In order to tear down a mental stronghold, we have to first understand how it was erected. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, it says to bring every thought captive. It is impossible to monitor every thought. Therefore, we need a foundation of truth that will be our sentinel to alert us of a pride-thought.

Verse 4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” Our flesh-thought can only be fought with His Spirit-word. The more His words of truth are hidden in our heart, the more we readily recognize the lies of the enemy. Faith comes by hearing the word. Our door shield of faith is what quenches all the fiery darts of the evil one.

It is imperative to look at our areas of defeat through the magnifying glass of His word. How do they measure up? Let’s take Matthew 15:18. It says that the things we say are coming from our heart. Matthew 12:34 says the same thing.

Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…” An evil thought is anything that undermines the truth of God’s word. Have you ever had a thought of suicide? That opposes Psalm 139, Psalm 119:73, Jeremiah 1:5, Isaiah 43:7. Therefore an evil thought is a fiery dart lie. When we accept it, believe it, and make it our own, it will become a stronghold that controls our lives.

Take an area of defeat in your life. You have tried many avenues to get victory but they all failed. Defeat is a heart negligence issue. Proverbs 4:23 says to guard our hearts with diligence. Our heart is our belief center. Therefore, take your area of defeat and ask this question: what do I believe about myself? 2 Corinthians 4:13 says that we believe and speak what we believe. If what you believe does not line up with Scripture, then it is a lie-stronghold.

Colossians 3:9-10 says, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” Ephesians 4:22-24 says to put off, then renew our mind, then put on. Sandwiched between putting off and putting on is the essential of mind renewal.

We will have no victory until the stronghold is destroyed through truth. Confess your sin (defeat) to the Lord, acknowledging that you have been living satan’s lie. Then renew your mind through truth. Gird that truth around your mind.

Here is my faith affirmation: I have victory through Your death on the cross. Through faith I now root out and pull down, destroy and thrown down the strongholds that are defeating me. I will continue to renew my mind with truth, building new strongholds that will establish my heart and strengthen my walk with You Lord.

The goodness of God is an inexhaustible subject. This morning though the Lord gave me some new aspects to mediate on. Thinking back to when I stood and drank in the power of Niagara Falls on the Canadian side, there are similarities.

Tons of water pour over the Falls every second. There is no way to describe the magnitude of that power. It roars. The water is unrelenting. It rushes over the top, cascades to the bottom, and sprays water everywhere.

Here is one of my favorite verses. Psalm 107:9 says, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Do you ever long for something? Is your soul hungry for something that is not food? The Lord alone can satisfy.

Here is another favorite. Jeremiah 31:14 says, “I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.” Satiate means to fill to the full.

David expressed God’s goodness in Psalm 27:13. He wrote, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” David also wrote Psalm 23. Verse 6 says, “Sure goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” God’s goodness is a right now powerful present reality.

Now, consider this. God’s goodness is inextricably connected to His love. His love is woven into the fabric of our lives. His goodness exudes from His love. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good…” That means everything in our lives, the trials and the hardships are His goodness at work, with no exception or exclusion.

When we gaze upon Him, and meditate on His goodness, we will see every situation in our lives through that goodness. It will transform our understanding and keep us focused on Him, and not on our circumstances. Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” The Hebrew root word for ‘see’ means to drink deeply.

Ephesians 3:16 Amplified says, “May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the (Holy) Spirit (Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality).”

It’s impossible to define the Lord’s glory in our human terms. I was meditating of it yesterday. There are many verses that talk about an aspect of His glory, but they are like the tip of an iceberg.

Let’s start with Moses. He asked the Lord to show him His glory. Exodus 33:21-22 says, “And the Lord said, Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.”

Verse 23 says, “Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.” Jump to the Lord’s face in Revelation 1:14 says, “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire.”

Remember that Moses was with the Lord on the mountain.  2 Corinthians 3:13 says that Moses had to put a veil over his face. Why? He stood in the glory of the Lord and his countenance was too bright for them to look at Moses’ face! (Exodus 34:29 says, “…the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.”)

The same glory that caused Moses’ face to shine, is the glory that transforms our inner man. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

The word for ‘glory’ in Hebrew (from the Strong’s) means: weightiness; that which is substantial or heavy; honor, splendor, power, wealth, authority, magnificence, fame, dignity, riches, and excellency.

1 Kings 8:10 says that the cloud of His glory filled the house of the Lord. Verse 11 says, “So that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”

We are strengthened in our innermost being through His glory. It is our foundational, undergirding spiritual rebar. His glory empowers us to finish the work He has called us to do. John 17:4 says, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. ”

Here is a new song that bubbled up after drinking in John 17:5 this morning.

I love You Lord because You chose me. You are magnificent beyond words. You are clothed with majesty and splendor. You created me to have a relationship with You.

O the wonder of Your love. It reaches high, low, and wide. I cannot comprehend the depth of Your unfolding love. Your love never changes. Nothing can take it away.

You died to redeem me. You rose and conquered the grave. You are seated in intercession. Your power dwells within me to fulfill Your purpose in my life. It empowers me to abide.

Do you ever have a hard time quieting your mind? Meditation is laser focused. When your mind won’t be still, switch to meditating on God’s word that has to do with what is keeping your mind disquieted.

Psalm 1:2 says, “…in His law he meditates day and night.” Verse 3 is the tangible results. It says, “And He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

Psalm 104:34 says, “May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord.” Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”

Meditation is heart reflection. Think about these words: consider, ponder, think deeply, to contemplate, to mull over in your mind. It is certainly the opposite of instant and surface. It is wholehearted involvement.

Psalm 119:15 says, “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.” Verse 48 says, “My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word.”

I went through a season in 2016 where the Lord woke me up to meditate in the night. He gave me a phrase or a few words from His word. The results? In 7 1/2 months, I typed 35 short ebooks that came from those meditations. 27 are on Amazon. Then He showed me how 7 were of the same subject, and to compile them into 5 paperbacks. 2 are complete, 3 are yet to be formulated.

Joshua 1:8 says to meditate in His word day and night. As we meditate we are observing to incorporate what we are pondering: practical application. The result? It will make our way prosperous and give us good success.

Are you bearing fruit? Are your leaves verdant green? Are you prospering in all that you do? Here is the Great Physician’s prescription for a thriving walk with Him: meditation on His word which is sweet intimate communion with Him.

We cannot plumb the depths of God. Job was speaking in Job 26:7-13. Let me encapsulate. He hangs the earth on nothing. He binds up water in His thick clouds. He cover the face of His throne. The pillars of heaven are shaken and astonished at His rebuke. You can read them for yourself.

Verse 14 in the Amplified is one of my favorite verses. It says, “Yet these are but (a small part of His doings) the outskirts of His ways or the mere fringes of His force, the faintest whisper of His voice! Who dares contemplate or who can understand the thunders of His full, magnificent power?”

Isaiah 40:28 says, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.”

Unsearchable. Can you quote Romans 11:33? It says, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! I love the exclamation points in my Bible.

Just let your heart absorb all these truths. Here’s another. According to means in the same measure as. Ephesians 1:7 ~ forgiveness according to the riches of His grace. Philippians 4:19 ~ all our need supplied according to His riches in glory.

Back to the mere fringes of His force. The woman of Mark 5:28 touched the hem of Jesus garment. Watch what happened. Verse 29 says, “Immediately…she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.” Verse 30 says, “And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him…”

I encourage you to, several times a day, think about how His grandeur, majesty, and mighty power dwells in you. Nothing is impossible for Him! Now look at your circumstances through these truths and gain an overcoming perspective. He is truly your All in All.

Psalm 86:11 says, “Teach me Your way, O Lord, I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” My margin says: give me singleness of heart.

The Strong’s word for worry is: to divide into parts. Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…” Worry is a distraction. It is a preoccupation with things that stress us. It fragments our heart.

I love Psalm 63:8 in the Amplified. It says, “My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me.” Verse 5 says, “My whole being shall be satisfied as with morrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.”

These two verses are essentially saying: I am reaching out to You with all that is within me, to lay hold of You and to cling tenaciously. Here is another. Psalm 119:10 Amplified says, “With my whole heart I sought You, inquiring for and of You and yearning for You; O let me not wander or step aside (either ignorantly or willingly) from Your commandments.”

1 Chronicles 28:9 Amplified says, “…For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts. If you seek Him (inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity) you will find Him…”

When our trials take our breath away with their crushing blows, He becomes our sustaining breath. We cling to Him as our vital necessity, and we know His Presence experientially. Here is a new song He gave me this morning. Think about your own circumstances and sing this with me.

I bow before You Lord, in honor and wonder of Your love. You sustain and uphold my heart, and carry me through every trial. Your love is unending, Your grace abounding, Your mercy is new every morn. There is no one like You, no one Your equal. You alone deserve all glory and praise.

Matthew 12:9 says that there was a man with a withered hand. Think about it a moment. His hand was atrophied and paralyzed. He could not use it. Verse 13 says, “Then He said to the man, Stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.”

Amazing miraculous healing. Think about the areas in your life that are “withered.” It could be areas were you lack faith. Doubt, fear, unbelief have crept in. Reluctance to do something indicates self-reliance which withers faith.

Joshua was the next leader after Moses died. Joshua 1:3 says, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.” Then in verse 6, 7, and 9 the Lord spoke to Joshua to be strong and of good courage. Verse 9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

I love Isaiah 41:10. It says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

We stretch out the area of our heart that has withered by undergirding it through God’s word. What does His word say to you? This morning I read 1 Peter 1:13. It says, “Gird up the loins of your mind…” That means to me: I need to arm my thoughts with truth from God’s word. Be alert to any thought entering my mind that opposes God’s word, His ways, and His will. Bring it captive! Make it bow in defeat! Don’t give it another thought!

Stretch out that gift that has laid dormant. What has He called you to do that you have not done? We block active faith each time we rely on ourselves. Apart from Him we are withered (John 15:5).

Right now as I type this, the report of hurricane Dorian is forecasting disaster. Yet, the Lord who has created all things is on the scene. Through concerted prayer, we have the privilege to stand in the gap before Him for the state of Florida.

It is good to remember Who the Lord is. Jesus calmed the storm with a word. Mark 4:39 says, “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still! And the wind ceased and there was a calm.”