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He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15
King Jehoshaphat was sitting in his palace one day when ominous news came to him. A huge army was on its way to Jerusalem to conquer the mighty city. Although Jehoshaphat made some mistakes as King of Israel, he trusted God and tried to lead the country in a Godly fashion.
When news of the approaching army came to him, Jehoshaphat took immediate steps of action to defend the country. He called on all of his advisors, priests and people to meet together for prayer. The news spread like wildfire and soon it seemed the entire country was praying for deliverance.
A prophet came before the King and the entire assembly and gave the word of the Lord. He told the people not to be afraid of this vast army because the Lord God was in complete control. This was not Israel’s battle to fight, it was God’s.
The Israelite army followed God’s command. They bravely went out onto a hillside ready for battle but watching to see how God was going to deliver them. The people of God watched as the enemy was soundly defeated and Jerusalem was saved.
Like Jehoshaphat there are many times in our lives when people will come to us warning us of the future. This is especially true today as we see scripture being fulfilled before our eyes. The increase of natural disasters, the ungodly actions of government leaders, the increased risk of terrorists and the demise of social values are just a few things that can really get us down.
Take a lesson from Jehoshaphat. When things in your life look ominous. When fear attacks and you are unsure of your ability to go on, remember to turn your eyes upon Jesus. Go to Him in prayer and offer up your feelings of worry, fear and doubt. Surround yourself with Christ-followers that will pray with you, encourage you and give you words of Godly wisdom to comfort, guide and support.
The people of Israel were delivered from the enemy once they realized that the battle wasn’t really theirs at all. God reminded them that ‘this is my battle to fight. You are to be ready for battle, but your job is to watch me conquer the enemies in your life.’
The army still had to get ready for battle. They still had to take action. But the real war was fought in the heavens. The same is true in our lives. Once we have prayed and sought Godly wisdom; once we have prepared a battle plan based on Godly wisdom and prayer, we need to move forward with confidence knowing that the battles in our lives are ultimately fought by God if we are living for Him.
PRAYER: Holy God, creator and sustainer of the universe. I acknowledge to You that You are the supreme ruler and guiding force of the seen and unseen world. I thank you that you know about the things in my life that scare me and worry me. You hear the words of the nay-Sayers and doomsday preachers. Remind me that the battle ahead is your battle and that you have promised to fight for me. Give me peace as I go through the activities of my day, knowing that you are at my side always. Amen.
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3
In this age of technology the most amazing computer of all is that oldest computer of all, the human mind. There is nothing so powerful, so fast and so able to store, retrieve and make use of information as our minds. A computer, amazing as it is, is only as capable as the mind of the operator!
Our minds tell us each morning who we are, how valuable we are, who God is and what He can do for us. Our minds control how we feel about ourselves, our relationships, our abilities and the chances for success in the midst of struggle. It’s often our minds and not our abilities or circumstances that determine our chances in the midst of turmoil.
The Bible tells us that a mind that steadfastly trusts in God is a mind that is at peace. The mind is considered the intellectual part of the human being. It’s the part of us that rationally evaluates the facts before us and makes an action decision based on the facts.
The heart on the other hand is the ‘emotional control’ center of the body. Acting on emotions without, or ignoring the facts (mind) leads us to actions and thought patterns that may be damaging to ourselves, our faith and God. Acting on emotion alone can lead us to despair, depression or even death.
Don’t allow your mind to control how you look at yourself or others. A mind that focuses on the facts of who God is and who you are in His sight is a mind that will be able to navigate even the toughest of times. Like a runner focused on the finish line, a steadfast mind is oblivious to distractions that may keep it from reaching the goal.
True peace can only come as a result of struggles. True peace is that inner quality that outside forces can not affect without our permission. A mind that steadfastly trusts God is a mind that will enable us to withstand anything that life can through at us. By growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ and learning more about Him through Bible Study and interaction with other Christ-followers, we can develop a mindset that will empower us to steadfastly trust in God and have the inner peace only He can give us.
PRAYER: Father God, I thank you today for the amazing mind that you have given me. A mind that can store so much more information than I can imagine and makes man-made technology pale in significance. I confess to you that often times my mind causes me to doubt You, to doubt my abilities and to question the motives of those around me. I worry, I get angry, and I retaliate because I question your ability to handle the issues in my life. I ask today, that you would give me a mind that is focused on your power, your riches and your ability to see me through life. Help me to grow closer to you and to Jesus through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Romans 8:6 (NLT)
There are times in our lives when God seems far from us. Prayers seem to go unanswered. Relationships fail or flounder at best. We can’t seem to control our nasty sin habits. It seems like all of life is going down the tubes.
God loves each of us very much. He loved us enough to send His Son Jesus to die as an innocent man so that we can be forgiven. No matter how many times you fail, no matter how many times you make wrong choices that hurt you or those you love, He will always welcome you back.
That’s the good news. So why is it that even those of us who strive to follow Christ in each aspect of our lives have such a struggle with peace and resisting sin?
The problem lies with our mind. Our mind is a powerful thing that can control how we think about ourselves, others and God. If we allow ourselves to dwell on our failures and our sin, we will never break those habits.
If we allow ourselves to constantly think about the things others have done to us we will never be free to forgive and to move on with life. Forgiveness isn’t for the person that wronged us. Forgiveness is for our freedom!
If we let our desires, lusts and self esteem be controlled by our own desires we will continue to live a life of defeat and frustration.
Not only is the mind powerful, it’s trainable. But it takes lots of work and lots of prayer. Begin each day with a resolve that you will focus only on what God wants in your life. Ask His help in keeping you pure from the thoughts, frustrations and anger that keep you entrapped. Surround yourself with trusted, Christ-following friends that will support you, celebrate your victories and understand your failings.
We live in defeat as followers of Jesus Christ because we allow our minds to be guided and controlled by our own sinful nature and not the powerful, loving, Holy Spirit of God.
PRAYER: Holy God, I come to you today admitting that I’m frustrated and angry with my inability to live the life I want to live. I want your life and peace to control me on one hand, but on the other hand I want my own selfish desires to be satisfied. I live in guilt and shame knowing that I fail You and others so often and you are so willing to take me back. Please forgive me. Help me to start each day with the resolve to live in your peace. Empower me with the wisdom and power of Your Holy Spirit to live one day, one moment at a time learning to control my mind for you. Bring people and healthy relationships into my life that will draw me to You. Amen.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Charles Swindoll once wrote, “Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.” How we feel about ourselves and how we feel about God are the two main ingredients that determine if we will be happy with life or frustrated and living under the circumstances of our existence.
If we see God as being weak, apathetic or unconcerned about us, or if we see Him as being angry and vengeful towards us we will approach life in fear and hopelessness. If we see ourselves as worthless failures doomed because our past or present circumstances, life is full of despair and we don’t really believe God is who He says He is.
The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Romans that we need to avoid thinking the way the world thinks. People around us measure everything by what is seen, what can be held and what they see as important. Tradition, religious dogmas and society rules can affect our drive to succeed. Some will tell us that a certain type of music is wrong, or that we need to eat certain foods or act certain ways or go to certain churches and be involved in this religious act or that religious act. But who we are has nothing to do with what we have done, do or want to do.
God created each of us with talents and abilities that are unique to us. God, through His Holy Spirit, wants to change your way of thinking. He wants to help each of us see our potential through His eyes and not the eyes of people. The customs, behaviors and practices of people without Christ will lead us to lives which are empty and wanting more. A life built on realizing we are God’s special creations leads us to lives that are content and fulfilled regardless of our social or financial position.
Be free to be you! Don’t let the world tell you how you should be or what you should think. Believe God to be who He says He is; the Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Loving God of the Universe.
As a Christ-follower, ask God change the way you think about yourself. Ask Him to let you see yourself as He sees you. Let His Spirit work through you so that the love of Jesus will be evident in your life to those around you.
You are a child of God! Don’t let the thoughts and actions of others keep you down. With the help of His Holy Spirit you can be empowered to change the world around you.
PRAYER: Holy God, I confess to you that there are many areas of my life where I allow other people to control how I feel about You and how I feel about myself. They use my past, my present and their own ideas to keep me from living the full, joyful life you have for me. I am made in your image O God! I am your Child! Empower me with Your Spirit to show Jesus’ love to those around me. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 