When we walk in God’s truth, we are a testimony of Him to others. Someone watching is encouraged when we steadfastly stand in truth as our faith is tested. When our message and messenger are not the same, we are not practicing the truth we say we believe. Our witness is tarnished and not desirable. 1 John 1:6 says, “If we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

Is your testimony a demonstration of His truth experientially working in your life? That is what makes us a light that illumines the character of Christ through our lives. 1 John 2:4 says, “He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him.”

Here is our governor. Verse 6 says, “He who says he abides in Him, ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” Jesus is the Truth that sets us free. Experiential truth is truth that we consistently think, speak, and walk in. Psalm 15:2 says, “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.”

Do you hear what you are saying? Does it ring with the truth of who you are in Christ? Our thoughts become our words. Proverbs 7:23 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

We are a living testimony. 2 Corinthians 4:2 says, “…by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to everyman’s conscience in the sight of God.” Chapter 2 verse 15 says, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

Do others recognize that you have been with Jesus? Acts 4:13 says, “Now then they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

Romans 8:5 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.” What we ‘set’ our mind on becomes our controller.

Galatians 5:16 says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” The Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines lusts as: gratifying sensual craving, desiring the forbidden, coveting what belongs to another, and striving for things, persons, or experiences contrary to the will of God.

The mixed multitude yielded to their intense cravings (Numbers 11:4). Sin is first a temptation. If we yield, we will be drawn into the action of sin. James 1:14 says, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”

The enticement is a suggestion. When we think about the suggestion verse 15 tells us what happens. It says, “Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

The temptation or the suggestion to sin is a fiery dart. We stop its progression with our shield of faith. Ephesians 6:16 says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

Is something or someone drawing you away from your daily reading of His word? That is satan’s set up to overthrow your faith! Ephesians 5:26 says that we are to daily wash in His word. Mark 4:19 says that the desire for other things will choke God’s word and we will be unfruitful.

Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.” The picture is of the little foxes who got into the vineyard. Their running around knocked off the tiny forming grapes. The harvest was destroyed. Is anything destroying your newly formed fruit?

We glorify the Lord with the fruit we bear through abiding in His word. It is a daily discipline that the enemy of our soul hates. He will do anything to distract us. How does faith come? It comes by hearing His word (Romans 10:17). Not daily reading His word for understanding weakens our faith. Is your Bible cover dusty? There is a saying: a Bible that is wearing out, is the reflection of its owner that is not. Their faith is steadfast.

Galatians 5:24 says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Romans 6:12 says, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”

 

 

James 1:3 Amplified says, “Be assured and understand that the the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.” It takes faith to endure trials. Yet it is faith that is being tested.

Does your trial seems like your faith is being tested to the max? Then it is the Lord bringing up hidden dross so that He can bring out His gift of endurance. Dross is impurity that weakens our faith. Therefore in order for the Lord to bring out endurance, He has to bring up what would sabotage our faith.

Here is one example of an impurity. When you were young you believed a lie of the enemy. It was a fiery dart lie that penetrated and remained hidden. Yet, it seeped into every aspect of your thought life. That lie opposed God’s true nature. Naturally that would affect your faith in Him.

As the impurities are being purged, it may feel like our faith is being shaken. Yet it becomes the entrance into a new phase in our walk with the Lord. He takes out the old to give us the new.

The trapeze artist must let go of the first bar to reach for the oncoming bar. It is the letting go that is the empowerment to reach. Our flesh wants to hold onto the things that are being shaken. The art of endurance is to cling to the Lord.

If we cling to other things rather than the Lord, it will be like a free fall and we will crash at the bottom. Nothing will be gained but loss. The enemy wants you to fail. The Lord has allowed your trial to prove that your faith is genuine and enduring.

 

This morning I was thinking about what it takes to make a lifestyle change. I’m using the words from Hebrews 5:14 ~ who by reason of use (practice) and have their senses exercised. Amplified says trained by practice.

In exercise we train ourselves to do something on a consistent basis to bring change. Last night I started a new exercise to help my stiff feet be more flexible. I realized that in order to really benefit from this, I needed to incorporate it as a lifestyle change.

This means that I must renew my mind and my attitude. I have to consciously bring in new thoughts about persistence, pursuing, being steadfast and immoveable. These will help me build new thought patterns.

My soul (mind, will, emotions) will undergo the change which will then affect my body. Our mind leads off, and our will and emotions follow. I’ll use a braid for example. As I used to braid my hair, I separated it into three strands. One strand was interwoven with the other two strands, consistent interweaving until I formed a solid braid.

I know from experience that I must start small. If I try to do the full exercise I will get discouraged and either drop my goal or approach it in a haphazard way. As I increase slowly, I am training my mind and my body to accomplish my new goal. Consistency and conscientious thoughts are essential.

We renew our mind in order to bring lasting change ~ spiritually and physically. I love Ephesians 4:23 in the Amplified. It says, “And be consistently renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude).”

The Lord reminded me of a passage this morning that I hadn’t visited for a long time. It is the journey of Abraham’s servant to find a bride for Isaac. I love the story, and I love this verse. Genesis 24:27 says, “And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

Being on the way, the Lord led me. Abraham’s servant was obeying his master’s request. He had traveled a long way. If you remember the story he was at the well praying. Rebekah walked up to fill her water pot. He asked the Lord to do something specific.

In verses 42-44 he recounted to Laban his prayer. It says, “And this day I came to the well and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink, and she says to me Drink, and I will draw for your camels also–let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.”

Verse 45 says, “But before I finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah…” Does that remind you of Isaiah 65:24? It says, “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer…”

Our paths are intentionally orchestrated by the Lord. Let me remind you of another story. One I equally love because it shows distinctly how the Lord wants to direct us. 1 Samuel 9 is young Saul and his servant looking for his father’s donkeys. They went into a town to speak to the seer. Verse 13 says, “As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high place to eat…”

Verse 14 says, “So they went up to the city. as they were coming into the city, there was Samuel, coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.” Two intentional pathways intersected.

Verses 15-17 say, “Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying, tomorrow about this time I will send you a man…So when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you…”

Prayer: O Lord. I ask You to direct our steps as specifically as you did for Abraham’s servant, and for Saul and Samuel. Give us a discerning walk. Help us to hear You speaking into our ear. Lead us into paths of Your intentional divine appointments. Help us to be sensitive to Your promptings. Don’t let us miss anything that You want to accomplish, because we are distracted by our flesh. In Jesus precious name. Amen.

This is the last day for my FREE ebook: Victorious Heart: intimate communion with God

Exciting news: I have just finished the rough for a new book. It is called He Drew Me Out Of Deep Waters: encouragement for hard trials. It will be a full color paperback with some of my art work in it. It will be a thin book that can easy be given to those in hospitals, rest homes, shut-ins, and those facing impossible circumstances. It is written from my view in the crucible of my own trials.

It has been in my heart since I read a book by Charles Swindoll, called For Those Who Hurt. It was published in 1977. Another book I highly recommend is written by Amy Carmichael ~ (1867-1951).  She was a missionary in India, and had an orphanage of rescued child temple prostitutes.

She wrote Rose From Brier while bedridden. One night, while walking through a field to rescue a little girl, she stepped into an abandoned well. She never recovered from the unrelenting intense pain of a shattered ankle. It is the only book I’ve read that ministered to my heart after I fell head first into a six foot ravine. It is written from her bed of pain to encourage those in pain. It is not a book from the well to the ill, but from the ill to the ill (in Amy’s words).

I’ve written for permission to quote from her book. I have not received an answer yet. In the meantime my book is still in the publication processes. May the Lord draw you into a deeper place of intimacy with Him ~ Marilyn

FREE EBOOK this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (April 5, 6, 7) Available on Amazon.com

Victorious Heart: intimate communion with God

Here is the back cover

John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  Isaiah 9:6 says that He is our Prince of Peace.

Ephesians 2:14 says that He Himself is our peace.  It is His everlasting gift to those who put their faith and trust in Him.  His peace flows through us like a river.  A gift is something we don’t earn.  We cherish it and keep it.

We will never lose His gift of peace because as the above verse says, He is our peace.  Yet we can override it with our worry, fears, doubts, and negative dialogue.  Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”  There is our key to walking continually in His gift of peace.  He is the subject of our thoughts.

Faith and trust are the heart-keeper of our peace.  Ephesians 6:16 says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”  Fiery darts come in the first person.  “You are not…, you cannot…”  It is a personal attack against our faith.  Job’s attack from satan was personal.  It affected his entire life.

Recognize satan’s tactic: to drawn us away from our focus on the Lord.  If we accept the fiery dart lie, it will penetrate and begin to rule internally.  When satan attacks our faith, we counter attack with our faith in God’s word.  Colossians 2:7 says, “Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

We are taught that faith comes by hearing His word (Romans 10:17).  When the fiery dart hits, we don’t give it another thought.  We immediately turn our thoughts to God’s word.  His eternal truth quenches fiery dart lies.

Here is the governor for our heart.  Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body, and be thankful.”  Both verses in Colossians talk about being thankful.

I will close with 1 Thessalonians 5:18.  It says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  An attitude of gratitude is like a spiritual sponge that absorbs the negative atmosphere around you.  We also create an internal atmosphere from our negative thoughts about ourself, others, or our circumstances.

We know that in heaven the Lord will wipe away all tears.  There will be no more sorrow or pain.  Yet, right now today, we are living in His everlasting comfort.  The Helper or Comforter dwells within!

John 14:16 says, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”  2 Corinthians 1:3 says, “Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.”

His comfort strengthens and empowers us to endure.  Romans 15:4 Amplified says, “For whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by (our steadfast and patient) endurance and the encouragement (drawn) from the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope.”

Why do we turn to the book of Psalms in our time of need?  Many are written by David in his times of distress.  He expresses his heart in his anguish.  We can relate.  We can feel his pain as we navigate through our own.

Here is a new song about how the word sustains:

Sustained

I’m sustained by Your Word, O Lord.  It’s like glue that holds my grieving heart together.  Your peace is like warm oil.  It penetrates and soothes.  Your truth is my shield and my refuge.  It’s my rock in which I hide.

You are my strength, O Lord.  Each breath I take I’m breathing in Your presence.  Every moment You are there to comfort and to bear.  In Your arms I am secure.  For I am nurtured in Your love.

The word preserve means to keep.  The Lord preserves or keeps us in His way, empowering us to bear fruit that glorifies Him.  Here are some verses:  Psalm 145:20.  He preserves all who love Him.  Psalm 47:10.  He preserves the souls of His saints.  Psalm 31:23.  The Lord preserves the faithful.

Proverbs 2:8 says, “He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints.  Jesus preserved Peter.  Look at Jesus’ reassurance.  In Luke 22:31 Jesus told Peter that satan desired to sift him.

Verse 32 says, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”  Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail during the sifting.  His words, ‘when you have returned to Me’ imply that Peter would return.  Then Jesus gave him a commission that also implied that the sifting would make Peter’s faith stronger.

Trials and temptations by satan’s sifting are designed to destroy.  The Lord’s fiery-refining trials purify our faith by removing any dross that would weaken it.

Amos 9:9 says, “For sure I will command, and will sift the house of Israel among all nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve; yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.” In those days they sifted the grains by shaking them in large mesh sieves.  The chaff and little pebbles would fall to the ground, thus purifying the grain for use.

Jesus gave Peter a commission for after his sifting.  We also have a trial-commission.  2 Corinthians 1:4 says, “Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Trials and siftings bring up the dross.  That process is exceedingly painful.  Job was sifted by satan, but Job himself had no clue that satan was behind his losses.  Jesus was sifted by satan.  How did He counter each of satan’s temptation-attacks?  By speaking His word, “It is written…”  That is how we persevere.  We are called to persevere by holding fast to our faith through His word.

Here is another aspect of our call to persevere.  Ephesians 3:10-11 says, “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We are part of His church on display to other believers, unbelievers, and to the rulers of darkness.  Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

We stand through perseverance, as the Lord is working out His eternal purposes in our lives.  I love Ephesians 1:11.  It says, “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”