Straight Arrows Hit Their Mark. That is a headline the Holy Spirit woke me up with. Have you ever played pick up sticks? That’s what it felt like. I had been stuck in Exodus 24 and 32 for days. The two different scenes were emblazoned in my mind. In Exodus 24, 70 children of Israel’s elders, along with Moses, Aaron, and two of Aaron’s sons were in the presence of the Lord on the mountain. 

In Exodus 32 Moses was confronting Aaron about the golden calf he had fashioned with his own two hands. You might wonder how this connected for me. Aaron’s two sons offered profane fire (Leviticus 10) and God killed them. Aaron departed from the Lord by creating a god.

How could Aaron do what he did? He was raised in a Hebrew home. His parents were of the priestly tribe of Levi. How could Nadab and Abihu depart so from their upbringing? Hebrews 3:12 says that we depart from God because of an evil heart of unbelief.

Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu were in the presence of Holy God. Exodus 24:10-11 says, “And they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity…So they saw God and they ate and drank.” 

Whew! Capture the scene in your mind. How do you think it would have affected the rest of your life? 2 Chronicles 5:13 says that the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud. Verse 14 says, “So that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” That’s the power of His Presence.

All fiery darts are lies! They are designed to disrupt our minds, derail our walk of faith, and lure us to act independently of God. If we allow them to penetrate, then they become an internal stronghold that resists God’s word.

His word is designed to pull down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4) but the fiery darts are designed to penetrate and set up strongholds that will continually resist us from receiving the truth of God’s word.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 62:5 says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.” Note how both verses take our focus directly to the Lord. He alone has true control over everyone’s life.

The lies that we have believed can control us emotionally, which carries over into the spiritual and physical aspect of our lives. They may seem more real than the truth of God’s word. because we have not yet embraced them. 

I know this was so true in my own life. I learned in 1993 that not all my thoughts were of my own origin. That set me on a delightful journey of inner deliverances that set me free through experiential truth.

Lies are noisy. They fight and scream for real estate in our thoughts. They want to push in and take over! They are designed to thwart our view of God’s perspective given to us in His word. 

Premeditation, presumptions, preoccupation, worry, anxiety, prejudice, being a man pleaser, and jumping to wrong conclusions all have one common denominator~mental gymnastics. 

Here is great instruction for us. These were Jesus’ words to those who would be persecuted for His name’s sake. We can make personal applications because we have the Holy Spirit within us. Though our situation may not be persecution, the principle remains. He will deliver us from satan’s trap of futile thoughts.

Luke 21:14-15 says, “Therefore settle it in your heart not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.”

We are the resisters of the one who seeks to resist us. It is essential to keep Peter’s words in our heart. 1 Peter 5:9 says, “Resist him, steadfast in the faith…” 1 John 5:4 says, “…And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

We know from Paul’s words from Ephesians 6:10-17, that we have all the essential heart equipment to ward off the attacks of the evil one. Let me remind us of one in particular. Verse 16 says, “Above all. taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

God gave the children of Israel His 10 commandments. There was no wiggle room. Yet, the Pharisee’s added  to them through their own interpretations. Jesus pronounced woes on them in Matthew 23. Verse 3 says that Jesus spoke to the multitudes, “…whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.”

Verse 28 was another scathing rebuke which says, “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” That is a perfect picture of a rebellious heart.

What do you say you do, but in fact your life does not match your words? I am always challenged by 1 John 2:6. It says, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

How did Jesus walk? He was compassionate. Many of His miracles were rooted in compassion. One who harbors unforgiveness in their heart may appear righteous on the outside, however their heart is hard and they are not compassionate.

Jesus died to give us forgiveness of sins. I love Psalm 103:12. I straddled the Equator lines of north and south in Ecuador—they meet. David’s use of words always takes me back to that experience. It says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” The east and west never meet!

To rebel against His command to forgive AS we have been forgiven, leads to spiritual barrenness and lack.

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Let me unpack the word premeditation. The Lord spoke to Joshua about setting up cities of refuge. Joshua 20:2-3 was the reason. Verse 3 says, “That the slay who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge for the avenger of blood.”

It clearly stated that the opposite of premeditation was accidentally or unintentionally. Disobedience can only fit into the category of premeditation. In truth, I have never in my life connected disobedience with premeditation until the Holy Spirit spoke them into my heart.

What is unforgiveness? It is disobedience to God’s command. Here are two Scriptures. Ephesians 4:31-30 says, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

As I typed this, the Holy Spirit stopped me on the word tenderhearted. Hebrews 3:13 says, “…lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hiding sin in our heart not only hardens it, but it keeps us bound in deceitfulness. Saying, “I’m fine” yet harboring unforgiveness toward another is deceit in capital letters. Here is a question to ask yourself. Do I have any hardness of heart towards another or circumstances?

The second scriptural command is Colossians 3:13 says, “Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you; so you also must do.” “Must” is the key word in a command if we are going to obey it.

How do we develop an art to something? I would say that we practice until it becomes second nature to us. I had a startling moment the other morning. I was praying for two folks who are at odds with one another. The Holy Spirit interrupted me as I was praying for them. It was still dark, but I got up and wrote His words in my notebook.

How do they strike you? The art of rebellion is premeditation. Let me unpack the word rebellion first. Our definition comes from 1 Samuel 15:23. The words were spoken to king Saul because of his disobedience to do the Lord’s command.

The Lord had told him to utterly destroy the Amalekites. Saul was to enact the fulfillment of God’s declaration in Exodus 17:14. It says, “…I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”

King Saul’s disobedience was rebellion against God’s word. Why did he disobey? He was a man pleaser. When he was caught in the act, he shifted the blame onto others. Read his words carefully and assess your own life through them.

1 Samuel 15:20-21 says, “…I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people…” Have you ever blame shifted to get yourself out of hot water? Blame shifting is a man-pleaser tactic. Paul said something in Galatians 1:10 that we need to endorse. It says, “…For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”

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Back page snippet: Resentment becomes a bitter pill when swallowed. How do we turn our first resentful feeling into a next thought that will glorify the Lord?

John 8:31-32 says, “…If you abide in My word, you will be My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Know, in the Greek, means to perceive, understand, recognize, gain knowledge, realize, and come to know. It is recognition of truth by personal experience.

Ephesians 3:19 Amplified says, “(That you may really come) to know (practically, through experience for yourselves) the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge (without experience); that you may be filled (through all your being) unto all the fullness of God (may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself)!”

Walking with the Holy Spirit is a moment by moment journey. The second we veer off His path of truth, He will instantly check our heart. When we constantly ignore Him, our senses will become dull, insensitive, and inattentive to His promptings. 

Beware! The enemy of our soul is seeking ways to entrap each one of us and to discredit our testimonies of Christ IN us. We must stand our ground through His truth. It alone has the power to defeat ALL of satan’s lying spirit lures! I encourage you to read your Bible daily for understanding and implement it. Let’s be an example of Jesus to others.

The faith of every born again child of God is under siege. Our bag (heart) needs to be filled with smooth, proven stones from God’s word. These are verses that we can pull out and use to whack the fiery dart lies to death before they can take another breath!

Here is our militant stance. Nahum 2:1 is so relevant to us right now. It says, “He who scatters has come up before your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily.” I’ve always wondered why the last part doesn’t have an exclamation point. I put one in when I quote it.

Colossians 2:8 says, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Beware! Take note! Walk circumspectly! 

2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” There is that word again—truth. It is all through Scripture.

Jesus’ priestly prayer took place just before He went to the cross. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” The true test of a disciple is that they live in the truth of God’s word. It is the truth that has been our experience and continues to monitor and direct our lives that sets us free and keeps us free!!