Part 7 (2/2)
Most of the generation the Lord called out of Egypt never entered into the Promised Land. Instead, they died in the wilderness. To me, this is one of the saddest things that can happen to a child of G.o.d-to have so much available and yet never be able to enjoy any of it.
Start believing that G.o.d's Word is true. Mark 9:23 a.s.sures you that with G.o.d all things are possible. Because you serve a G.o.d who created everything you see out of the unseen realm (see Hebrews 11:3), you can give Him your nothingness and watch Him go to work on your behalf. All you have to do is have faith in Him and believe His Word-He will do the rest!
Dear Father, I thank You for loving me and having a vision-a good plan-for my life. I pray that You will help me overcome any negative thoughts of problems, past or present, that come against my mind, and make my life what You want it to be. Amen.
42.
The Peaceful Mind You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
-ISAIAH 26:3 What is it about nighttime that makes us more vulnerable to satanic attack? Is it because daylight is gone and it's dark? Is there some kind of a.s.sociation between evil and the dark hours of night? We are usually able to cope with whatever happens to us during the day, but sometimes it's a different story at night.
My theory is that by evening, most of us are tired and weary, and we just want to lie down, close our eyes, and drift into peaceful sleep. That is one of Satan's favorite times to engage us in the battle for our minds. He knows that when we are exhausted and sleepy, we are not as resistant to his attacks. And just as we are about to drop off to sleep, he makes his move.
If we recognize that we're more susceptible to the attack of the enemy at night, we can take steps to be better prepared to stand against him. Some of my friends tell me that they find it helps to meditate on scriptures such as Philippians 4:8, which tells us to think on good things-things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and excellent. Or they claim the promise of Isaiah 26:3: ”You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You. . . .” These words from the Bible enable us to remain vigilant even in the dark hours of night. By using the Word of G.o.d, we can defeat every onslaught of the enemy-even in our weakest hours.
But if we have not armed ourselves with the Word and spent some time in prayer, we will fall for Satan's plan when he brings to mind some troublesome event of the day, and asks, ”Why did you say that? How could you have been so insensitive?”
He takes advantage of us when he knows we are weak and the most vulnerable to his influence. His goal is to disturb our thoughts and rob us of the peaceful rest that our bodies need. One of his tricks is to cause us to focus on the problems of the day, suggesting that we must immediately-in the middle of the night-determine the best way to settle the issue.
I experienced nights like this years ago, and I didn't always win the battle. But as a mature Christian, I now know how to fight the good fight of faith. Here's one thing I figured out a long time ago: It is not wise to make decisions in the middle of the night. There may be times when G.o.d demands an immediate surrender, and those are powerful moments in our lives. But most decisions can wait until the next day.
Perhaps we spoke hastily or didn't respond kindly to someone's need. The issues are often little things that we probably could have handled better. But as Satan wages his battle in the dark of night, those little things seem to take on importance and urgency-so much so that we believe we will never sleep unless we settle the issue immediately.
When Satan tries to pull that nighttime trick on me, I've learned to say, ”I'll deal with this issue in the morning, when the sun is s.h.i.+ning. After I've rested, I can cope.” I've also learned that I can say, ”Lord, I surrender this to You. Give me Your rest, Your peace, and help me to make the right decision in the morning.” That works for me!
Holy Spirit, thank You for being with me, for protecting me, and for guiding my life. When I face those dark nights and the enemy tries to attack my mind, protect me. I trust You and ask You to keep me in Your perfect peace. Amen.
43.
A Wandering, Wondering Mind Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
-1 PETER 1:13 KJV In the days when Peter wrote these words, men wore long, flowing robes that hindered fast progress or strenuous action. They wore broad belts (or girdles) about their waists, and when they wanted to move into action, they ”girded up their loins”-that is, they shortened their robes by pulling them up inside their belts. That term is similar to what we mean when we say, ”Roll up your sleeves.” Peter's words here are a serious call to action-a reminder that when we lose our focus, it is time for us to do some serious thinking.
I've already talked about how staying too busy can result in an abnormal mind as opposed to a normal mind. Now I want to point out that another way the devil attacks your normal mind is by causing your thoughts to wander. It's a mental attack. If you do not discipline your mind to remain focused on what is important, the devil will cause it to wander aimlessly to other things.
When this inability to concentrate goes on for a while, you may begin to wonder if there is something wrong with your mind. What you often fail to realize is that when you've allowed your mind to wander for so long, you're hardly aware that it's taking place.
In some cases, there may be physical causes for not being able to concentrate, such as anemia or certain B-vitamin deficiencies. You may not be eating properly. Or you may have become excessively fatigued. It's a good idea to consider all the potential causes as you search for a solution. I've learned that when I'm excessively tired, Satan tries to attack my mind because he knows it's more difficult for me to resist him during those times.
Sometimes a lack of concentration creates a lack of comprehension. Perhaps as you are reading the Bible, you find yourself hurrying to get through so you can do something else. Out of a sense of duty, you are determined to finish reading a chapter-and you do. But when you are finished, you can't recall anything you have read. Your eyes scanned the pages, but your mind was engaged somewhere else.
Perhaps you have even experienced this battle for your mind in church. You attend regularly-and the devil can't always stop that-but he can cause your mind to start wandering during the sermon. Have you ever been fully engrossed in listening to a sermon, and then you suddenly realize that your mind has wandered and you have no idea what was said?
If the devil can rob you of the benefits of reading the Bible and hearing G.o.d's Word at church, he has won some major skirmishes in the battle for your mind. This is why Peter tells us to ”gird up the loins of our minds.” You must take action by confronting your wandering mind and disciplining it to focus on what's important.
In conversation, I used to fake it when I realized my mind had wandered. Now I deal with it honestly by asking, ”Would you please back up and repeat that? I let my mind wander off, and I didn't hear a thing you said.” This kind of behavior not only interrupts the plan of the enemy but also brings victory over the problem.
It's not easy to discipline your mind when it has been allowed to wander aimlessly, but you can do it. When you discover that your thoughts have wandered, you must exercise discipline and make the necessary corrections. The devil would like to convince you that you can't help yourself, but when you consistently come against his bid for your mind, he is defeated, and you have won another battle.
Holy Spirit, I realize how quickly Satan distracts me and then capitalizes on my wandering mind. Forgive me for allowing him to lead me astray. I thank You for giving me a good, clear mind, and in the name of Jesus, I ask You to help me overcome every temptation to lose my focus. Amen.
44.
A Wondering Mind In the morning, when they were pa.s.sing along, they noticed that the fig tree was withered [completely] away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to Him, Master, look! The fig tree which You doomed has withered away! And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in G.o.d [constantly]. Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].
-MARK 11:20-24 When you say the words, ”I wonder,” they sound innocent and honest. They also represent the way we avoid certainty in making decisions.
Suppose you're the CEO of a business. Every day twenty people come to your office and ask you to make decisions. Yours is the final answer on everything that goes on in the corporation. Instead of giving decisive answers, you rub your chin, stare out the window, and say, ”I wonder. I wonder what we should do about that?”
An indecisive CEO wouldn't stay in that position very long. The position is much too important to the overall success and wellbeing of the organization and all who are a.s.sociated with it. You are not in that position to wonder-you're there to act.
Too many of us forget that this is the way it is with the Christian life, as well. Too often, instead of choosing what we need to do, we avoid facing the situation and say, ”I wonder.”
I know because I've done it. In times past, when I've been invited to a party or to be the featured speaker at a banquet, I've said, ”I wonder what I should wear.” It's easy for me to waste a lot of time looking through my closet, considering the color and style, as I try to choose just the right outfit for a particular occasion.
This may seem like such a small thing-and it really is. The problem, however, is that if we allow enough of these ”wonderings” in our lives, we not only fail to accomplish the things we need to do, but wondering becomes the normal way our minds function. Being indecisive keeps us from moving forward and can eventually defeat us.
In the verses quoted earlier, the incident started with a fig tree that wasn't bearing fruit. The disciples could have wasted time wondering about the particulars of why the tree didn't bear fruit. They could have wondered if it hadn't received enough sunlight or water. They might have wondered why the owner hadn't cut it down since it wasn't productive. But wasting time wondering really wasn't necessary.
When Jesus spoke and doomed the tree, He put a stop to any mental speculation. He used the incident as an object lesson for the disciples, encouraging them to believe. He wanted them to understand that if they truly believed, they could have whatever they asked of Him.
Sometimes G.o.d's people are reluctant to ask boldly for big things. But Jesus has given us permission to step out in faith and ask boldly. And yet some still waste time just wondering. They wonder what it would be like if G.o.d would give them a better job. They wonder what it would be like if G.o.d would give them a larger house.
I can tell you that wondering is a waste of time. So stop wondering and start acting! That's one of the most important things I've learned about the wondering mind. Rather than wondering what I should wear to a banquet, I look at my clothes and I decide. G.o.d gave me the ability to make wise choices, so I can just do it instead of wasting my time wondering.
Wondering and indecision can become strongholds in our minds that can leave us feeling confused, insecure, and ineffective. But that's not G.o.d's plan. He wants us to overcome the wondering thoughts by believing and then receiving the answer to our prayers from G.o.d, by faith.
Notice that Jesus did not say, ”Whatever things you wonder when you pray, you will have.” Instead, He said, ”Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].”
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