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…”  There is an essential brick that needs to be laid upon our salvation’s foundation ~ renewing our minds through Scripture.

Another brick is meditating on God’s word. We know the result through Psalm 1:3 ~ spiritual prosperity. It says, “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

Jeremiah 17:7 is another brick ~ trust. It says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” Trust is releasing everything to the Lord ~ holding nothing back. We trusted Him for salvation, but if we don’t trust Him for every aspect of our lives, our flesh will take over. Biting onto satan’s bait and acting independent of Him.

Paul wrote Romans 6 to help his readers lay foundation bricks. Verse 2 asked the question, “…How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” We will not yield to the temptation to do anything independent of the Lord when we understand the truths of Romans 6.

Verse 3 says that we were baptized into Jesus’ death. Verse 4 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.”

Spiritual prosperity is the fruit of walking in newness of life. Verse 12 says, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” Our flesh lusts after the things of this world’s system. Our spirit follows the promptings of the Holy Spirit ~ making our flesh turn its back.

Meditating through Psalm 119 was really a rich time for me. I didn’t want it to stop, so I have started again. This morning as I was meditating on verse 1, the Holy Spirit stopped me at the word blessed. As I thought about the word ~ connecting verses 1-3, it gave me a clearer picture of spiritual prosperity.

Joshua 1:8 says that when we meditate on God’s word day and night, and observe to do it, “…then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” 

A recap of Psalm 119:1-3 reveals that we can walk undefiled, and with absolute dependence on God. Here is the criteria. We walk in the law of the Lord, keep His testimonies, seek Him with our whole heart, and walk in His ways.

It is time to take inventory. Are you spiritually prosperous in every aspect of your life?

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.” Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 says to bring every thought captive. We combat all negative thoughts through thanksgiving. The moment a thought comes that is negative, distressing, or a cause for fear, make your next thought one of thanksgiving. It breaks the mind-loops instantly. The temptation to dialogue with a rogue thought is immediately combatted. We stand as a victor over the enemy’s temptation that would have unwittingly ensnared us.

Our thoughts either imprison or empower us. It is not what happened to us (past) that affects our thoughts. It is our lack of discipline to bring them captive, therefore causing us to get stuck in a negative rut designed to defeat our faith.

Have you ever felt stuck? Years ago I went for a drive early in the morning to an area that I could hike in on a trial. When I got there, fresh snow covered the road. I had snow tires, but I got stuck. That was way before I had a cellphone.

What to do. Going forward or backward only made it worse. I asked the Lord what to do. He had me lay thin pine tree branches behind my wheels in a line. I drove out backwards with no difficulty.

How does that work when we are stuck in our minds with revolving thoughts? We lay down a path of thankfulness. Giving thanks sets us right into the center of God’s will. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

Psalm 119:165 Amplified says, “Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble.” The word offense originally meant a trapstick, a bent sapling, or a moveable stick with bait used to catch animals. An offense is the temptation to sin.

We don’t have to take the bait! We will have countless opportunities to become offended, but if our heart is filled with love for God’s word, the trap is set in vain ~ it will be instantly discerned and rejected.

The moment our peace is missing in any situation, we need to check our heart for an offense. What does an offense look like? Our spirit immediately backs up, but our flesh rises in defense. Fleshly reactions reveal hidden unresolved issues. According to Proverbs 4:23 they just spring up unexpectedly. The intensity of an offense is neutralized the moment we forgive the offense, in the face of the temptation to sin.

When was the last time you were offended? Jesus said that offenses would come. Luke 17:1. Satan set up an offense against Jesus through Peter. Matthew 16:23 says, “…Get behind Me, satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Peter had just rebuked the Lord when He told His disciples that He would be killed and raised the third day. Satan was using Peter to bait Jesus. Jesus did not take the bait. What causes us to take the bait?

Proverbs 1:17 says, “Surely, in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.” In order to catch its prey, the trap’s spring has to be concealed. Any unresolved issues hidden in our heart conceals our discernment. We step right in, take the bait, and get ensnared.

Asaph changed from destructive rut-thoughts to intentionally moving forward. Psalm 77:11-12 says, “I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.” 

Asaph climbed right up out of his mentally destructive rut-thoughts, using the intentional words of “I will” ~ instant freedom to what was binding his heart in anguish. 

David did the same thing on the day that the Lord delivered him from all his enemies. 2 Samuel 22:1. Verse 4 says, “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.”

David wrote several psalms that stated his intention, even though he was languishing from troubles. Psalm 34 was written after he pretended madness before Abimelech. Verse 1 says, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Let verse one be our intention also.

After I fell into the ravine (1977) my mind was consumed with what I could not do. It was shocking. I remember having a mouthful of asparagus. My jaw muscles just quit working. I couldn’t chew anymore. I had to spit it out onto my plate. I could no longer swallow anything that was caky. It just sat in my throat and wouldn’t go down. (note: I didn’t remember that I fell for 3 1/2 years ~ everything was a puzzle as my ‘couldn’t’ list got longer.

If you listen to yourself as you are speaking you will get a clue of what you really believe in your heart. “I can’t” is rooted in a mental roadblock. It is a rut that our thinking processes fall into. “I can’t” kills any motivation. 

Asaph was spiraling down in his thoughts. Psalm 77:10 says, “And I said, This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

What is meaningful to you? What gets you up and out of bed every morning? Psalm 63: 1 says, “Oh God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land.”

Psalm 27:8 says, “When You said, Seek My face, my heart said to You, Your face, Lord, I will seek.” Verse 13 says, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” When we lose heart we lose motivation.

Seeking His Presence in our present ~ longing to long for Him, or desiring to desire Him. David wrote words of intention, “…Your face, Lord, I will seek.” “I can’t” versus “I will” reveals the true state of our heart. “I can’t” is an excuse. “I will” is based on a heartfelt decision to move forward.