"Speak To This"

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31 

The words "these things" are translated- these, these things, this. Have you ever been faced with "this"? Perhaps you are facing it now. What "this" is is not always the same for everyone. "This" may be a marriage that is in trouble. "This" may be a rebellious child. "This" may be a bad report from the doctor. "This" may be fear that is trying to grip you. There are a lot of things and situations that are "this" that we find ourselves in. 

 

"This/these things" are very real so we can't ignore them as if they don't exist. So, what do we do and how do we handle them? "What shall we then say to these things?" We pray and we "say". We have to do some "talking" to them. 

 

Jesus taught us to speak to the mountain. He never said to whine about it. He never said to shrink back in fear because of it. He said to speak to it. We have to speak to the situation and remind it (and ourselves in so doing) that God is for us, He is on our side, He is our helper, therefore, "this" cannot prosper against us. "This" may fight against us, it may look like it is winning, it may look like it is the victor, but keep speaking to it anyway. 

 

God has given us a weapon that is sharper and more powerful than a two-edged sword. It is His word. Jesus used the sword of God's word to defeat the enemy in the wilderness. The saints in the Book of Revelation overcame by the "word" of their testimony. Jesus is the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. When we speak God's word, we are speaking Jesus and placing Him in the midst of our situation.

 

So don't be overcome by your situation, don't ignore it, don't get fearful, don't give up, speak to "this/these things". As you speak God's word the devil will flee, your faith will become strong, you will become more aware of God's presence in your situation, and regardless, you will be the victor assured that all "this/these things" work together for your good.

 

Have a great day. What do you do about "this" that you are facing? You speak to it.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 21:21; 4:1-11

Proverbs 18:21

Romans 8:28; 10:17

John 1:1,14

Revelation 12:11

Hebrews 4:12

Ephesians 6:17

"Season Of Faith"

"Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter." Psalm 74:17 

There are four seasons that govern the earth- summer, winter, spring and fall. They each have their distinct characteristics and they each have their turn. It is that way in our lives, there are these same four spiritual seasons that manifest at different times. The spring time is when everything is growing and new- prayers are being answered visibly, you are getting more insight and revelation into spiritual matters, the rain of the Spirit is falling upon you almost continually, etc. The summer season seems to be a little dryer- your prayers seem to take longer to be answered, getting into that place of refreshing seems to take more effort, you feel a little on the "dull" side. In the fall time things have a hint of color but everything feels as if it is going in reverse- the prayers that were answered now seem to be unraveling, you seem to be loosing the ground you had obtained, it feels as though you are making two steps forward and three steps back. The last season is winter. This is the one I want to focus on for a moment.

 

Winter is that time when everything looks dead. The leaves are gone, the trees are bare, the grass has lost its color, it is cold and dreary. The spiritual winter season looks and feels the same way. It feels as if there is no life, just deadness, your desire to pray and reach for spiritual things is gone. But just like the natural winters life is still there. Those trees are not dead though they appear to be, life is still in them. 

 

If you are in a winter season, don't get discouraged. While you may not see any sign of "life" it is there. It is in the time when we see nothing that we have to live by faith. Faith that your spirit is still alive and well. Faith that all is well. Faith that this time will pass, spring will come again and productivity is on the way. Faith that prayers are still being answered. Faith that there is something good in this season even though you can't see what it is at the moment.

 

Have a great day. Seasons come to our lives, even the winter season. Winter is the season when our faith is put to the test and has the greatest opportunity to grow.

For further reading:

2 Timothy 4:2

Romans 1:17 

"The Beginning Step"

"Who dares despise the day of small things..." Zechariah 4:10a 

I read a quote the other day that stood out to me-- "The expert at anything was once a beginner." To get anywhere you have to start at the beginning. We have a tendency to want to skip the process that it takes to get "to the top". No one wants to start on "bottom". Newly weds want to start off with all the things that it took their parents years to acquire. Employees want the management position that their boss has their first day on the job. That boss didn't get their over night, it took lots of hard work and dedication; there was a beginning. 

 

The point I want to make is that in life there are processes that we have to go through. That process often seems meager, uninteresting, too time consuming, hard work. Why can't we just automatically get to where we are going? Because although we would like to think that we "know everything" and are that smart, we aren't and don't. We have to "learn" it. 

 

We can't bypass the process. Joseph could not go from his father's home straight to the palace in Egypt. He had to start at the beginning-- the pit. You may be in the "pit" place of the process, but don't give up, don't get anxious, don't get impatient, and don't get angry. Learn the lesson where you are because promotion to the next step doesn't come until you have passed this one. 

 

Have a great day. We all have to start at the beginning and go through the process before we become an "expert" at anything. 

 

For further reading:

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Proverbs 10:4; 12:24; 21:5; 22:29

"He Loves You Openly"

"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." Zephaniah 3:17 

For those who still aren't convinced that God is not against you, for those who think He just waits for you to mess up so that He can "let you have it", and that He doesn't love you, you should read this verse and take it to heart. This verse expresses exactly how He feels about you His child. It is a clear picture of a God who is not mad, who is not looking for opportunities to punish you, and who does not stay angry with you.

 

The verse says that God is in your midst- He is right there with you. He doesn't leave you and He doesn't forsake you. He is there all the time- good times and bad times.

 

He is mighty- there is nothing weak about God, and He uses His might and power on your behalf. He also imparts His power to you when you are weak and have no strength.

 

He will save- He won't turn those away who call on Him for His help. He knows we need Him because we can't do it on our own. No one can save themselves; no one can deliver themselves. But He can, and He will.

 

He will rejoice over you with joy and with singing- it literally means that He will display His joy and happiness about you openly. Think about it, God actually sings over you. He is open about His feelings for you. He doesn't hide them. He doesn't get embarrassed to show them. The God of the universe openly displays the fact that He loves you more than anything and He does it for all to see. What do you think the cross was all about? He loved you so much that Jesus died for you on the cross to secure that love relationship with you. He didn't die in the back room somewhere or in secret, but openly for all to see, high on a hill and then lifted up even higher on a cross.

 

He will rest in His love for you- He isn't forceful, pushing Himself on you. He keeps quiet about the mistakes you have made, not exposing your sins for all to see. He throws them into the depth of the sea and a place of forgetfulness and doesn't speak of them ever again. He doesn't remind you of your past sins and use them to condemn you. 

 

See how deeply and dearly He loves you. When you start feeling unloved, forgotten, neglected, as if He doesn't care, just remind yourself that He is with you and He is displaying joy, singing, strength and love over you.

 

Have a great day. God doesn't hide His love for you, He is very open with His display of how much you mean to Him. 

 

For further reading:

John 3:16,17

Romans 5:8

Jeremiah 31:3

"The Weapons Cannot Succeed Against You"

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." Isaiah 54:17 

Never think that there aren't weapons that the enemy is forming against you, there are. They are formed against your spirit, soul and body. They are formed to destroy your health, your mind, your relationships, your spiritual wellbeing. But the weapons that are formed against you will not prosper. There is not even one weapon that will prosper against you. The scripture says "no" weapon, and the last time I checked, "no" means "no".

 

The word prosper here means: to succeed, to be successful, to make progress. When weapons form against us, it often looks like they have succeeded in hitting the target of our lives-- our children are in rebellion away from God, our marriage is falling apart, our health is deteriorating, our possessions are being taken away, and so on. 

 

We must remember that they don't prosper because all things work together for our good. It may look like defeat, but we can never be destroyed, we have eternal life. It may look like defeat, but we always triumph through Christ Jesus. It may look like defeat, but we are already dead to our flesh. It may look like defeat but the just live by faith not by sight. It may look like defeat but something of eternal value is being worked out in us through it. It may look like defeat but greater is He that is in us, therefore, He is still in control- not the weapon. It may look like defeat, but we are still here to fight another day.

 

So, when the battle rages remember that just because there are weapons that are trying to destroy you, they will not prosper. They can't win against you. They only work together for good on your behalf. 

 

Have a great day. The weapons that are formed against you will not succeed in their attempt to destroy you. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 8:28

1 John 4:4

Hebrews 10:38

Exodus 14:14