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Lack of exposure to Truth leads to blindness…

Sep30

Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 HCSB

The context of these verses reminds us that Jesus is about to send off his 12 disciples to go out on a mission to preach and heal. Knowing they will face hardship and suffering, Jesus highlights the tender care of God towards a sparrow. As His eye was on the Sparrow, even more was His eye on them. Too, He reminds them that since He is so aware of the number of hairs on their heads, then they need not be afraid. Jesus assures them that they are worth more than many sparrows. 

So off they went to face opposition, disappointment, persecution, and who knows what else, with confidence. They had experienced numerous events where Jesus revealed his power. They knew from experience that His words were powerful.

Then where does that leave us? We still have God’s word. We still have the verses from Matthew illustrating the depth and intensity of God’s care for us. And like the disciples, we have experienced evidence of God’s care over our lives. And where do we find such assurance, if not in the Bible? 

Individuals prone to sin as we are need a daily dose, a reminder, if you will, of God’s care. But if we don’t get that by reading the Bible regularly and spending time with God in prayer, what will be the end result? Well, I will tell you. We will futilely chase after worldly solutions attempting to resolve those trials, hardships, or suffering. And all the while, our solutions are but just a Biblical turning of the page away!

Without the solutions contained within the Bible, we won’t have the ammunition to fire back at the enemy. And he is so cleverly deceptive. We won’t even realize we are being manipulated, deceived, or distracted by his lies. We won’t realize we are being conformed to take on the world’s perspective. And as the lies are fired at us, we become desensitized to them. And doubts about God’s care for us will begin to take root. We will become fearful, doubtful. Goodness, I could go on and on with a list of Satan’s fiery darts he could choose with which to attack us!

Additionally, you see not only do we need to have consistent exposure to the Truths of God’s word, we must believe them! Obviously, the more exposure we have, then the stronger our faith will be. And not only that, our eyes will be opened to the details all around us that prove God is, in fact, taking care of us. It was just our lack of exposure to God’s truths that had resulted in our blindness.

Pulling back the curtain…

Sep9
Hand pulling back red curtain to reveal papers labeled LIES, FAKE NEWS, and MANIPULATION

As I watch a bit of news, I am aware of the push for Socialism and Communism to be accepted by the American people. Consider the clause, ‘endowed by their Creator’, from the Declaration of Independence. The two ideologies I mentioned previously, stand in stark contrast to such a pronouncement.

Nevertheless, the push is still on. It is believed by some that behind this push are wealthy individuals bent on advancing their agenda. Now, whether they are or are not, is not the purpose of this blog. My intention is to pull back the curtain and expose who is the unseen force behind these two ideologies (and for those pushing it). For in their framework, inherent rights are dished out by the government, not God.

Our inherent rights as human beings created in the image of God are endowed by our Creator/God! Guess who that makes angry? Yep, Satan! As Christians who understand the unholy war Satan has declared against God, we know that he would do anything to undermine God’s plan to redeem mankind. He will take every avenue available. One of those is to convince American individuals that our rights DO NOT come from God. Did you know that there are some political leaders who believe our rights come from the government? (Wonder when was the last time they read the Declaration of Independence!) Satan is making some headway, isn’t he.

His method, in this case, is to saturate the news reports with lies (that would be fiery darts that sound like truth to anyone ignorant of what God’s word or our founding documents say). By creating a void of Truth, he can manipulate us using human reasoning and false assumptions. For without God’s Scriptural truths, we have no basis on which to expose Satan’s cleverly designed lies.

Yet, when we do use the power of God’s word to pull back the curtain, Satan’s lies are exposed. Then we will be empowered to counter those lies with God’s truth. And remember, the more we know of God’s truth, our skill to recognize Satan’s lies increase.

Accepting the good days and the bad days…

Aug12

I don’t mind growing old. Wrinkles, declining energy, increases in aches and pains that’s all a part of life. Though many make efforts to curb or slow down the aging process, it is a futile effort. A person is better off just accepting this and moving forward.

Yet there is an aspect of growing old, that I find difficult to accept. Two aspects actually. I find it an exercise in frustration accepting the refusal of my body to tackle the tasks of cleaning and maintaining my home. (so does my husband) But the loneliness is perhaps the hardest. My husband and I have four married children. They have blessed us with ten grandchildren who range in age from eleven to twenty-two. They are scattered in various states and continents. Needless to say, visits are minimal.

Therefore, a verse like Psalm 118:24, doesn’t at first glance find a place to settle in my thoughts. Especially, when I am rambling about in a house built for a family of six. A house that has enveloped twenty of us on occasions!

Yet, I know that if I fail to reframe my focus, I will become a vulnerable target for the enemy’s fiery darts. How do I avoid this? God’s truth thoughts found within the pages of Scripture provide the answer. So I return to Psalm 118:24 for a deeper dive.

After a bit of study, it was revealed to me that the meaning of this verse doesn’t imply that even in the midst of trials we must be jumping for joy. While there are somedays that give cause to a celebratory mood, not every day will be like that. So in the difficult days or in times of trials we must frame our focus on the fact that God made that day.

So, in those difficult days, we remind ourselves that it is a day God has given to us. Though it may be heavy, God is there in that day. He has not forsaken us. Even in the midst of those kind of days, there are small gifts from God to comfort us. Look for them. They will be your solace.

Accepting the day God has given us, no matter what it may bring – good or bad, will produce the perspective that will sustain us. And that is cause to rejoice and be glad.

Turn my eyes…Psalm 119:37

Jun17
Family of five sitting on a couch using various digital devices including smartphones, a tablet, and a handheld console

Turn my eyes
from looking at what is worthless;
give me life in Your ways. Psalm 119:37 HCSB

When my grans were younger I had the extreme pleasure of interacting with them often. Goodness that was fun. But I digress! I would remind them that I prayed for them whenever they came to my mind. Often, God would give me a verse that zeroed in on their needs. Praying for my own 4 (their parents, of course) gave me the foundation for how to pray. And as time refined my prayer effort, I learned that praying Scripture that applied to a need strengthened my prayers.

Psalm 119:37 addresses the need we have as parents and adults to deal with the digital crises of today. Why, most children today learned to tap a screen before they learned to read! Parents, unaware that they were loosing their own creative power to model desirable behavior, handed their toddlers a device to keep them occupied. Not only did the power to train their children toward good behavior suffer loss, their children became addicted to the pull of the digital screen. And guess what, those children are now adults and they are suffering from the same addiction.

I’m not blogging about something you are not aware of. But while we are beginning to sit up and take notice, what are we doing about it? Well, one thing we have got to grasp is the fact that too much screen time is a gateway to temptation. It’s kinda like opening Pandora’s box. For not just for children, but for adults as well.

But you know what? It’s not only digital screens that provide a gateway to temptation. What about the shows we watch on tv or movies or music videos? What about our reading material? And then again, while the danger may not be in what we are looking at necessarily, what about the time we spend looking at it? What about that inner voice that questions us about the time we are spending on screens?When we gain the momentum to turn away from the worthless distractions (just go ahead and label these fiery darts) of the enemy, we need the protective power of God’s wisdom to know what to turn to.

Christian parents and/or adults take heed. The Bible speaks to this directly. How are we going to be able to identify what is worthless? We start with anything that contradicts Scripture. Obviously, it’s up to us to become familiar enough with God’s word in order to recognize the contradictions. Then in identifying the contradictions we must be able to turn from them. Again, the wisdom and strength we need to pull this off is found in Scripture.

So if we desire a life shaped by the word of God for ourselves and our children, then we must be willing to turn from the worthless distractions fashioned by the enemy. The Bible will show us how!

Philippians 4:6-7, My take…

May6

When the apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippian Christians, he was in prison in Rome. And while in chains he is writing this letter of encouragement and joy to them. Seriously! How is it possible that Paul could avoid being anxious or not worry in such a setting? Paul gave the formula for how such a thing is accomplished. Pray! And not only pray but pray with an attitude of thanksgiving.

This verse gives us a lot to take in. Our sin nature balks when we are told not to worry. It’s quite difficult to face a challenging situation that any normal human being wouldn’t worry about. Oh, and may I remind you about the fiery darts. Worry or being anxious is definitely one of the enemy’s most often used weapons against us.

So don’t let worry or anxiety catch us off guard. Don’t for one minute believe the lie that we can’t help worrying. Therefore, in order to prevent being overwhelmed with worrisome thoughts, we need to shift our focus. And that’s where prayer comes in. Prayer must be our default response when the temptation to worry or become anxious assaults us. Two components of prayer in this verse are: the kind of prayer where we share our feelings about the situation with God, and petition is where we make specific requests concerning the situation.

In this verse we are advised to flavor all those prayers with an attitude of thanksgiving. Maybe I can describe how this works with a personal antidote. A reoccurring temptation to worry about my future often makes attempts to intrude my thought processes. But I know if I allow those thoughts to enter my head, they will take over. (FD’s 3rd edition, p66) Therefore, I immediately put a ‘Not welcomed” sign over the doorway of my mind when those fiery darts attempt entry. And I block those temptations with prayer.

In my time of prayer I not only cry out to God about my worries, but I frame them within an attitude of thanksgiving. I thank God that He is in control of my situation. That He is my refuge and strength which I can call upon. That in the midst of my circumstance God’s comforting presence is with me. Eventually, an unexplainable sense of peace will fill in the space left by the rejected worry.

So, we can worry thus invite an assortment of fiery darts. All fashioned to take up residence in our thoughts. Or we can choose to reject the enemy’s lies. And take a deep dive into the Scriptures for the mighty weapons of God that will expose the lies. These will be the Truth thoughts which will now rule our thinking. Thus, an unexplainable peace will settle over us like a calming breeze guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 2:6-12, My take…

Apr22
Old monk reading ancient book protected by magical shield from dark spirits

Prov. 2:6-12,(written by Solomon)

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up success for the upright;He is a shield for those who live with integrity so that He may guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His loyal followers. Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity—every good path.  For wisdom will enter your mind, and knowledge will delight your heart.  Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you, rescuing you from the way of evil— (the protective power of wisdom) Prov. 2:6-12

I came upon this verse in search of a prayer that I could pray over my grandchildren. Some of them were embarking upon a journey into adulthood for the first time. They had proper training in their parent’s home. But now they were weighted with the responsibility of applying that training. And that, I knew would require wisdom beyond their years. So what would they do?

Would they turn their eyes from looking at (or ears from listening to) what was worthless as they had been trained? Or would they pick and choose those ideas promoted by a world view that contradicted their biblical training? There was visible evidence that both perspectives were being considered.

I had walked this treacherous path in my youth. Therefore, I was familiar with the pitfalls of human reasoning and false assumptions. The verses from 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 made it obvious as to what I was up against. Yet, upon venturing out into the world, my naivety blinded me. Naivety and immaturity. I lacked the protective power of wisdom.

Thankfully, God finally got my attention and turned me around. Just in time to prevent me from ruining my life by my own self-centeredness and self-serving ways. It started with a full surrender of my life to God. A full surrender to live my life and walk the path God had chosen for me. I began to simply “Follow His Lead.”

And with that surrendered will, I took to reading God’s word. With the Holy Spirit’s prompting, I changed the friend group I ran with. Focusing instead on surrounding myself with friends who would support my commitment to Christ. And graciously God provided those new friends. I read books that fed me spiritually. One such book was “The Saving Life of Christ” by Ian Thomas. (Published in the 1960’s. and is still in print.) With every plunge into God’s word and moments spent with God in prayer, wisdom entered my mind and knowledge delighted my heart.(just as Prov. 2:6-12 declared) At the time I didn’t recognize the protective power of wisdom. Yet, I benefited from God’s guardianship just the same.

It was the growth of knowledge and wisdom that enabled me to recognize those whose words and actions contradicted what God had been teaching me. It was only when I made choices which served my self-centeredness that I got off track. (and with my human propensity to sin the struggle to please myself over God was ever present.) Therefore, many foolish choices which would have led to harmful consequences in my life were avoided.

So the earlier the better our full surrender should be made. Which is why I fervently and consistently pray Proverbs 2:6-12 over my beloved grandchildren. Foolish choices made during this season of their lives could have serious and permanent consequences to their future. A future that needs an appreciation for the protective power of wisdom.

Add Distraction to the List

Mar25
Fix our eyes upon Jesus. Look neither to the right or left. Shut out the distractions. based on Hebrews 12:2

Think about it. What keeps us from spending time with God in prayer and His word? Most of the time, I daresay, it’s distractions. Often I have referred to the manipulation and deception of the fiery darts of the enemy. But in the last year, I have come to realize that loosing my focus can happen as a result of the fiery dart of distractions.

Lately, I am being made aware of how the enemy once again is using distractions to manipulate my focus. Our four children are scattered here and there, as well as their children (our grans). Two years ago, my best friend of twenty plus years passed away. Four years earlier my beloved mother transitioned to heaven, joining my father. Needless to say, the temptation to focus on my lack of contact with them is ever present.

Add to that at 77 years of age, I wonder just how much longer I have on this earth. That consumes a lot of my thoughts. Running out of time to make memories with those that I love. Running out of time to resolve conflicts. And quietness and an unbusy life is the fodder for self-pity. And I read the headlines and fear, coupled with the lack of interaction with my family, is a menu for despair. Oh I could go on and on!

The most effective weapon against such is the Bible. Yep, all that truth compressed within the pages of Scripture could and can tear down the walls of human reasoning and destroy false assumptions. By distracting us from spending time with God in His word and in prayer, we just aren’t informed. We aren’t aware of our weapons or how to use them.

These distractions divert our focus thus turning it inward. It takes a greater discipline to redirect our focus toward Christ and not ourselves. But we know that if we want to please God, then we had better learn how to reject the enemy’s device of distraction. Every time our focus turns inward, try quoting, “May this weapon formed against me not prevail.” That shifts our thought processes. We can now direct our focus to ponder Truth thoughts like, “All things work together for the good. For those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”

If my attention is manipulated by the enemy’s distractions then I will be blinded. What I will fail to see is that my husband and I have more time together. I have more time to spend quiet moments daily with God. His Word reminds me that He is in control and I need not fear. Yet, the enemy’s distractions will blind me to these Truths.

Conflicting Thoughts…

Mar18
Fighting fiery darts

Sometimes our struggles require a presence of mind that is dependent on a source that is far beyond anything we can produce in our own strength. There can be instances in our lives when problems start piling up. Before we can get a handle on one, another one shows up. We are caught in a weakened state. It is in such times that the enemy takes advantage. For our reserves have been depleted and we just can’t seem to muster the strength we need. We might notice that the Bible verses that have been helpful previously just don’t carry the weight (for whatever reason) they did before. If we are not wise to the enemy’s tactics, we might give into this deception.

When we find ourselves in this type of dilemma, there is a plan of action available. Begin by searching for Scripture verses that identify what we are dealing with and how to resolve it. For example, fear is an often used weapon by the enemy, especially these days. Thankfully, God has an abundance of methods to counter the effect of fear from ruling our attitudes and therefore our actions.

Case in point, Satan is running rampant these days dispensing fear with news headlines. It affects everyone, even Christians. However, as Christians we have a defense. In the midst of this drama, our default response is to search God’s word for wisdom. How about Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold onto you with My righteous right hand.” Or 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

When we are tempted to fear, the following plan of action should be imployed. First, we must recognize the weapon of the enemy; to strike fear in our hearts. Next we must reject it outright. Don’t allow it to sink its poisonous roots into our thoughts. Then in its place we plant the counsel of God about what to do concerning the fiery dart of fear. By allowing the power and truth of God’s words to sink into our thinking, fear is dispelled. As a result, it will be God’s wisdom and understanding that will shape our attitudes and therefore our actions, not fear!

Thing is, Satan’s plan is to distract us from God’s word. By the way, that fearful thought I mentioned previously, that “the Scriptures just don’t seem to work anymore” didn’t come from God, you know. (The enemy is just adding confusion to your struggle)! So my advice is to push through that fear or whatever fiery dart is shot at us. Search the Scriptures for biblical counsel that addresses that disturbing thought (lie, fiery dart). And every time that fiery dart pops into our heads, contradict it with God’s Truth thought. Battle Satan’s lies with God’s Truth. That’s how we extinguish conflicting thoughts.

Blessings and Strength Dispensed by God’s Word

Feb11

In my previous post, I shared with my readers links to Verse by Verse International. In particular the study of the book of Revelation as taught by the late Stephen Armstrong. As I delve into this study once again, I am reminded of the blessings discovered there. I’d like to share a few of those.

Remember the reference I included about the blessings that were promised by God for those who took part in the book of Revelation? So, it’s some of those blessings I want to make mention of in this post.

In examining Revelation, one of its most outstanding aspects to me was God’s attention to details. Details that aren’t revealed by a casual reading. It is in the cross referencing verses from other sections of Scripture that shed light on what is contained in Revelation. Stephen Armstrong’s approach was simple but profound in its application. The imagery and symbols, throughout this book, are difficult to understand. However, according to S.A., “We never need to guess at the meaning of important symbols because the answers are in the Bible somewhere.” And you know what? He was right! In this study I was introduced to the Golden Rule of Interpretation, “…it says that when the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, we seek no other sense.” In other words, there is no need speculate as to what the text might mean. So armed with these rules, I waded into the water.

Now back to the blessings. Recalling the impact my 2020 study had, I anticipated this refresher course would bring the same results. Therefore, the enemy’s plan to sidetrack my efforts were foiled. For I knew that God’s attention to detail was provided with the intention of helping me understand. Knowing God is in charge of my future, I have no reason to fear or worry. Not just for me but for anyone who is His child. For the Bible is rich in verses that assures us about such things. For instance, God promises us that he keeps His word to keep the covenant He made with us in our salvation.

Yet, I am a human being. And as long as I live on this earth my self-centered self-serving sin nature will be susceptible to temptation. The only way for it not to rule my thoughts and influence my attitudes, (therefore my actions) (FD, p.28) is to submit those thoughts to a force greater than myself. That force, of course, is the indwelling Spirit of Jesus Christ. But that spirit must be nurtured to grow in strength. I accomplish this by absorbing with consistency Truth thoughts from God’s word. The more I absorb the more my wisdom and strength increase.

This is the day the LORD has made…

Jan6
morning sun

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Whenever I hear this verse my mind flashes back to my Vacation Bible School days. That’s when I first remember memorizing Ps. 118:24. Even as a child my mind could grasp the idea that every day was a gift from God. The notion that a day was a divine gift, fostered gratitude and joy in my child sized heart.

And now, at 77 years of age, this verse resurfaces. However, it’s framed by a life that has traveled many miles. Lots of valleys but lots of mountain tops too. So it impacts me oh so differently now.

There are moments when the weight of present family trials pulls at my heart. Heaviness of heart sets in. The fiery darts of doubt, fear, self-pity, and judgement appear on the threshold of my mind like a stalking lion. Just waiting for the moment to pounce.

However, there is a sentinel at the threshold standing guard. In His possession are all the weapons I need to counter the enemy’s attacks. By reminding me God has made my day then I find I can rejoice. Knowing God has designed my day gives me every reason to face down the stalking lion. My perspective transforms the stalking lion into a powerful Sentinel.

With that awareness, courage and wisdom fashions my thinking. And I know that the weapons formed against me will not prevail. All I have to do is to cooperate with God as He shows me the right path and points out the road for me to follow. The very trials the enemy intended to weaponize against me, God transforms into a strengthening exercise. That’s the ingredients He uses for the day He makes for me.

Isn’t that worth rejoicing over?!