Part 3 (2/2)

The Lord had mercy on me. As I continued in His Word and in prayer, He freed me from Satan's stronghold.

Freedom is available for all of us.

Gracious G.o.d, thank You for every deliverance in my life. Thank You for setting me free from negative and wrong thinking. Thank You for defeating Satan in this area of my life. Amen.

20.

A Perfect Plan And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

-PHILIPPIANS 1:6 For we are G.o.d's [own] handiwork (His workmans.h.i.+p), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which G.o.d predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

-EPHESIANS 2:10 I wonder how many times we've heard preachers say, ”G.o.d has a plan for your life.” We nod, perhaps smile, and then go on our way. I'm not sure most of us truly believe that-at least, our lives don't reflect that we believe it.

What does it mean to think that G.o.d has a perfect plan for us? Perhaps it's the word perfect that troubles us. We're fallible and make so many mistakes. How could anything be perfect in our lives? We know ourselves too well. Immediately we think of our shortcomings and shake our heads.

That's a trick of Satan! The plan isn't perfect because we're perfect; the plan is perfect because G.o.d is perfect. For now, let's say it this way: G.o.d has a special plan for each of our lives.

Let's think about that plan. In the previous verse, Paul told us that G.o.d saved us and started a good work in us. The Spirit is still with us, nudging us forward. Paul also wrote that we are G.o.d's handiwork (or workmans.h.i.+p). The two verses before that tell us that we're saved by G.o.d's grace. We have nothing to do with the act of salvation-we haven't earned it or deserved it. We are born into the kingdom of G.o.d as a gift. G.o.d does it, and we receive it. Yes, we believe, but that's not doing anything to earn our salvation.

As we think about G.o.d at work in us, we remind ourselves that, imperfect as we are, G.o.d is perfection. Nothing we can ever do would be good enough to satisfy G.o.d's perfection. Only Jesus, the Perfect One, is good enough. Nothing but our faith in Him makes us acceptable to G.o.d.

The apostle went on to say that we are saved through Jesus Christ so that we can do good works. G.o.d has prepared us for the kind of life He wants us to live. His Word makes it clear how that life works.

It's not that we're perfect or ever will be perfect while on earth. The point is that G.o.d is perfect and has a plan for us. The plan for our lives is perfect, because it comes from the Perfect Planner. G.o.d's plan for us includes obedience and service to Him from a sincere heart.

G.o.d holds out directions for a full, satisfying life. Our role is to align ourselves with that plan. We are to keep our eyes on Jesus and His ability, not on ourselves and our disabilities.

As soon as we say, ”But wait! I'm not perfect! I fail,” we have taken our attention off G.o.d and allowed Satan to distract us with wrong thinking. Our loving Lord pleads with us to turn our minds and hearts fully over to Him. The more fully we do that, the more completely we live by His good and perfect plan.

We are to be like Joshua, to whom G.o.d said, ”This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

Perfect G.o.d, help me in this battle for my mind. Satan constantly reminds me of my imperfections and my weaknesses, but I ask You to remind me of Your perfection, Your love, and Your closeness so that I can always walk in victory. I ask these things through Jesus Christ. Amen.

21.

All Things Work for Good We are a.s.sured and know that [G.o.d being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love G.o.d and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

-ROMANS 8:28 After John 3:16, Romans 8:28 is probably the most-quoted Bible verse among Christians. Paul's words bring comfort and peace to many of us in our difficulties and hards.h.i.+ps. They give us hope that no matter what hurts and disappointments come in our lives, everything will eventually work out for our good.

The two verses preceding Romans 8:28 talk about prayer. They say that when we don't know how to pray as we ought to, the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and prays through us. It is through these Holy Spirit-filled prayers that all things work together for good, no matter what they are. Not all things that happen to us are good in and of themselves, but G.o.d is good and He can cause them to work toward our good if we trust Him.

Continuing to trust G.o.d is the key to victory in painful and seemingly unjust situations. Faith and prayer move the hand of G.o.d. If we continue believing, He promises to continue moving in our behalf to work everything out for good.

G.o.d makes this promise to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. We must love G.o.d with all of our hearts, and we must want His will. We must be willing to submit to His plan at all times.

The plan that G.o.d has for us eventually changes us into His image. We are destined to be molded into His image. That may sound spiritual, but in reality, it usually hurts. I often think of clay being pressed into a mold, and wonder how the clay would feel if it had feelings. Being changed into an entirely different shape would probably be painful. If we take a lump of clay and press it into a mold, there is always too much clay to fit, and some pieces must be discarded. I found that there was more of me than would fit into the mold of Jesus Christ, so many of my thoughts, words, and actions had to be discarded.

We must go through things that are difficult and learn how to respond to them the way Jesus would. We must not give way to the fearful thoughts and feelings that attack us. We must learn to remain steadfast, knowing that no matter how things appear now, G.o.d will work them out for our good-and in the process, He will use them to make us better people.

G.o.d's purpose in everything that happens is to make us more like Jesus Christ. Jesus was the totally obedient one. ”Although He was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

We also learn through what we suffer. We learn from G.o.d's Word and life's experiences. Because of our sinful nature, we tend to fight G.o.d at every point, but this only makes the process longer and more painful. Learn to surrender quickly, and save yourself a lot of agony. I've learned that G.o.d gets His way in the end, so why prolong the process?

Where the mind goes the man follows. Keep your mind going in the right direction, and your life will catch up with it. A person who has their faith firmly planted in G.o.d cannot be defeated. The Bible says that Joseph's brothers hated him, but G.o.d was with him. G.o.d gave him favor and promoted him, so we see that his faith in G.o.d lifted him above his circ.u.mstances.

Some terrible things happened to Joseph. His brothers sold him to slave traders and told his father a wild animal had killed him. He was betrayed by those whom he served and tried to help, but G.o.d was watching him all the time. G.o.d had a good plan for Joseph, and it came to pa.s.s. He ultimately said that although the things that happened to him were originally meant for harm, G.o.d intended it for good.

This same thing is true for all of us. Satan cannot defeat us if we keep believing that G.o.d is working for our good, and that we are being continually transformed into His image.

All-wise and loving G.o.d, make me more like Jesus. I don't like to suffer, and I hate to fail, but through Jesus Christ, I ask You to teach me and enable me to understand that, because of You, everything truly works together for my good. Amen.

22.

Getting What We Want Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

-PROVERBS 3:5-6 I usually know what I want, and I like to get it. I'm exactly like most people. When we don't get what we want, our negative feelings flare up. (And remember those feelings began with thoughts.) ”I drove across town to buy that dress, and you're out of my size?”

”What do you mean there are no HD-TVs left? You advertised it in the paper.”

Most of us are like that-and when we don't get what we want, we make people around us miserable. It's not something we learn in school-it may be inborn.

As I wrote the above quotations, I thought of a scene in the grocery store. A young mother was pus.h.i.+ng her cart along and stopped at the cereal. Her child-less than two years old-reached out for a box. ”Want! Want!”

”No,” the mother said. ”We have plenty at home.” She put a different box of cereal in the cart.

”Want! Want!” the child said. Getting no response, she began to kick and scream. To the mother's credit, she did not give in but pushed the cart to another aisle and distracted her child.

As I watched that behavior, I thought, That's the way we all are most of the time. We decide what we want, and when we don't get it, we're angry.

”Jack and I were both up for the same promotion. I've been with the company longer, and my sales figures are stronger,” Donna said. ”I deserved it, but he got the job.”

”I had a grade of 98 going into my final essay test,” Angie said. ”If I had made another 100, it would have given me a 4.0 average, and I would have become the top student in my graduating cla.s.s. But I made only 83 on the test, and dropped down to fifth in my cla.s.s. I deserved a grade of 100, but my teacher doesn't like me.”

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