaped in the environment of humility just as our viewpoint or perception of a situation is shaped in the atmosphere of gratefulness. Our attitudes are not shaped in a vacuum. They are expressions of deeper realities within us. When we have an attitude problem, in reality, we have an arrogance problem.

Gentleness comes as we grow spiritually. As we develop love and forgiveness and learn to concentrate on people’s virtues or qualities rather than their faults, we develop gentleness.

 GOD’S DRESS CODE

Every day, for work, school, or recreation, we have to decide what to wear. But we must also make choices about another wardrobe – our attitudes and actions. If we profess to be followers of Christ, our spiritual apparel is of far greater significance than our physical clothing.

His chosen people are to clothe themselves with kindness, humility, meekness, gentleness, longsuffering. We are to demonstrate patience and forgiveness. And above all, we must put on love, which is the bond of perfection (Colossians 3: 12-14).

Do I begin each day by acknowledging Christ as the Person in charge, the One for whom I serve? Do I take time to clothe myself with attitudes that please Him, that are precious in His sight? Am I wearing what people are most longing to see: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love? If so, I will be dressed for success in God’s service. Gentleness is Christianity with its working clothes on.

Whose clothes am I wearing today? God’s or my own?

Can people see that Christ is in me before I tell them?