What does your soul crave?

 

This afternoon, I felt the overwhelming need to take a walk while listening to instrumental worship music, letting my soul catch up with my body. As I walked the bins down the long drive and made my way very slowly back, I began to think about rest. And how badly I wanted it.

With dry season upon us, here in the Territory, the oppressive heat is gone and has been replaced with ever increasing cooler days, clear skies, epic sunsets, and a different beauty to the landscape.

I always find it’s the kind of weather that has me wanting to linger in its coolness at the end of a long day, climbing up on the roof to watch the sunset, or rising earlier to enjoy the colourful sunrise.

But along with the dry season, the workload increases. The tourists arrive in droves, the communities come into town and the stations are in full swing with their mustering, hay cutting, yard building etc and so the transport industry I work in becomes a series of overwhelmingly long days and hectic weeks.

It begins to get harder and harder to find time in the day to take time to rest. Just when one job is finished, another has to start.

When you fall into bed at night, you’re exhausted, physically, emotionally and mentally. You enjoy your much needed sleep, only to get up and do it all again the next day.

Maybe you’ve had days like this, or months or even years. Being caught up in a weary season right now, I am reminded of Isaiah 40. I love the comfort that the Word of God brings to a weary soul.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

It’s so clearly put. Haven’t you heard? Don’t you know? That God never tires. He is never weary. He never faints.

He knows that we grow weary. We tire. We faint. And because of this he reminds us that he gives power and strength.

This passage speaks of God’s inexhaustible strength and power. We have to remember who it is that gives us the ability to soldier on, through the weary and long days. It is only through God’s power that we are victorious. We are not able to make it through the weary seasons in our lives without the Lord’s help.

When we try and do things in our own strength, we just exhaust ourselves and wear out. We set ourselves up for failure.

Being weary is a physical sign that we are in need of refreshment, whether physically, mentally or spiritually.

We can’t always control the busy seasons in our lives, as things have to be done and time marches on swiftly, but what we can control is the choice to wait on the Lord and lean on him, seeking refreshment from him.

Tonight, as I finished my walk, I thought about what I could do to pass the time before I needed to go out again to pick up my husband, get him packed again to head off once more. I had so many things to choose from, and most of them not enjoyable.

A little voice in my head whispered, “Go ahead and watch a movie, or scroll social media, you deserve it, you’ve had a long day”.

But I knew, down deep inside, it wasn’t what my soul needed. That kind of comfort wouldn’t last. It wouldn’t satisfy.

What my soul craved was to hear from the Lord. To read words of comfort and encouragement found in the Word of God. (Psalm 42:1)

What I needed was soul food. I needed the water of God’s Word pouring into my heart and mind, soaking into the dry and parched places of my life.

I needed an updraft of air, lifting me up as an eagle in flight, causing me to rise, refreshing and renewing me.

God’s Word and his whispers to our hearts in times of difficulty and seasons of weariness can bring a refreshing wind to our wings, enabling us to rise above the circumstances we find ourselves in.

Okay, so God doesn’t always choose to remove us from the circumstance, he more often than not chooses to give us the strength to bear it instead of taking us out of it. He gives power to the faint and increases our strength.

What an amazing and awesome God to know exactly what we need!

When I find myself weary in body and mind, I reach for God’s promises. Before I began to write this tonight, I began to read over some old posts that I had written in times like this. I encouraged my heart with the Word of God and the remembrance of past victories and God’s enabling power.

As I sit here, I am still weary in body, but my soul is being refreshed. Yes, I still have so many things on my to do list and every day this week is full to the brim and overflowing. No, I don’t know how I’m going to fit it all in, but this I do know. God will be with me each step of the way, walking beside me, his presence always there, his strong arm upholding me, going before me and beside me.

And if I take the time to rest in him, not in what this world has to offer, but in him, taking time to sit in silence and let him speak, listening to his words of comfort and letting him order my days, obeying his voice and allowing him to bring peace to my soul, he will refresh, renew and replenish and he will give my body the energy it needs to do what he asks of me.

God’s Word tells us we can come boldly to him, seeking rest, seeking peace, seeking refreshment and seeking help.

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

We can rest in Him, knowing that He will uphold us and be with us through every weary day. Every trial. Walking beside us, lighting the path before us, guiding each faltering footstep. Carrying us when we are too weak to stand.

Take time to rest. You can’t afford not to.

We need rest in our lives. True rest. God centred rest.

True rest is found when we sit before the Lord and listen to Him.

Stop thinking about your to do lists, just for a moment. Sit before the Lord. Dwell on his holiness. Listen to his whispers to your heart. Ask for a heavenly perspective. Focus on his presence.

Yesterday is too heavy. Lay it down. Today is too difficult. Lay it down. Tomorrow is too unknown and fearful. Lay it down. Give it to the Lord and rest in him.

Come boldly to the throne of grace and let Him gather you in His arms and give you the help you need and let him bring his rest and his peace.

Matthew 11:28

 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 

 

 

Are you getting ready?

 

I read a quote today that made me stop and think.

“How can we want to spend eternity with God,

 but we can’t even spend an hour with him now?”

At one time in my life, I would have responded with a huge “OUCH”. But I am so happy that God has done such a work in my heart, albeit through countless trials (I’m a slow learner), that I now crave time spent with God and in his Word. One hour is never long enough!

And no, I don’t have it all figured out and I’m not trying to appear any more spiritual than anyone reading this. It has taken years, and I mean YEARS for me to arrive at this point. Sadly, I neglected study of God’s Word for far too long and so as I get older the urge to study and learn is strong and I know I will be playing ‘catch-up’ til I die, and still not even scratch the surface of the treasures to be found in the Bible.

As I look around me, and as I meet with other Christians and connect through phone calls and texts and over social media, I am beginning to see a sad trend amongst believers. The desire for God’s Word and gaining knowledge and understanding through the pages of scripture is not high on the list of to dos for so many. I fear that there are many Christians that don’t desire even ten minutes alone with the Lord, let alone an hour!

Yes, they’re very busy in their programs and groups, but actually sitting alone in silence, reading the Word, looking at context and culture, trying to understand and listening to God speak, is not really a priority.

They are content to fellowship on a regular basis, listen to the preacher expound the truth, letting him do all the hard work of in-depth study and prayer, and yet they have no desire to do it themselves.

Often, so many are content to scroll on social media for hours on end, and yes, I am guilty of this too, and yet they neglect consistent time spent with God. They neglect working on their relationship with God through being in his Word.

Some friends and I are at present, working through a book on the importance of studying the Word of God. Now I know I have written a lot on this topic in previous posts, so I won’t go into depth on the subject, but hear me out. If you don’t have any desire or interest in spending time with God now, on this earth, where you need him the most, as you battle through your days, how in the world do you expect to enjoy an eternity of worshipping at his feet?

The Bible is a book about God. How can you get to know him if you never read it? How will you know why he is worthy of your worship if you don’t learn of his character? How will you understand what is going on in our world and what is to come if you don’t dig into the harder passages in your Bible?

If you’re not keen on spending time with him now, why would you want to spend an eternity with him?

Sounds harsh, I know. But have you ever taken the time to think about it?

I love to sing songs about Heaven, and there are many that have me tearing up each and every time I sing them. I love to sing about that great day when he calls us home. I love to sing about the promised place we have with him.

The thought of leaving this earth for an eternity so vastly different than anything we can even imagine is mind boggling.

I know that I’ve been guilty of looking forward to Heaven because it means leaving this messed up world and all its troubles. But the real reason we should look forward to Heaven is because God, the creator of all things, is there!

Yes, we’ll be away from the cares of this world, there will be no tears, no heartaches, no pain, no sorrow (Revelation 21:4), but the most awesome, wonderful, glorious part of Heaven will be God’s presence! For all eternity! A never-ending infinite period of time in which every day we can spend in praise and worship of God, in person, in the flesh, face to face. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Shouldn’t we start practicing spending time with him now? Don’t you think that the more time you spend in the Word now, getting to know him more and more, will only set your soul on fire and create a greater desire for his eternal presence to come?

More often than not, when you came to Christ, you came with a limited knowledge of God. We come to faith in God on very little information. We understand that we need his forgiveness and his grace, and we may understand that he is good, but until we have made a study of him, we don’t really ‘know’ him.

How are we supposed to nurture and grow our relationship with him without study of him? And how do we do this? By getting into the Word. As we grow in the knowledge of his character through in depth study of his Word, the result is a deeper love for him.

As we learn more about him and his character, we learn more about ourselves and we realise we fall short. Knowing this causes us to change things in our lives, to let God do his purifying work. Making us more like Christ with each passing day and with each look into the mirror of his Word. The light of his Word reveals the dark places in our hearts and a process of sanctification begins.

You will only be transformed by the Word of God by the amount of time you spend in it. If you never study it, you can’t be transformed by it.

Soak yourself in God’s Word and let him do a purifying work in your heart and soul and mind, cleaning you from the inside out, making you more like Christ.

Read it. Study it. Love it. Live it. Share it.

And when you get to Heaven, all you have learnt about Christ, all you know of his character will give you cause to worship and for all eternity you will never run out of things to praise him for.

Revelation 4:8, 11 KJV - And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. ... Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

 

I am so Blessed

Well, another year has past, and another Mother’s Day is here! I am not in the habit of posting an annual tribute to Mothers, but this year I wanted to step into this space to take the time to brag on my beautiful daughters.

I know it’s Mother’s Day and it is a day where we traditionally celebrate Mothers, but I am only a Mother because of the amazing children God gifted my husband and I with.

Beginning way back in 1996, welcoming our first daughter, Lauren, into the world and then Abigail in 1998, Emilee in 2000, Madeline in 2001 and finally, Chloe, in 2003.

What a crazy, wild, rollercoaster ride it has been!

They say that Mother’s hold their children’s hands for a little while, but their hearts forever, and a truer statement in regard to motherhood, has never been said!

It seems that only yesterday I began my motherhood journey and walked through days of babies, toddlers, homeschooling, learning to drive, navigating teen years and occupations and finally adulthood for each of them.

Motherhood is a very challenging and yet rewarding occupation, if I can call it that, and raising children is a great responsibility and one we should never take lightly. When God calls you to motherhood, you begin shaping little lives and future generations. Will you train them to follow after Christ or will they chase the world? It’s a daunting task and one that needs God’s wisdom each and every day.

I would love to write pages and pages on each of our daughters, reliving moments, and singing their praises, but it would be hard to know how much to share for each of them, not wanting any of them to feel left out.

But what I can say is this,

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:4

It is only by God’s grace that we are blessed to see each of our daughters walking in truth. They have a heart to serve the Lord and a desire to walk in his ways. Yes, they’ve faced their share of challenges, one of them being learning to live with their mum and her failings, but they have weathered it well and learnt to rely on the Lord to be their strength, their guide, their counsellor and their help.

God has blessed three of them (so far) with wonderful husbands who match their desire for God and lead their families well. Our hearts overflow with thankfulness for God’s goodness to us and them.

When I married the love of my life, back in 1995, I had no idea what God had in store for me. I didn’t know what the future would hold. I only knew that I always wanted to be a mother. I loved babies and knew I wanted some of my own.

I did not know, however, how much work it would be. I didn’t realise what an awesome responsibility I would be facing and how much my heart would burst as I looked into their sweet little faces in those first few moments after their birth.

I didn’t understand the frustration of not knowing what to do when tensions rose, or sickness came, or sleepless nights abounded.  

I couldn’t fathom just how much of God’s wisdom I would need in raising little ones, teaching and training them, exemplifying a Godlike character, modelling Christlikeness and growing in my own spiritual walk, trying to squeeze in quiet times with the Lord and quality time with my husband. It was such a juggle of priorities and yes, at times, it was downright hard. And there were days when I wondered if they would remember all my failings or would forgive my anger or bad attitude.

I have many regrets when it comes to my faults and the mistakes I made, but God is a God who forgives, and he restores and renews and sends along new mercies each morning.

Despite the hard times, there were so many beautiful memories made that I cherish to this day, and if I had to go back and do it all again, I would!

My daughters are a source of blessing in my life, and I love how the dynamic of our relationship has changed over the years. We have grown in our relationships from Mother to friend. Although I will always be ‘Mum’, it’s beautiful when you become a ‘friend’.

I am so proud of my daughters’ accomplishments in life, work, ministry, marriage, child raising, spiritual growth, relationships and so much more.

They each have unique personalities and gifts and talents that God has blessed them with and praise God they are learning to use them for him. I give all the credit to God for this.

I may have taught them the basics in life and given them a start in their education, but it is God who has done the greatest work. In the process of growing them, he has grown me.

Motherhood has a way of changing you.

And so, I say, to each of my daughters, you have helped to soften me, and teach me. You have pushed me to draw closer to God. The paths I have been down because of the uncertainty I faced only drew me to my knees in prayer and to my Father’s side. You have helped me see the importance of chasing God’s wisdom and guidance. You have made me dig into God’s Word for answers. You have taught me patience. You have taught me to love and to give. You have taught me how to comfort and show compassion. And I am forever grateful.

I love you. Always and forever.

 Psalm 127:3

 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

“Being a Mother is not about what you gave up to have a child, but what you’ve gained from having one”

 The Never-Ending Mercies of God

 

Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV - It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

There is a beautiful chorus, written a few years ago, that comes to mind every so often and I find myself singing it and playing its lovely melody occasionally as I sit at the piano.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new ev’ry morning, new ev’ry morning,
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness.

The song is based on the verses found in the third chapter of the Book of Lamentations.

The book of Lamentations is not a book I read often, with its woeful descriptions of Jerusalem’s downfall, and yet it holds great hope for God’s people. It was written by Jeremiah, often called the ‘weeping prophet’ (Lam. 3:48-49), because of his passion for the people and their city and the many tears he shed on their behalf.

It is a book of laments (a passionate expression of grief or sorrow) over the fall of Jerusalem caused by the sinful condition of Judah. Lamenting is something we avoid and not a word we use commonly, but in ancient times, it was a very real thing.

The people of Judah were experiencing God’s judgement because they refused to turn from their sin back to God.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote Lamentations in a time of grief and mourning after the once great city of Jerusalem fell to Babylon. God allowed the Babylonians to plunder, burn and destroy the city of Jerusalem because of their unwillingness to repent. Even Solomon’s temple, which had stood for 400 years, in all its splendour and glory, was burned to the ground. (2 Kings 25:9)

As you read through the book of Lamentations, the tone is that of despair, weeping, captivity, persecution and desolation. It’s not a pleasant book to read. And yet, as we make our way through the misery we read verse after verse, we finally come to chapter 3 and verse 21. And there, right in the middle of the book, like rain after drought, like the dawning of a new day, we read a beautiful passage of confidence and hope.

Jeremiah’s despair turns to hope.

Lamentations 3:21 KJV - This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

After all the expressions of sorrow and heartache, we begin to see a glimmer of hope. Jeremiah, even after all he’s seen, hasn’t given up on God. He still has hope.

Skip down to verses 24-26, and we’ll come back to 22 and 23 soon.

Lamentations 3:24-26 KJV - The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

These verses, in the middle of the book, are a statement of faith. The faith of Jeremiah standing strong in the midst of surrounding darkness that shines a beacon to all those suffering under the consequences of their own sin.

Yes, the book reminds us of the heavy price we pay when we choose to sin, but it also gives hope to those who choose to repent.

As we know, later on God restored his people to their land and blessed them once again.

The beauty of this book of Lamentations is that even the most sinful person can find hope in God who is willing to pour out his abundant mercy and grace on any who come to him in repentance.

And for the Christian, as we live our daily lives and we falter and fail, God is willing and able to forgive.

Now, back to the most familiar verses in the whole book of Lamentations and the verses the little chorus is based upon.

Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV - It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

In some Bible versions, the word stedfast is used to paint a picture of God’s firm, immoveable, unchanging love.

We know that God’s love abides even in times of trouble and in times of judgment. God never once stopped loving Israel, despite their sin. It was God’s great love that spared the people from being utterly wiped out by Babylon.

When you grasp the fact that God’s love is never ending and unchangeable, you will understand more about God’s mercy. Mercy is a byproduct of God’s love. Since God’s love will never end, neither will his mercy.

God’s mercy, put simply, is God’s goodness, compassion, lovingkindness and favour. Though we deserve punishment, God reaches down and extends his arm of blessing.

And so, it is because of God’s great love and mercy that we are not consumed, destroyed, finished, given up on.

It’s nothing we have done, it is all that he has done. On our behalf.

We are told that his mercy and compassions ‘fail not’. The Hebrew word for this is ‘kala’. It literally means finished. Completed. Worn out. Failed. Perished. Used up. Exhausted.

Think about it like this.

God’s mercy towards you:

Will never finish

Will never be gone

Will never fail

Will never perish

Will never be exhausted

Will never run out

Will never fail

Will never grow weary.

And just when you thought this promise was too good to be true, keep reading, there’s more!

“They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

So, if you thought that God’s mercies would tire, Jeremiah reminds us that they are new every morning. In other words, every morning is a new beginning.

God gives mercy for each day, and it is refilled and refreshed every morning.

It’s not just about availability, it’s also about access. Regardless of how often we have to rely on his mercy, which in reality is every day, you can always come back for more.

It’s not a license to sin but it is a promise to those who walk in obedience to him.

The last line of verse 23 ties it all together. “Great is thy faithfulness”.

The reason we can depend on God’s mercy and compassion, is because of his faithfulness. It is God’s faithfulness to his Word and the promises we find there, that ensures us new mercies each morning.

We are told in Psalm 138 that God honours his Word above his name.

Psalm 138:2 KJV - I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

(interestingly, the word for lovingkindness is the same Hebrew word used for mercy)

God is true to his Word. He never breaks a promise.

There is no expiration date on God’s mercy. With the dawn of every day comes another store of compassion made available to us. His stores are infinite.

No matter which side of the bed we get up on, we will find God’s mercies awaiting us.

Don’t neglect the conditions on your way to the blessings though.

Lamentations 3:25 KJV - The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

We are granted new mercies, but we are reminded that God requires us to wait on him (patiently) and also to seek (follow) him.

We need to repent quickly. We need to keep short accounts. Recognize the value of his mercy and don’t let it be an excuse for sin. Instead, let it be the reason you come running to him in repentance.

We also need to renew frequently. Regardless of the sins of yesterday, we need to come to God in repentance, renew our commitment to him and begin each day afresh. When we fall on our face and fail him, we can reach out our arms to him, letting him set our feet on solid ground once again and bathe in his forgiveness and love.

And we need to remember to rejoice continually. Because of God’s stedfast love, we don’t have to wonder if God has changed his mind. We can live with the assurance that his mercies are never-ending and that they will always be accessible. This should give us cause to rejoice each and every day.

The Lord Jesus, the God of creation, is the same yesterday, today and forever. He will never change. We can rest on his promises and hold fast to his Word.

 

Hebrews 13:8 KJV - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Worship is a Weapon

 

I recently wrote a post on giving the enemy a seat at your table, based on Psalm 23:5. https://learnliveloveshare.blogspot.com/search?q=seat+at+your+table

Psalm 23:5 KJV - 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Remember, God prepares a table for us, but it is not out of sight of our enemies. It is in the presence of them. In full view.

The Christian walk is a daily battle against the flesh. But the battle begins in our mind. We don’t fight a physical fight, we fight a spiritual battle, that can only be won with supernatural spiritual power, and that power comes from God. (Ephesians 6:12)

I have often wondered why it is that God prepares the table in the midst of our enemies. It doesn’t seem to make sense. But just because it doesn’t make sense, doesn’t mean God is not in control. He knows what he’s doing.

Let me stop and say something really important right here.

The power of the table is not what’s on it, but who’s at it!

In other words, it’s not all about the feast, it’s about the King. The Almighty. The God of Creation, who chooses to sit with us at the table he has prepared.

One of our best defences against the Devil is getting to know Jesus intimately. I don’t mean knowing about him, I mean knowing him personally.

There is a lot of difference between knowing a lot about something and truly experiencing something up close.

We have to learn to linger with Jesus. To sit at the table with him. Learning from him and about him and loving him with our whole heart. Just as Mary did, sitting at his feet. (Luke 10:39)

When our eyes are fixed on the host of the table, we won’t be so concerned about who is looking on.

If you want ammunition against the Devil, you have to get to know Jesus. You have to learn about his character. You have to read the Word to learn the truth about him. You have to explore his grace, his mercy, love, holiness, omnipotence through letting the Holy Spirit guide you in all truth. (John 16:13 and John 14:26)

How do we get to know God? We spend time talking with him, reading his Word, going through life’s trials and seeing God work, experiencing his love and grace.

The Bible is a story of God’s greatness. It’s not all about us. It’s about him. God’s glory matters.

Did you know that we become what we worship?

Take a look at Psalm 115. In this Psalm, we read about the idols of the heathens. We read that they have mouths, but they can’t speak. Ears, but they can’t hear. Eyes, but they can’t see, and so on. And then we come to verse 8.

Psalm 115:8 KJV - They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

Did you notice that little phrase, “so is every one”?

If you are worshiping idols, whatever that is in your life, then you will become like them. But if you are worshipping God, then you will become like him.

We know it’s true about our friends, those that influence us, then why would it not be true of God? If we spend time at the table with Christ, lingering, learning, loving and worshipping, then we will become more like him.

When we focus on Jesus, our countenance changes.

Psalm 34:4-5 KJV -  I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

I love that one of the definitions of that word ‘lightened’, means to sparkle.

The hope that Jesus gives, shines from our eyes. Or at least it should. We’ve all heard the jokes about Christians having a long face. It’s not a compliment, and let’s hope it is never said of you.

We need the world around us to see the light of Christ in our eyes, noticing something different about us.

And this brings me back to my questioning God about the table being in the midst of our enemies.

When you sit at the table with Christ, the enemy has ringside seats. If you have not invited them to sit down, by your thoughts or actions, they are watching on. What do they see?

Do they see your face glowing as you stare into the face of God’s majesty and glory?

Do they see that you are so transfixed by Christ’s presence that their existence does not faze you?

I wonder if one of the reasons God allows them to be present is so that our enemies can watch us shine? They can see not only God’s glory, but our testimony as we seek to be lights in a dark world.

Maybe, if others see Christ in you and notice how you react or respond to things in your life, maybe, they will stop staring at you and turn their attention to Christ. We know that if they don’t bow now, they will have to later. (Romans 14:11)

I know I may be confusing some, with my reference to enemies switching back and forth from the Devil to the world, but I think we need to be mindful of both. We know that the Devil is the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) and he is like a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8).

The world is also our enemy. If they are not for God, then they are against him. But we are told to love our enemies. We are not however, told to love the Devil. Satan cannot come to repentance and there is no hope for his redemption, he has been defeated already and has his future signed and sealed. But the world, on the other hand, has the ability to turn to Christ.

And so, at our table we sit, with Christ, and with the world and our enemy, Satan, looking on.

Worship is a weapon.

Strange choice of words, I know. But as I mentioned in my last post https://learnliveloveshare.blogspot.com/search?q=fly+higher “Don’t ever underestimate the power of thanksgiving, praise and worship. When the enemy is attacking and you make the choice to praise God and focus your attention on what he has done in the past and what he will do in the future, the Devil has no choice but to fall back.”

As our enemies stand about, watching us at our table, they can hear our song of worship. The Devil despises worship of God, but the world looks at it and marvels.

The world longs for peace and hope and is always seeking someone or something to worship. When they see our heartfelt, sincere gratitude to God, despite the difficulties we face, when they see us giving praise to God although things seem a mess, it causes them to ponder, and our ‘weapon of worship’ can be a shining light that leads them to Christ.

I pray that you are choosing worship. The apostle Paul tells us that as sons of God we are to shine like the stars in a dark world. (Philippians 2:14-16) Just as the stars shine in the heavens, so are we to shine for the Lord. The word ‘lights’ has to do with being illuminators. We are to make manifest or make clear the gospel and good news to all. We are told to be lights in the world. (Matthew 5:14-16)

It’s not all about us. It’s all about Christ and His glory. Jesus is the light.  We are just reflectors of His light. And when our lamps are all smoky and we let our testimonies get tarnished, we need to clean them up and repent, so that we can shine brighter.

But how? We have to stay connected to the power source or we become weak and ineffective. We need constant recharging – walking and talking with God 24/7. Just like a mobile phone will slowly be depleted of its power and battery life, when it is unplugged from its power source, we too will run low on power if we are not in the Word of God daily, refreshing our souls, talking with the Lord and listening to Him speak to us. We have to recharge daily.

And we have to sit at the table with him. In the presence of our enemies.

As one writer put it, “You have to think less about the Devil or the evil you’re trying to avoid and think more about God and the truth you’re aiming to embrace.” (Philippians 4:8)

We win the battle because of who sits at the table with us when we’re surrounded on every side. We win the battle when we choose to become more like Christ through worship of him. We win the battle when we decide to take our thoughts captive, in obedience to Christ, identifying them for what they are, binding them in Jesus’ name and speaking God’s truth over them. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

But we won’t know God’s truth if we don’t take the time to know Christ.

You have a choice. You can fight the battle for your mind because of God’s power and experience a great victory, or you can choose to struggle on, listening to lies and spiralling because you have neglected to know Christ intimately, through his Word.

It’s up to you.

You choose.

Psalm 23:4-5 KJV - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the Enemy Attacks, Fly Higher

 

I read something really interesting the other day regarding eagles and crows. There’s a reason a group of crows is called a “murder of crows”. Not a very complimentary name, is it?

Crows are often called the ‘gangsters of the sky’ and the reason they’re given this title is because their attacks are cunning, crafty and overwhelming to their unsuspecting victims.

They may be smaller in size in comparison to other birds, but their sense of entitlement pushes them to lay claim to anything appealing and they don’t have a preference as to what or who stands in their way.

Not only are crows cunning and crafty, they are also thieves. Hunting takes a lot of energy, and so they resort to theft of another’s food.

Individually, they are small, but together, they are a powerful force. They are intelligent and they are fast. Doing a little research, I found that the jury is still out on a correct number, but it seems that crows can fly at speeds of up to 100 km per hour!

Crows don’t ‘fight fair’. They will use their numbers to intimidate and confuse their victims, with their incessant cries and their tag-team tactics, they slowly wear down their victim.

But there is an interesting scenario that has been witnessed and photographed many times. A lone crow will choose an eagle to torment. An eagle! One of the largest of birds, powerful, grand, and the strongest bird of prey.

The crow will dive bomb an eagle, peck at it, pull its feathers and sometimes land on its back. It’s hard to imagine that the eagle, an undisputed king of the air, predatory and powerful, would be so tormented by a common crow.

They do this for many reasons. Sometimes it’s simply the fact that crows are territorial and are not keen on sharing spaces. Another reason is for protection of their young, they often keep in groups to keep predators from getting too close to their nests. And as I mentioned before, they are thieves. Hunting for food is time consuming and difficult, so if a crow can steal another’s birds’ eggs or food, they will gladly do so. By using numbers to their advantage, they can often distract a larger bird and catch them unaware.

If a ‘murder’ of crows begins to torment an eagle, or a brave lone crow decides to take on an eagle on its own, the eagle does something very clever.

Before I tell you what that is, remember, that although the eagle is more powerful, the crows are incessant and don’t give up easily. They will chase their opponent for miles and miles. Pecking, dive-bombing, using their loud cry ‘caw-caw’ to drive their victim into a state of confusion and frustration which leads to mistakes being made and harm being done, or food being stolen.

So, what is this clever, ingenious way the eagle has to defeat the crow? Keep in mind that despite the eagle being one of the deadliest birds of prey, they are not eager to get hurt as this could damage their hunting prowess and cause a food shortage.

When a crow or many crows attack, the eagle does what it does best. It climbs higher. It turns its focus upwards and heads for heights that a crow cannot reach.

The eagle can fly to heights of 10 000 feet, while a crow can only reach 7000 feet. Anything above that and the crow will become dizzy and faint due to their lung capacity being so much smaller than an eagles.

When a crow is on its tail, the eagle's only option is to fly higher. It can only really be safe when it reaches an altitude that the crow can no longer reach, which causes him to give up on the fight.

Okay, so what to do with all this information about eagles and crows.

Did all this talk of cunning, craftiness, theft, incessant cries and torment remind you of anyone?

The Devil.

We are told that our enemy, the Devil is a thief and a liar, he prowls around seeking to devour us. He desires to bring us down, to defeat us. He wants to intimidate us, rob us, hurt us.

When God is about to bless us, the Devil is close by, ready to snatch it out of our grasp. He is relentless, and his whispers of lies, negativity and accusations hope to wear us down, pecking at our minds, pulling at us from every angle.

So, what are we to do when the Devil hops on our back and begins his persistent attack? We turn our gaze upward and climb higher.

We don’t stick around, dwelling on the negative and harmful thoughts. We don’t focus on the attack, listening to the voices. We focus our attention upward.

We have to forget what the enemy is doing and remember what God has already done. Satan is already a defeated foe. Christ has already won the victory.

We have to go where the enemy can’t follow. Higher. Upwards. Into the presence of God.

Easy to say, but how do we do that practically? Where is God’s presence?

Look at this verse in the Psalms.

Psalm 22:3 KJV -  But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

This verse tells us that God inhabits the praises of his people. In other words, one way we can defeat the enemy is with our praise and worship of God!

If you’re still unconvinced, let me give you some examples in scripture where an act of praise and worship caused bonds to break and victories to be won.

David’s worship caused an evil spirit to flee from Saul (1 Samuel 16:23)

Paul and Silas’ worship broke their chains and freed them from prison (Acts 16:24-26)

Jehosaphat and the people of Israel praised God and God fought the battle for them (2 Chronicles 20:19-22)

Don’t ever underestimate the power of thanksgiving, praise and worship. When the enemy is attacking and you make the choice to praise God and focus your attention on what he has done in the past and what he will do in the future, the Devil has no choice but to fall back.

We have to focus our attention on getting higher. We have to rise above the circumstance, the depression, the hurt, the fear, the doubt. We have to draw closer to God.

The closer you draw to God, the less the enemy can stand it. The air will get too thin for him, he won’t be able to breathe, he won’t be able to stand your praise of God and he will drop off his attack.

But don’t be fooled that he’s given up completely, he will rise to fight another day, so you have to be on your guard. Keep your spiritual armour on (Ephesians 6) and be watchful.

As you meditate on God’s goodness, his love, his mercy, his compassion, his almighty, unchanging power, the enemy will begin to seem small and insignificant in comparison.

Keep in mind this promise to claim and praise God with all your heart, soul and mind.

Psalm 121:1-2 KJV - I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

When the enemy attacks, use worship and praise and thanksgiving to put wind under your wings and lift you higher, out of reach.

Fly higher!