Spiritual Eclipse

Here is the dictionary definition of an eclipse. An obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer, or between it and its source of illumination. Ephesians 1:18 was Paul’s prayer. It says, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”

Isaiah 60:1 says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.” John 1:4 says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Verse 7 was speaking of John the Baptist. It says, “This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.” Like John, we are also called to be witnesses of Jesus, the Light.

Our fleshly reactions eclipse the Son. Romans 8:5 says that those who live according to the flesh set their minds on fleshly things. Verse 7-8 says, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God…So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Then Paul reminded his readers that, in truth, they are of the Spirit. The Spirit of God dwells in the heart of every born again believer.

Our progressive sanctification is a journey of decreasing our fleshly ways, and conforming to His will and ways, Therefore, the Holy Spirit within will resist us when we veer off track. We cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit through our flesh. Let me list them from Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

It is essential to connect the fruit of the Spirit to the inward graces that Peter wrote about. 2 Peter 15-7 is a list of what we are to add to our faith. Virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Did you notice the overlap? It takes faith to yield to the Holy Spirit. When we allow Him to lead us, our hidden unresolved issues surface to thwart us. They were hidden in a fleshly moment.

Ephesians 5:8-10 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.” We know from Hebrews 11:6 that it is impossible to please the Lord without faith. It takes faith to walk in His Light.

John 3:20 says that those who practice evil (fleshly ways) hate the light. Did you know that cockroaches hate the light? If you walk into a dark room and turn on the light they will scatter. That is a great picture for us to remember as we read verse 21. It says, “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” This verse gives weight to 1 Thessalonians 5:22. It says, “Abstain from every form of evil.”

Romans 6 is a very instructive chapter on how to live as children of light. Verse 1 asks the question: shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Pauls uses an emphatic statement in verse 2. It says, “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Verse 4 is a reminder for us of our death to sin. It says, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Romans 13:12 says to throw off the works of darkness and to put on the armor of light. Verse 14 is key to how not to eclipse the Lord. It says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make NO provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Consider this. Anything that you do in the dark, that you don’t want anyone to know about, is fulfilling the lust of your flesh. Anything that we do in our flesh eclipses the Son, and darkens our witness of His Light.

Cravings

Cravings are rooted in something from our past. If we never had it in the first place, we would not miss it when it was taken away. We see an example of this in Numbers 11. Note how verse 4 starts with, “Now the mixed multitude…” 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.” The children of Israel brought some of the Egyptians with them. When the complaining began, it spread its contamination to everyone around the disgruntled ones.

Verse 4 goes on to say, “…yielded  to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: Who will give us any meat to eat?” Watch how they looked back. Verse 5 says, “We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.” That list reveals that they were dialoguing about what they didn’t have. It made them discontent with God’s miraculous provision. They totally forgot that they were enslaved, and that they were treated harshly. Verse 6 says, “But our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

The Lord was angry. Moses took up the offense of the people and lashed out at the Lord. The Lord answered the cravings of the people. Yet there was a severe price to pay. The Lord sent quail. Verse 33 says, “But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague.” Verse 34 says, “…they buried the people who had yielded to craving.”

Here is a very serious verse that makes me tremble. Psalm 106:15 says, “And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.” The contrast is in Jeremiah 31:14. It says, “I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.” There is nothing on this earth that is worth living in spiritual leanness for.

Cravings are a distraction in our progressive sanctification. The Lord has us on a journey to learn how to lean on Him and not our own understanding. He is teaching us how to conform our thoughts, purpose, and actions to His will through our trials. We are also learning how persistent our fleshly lust can be. When we deprive our flesh, it rears up from its hiding place to scream out its displeasure.

The danger with cravings is they make us dissatisfied with what we have. The children of Israel had God’s wonderful provision of manna. It was His miraculous sustenance for them. It had all the nutrients needed to keep them healthy, because He provided it for 40 years! 

There are times in our lives when we believe that the Lord’s manna-provision for us is not enough. This can be especially true in hard trials. We are tempted to complain, which is sin because it displeases the Lord. There are times that we might lose sight of His goal for us. Romans 8:28 says that He is working everything in our lives for our good. The trial we are in will yield a benefit that we lacked if we endure.

Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance…” The Greek word for endurance is humpomone. I love this word. Here is the note in my Bible from the Strong’s definition that I frequently visit. It says, “Constancy, perseverance, continuance, bearing up, steadfastness, holding out, patient endurance.

It describes the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with a passive complacency, but with a hopeful fortitude that actively resists weariness and defeat.” As you can imagine, when we look back, we lose sight of our goal. We are viciously thrown off track. Let us keep our eyes on the Lord, and be continually grateful for His provision for us through His death, burial, and resurrection.

Numbers 10:11 says, “Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony.” Verse 12 says that they set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their journeys, “…then the cloud settled down in the Wilderness of Paran.” Verse 34 says, “And the cloud of the Lord was above them by day…”

The Presence of the Lord is not manifested to us as a visible cloud like the children of Israel had. Jeremiah 23:24 says, “Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him? says the Lord; do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.” Every living thing on this earth lives in His Presence. Yet, not every person acknowledges that truth.

When God made man out of the dust of the earth, what does Genesis 2:7 say? That God, “…breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” His Presence is manifested through our breath. Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we live and move and have our being…” Psalm 150:6 says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Isaiah 43:7 says that we are all created for His glory. Psalm 104:29 was written about the animals. It says, “You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.” Psalm 144:4 says, “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” James 4:14 is a good reminder for us. It says, “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

While we have breath, how shall we live? Job 27:3-4 says, “As long as my breath is in me, and the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.” Verse 6 says, “My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.” What did God say about Job at the beginning of the book? Job 1:8 says, “…a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

As I was typing the first part of this a little song bubbled up. I paused in it because it ministered to my spirit. Just sing this slowly and thoughtfully, in whatever tune the Lord gives you. “Breath of God. Breath of God. Your Presence fills my inner being. Breath of God. Breath of God. I lift my heart to acknowledge Your Presence.” As you sing it, I encourage you to put your index finger lightly across your upper lip. Let the breath that you feel remind you afresh of Whose you are.

The children of Israel were in a wilderness. It was all uncharted territory. Yet, they knew that when they followed the cloud, the Lord would lead them. We have the Holy Spirit to lead us. 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 with you and will be in 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.” The Holy Spirit will always lead us into truth. What we do need is to learn to trust His leading over our own. Holy Spirit, help us to follow You. Help us to be sensitive to how You are working, so that we do not resist You in any way. Lead us into the truth that will set us free from ourselves and the things that bind us.

Last night I was reading Numbers 9. I saw something that I don’t remember seeing before. It caused a cascade of verses to come to mind. It also helped me to recognize several things. I have read this passage many times, yet I always saw it as the same as what I believed. Things are not always as they appear to be. There is a true reality behind an appearance.

First let me ask this question. Did you believe, like me, that there was a pillar of fire by night, and a cloud by day that led the children of Israel? Did you see it as two separate ways that God led them? Numbers 9:15 shattered that belief for me last night. Read it carefully and see what you see. It says, “Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle , the tent of the Testimony; from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire.” Did you catch the  ‘appearance’ of fire? It was not a pillar of fire, it was the appearance of fire.

Verse 16 says, “So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.” Let’s jump ahead to 1 Corinthians 10:1. It says, “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea.” The Lord led them by a cloud. Yet at night, it took on the likeness as fire.

If you want an interesting read, go to Ezekiel 1. Many times Ezekiel used the words ‘appearance of’ to try and describe the vision he saw. It seems he used something similar to him as he groped for words. You might wonder why I am going this way. I just wanted to ‘awaken’ you. As we read our Bible, we need to read it as though we haven’t read it before. The Holy Spirit is ready to illuminate truth so that we can apply it to our present day. How do we make an application to the verses in Numbers 9? 

First I want to take us to Philippians 2:7-8. Paul wrote truth with words to capture his reader’s attention. It says of Jesus, “…taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man…” John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The true reality behind His appearance is that He is always God, no matter what form He takes to manifest Himself to His people.

What is the truth behind how you appear? In Colossians 2:20 Paul was challenging his readers to remember that they died with Christ and therefore were not subject to worldly regulations. Verse 23 says, “These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom…” James 3:15 says that worldly wisdom, “…does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.”

1 Thessalonians 5:22 says, “Abstain from every form of evil.” The word ‘form’ in the Greek means: visible form, shape, appearance, and outward show. Is the message you speak, the same as your messenger? 1 John 2:6 says, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” How did Jesus walk? One way was in humility. I’ve noticed that if there is pride in my heart, my words will reflect that pride and not exemplify Jesus’ character of humility. Let us be genuine in our heart so that our words are genuine. An authentic follower of Jesus has the appearance that they have been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

This is a drawing I did June 8, 2017. It was part of my warfare art. It was my way to journal when I could not see clearly because of the brain injury. I invite you to bathe in this cleansing fountain. His blood will wash away all your emotional pain from your past rejections.

I know from my own childhood experiences that a scowl meant the person was displeased. It felt like rejection to me. It would make me want to withdraw inside. I know now as an adult, that in truth, the scowl was not because of me. The scowl was because of what the scowling person was encountering at the time. Conversely, a child will perceive a smile as something good. It makes them want to draw close to the smiling person.

I had a wonderful kindergarten teacher. She was so accepting, and acknowledged what I drew or colored as something good. I remember in seventh grade that I had a scowling math teacher. He berated me from the front of the class, and called me a bump on a log because I didn’t understand something.

Children do not have the capacity to understand when something is directed at them or the person’s negative reactions to their circumstances at the time. Children are literal. They think in concrete terms. It is either black or white. It is good or bad. They haven’t learned about grey areas yet. A child who does not FEEL loved, will perceive it as rejection. An unwanted child, perceived or real, will act out their emotional pain through rebellion.

1 Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” As an adult we need to discern between our perceptions and reality. We need to communicate what we are thinking rather than assume the other person understands. Only the Lord knows what anyone is thinking. Good communication bridges the gap so that there is heart harmony.

Hebrews 5:14 says, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Jesus spoke in parables. The general crowd did not understand His underlying truths. Mark 4:9 says, “And He said to them, He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” When He was alone with His disciples, He explained the parable in terms that they understood.

We often misjudge a situation because we do not know all the facts. We jump to fleshly conclusions. That creates a seedbed for offenses. Hebrews 12:15 in the J. B. Phillips says, “Be careful that none of you fails to respond to the grace which God gives, for if he does there can very easily spring up in him a bitter spirit which is not only bad in itself but can also poison the lives of many others.”

Let me give you an illustration. Years ago I wanted to get rid of some scraggly plants in my flower bed. I wanted something beautiful and pleasing to my eyes and senses. I started to uproot them. It was CandyTuft. The roots were so invasive. They were intertwined in horrible tangles. That is what happens when we allow a bitter root to take over in our hearts.

Our thoughts become a tangled mess of bitterness and unforgiveness from the harbored offenses. In Acts 8:22-23 Peter addressed Simon’s heart condition. It says, “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” Did you catch his words? He was so entangled with sinful thoughts.

Unresolved offenses will take root and contaminate our thoughts which then become words. Caustic or death words crush our spirit. If you have been impacted by negative or demeaning words, you can be free through heart forgiveness. Choosing to forgive will usher in the Lord’s grace to flow over you like cleansing water. Your twisted emotions will begin to untangle, and your thought processes will be freed to please the Lord.

Hosea 14:1 says that we stumble because of our iniquity. Verse 2 says, “Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.” Hebrews 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.” Our praise is a pleasing sacrifice to Him when we finally lay our heart pain on His altar. 

In Matthew 18:7 Jesus told His disciples that offenses would come. They are just a part of living. In Luke 17:1 Jesus said, “…It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!” Here is satan’s strategy. Rejection is the temptation to sin. The Greek word for offense is scandalon. Doesn’t that sound like our word scandalous? 

Rejection is the temptation to sin by harboring the offense. Offense is the trap stick. To take satan’s bait (rejection) will ensnare us through an offended heart. Since rejection is only the temptation to sin, we have a choice. We can take the bait, or forgive and escape the snare. Proverbs 1:17 says, “Surely, in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.”

We are usually broadsided by rejection. We might not see it coming so it is a shock. Our flesh immediately goes into a defensive mode. The Holy Spirit is present to offer grace so we can forgive and move forward. Here is the snare with offenses. When we are offended we have His immediate grace to forgive. However, if we pass on our offense to someone else, it is gossip and there is no grace without repentance.

Romans 14:21 is in the context of eating or not eating temple meat. The application is there. It says, “…It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.” Years ago I heard a message from a rancher describing a tumble weed. He said that when it is just a shoot, it is green and easily pulled out roots and all. When it grows and dries out, it tumbles around everywhere. It picks up debris wherever it goes. That is a great illustration of how our shared bitter offenses can affect others. They are divisive, and they spread gossipy-contamination.

The set trap is always hidden. It has bait that will appeal to our lower nature. Years ago I read a book by John Bevere. It is called, “The Bait Of Satan: living free from the deadly trap of offense.” Until I read that book I didn’t realize how deadly clever satan’s myriad offense-traps are. People often spread their offense because it makes them the victim. Yet carrying the offense keeps us trapped in pride. Proverbs 11:13 says, “A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.”

When we are rejected we are hit with emotional pain. That whole rejection scene is between us and the Lord. We need to pour out our heart. Hannah is a great example for us. She was rejected by her rival. She was looked down on because she was barren. 1 Samuel 1:6 says, “And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb.” In those times a barren woman was viewed as cursed by God.

Hannah was emotionally impacted. That carried over into her physical and spiritual life. Verse 8 says that she wept, didn’t eat, and her heart was grieved. Verse 10 says, “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.” Can’t you just feel her emotional pain? Verse 13 says, “Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard…” Eli the priest thought she was drunk. Verse 15 says, “…I am a woman of sorrowful spirit…have poured out my soul before the Lord.” Let us also pour out our heart to the Lord when we are rejected. We need to empty all that pain before Him, so that He can bring the healing that we need to progress on our journey of sanctification.

Reviving Burned Stones is the title to one of my ebooks, and chapter two in Victorious Garden: true heart forgiveness. Both are on Amazon. What does our pathway look like after we have been rejected? How do we process the pain? Our flesh wants to lash out, but our spirit man wants to lean hard on the Lord. Galatians 5:16 is a key verse to the aftermath of rejection. It says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

Here was a strategic maneuver that we can adapt for ourselves. Rejection is not a one time event. We need to have a purpose set in our heart for the next time we suffer rejection. Nehemiah 4:6 was after they cried out to the Lord to avenge them. It says, “So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up  to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” The children of Israel did not let the rejection stop them from the work the Lord had called them to do.

Verse 7 says that the enemy was furious because, “…the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed…” Let me take you to Isaiah 7. It reveals the enemy’s strategy. Verse 6 says, “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in the wall for ourselves…” It is essential to understand that when we are rejected, it is satan’s plan to bring division. He hates close knit relationships. He seeks to divide so he can conquer through his lies.

Let me illustrate from Israel’s time. The vineyards were hedged about with a protective wall. It might have been shrubbery, or a rock wall. They set a watch to make sure that nothing would create a little gap. Something bigger would come and make that gap bigger. Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Catch us the little foxes…” Why? They would race through the vineyard and knock off the blossoms so that there would be no fruit.

Gaps remain in our relationships through heart unforgiveness. Let us apply Paul’s admonition to the church at Rome. Romans 12:2 in the J. B. Phillips says, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and move towards the goal of true maturity.”

What is the world’s way? Revenge! The enemy unleashed revenge in our country with the riots, the burnings, and the hatred. Our hearts get burned through rejection. That isn’t the end of the story. At that moment we have a choice. We can lash out in our flesh, or we can forgive and move forward. If we let the offense build in our heart, we will become like the vineyard in Proverbs 24:30-34. It was full of nettles and thorns because the wall was diligently attended to.

Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” It is at that throne that we are bid to come in our time of need. It is there that we will find the mercy and grace to forgive from our heart. 

How did the Lord respond when He was reviled during His walk on this earth? Revile means to berate, rail against, or criticize in an angry way. 1 Peter 2:24 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.” We react in our flesh, but we respond in our heart to the Holy Spirit’s readiness to lead us through the situation into victory!

Rejection is a universal emotional pain. It seems to be a hurt that everyone experiences in their life. It comes in myriad ways, but the message is that we are not wanted. It makes us feel deficient in an area or multiple areas. We often take it personally, when in fact, it was a deficiency in the one who rejected us. The fiery dart lies begin to bombard us. They usually come in the first person.

The lies might make us turn against ourselves. The questioning lies are all negative. They distort the truth of who we are, and who God created us to be. Any lie that satan throws our way is against our design. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” The Lord designed us exactly as He saw fit. His entire purpose for our life was included. Psalm 119:73 says “Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.”

It is essential to consider that Jesus was rejected. Isaiah 53:3 says, “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man  of sorrows and acquainted with grief…”  He knows what we are experiencing when we are rejected. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus suffered ultimate rejection by His Father, in order for us to be accepted in the Beloved.

As we read through our Bible, we see account after account of rejection. Adam and Eve rejected God’s command. Cain rejected God’s way to make a sacrifice and murdered his brother. Israel rejected God in wanting a king. 1 Corinthians 10 gave a brief history of Israel. Verse 6 says, “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.”

Rejection leaves an emotional hole. We tend to fill it with other things that choke out God’s word from working deep into our heart. It is His word that will bring the instruction we need. We cannot effectively navigate through emotionally painful times through leaning on our flesh. John 6:63 says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to  you are spirit, and they are life.”

It is pointless to keep bringing up the lies. It is impossible to name them all. However, truth is a far more excellent way to the path of healing from rejection. John 15:16 says, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”

Don’t allow the lies to remain that you have believed about yourself because of being rejected. Demonic lies are the underpinning of rejection. They are all lies designed to control our lives. There is only One that we want to be under the control of. That is where fruit is borne that will glorify the Lord. Galatians 5:22-23 is a list of the fruit of the Spirit. It will be evident in our lives as we walk in the Spirit. 

Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are like a cluster of grapes. A cluster has individual grapes, but they are a whole. So we are in the body of Christ. Individuals that make a whole expression of Him on this earth. The enemy taunted the Jews as they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah 4:2 says, “Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish–stones that are burned?” If you have ever been burned in a relationship, there is hope! You are called to endure. Lay hold of the Lord in a new way. Lean hard on His grace. He will be the Healer you need for your broken heart.

The question comes. Do I believe about myself the same way God sees me? How often does ‘I can’t’ come out of my mouth? Paul didn’t use those words, but he might have thought them when he faced his thorn. Otherwise, why did he plead with God to remove it? The Lord did not take away his thorn. What ‘thorn’ is in your side?

Here is a short poem to help us view another aspect of our thorn-trial. It was written by a woman who lived with intense pain and immobility.  Mendicant is a beggar. The Thorn was written by Martha Snell Nicholson. I stood a mendicant of God before His royal throne. And begged him for one priceless gift, which I could call my own. I took the gift from out His hand, but as I would depart. I cried, “But Lord this is a thorn and it has pierced my heart. This is a strange, a hurtful gift, which Thou hast given me.” He said, “My child, I give good gifts and gave My best to thee.” I took it home and though at first the cruel thorn hurt sore. As long years passed I learned at last to love it more and more. I learned He never gives a thorn without this added grace. He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides His face. 

We lose eternal perspective when we focus on our stressors. Here is what I have learned about negative dialogues. Not only are they toxic, but they keep us in the sympathetic part of our brain. That is the fight or flight. They increase cortisol which increases inflammation. The lies that we have believed are stressors. They counter God’s way. Psalm 18:30 says, “As for God, His way is perfect…” Verse 32 says, “It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.”

We can quickly take ourselves out of the sympathetic into the parasympathetic by changing our thoughts. Yes, every aspect of our lives is affected by our thoughts. Shift your thought-gears. Focus on the Lord and His faithfulness. Speak that truth in your heart. Then take a deep breath from your diaphragm. It will immediately take you out of your fight or flight to bring your body into peace and rest.

The lies we believe about ourselves cause stress in our bodies. They oppose God and His ways for us. They cause us to bury our emotions as a means of control. It is self-preservation. In truth, we have control over nothing in our lives except our thoughts. No one but you can change the path your thoughts are going. Negative dialogue is NOT a road map that we should follow.

Lies make us weak. When the Lord spoke to Paul about his thorn, Paul recognized something. His weakness was his greatest strength. He had to acknowledge that truth in order to go forward. What lies about yourself are holding you back? What lies keep you in fight or flight, pumping cortisol into your system continually? Paul’s understanding was enhanced through the truth the Lord spoke to his heart.

To follow our high standard flesh-expectations, or other’s expectations of us causes stress. They keep us uptight which stops fluidity. It blocks us from being who God has called us to be. Let us view our stressors as an awakening tool. Before each of us is a blank canvas. Let’s draw a collage of verses that address our lies with truth. It will help to bring us back into an eternal perspective. Everything on this earth is temporary. God uses our thorns to reveal Himself to us in a new way.