JESUS is where my heart is! Recently, my son described that wonderful feeling when it 1st gets cold outside, you wake up and the house is warm and cozy! He said, it just feels like Christmas mommy! It feels so good inside! That feeling comes from being within the inside of the home –but that feeling actually lives within the inside of a believer! All he could do was smile and hug me! My son was experiencing joy!
We can know this wonderful place and position in Peace and Joy with God too! But I assure you that you will be amazed (I hope not surprised) at all that pressure from Satan that will come at you to steal your position with God inside –your peace and joy! That negative pressure from Satan will most assuredly come at you when you are about to do something special for God. However, you have a choice what you allow to come inside of you! Satan’s purpose is to side track you and to stop you –but God says, “Go and tell what the Lord has done for you!”
Satan says look back and dwell on how bad something appeared to be and make it your truth to know!
However, God says, walk forward and don’t look back –and don’t worry about tomorrow!
The Bible says, “Don’t be surprised!” God’s Word also reminds us to encourage each other daily and be prepared in the Lord –remain in Peace and walk in joy; get understanding and seek Wisdom from God in all things! Do not let your heart be troubled, but in all things cast your burdens on the Lord and trust in God and trust also in Jesus. The Bible tells us to stay in step with the Holy Spirit and even teaches us how to recognize the difference between the steps of the Holy Spirit, which are in the opposition of the steps we will be tempted to take by the unholy spirit!
The Fruit of the Spirit is a whole fruit / not a part:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23English Standard Version (ESV)
Do not be surprised when you face trials of various kinds! Use the Holy Spirit Fruit as your own personal gauge to stay in step with the Holy Spirit!
Anytime we are about to be a part of something great God is doing, expect that Satan will try his best to stop you –or at least get in your way! Satan will do his best to trouble your heart, mind and soul!
Does my recent experience sound familiar to you? “…All that beating up Satan was throwing in my mind and gut …” I didn’t know much –but I knew something in my life had to give! I refuse to give up on God, but sometimes in the middle of a difficult trial, it is hard to know which way is UP!
Sometimes all we know to do is one small thing! All I knew yesterday was that I needed to be with the kids at the Running Club yesterday –that was my assignment! I just knew I needed to show up! And, praise God and I thank God I did, because this was my faith! Showing up with a pure heart was my faith behind my actions that I worship and serve my Father God only –no matter what! This was my faith that, as the Bible teaches in the Full Armor of God, –Faith that extinguished the fiery darts from the evil one!
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
Ephesians 6:16
(Study verses 10-18), because we need to know the Whole truth!
Like there are many parts to make up one Fruit of the Spirit;
There are many parts that make up the “WHOLE Armor of God”
Prayer is the most important thing we can do –It is our conversation with God! We should pray to know God’s will; and pray as we read God’s Word (LISTEN); and Pray for all things and in all ways as God calls us to pray. And after all that prayer of concern I shoot up to God and you know what? All I had to do was show up at school again for those kids, because God so loves the little children; and Satan got behind me, fled from me and got where he belonged, which is under my feet!
Sometimes, we can have vision of the bigness of what God is about to do –and even sense it (just as Satan has this same knowledge and uses a comparable pressure to oppose God’s purpose). If we are not careful, we can try to take on more than is our assignment from God! Sometimes all we have to do is show up –and just love like Jesus loves!
It was amazing to me too that the pressure come the hardest to want to quit something good I do for God in school –just before I teach God’s Word and the Good News of Jesus to the children this coming Wednesday –and I’ve been studying and praying about this for a month with God!
Yeah, I know better than to not fulfill my commitments made in Christ’s Name…but Satan sure did try his hardest to make me think I would do God a favor by quitting! How about you? Does any of this sound like a parallel in your own life?
The temptation to entertain doubts and discouraging words about who we are to God should NOT be acceptable in our life! How about you? God loves you! God’s love for us is the only inspiration that Satan needs to fire all of his fiery ammunition at us; and do all he can to drive a wedge between you, God and your purpose! Satan is in opposition to God’s love for us.
I know my God and I know His will –I read the Bible and know the Holy Spirit –that was not the voice of God telling me I was not worthy! I won’t be making Satan smile anytime soon –and I won’t be doing Satan a favor on purpose. I worship and serve the Lord my God only! I thank God for His written and living Word!
No doubt that on some level, we will all face these attacks to give up on sharing The Good News! Just the Name alone is powerful, because Jesus is the Good News and He said “let the little children come to me” Dear Friends in Christ, are you planting good seeds and watering good tender plants to grow in the LORD –AND, we know that it is God, who IS doing the WORK!
So I praise God for who He is and I thank Him for doing great things. I am so grateful God is using us in this world to share The Good News we have found in Christ Jesus! I pray this is a blessing of encouraging words to you that God will lift your chin up to look up to Jesus and know that Jesus has made you worthy of sharing God’s Love!
I will continue to pray about my assignments from God. I will say that I love the Good News!
As Christians, we are a team of people –no one can do this alone! We need each other and we need to support others in their ministry gifts in the Church too!
This is the time of the year it would be appropriate to say that I believe the Bible has a place in your “trunk or treat” –what a blessing/what a gift … to give the gift of the Word of God! There is no greater value in this world than having a book written under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirt! Perhaps this is why the Lord had me write this to you today?
If you would like more information on this study; or if you feel led, write me and let me know what the Lord shows you …karen@hopeintoday.com
Love in Christ,
Karen Rowe
Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.
The Train Whistle, Sounding the call of God’s Love, by Karen Rowe
