I came to the story of Joseph. He was young and did not use wisdom. He gave his father a bad report about his brothers. Genesis 37:4 recorded the fruit of their jealousy, It says, “…they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.”

He also didn’t use wisdom in telling his two dreams to his family. It increased his brother’s hatred. Verse 11 says that they envied him. James 3:16 says, “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”

Jealousy is a toxic poison to our hearts. It is rooted in covetousness. It is seeing something that others have and you want it. Jezebel had Naboth killed because of her husband’s covetousness. 1 Kings 21:1-16. 

There are two kinds of jealousy. One that is unrighteous and toxic, and another that is God’s description of Himself. Exodus 20:5 says, “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” 2 Corinthians 11:2 says, “For I am zealous for you with a godly jealousy…”

The Greek word for jealousy means: eagerness, enthusiasm, intense desire, passionate commitment.

Think of the prodigal son. Luke 15:17 says, “But when he came to himself…” Before he was senseless. He wasted his whole inheritance. When he realized what he was doing, he course corrected through truth. What was his father’s response? He was watching for his son.

The Lord waits for us. Jeremiah 1:12 says, “…for I am ready to perform My word.” God’s word is a mirror for us. It helps us see what we have forgotten. James 1:24 says of one who looks into a mirror, “For he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”

This is why we must continue in God’s word. His word is alive and powerful. Hebrews 4:12 says it is, “…a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” 1 Corinthians 2:13 says that what the Holy Spirit teaches comes through comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

In our natural man we cannot discern. However, when we walk in the Spirit, He will lead us into truth that will set us free when we personally apply it to our lives. 

Have you ever been driving, and almost hit someone when you changed lanes? I have because they were in my blind spot. Self-deception is like that. The person who is deceived doesn’t recognize that they are.

James 1:25 says, “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” Note the word continues, because it means that reading God’s word is an integral part of our lives. It is not an add on. 

Joshua 1:8 says to observe what we are reading, so that we can make personal applications. As we read for understanding, the Holy Spirit will highlight what He wants us to notice. It is truth that will expose the hidden lies that we have believed.

2 Timothy 2:25-26 says, “…so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” Derailment from God’s will.

I love Proverbs 11:3. It says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.” Integrity is a character quality that shows up best when no one is watching us.

I found it interesting that a pagan king used these words. In a dream the Lord told him that Sarah was Abraham’s wife. Genesis 20:5 says, “…In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”

Verse 6 says, “…Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me…” Did you notice that his actions through integrity garnered the Lord’s protection from sinning?

Proverbs 20:7 says, “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.” I recently read the book of Titus. Paul instructed him in 2:7. It says, “In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.” Lord, cause us all to walk in integrity of heart so that You are always glorified.

Isaac rightly discerned that Jacob was not Esau. Yet three times Jacob lied, affirming that he was. It is essential to note that lying was in Jacob’s bloodline of generational sins. His grandfather Abraham lied, as well as his own father. Rebekah lied, as did her brother Laban when Jacob went to work for him.

John 8:44 says of the devil, “…there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” 

Beware. All fiery darts are lies. We must discern where thoughts in our mind come from. I encourage you to read my book, “Where Do Thoughts Come From?” They come from three specific ways. 

Our defense against these attacks to our faith is to hide God’s word in our hearts. James 1:21 says that the implanted word will rescue us. James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.” Psalm 119:11 says that when we hide His word in our hearts it will keep us from sinning.

Years ago I read “Point Man” by Roger Helle. He described how the point man went ahead of his platoon to check for concealed landmines. It took experienced discernment to detect any nuance of changes on the ground. For instance leaves that were in an unnatural pattern. 

Hebrews 5:14 says, “…those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” The Greek words used indicated discrimination, constant use, habit, practice, perception, and judgment.

1 John 1:6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Hm, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” As we practice truth, we learn to discern. Discerning takes attentiveness, being alert, and watchful. They are all action words. We don’t discern by osmosis. Walking in the Spirit teaches us to pay attention to every nuance.

Luke 4:4 Amplified says, “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word and expression of God.” 1 Corinthians 12:10 says that discerning of spirits is a manifestation of the Spirit. That means it is given by the Holy Spirit.

Truth is a Person, not a concept from print on a page. I want to go back to Abraham. Though he obeyed the Lord in leaving his country, he compromised and fell into the devil’s deceptive traps. First through Sarai’s scheme. Second from fear. 

He told the king of Gerar that Sarah was his sister. The king took her, but God met him in a dream. Genesis 20:3 says, “…Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”

Abimelech asked Abraham his motive for what he did. Verse 11 says, “…Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will kill me on account of my wife.” Note that the scheme came through a thought.

Let me remind you again from Ephesians 6:16. Not every thought we have is of our own origin. Any thought that goes against God’s way is a fiery dart to pull us off course. God intervened for Abraham and Sarah. We all need to discern the thoughts that come into our minds.

Abraham believed God, and Scripture records that it was accounted to him for righteousness. At salvation we are given His righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.”

Psalm 85:13 says, “Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.” Psalm 23:3 says, “…He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

The key word is leads. The Holy Spirit will lead us into truth. John 14:17 says, “The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells in you and will be with you.”

1 John 2:27 says, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”

Luke 9:17 says, “…No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Lot’s wife looked back. We cannot face forward, and at the same time look back. It is either one or the other.

I want to pick up one other detail. Lot was instructed to flee to the mountains. He asked instead to do what he wanted to. Genesis 19:20 says, “See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?)…”

Have you ever compromised? The little city was too close. Lot’s wife looked back. Had they gone to the mountains as instructed, history might have been different. If you know the story, incest took place and two nations were born: Moab and Ammon.

What in your past negatively occupies your mind? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “…old things have passed away…” We cannot change one thing from our past. We fall prey to the enemy of our soul when we keep looking back.

Genesis 18:10 says, “And He said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son…” Sarah heard Him and laughed. If you are facing a seemingly impossible time, take these words into your heart.

Verse 14 says, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will…” Genesis 21:1 says, “And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.”

What promise are you waiting for? What is unfulfilled in your life? We need to take heed to what happened to Lot’s wife. In Genesis 19 we read about God’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He rescued Lot and his wife and two daughters first.

Verse 17 says, “…Escape for your life! Do not look behind you…lest you be destroyed.” Verse 26 says, “But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Destroyed. We look back every time we take our mind back into our past that cannot be changed.