An indication of our love for the Lord is our obedience to His word. John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

How can we obey if we don’t know? Psalm 119:4-6 says, “You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently. Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments.”

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” We cannot ‘know’ the Lord intimately apart from His word.

I love Psalm 119 because the writer used so many different words for God’s word. If you haven’t read this Psalm in a while, I encourage you to fit it into your schedule.

Psalm 119:147 says, “I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word.” According to Hebrews 6:19, hope is the anchor of our soul. Without a treasure of God’s word in our heart, what hope would sustain us during the tumultuous storms in our lives? Nothing.

We would be like the double-minded man in James 1:6-8 says, “…he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind…he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” No anchor equals no stability.

Hope in God, through the heart-anchor of His word, squashes ALL doubts that come in through fiery darts. They fall to the ground inoperable. They have nowhere to penetrate because hope is faith’s indestructible living shield.

1 Peter 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. That same resurrection power resides in every believer. We live out the gospel through that power as we yield to the Holy Spirit.

I am starting out with the last two sentences from yesterday’s post. “Quality of life on this earth is living out the gospel. The gospel is designed to affect every aspect of our lives.”

Quality of life has nothing to do with whether or not our circumstances are negative or positive. It is defined through our relationship with the Lord. Genesis 2:7 says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…”

Our relationship with the Lord is as vital as our breath. Therefore we do well to remember that sin separates us from fellowship with Him. Can you hold your breath very long without gasping for air? Can you remain separated from fellowship with the Lord and thrive?

I like to often visit John 15:5 in the Amplified. It says, “I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing.”

Here is the root to our fleshly reactions. We are living independent of the Lord in that moment. I want to use this illustration from my life to help us think about what independence means.

I had a low hanging branch on a tree in my backyard. It was always in my way. I laboriously sawed it off with a hand saw. It fell to the ground. I went in and laid down for 1/2 hour. When I came back, the first thing that I noticed were the leaves. They were shriveled. What a picture of living in sin!

Romans 11 was written about Israel. The wording in verse 18 is so instructional for us. It says, “Do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.”

What is the support in our relationship with the Lord? It is His word. John 15:10 Amplified says, “If you keep My commandments (if you continue to obey My instructions); you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love.”

Do you treasure God’s word? Is it laid up in your heart? Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We will continue this tomorrow.

I want you to think of folks you know who are immobile, cannot care for themselves, or are shut-ins. My mind quickly goes to Joni Eareckson Tada. She cannot do anything for herself. Yet, she has a worldwide ministry.

Here is another one I think about often. Nick Vijicic. He was born without arms or legs. He has ministered to countless folks. He is married and has four children. I encourage you to watch his videos. 

Steve Saint traveled worldwide. He is the son of the pilot that flew onto the tiny beach in Ecuador. He and the other four missionaries were killed by the Auca Indians in 1956. Steve had a severe spinal cord injury on June 13, 2012. He was left partially paralyzed from the neck down. He was stopped in his tracks. Yet, the Lord has continued to use him mightily in a far different capacity.

Quality of life is defined through our thoughts on grace, not our abilities or mobility. Through 2 Corinthians 12:9, we get a broader view of grace. Paul asked the Lord to take away the thorn in his flesh. It says, “He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

When we keep our mind flooded with God’s word, our thought processes are righteous. When we fill our mind with our adversities, we default to our flesh. Hebrews 11 is a record of other’s walk of faith in the midst of adversity. Verse 33-34 says, “Who through faith…stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to fight the armies of the aliens.”

Verse 37 said that some were sawn in two. Verse 39 says, “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise.” Faith is not a thought process. It is an incontestable heart belief in the gospel. Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

John 14:1 says, “…you believe in God, believe also in Me.” It is not enough to believe that God exists. We are called into a personal relationship with the Lord Who died for us on the cross. It is through Jesus’ death that we live. Paul’s words echoed this truth. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Quality of life on this earth is living out the gospel. The gospel is designed to affect every aspect of our lives. We no longer live for ourselves, but we live under the control of the Holy Spirit. Our lives are to reflect that work through our thoughts, purpose, and actions being daily conformed to God’s will and ways.

I took care of my dad at my house for 10 1/2 years to give him quality of life so that he could continue to evangelize. The last 19 months of his life he was in a care facility. He tootled around in his wheelchair with his Bible on his lap. 

Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” We will all live out the days fashioned for us. The question you need to ask yourself: Will I live them out with quality of life? Psalm 103:5 says, “Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

Everything in our life involves our thoughts. Our thoughts are always in our control. No one nor any circumstances can dictate our thoughts. What are thoughts that are conducive to our health?

Here is a great prescription. Psalm 104:33-34 says, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord.”

I have watched a few videos about music therapy. The power of music is able to radically change a life. Ephesians 5:19 says, “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

New songs just bubble up from our heart in worship to the Lord. They are spiritual songs. They have no scrip, they are not premeditated, because they are the fruit of joy in Him. 

King Jehoshaphat instructed his singers to go out before the army. 2 Chronicles 20:22 says, “Now when they began to sin and to praise, the Lord set ambushes…and they were defeated.” I love Psalm 22:3. It says, “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” Have you ever lifted up your heart in song when you faced an impossible situation?

Here is another prescription. Hebrew 13:15 says, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” Thankfulness is God’s will, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Here are two verses from a new song called Song Of The Altar: In the midst of adversity when trouble surrounds me. I come into Your presence and I build an altar. I remember how You met me time and time again and I bow in worship. Nothing can overtake me when I hide in You. Nothing can overwhelm me when I look to You. I set my eyes on You and I gaze into Your face. I bask in the love of Your eyes full of grace.

When we turn our gaze from our circumstances to the Lord with praise, Psalm 149 says that it defeats our enemy. You can read the whole Psalm for yourself. I want to end with Psalm 145:3. It says, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.” 

I woke up with Exodus 15:26 in my thoughts. It is a promise with a condition given to the children of Israel. Yet, it applies to us as well because the Lord does everything through His word. It says, “…If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”

The Hebrew word for ‘heals’ means doctor. It is Yahweh-Ropheka. When we disobey God’s word, we open the door to dis-ease. Hebrews 12:15 is a great reminder of what happens with bitterness. Notice how it blocks grace. It says, “Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”

What happened when the children of Israel complained? Numbers 11:1 says, “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused…” Psalm 107:20 says, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Bitterness and complaining are toxic destroyers. Bitterness causes acid to drip on our neural connections which corrodes them.

Many diseases have spiritual roots. Our Great Physician stands by to heal us spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I do not know when my self-hatred and self-rejection began, but I know when it ended. For years I had spoken death words over my body. One day the Lord stopped me in my tracks by sending His word to heal me.

Our words come from our thoughts. Psalm 139:14 says, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” Romans 9:20 says about the clay in the potter’s hands. “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, Why have you made me like this?”

Jeremiah 1:5 says of God’s prophet, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” Let’s go back to Psalm 139:13. David said, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.” Verse 15 says, “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” Our Creator has known us before conception, and created us to be how He knew our whole life would play out.

Our destructive thoughts and ways disrupt His design. Did you know that one pound of excess fat requires 7 miles of new blood vessels and capillaries to support it? Excess pounds put stress on your heart, making it work far harder than it was designed to work.

Our toxic lifestyle habits destroy our good gut bacteria. 70% of our immune system, and neurotransmitters are in our gut. Street and pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, sugar, white flour, all artificial sweeteners, and processed foods destroy what God has created to keep us healthy. All disease starts in the gut. Let us honor Him through obedience to His word, so that our destructive ways do not block His grace. Let us honor Him with the quality of life He designed us to serve Him with.

We are members of the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:14 says, “For in fact the body is not one member but many.” Verse 25 says, “That there be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.” Schism means division. We have an enemy of our soul that seeks ways to divide so he can conquer.

One of his clever ways is through hidden sin. Self-deception (lying to self) plays into the picture. When I was in jail ministry, we had moms incarcerated because they were busted with drugs. One said to me, “I don’t know what the problem is. I was doing drugs in my own home. I was not hurting anyone.” 

She did not take into account that her young daughters were with her AS she was doing drugs. She was miffed when they were taken away from her, but did not own her sin. It reminded me of Proverbs 30:20 which says, “This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, I have done no wickedness.” 

Do you hear what Proverbs 6:32 says about the adulterer? “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul.” We do not sin alone. Verse 25 says that we are to have the same care for one another. Will my hidden sin affect others that I am in fellowship with? Yes. Will it affect those that are in the sphere of my influence? Yes. 

1 Corinthians 15:33 Amplified says, “Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character.”

Part of how we continue to live in His grace is to walk in Galatians 6:1. It says, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Temptations to sin are universal. The body of Christ is worldwide. The verse encourages every believer to walk in humility. We are called to walk in transparency and accountability. 

Are you struggling? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you one you can talk to. Do you see someone struggling with a sin that is keeping them captive? Ask the Holy Spirit to convict them. Then ask Him how you can come alongside and encourage them in their progressive sanctification. Let the church be a united front against the wiles of the enemy!

2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

The J. B. Phillips translation says, “…always have sufficient both for yourselves and for giving away to other people.” As I read this I thought back to something the Holy Spirit showed me years ago.

Though this verse is in the context of financial giving, we can still apply it to our lives. Let’s look at some of the ways that stop God’s abundant grace in our progressive sanctification (becoming more like Jesus).

God’s grace is abundantly available to us when we are offended. However in the heat of the moment we vent to someone else. Through our gossip, we invited them into something that was not theirs to be involved in. 

We have sinned against them because we planted a destructive seed. Proverbs 26:22 Amplified says, “The words of a whisperer (gossip) are like dainty morsels (to be greedily eaten); They go down into the innermost chambers of the body (to be remembered and mused upon).” 

Gossip blocks grace, not only in our lives but also in the lives of those we infected. Proverbs 18:8 says, “The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.” The literal is rooms of the belly.

Our hidden sin is another way that we block God’s abundant grace for our lives. Here is a definition for character that I picked up years ago. It is what we do behind doors when no one else is around. How do you spend your time alone? Does it exemplify the Lord’s character? Do you dwell in the light or in the darkness in your thoughts and actions? John 3:21 calls us to be light dwellers, “…that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

1 Thessalonians 5:22 says, “Abstain from every form of evil.” When I was small, we never went to a restaurant that was dark inside. My dad used to say that he wanted to see his food. When I was older, I understood it was because he was a preacher of the gospel, he wanted to stay away from all appearances of evil. We always went to family type places to eat. He wanted to uphold his testimony as a follower of Jesus.

Another way that we block God’s grace is through pride, arrogance, and a haughty spirit. Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” Do we hate the things that God hates? Do we walk in humility? Do we die to our fleshly cravings in order to live upright in His sight? Everything that we do, hidden or in the open, is known by the Lord. 

I love to picture John 1:16 in my mind when I think about God’s abundant grace. The Amplified says, “For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and we were all supplied with) one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift.”

We are ambassadors or representatives of Jesus. Are your activities conducive for sharing the gospel with others? Hiding our sin causes inner shame and guilt. It keeps us locked up. Confession of our sin opens the floodgates of God’s grace to empower us to be all that He has called us to be.

After an older cousin read my first book he said, “You can’t be so dogmatic.” Dogmatic means: inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true. Isn’t that how the Bible is? The truth of God’s word cannot be altered or changed in any way. We have to remember that Jesus is Truth and He does not change. John 14:6 says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…”

Romans 8:5 is an absolute truth that we do well to remember. It is an either or verse for me. It says, “For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Galatians 5:17 broadens it, saying, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another…”

I love this picture that illustrates the word contrary. In your mind I want you to see two magnets turned opposite of each other. The magnetic field is contrary. They cannot mesh together. There is an unseen power force between them.

Here is another verse. 1 Peter 3:9 says, “Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” Peter helps us see what Jesus did when He was reviled. 1 Peter 2:23 says, “Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.”

Here is a verse that helps me. It was in a dialogue between God and Abraham. Genesis 18:25 says, “…Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Yes He will. I lean on this verse when I am praying for our nation. It is a way that I am training my heart to commit myself to the Lord when I see injustice!

Our flesh is contrary to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Hidden lies feed our flesh. They permeate our thought processes unknowingly.  Here is great news. Lies are exposed and uprooted through the work of the Holy Spirit. He knows what lies are hidden. He knows what is driving our words and actions that are contrary to truth. We don’t.

It all begins with our thoughts. If our intention is self-serving, it is rooted in a lie. Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s word discerns our self-driven intentions. He uses His scalpel with precision while we read His word daily. Your hidden flesh rises up in protest when His word confronts it with truth.

The next time you react in your flesh, I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the hidden lie. All lies have a root system. They intertwine. We are absolutely dependent on the Holy Spirit to reveal what holds us captive, and He is the One Who will set us free.

In Colossians 1:29 Paul expressed how God was at work in him. The Amplified says, “For this I labor (unto weariness), striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me.”

What was that labor? Verse 28 in the Amplified says, “Him we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated,  complete, and perfect) in Christ (the Anointed One).”

We are ambassadors of Christ. We are all called to make disciples. As Paul declared, we do not do it in our own strength. Philippians 2:13 Amplified says, “(Not in your own strength) for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you (energizing and creating in you the power and desire), both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.”

I think one of the hardest parts of progressive sanctification is learning how to live in the spirit and not yield a moment to our flesh. Our flesh profits nothing, according to John 6:63.

This truth is never more evident than when we are stuck in a lie. Nothing grows without a root, and every lie has a root source. We cannot get free from them in our own strength. We may try, but we will fail every time. It takes the supernatural intervention of the Holy Spirit each step of the way.

How does He most effectively work in our hearts? When we are submitted to His control. That means that we have to be attentive, and listen to what He is saying. Every nuance is a key to what, where, and when.

I love the Amplified in Luke 4:4. It says, “…It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone but by every word and expression of God.”

Psalm 19:1-2 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night until night reveals knowledge.”

The Lord often speaks to us through the storms of our lives. He demonstrated His power to His disciples through a storm. In their own strength they could not row against the wind. They were straining and getting nowhere. 

Mark 6:51 says, “Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.”

When Jesus steps into the ‘boat’ of our impossibilities, the ‘storm’ ceases. What circumstances are you in right now that are tossing you up and down? What are you straining against? What unresolved issues have you bound? What lies control your life?

We have the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. We can ask Him for help. In John 14:16 Jesus told His disciples, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”

Luke 15 has three different narratives, yet with the same subject in mind. The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son all end in great rejoicing. That is exactly how it is when something that was lost is found. The excitement has to be shared because it is too big to hold alone.

In the mid 70’s I got in my car and drove several hours to go to the beach. I locked my purse in my trunk and took only my key to get back into the trunk. I laid my towel down on the sand and put the key under the upper right hand corner. I fell asleep.

I heard, “Big wave is coming, clear the beach!” I grabbed my towel and raced up the stairs to my car. Then I realized that my key was still down on the sand. I asked the Holy Spirit to show me where it was. I began walking slowly, looking down the whole time. He led me right to it. There is no way that I would have been able to see it on my own. I didn’t own a cell phone back then, but when I got home I called my friends to tell them what the Lord had done for me.

I have many stories of the Holy Spirit showing me where lost things were, as well as hidden lies being revealed. Is there anything too hard for the Lord in your life? Are you struggling with something that you cannot get free from? Hidden things are the Holy Spirit’s speciality. Is there anything too hard for the Lord in your life? Are you struggling with something that you cannot get free from? Hidden things are the Holy Spirit’s speciality.

He will lead you into the Light when your heart is ready. Don’t push ahead. Don’t go groping in the dark. Only the Holy Spirit knows what fiery dart lies are buried in your heart.

Joseph rightly explained his life to his brothers. Genesis 50:20 says, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many alive.”

It is the same for us. What satan means for evil, the Lord will turn it around for our good. The Lord knows when another sins against us. What He allows, He will redeem. Nothing we go through is ever in vain.

When we share our testimony of how the Holy Spirit revealed the hidden lies that controlled our life, He will use it to set others free. They in turn will share how the Lord worked in their lives. There is a ripple effect when the hidden is revealed. 

1 Corinthians 2:7-8 revealed the hidden wisdom, “…which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew…” The Lord hid what He would do, through Jesus’ death, until the right time. We do well to remember this when we begin to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal our hidden lies. It is all in His impeccable timing