Psalm 61:2 "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock [that] is higher than I."It's quite normal to want to know the answer to everything. We look for a word of encouragement or prophecy that may throw some light on our situation, but often, it's on a need to know basis and God is the only one that needs to know.
Many times we look for the answers in the wrong places. It's almost like the fellow who was looking under the street lamp at night for something. A passer by stopped and asked him what he was looking for. He said he had lost his car keys and pointed to a spot about 40 yards away. The passerby looked puzzled and asked him, why are you looking in this spot for your keys when you lost them 40 yards away. The man answered ... because there is no light there so I came here because I could see better.
Now that's a dumb joke but its a great illustration of how we are looking to the wrong source for the answer. The Lord woke me up early one morning with this statement "God wants the Body of Christ to change the way we think, speak and act.
Troubles and problems are all around us, they are a fact of life. Troubles come to the strong in the Lord and the not so strong in the Lord. It's often our first reaction to something that happens, or to something someone says, that determines it's outcome. That reaction becomes the foundation upon which success or failure is built.
For instance, when someone says something that hurts or irritates us, we need to pause before responding, to consider what outcome our reply will have on the issue. My reply could either help the situation or make it worse.
This holds good for thoughts as well. The minute the thought enters our mind, what do we do with it? Do we give into it with an emotional response, or do we consider the thoughts credibility in the light of what God's word says.
For example, when we feel a pain in our bodies, and a thought crosses our minds that we may have cancer, because someone we know had the same type of pain and they died of cancer. Do we believe that thought or do we immediately steer our thoughts towards what God's word tells us. "By His stripes we were healed"
We are the masters of our own words and thoughts
If your focus is on the wrong thing it will lead you away from God's purpose. Don't think every thing bad that happens to you is the devil. Life is full of surprises. Both good and bad things happen to good and bad people.
A lot of negative things come from bad choices we make. Some people get mad at God as if He had something to do with it. The truth is God has given us all of His promises and His anointing to help us succeed. Unfortunately, we are often so wrapped up in our own condition that we don't see the provision that God has made for us.
God is wanting a people who are confident in Him.
Paul says Phil 4:10-11 "I was made very happy in the Lord that now you have revived your interest in my welfare after so long a time; you were indeed thinking of me, but you had no opportunity to show it."
Vs 11 "Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am"
Paul experienced a lot of difficult trials and situations. But we very seldom hear him say it was the devil. We hear him say "God always causes me to triumph." 2 Cor 2:14 and "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world".
The prayer Paul prayed for the Church in Eph 3:14-20, never once mentioned the devil or evil or problems. Instead it focused on the length, breadth, depth and height of the love of God.
God is looking for quiet in the midst of the storm.
Jesus focused on RESTING rather than on the storm.
Peter focused on the storm rather than on Jesus.
The man at the pool of Bethesda focused on his inability to get to the pool when the angel stirred the water. Jesus never saw his disability but saw him whole. The answer that came from Jesus was " take up thy bed and walk"
He could have reacted negatively to that statement of Jesus. "What do you mean ... take up my bed and walk. Can't you see I am lame." That's the emotional response based on what he had become accustomed to. Many Christians are unable to trust God anymore because they are so accustomed to their circumstances.
Victory does not mean that all your needs met.
Victory is how we think, speak and act while we are waiting for our needs to be met. The lame man at the gate of the temple, was so accustomed to being lame that all he knew to do was beg for money.
Sometimes we can get so used to our condition that we become programed to react in the same way over and over again. This lame man saw Peter and John entering the temple. His first thought was ... I can get some money from them.
Getting money from people became his focus. If someone told him that he could walk one day he would probably have replied ... "are you kidding ... can't you see I am lame and have been since birth."
Peter's immediate reaction was "we don't have money but what we have is far better for you. It's called the anointing. The presence of God. Here have some", and took him by the hand and just raised him up. The man went from the lying position he had been in since birth to walking and leaping and praising God in a second.
Your immediate thought may have been that both these men were lame. You say ... "Their condition is so different from mine." But your situation has paralyzed you and kept you from walking in the blessing of the Lord. God can change that in a moment of time.
Make a conscious effort today to change the way you think, speak and act. If you don't see the result immediately don't despair and lose hope. Many people have problems that are an accumulation of mistakes they have made over years and expect God to change it overnight. But when those mistakes involve people, God has to work on their hearts first before we see the change.
But while you are waiting for that change to take place, God will fill you with His love, peace and joy and make it possible for you to be victorious while waiting for the circumstances to change.
Let the peace of God rule your heart bringing a quiet trust and confidence in the God that is more than enough.
God bless you richly,
Gil Howard-Browne
Our main ministry web site is www.revivaltimes.com
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