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!!

David took smooth stones. He knew from experience that only certain stones would hit their mark. Jesus spoke, “It is written,” when the devil tempted Him. What proven truth do you have to stand in when you face unprecedented situations?

I am extremely saddened and distraught over recent news of strong believers falling away from God’s truth that they used to teach! They have been in my life a long time. Then the Lord moved me or them and we were not around each other anymore.

I had been on short term mission trips with them, heard them speak, and been to their homes. They preached the gospel, their walk exemplified Jesus, and they bore teaching responsibilities. 

How then shall we live in these perilous times? Be aware! Stay alert! Resist! We are bombarded with fiery dart lies. It seems that satan has ramped up his assaults. 1 Peter 5:8-9 were Peter’s tried words. He went through satan’s sieve. His words were intensely tried in the fire. 

He said, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith…” It is essential that we read God’s word daily for understanding. We also need accountability—those ‘watchers over our soul’ that will call us into account if we veer off. 

David said something that is really key in prevailing over our enemy. Saul wanted him to use his armor. David put it on, but it was too heavy and he couldn’t walk in it. In 1 Samuel 17:39 David said, “…I cannot walk in these, for I have not tested them…”

He knew that he had tested his sling. He recounted to Saul the things that the Lord did for him as a shepherd. Verse 36 says that he killed a lion and a bear, and, “…this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them…” 

Here was his tried, tested, and proven way. Verse 40 says, “Then he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the book, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand…” All rather by rote actions.

Do you recall the words to the hymn, “Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus” written by Louisa Stead? Verse 4 starts with, “I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee.” Why did she write those words? She watched both her husband and the little boy he was trying to save drown. 

She had proven the Lord was faithful in her relationship with Him in the past. The chorus starts, “Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er.” She leaned on the truth about Him that was proven throughout her life. When the new need presented itself, she knew immediately where to turn.

Continuing with Isaiah 41:10 it says, “…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 forget these truths when we are controlled by the devil’s lies. Just as Jesus did, we can sling God’s word-stone against the lie and it will be overthrown.

That is what David did with Goliath. Goliath was throwing out defiling words. In 1 Samuel 17:45 David said, “…You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God…whom you have defied.”

Verse 49 says that David took out a stone from his bag, “…he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead…” Verse 50 says, “So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him…”

Do you have stone verses in the ‘bag’ of your heart? We are instructed by God to hide His word in our heart. That way it is ready when a fiery dart lie is lobbed at us. We don’t give it another thought, but we quote God’s word to prevail over it and kill it in its tracks.

Is that how the prodigal’s father felt? Even though his son disconnected, his father’s heart was still an open connection. Verse 20 says, “…when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”

For years I did not feel that God loved me. Oh, I believed He loved everyone else, but I was the exception. Did you pick up on the lie I believed? The lie seemed so real, but the truth of God’s word was a lie to me.

I’ll never forget one time after I had fallen into the ravine. The Lord had told me to do something physical that seemed impossible. He assured me that He would help me. I obeyed, but I was shaking the whole time. His words to my heart upheld me every step of the way.

I sat down and I said something like, “Lord, that was so hard!” The lies that I had believed were more convincing than His truth that He would be with me to help me. Have you ever noticed that satan’s lies generate a lot of fear? 

Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you…” Truth: He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Truth: He is Ever Present (Psalm 46:1). Truth: His breath is in our lungs (Genesis 2:7).

Note: at the advice of a dear friend I have broken up my devotionals into smaller increments for easier assimilation and implementation.

Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Strong’s definition for sustained is: to maintain, nourish, provide food, bear, hold up, protect, support, defend; to supply the means necessary for living.”

2 Peter 1:3 says, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” All means everything without exception. 

I don’t need to explain how relationships get disconnected. I think every living person has experienced it at some time in their lives. We may feel slighted, yet the person was totally unaware that we felt that way. Their mind was on their own problems, and our connection at the moment was not heart to heart.

God’s heart is always an open line for communication. What about your heart? Are you engaged through your heart in your thoughts and conversations with Him? At times we may not feel connected, yet we always are from His part. 

Think back to the parable of the lost son. Luke 15:19 recorded his inner dialogue of what he would say when he went back. It says, “…I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”

Hebrews 9:15 says, “And for this reason He is the Mediator…” Paul made it really clear in 1 Timothy 2:5. It says, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”

Romans 5:1-2 states an amazing truth that we can always stand on. Even when we may FEEL disconnected to God, He is never disconnected from us. It says that we have been justified by faith, “Though whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand…” Access, meaning freedom to come to Him at all times.

Here are two ways that we ourselves disconnect from our fellowship connection with God. One—sin. Two—believing satan’s fiery dart lies! There is a song that Casting Crowns sings. It is called, “Great Are You Lord.” The chorus reiterates that it is His breath in our lungs. Are you breathing? Then God is connected to you—make no mistake. Are you living in sin, or are you controlled by satan’s lies? Then, you have disconnected yourself from God’s living word.

Luke 4:4 Amplified was Jesus’ answer to the devil. It says, “…It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone but by every word and expression of God.” Our intimate communion with the Lord is based on our understanding of Him through His word.

Clarifying: my use of the word ‘disconnect’ means break in fellowship with God

The Hebrew word ‘selah’ means to pause and calmly think about something. God called the children of Israel to be His own. Deuteronomy 7:6 says, “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.”

They disconnected from God out of fleshly fear. Exodus 20:18-19 says, “…when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

They asked Moses to be their mediator. There are religions today that have mediators. The leaders usurp God’s place. The Strong’s definition for mediator is: a go-between, umpire, reconciler, arbitrator, intermediary. The children of Israel wanted Moses to be their connection to God.

Hebrews 8:6 was speaking about Jesus versus the OT priests. It says, “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.” 

Hebrews 9:14 says, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” More tomorrow.

Do you ever feel disconnected to God? Yesterday I had an electrician come and do some wiring. He had to disconnect the electricity on the north side of my mobile. I found that the disconnection was very challenging. I had things I needed to accomplish but I had NO power.

That is exactly what happens when we disconnect with the Lord. I’ve been meditating about this off and on since yesterday. Truth: God is connected to us from the moment of our conception. Remember Genesis 2:7 says that His breath is IN us.

Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.” Paul was addressing a group of philosophers in Athens. Unbelievers.

God is connected to every human being. I don’t think that I have ever considered what I am about to share with you. I’m sure my mouth dropped open when the Holy Spirit connected this truth. This gives me a new evangelism ice breaker.

All humans are made in the image of God, and we all carry His breath in our lungs. Yet we are not connected to Him until we accept Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord. Can a believer disconnect from God? Yes. Does God ever disconnect? No. The disconnect is totally from man’s end. More tomorrow.