Tonight 2016 comes to a close and tomorrow 2017 starts out anew and fresh!
Yet, in spite of the hope of fresh beginnings, despair has the potential to overshadow such optimism.
How does this happen?
It’s quite simple, actually! But, oh, so powerful!
It’s a matter of focus.
Despair consistently and predictably acts like a magnet, attracting thoughts of self. The force of this pull is powerful. One self-focused thought after another bombards our thinking, and the downward progression begins.
When our thoughts reflect less of what we are learning during our study of the Bible or what God’s Spirit communicates to us in prayer then a downward progression is set in place, p 46 3rd Edition FD
In the past, I fell victim to this force time after time! With each thought, I became more confused as to what Truth was. I felt justified in my thinking and condemned all at the same time. Depression was the outcome!
Recently, that all too familiar pull of despair, began to invade my thoughts. And in spite of the hope of fresh beginnings of the New Year, I felt myself tempted to surrender to its force.
But I was reminded of those dark days prior to learning about how to counter the attack of fiery dart thinking. I now was living in freedom from that bondage and I was determined not to go there again!
I knew what my plan of action must be. I knew that God’s Word contained the answers to resist the temptation to despair. Therefore, I began making a conscious effort to replace the lies that attempted to rule my thinking with the Truth thoughts below.
To fight the lies that God doesn’t hear me.
To fight the lie that there is no hope.
To fight the lie that my weakness is too great.
To fight the lie that I am all to blame.
To fight the lie that God will not act on my behalf.
Once again Satan came at me with lies that in the past had prevailed over me. But not this time. Not since God taught me the Truths that would displace those lies!
Fiery Darts: Satan's Weapon of Choice 