Category: grace

Crushing Evil: The Role of Peace and Wisdom in Our Lives

Evil can mask itself as good to an unsuspecting mind, and especially to unguarded emotions.

Meditation Thought: ” I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Romans 16:19-20)

Only by the power of the indwelling Spirit can we know what is good – and what is evil. Evil can mask itself as good to an unsuspecting mind, and especially to unguarded emotions.

To be filled with the Spirit is to allow eternal wisdom to flow into the mind, peace and joy flow into the heart (the emotions), and energy to do good works course throughout the body. Given these conditions, evil is simply not known – it is ‘crushed under the feet’, never being allowed to affect the Spirit-protected body. It is the way Christ lived, and the way the Father would have all of His children live.

When the children realize it is the way we want to live as well, then the Spirit is able to rush into our being – cleansing, renewing, transforming, reforming – doing a complete remodeling job according to the specifications set down at the beginning of creation.

Embracing Challenges: Faith as Your Strength

Do not fret over what is past.

Meditation Thought: “I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:9-10)

“When you are too weak to stand and to walk alone, I stretch out my arm to support you. Lean on Me! Do not fret over what is past. Challenges will strengthen you and bring you into closer companionship with Me if you seek me in them and rely on my supporting strength.

Our working closely together will enable you to understand Me more clearly and emulate Me more perfectly. You very need of Me focuses your mind and spirit more fully – always this works good! Therefore, rejoice in your need.”

Transforming Chaos into Harmony

Harmony out of chaos, health out of sickness, hope out of despair, joy out of grief, and love out of hate.

Meditation Thought: “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10)

To realize that there is power beyond myself is to have confidence. And to have confidence gives courage. To have courage is to release action. Action causes change. When the power, the confidence, the courage and the action are all working out God’s will, then the change is for the better. The change is “all things working together for good”. (Romans 8:28)

The change is bringing harmony out of chaos, health out of sickness, hope out of despair, joy out of grief, and love out of hate. Grace abounds. Beauty evolves. All of life glows with the newness of the dawn, light penetrating into darkness and revealing Truth: Truth that removes fears which were manifested in the darkness. I can think and speak and move in the confidence of knowing “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”. (Psalm 23:6)

The Power of Humility

The whole is not whole if there is a missing part.

Meditation Thought: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3)

The way to be happy and content in being ‘humble and gentle’ is to realize that one is a part of a marvelous whole. The contrasts are then brought together and integrated in such a way as to bring peace: on one hand, the part is nothing compared to the whole. On the other hand, the whole is not whole if there is a missing part. To know this is to be joyful that one can be a part of an exciting whole, yet humble in realizing that one is only a part.

Though some may not realize the truth of being only a member of a whole (as in the body of Christ), life has a way of challenging that thinking. If circumstances are analyzed instead of merely tolerated, or fought against, then it is possible to perceive in greater clarity and depth in the nature of oneself and the nature of the whole.

With this perception, more appropriate thinking takes place and actions are taken which produce better results. One is able to “be patient, bearing one another in love and eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” And is so being, these qualities are drawn into one’s life from others, thus each part becomes a better part, causing betterment of the whole – more health for all – not a healing of one part at the expense of another part.

Listening to Wisdom: The Power of Quiet Reflection

It is not wise to share your knowledge indiscriminately: wait for the leading of the Spirit.

Meditation Thought: “…pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.” (Proverbs 5:1-2)

Guarding knowledge is discretion: there is a balance and an order to be kept in the realm of the mind. The more knowledge you have of Truth, the more adequately you are prepared to do My will. But it is not wise to share your knowledge indiscriminately: wait for the leading of the Spirit that it may be most effective in the renewal of minds and the changing of hearts.

It is for this reason that you need to have times of quiet to listen – to receive instruction. The times will vary in length – in fact even a split second’s awareness of the Spirit can guide your thoughts, words and deeds.

Do all you can to develop “Spirit-awareness”: get the Word implanted into your mind; welcome the Spirit into your spirit, embrace Christ in your heart. This is to be attentive to wisdom, incline your ear to wisdom’s understanding, to be discreet, and to use knowledge wisely.

The advice in Proverbs is desirable, it is advantageous – but it cannot be totally comprehended nor fully used without Christ within interpreting the knowledge that it may be used wisely.

Lavish Goodness

Even if others have cause to worry, you do not.

Meditation Thought: “The righteous will surround me,
For You will deal bountifully with me.” (Psalm 142:7)

“I shall deal bountifully with you because I love you. The more clearly you perceive My love, the more effectively I can minister to you – for your joyful acceptance of My love and My care and My guidance is what I need to bless you as I desire to do. To lavish all that is good upon you:
Wisdom
Knowledge
Self-control
Generosity
Grace
Beauty
Peace
Joy
Love
Understanding
Excitement and
Enthusiasm in appreciation of all creation.

Continue to seek My Word and My will. This is the most prolific harvest available: the production of all of the above blessings from your seed of seeking My Word and My will.

My Word, however, is not all that is available to you. Jesus has released “super power” into your spirit that you may may mature more quickly, completely, and more fruitfully.

You have this assurance: In everything I work good for you for you love Me and are called according to My purpose. Even if others have cause to worry, you do not – your strength to cope with anything is unlimited when your spirit is yielded to My Spirit in faith and hope and love.”

Understanding God’s Love and Protection

Come to realize that when you turn your eyes toward me, you are not turning them to a distant point, but inward to your mind, your spirit, your heart, and your body.

Meditation Thought: “For my eyes are toward You, O God, the Lord;
In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless.” (Psalm 141:8)

When your eyes are on me, you have total refuge and total defense. This is because in me you find knowledge, wisdom, guidance and strength.

Come to realize that when you turn your eyes toward me, you are not turning them to a distant point, but inward to your mind, your spirit, your heart, and your body. It is in these places that I’d dwell, through your faith in Jesus Christ as your savior.

The more you comprehend that we are so close together, as arm in arm the more effectively you can perceive my will

You have been conceiving of me as separate from you. Conceive of me as close as anyone can be to you, in body, in mind, in sympathetic understanding of common emotions, in a rapport of having similar character.

In this way, you’ll be able to feel my presence in you, and will be able to live the life of the new creature in Christ.

You are my beloved child, for whom I not only would sacrifice my own life, but I did! This is how much I love you! This is the extent to which I go to ensure you’re having a place of refuge and a sure defense. Now, do you understand the scripture for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and a sound mind?

This spirit, which I have given you in response to your faith in Jesus as savior is the Holy Spirit: the spirit of power and love and a sound mind.

The purpose of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit is to blend you and me together into such close association that we become as one in thought, in word, and in deed.

No matter the circumstances, no matter the intent of evil, or those who are ignorant, always those who have their eyes on me, and my spirit within, living resurrection out of death, good out of harm, and rescue out of peril, for I am their defense. I am power, I am love, I am sound mind, and no foe can overthrow these.

I Don’t Understand; You Don’t Desert

I suppose that is the prime distinction between the Father and the child – the knowledge of the whole.

Meditation Thought: “I give thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart… and give thanks to your name for the your steadfast love and faithfulness. (Psalm 138:1-2)

I am the child, and you are the Father. In my limited experience I cannot understand the full consequences of not obeying Your requests, nor of heeding Your suggestions. So I err – and suffer – and learn; at least hopefully.

You do not desert me in my times of need. I don’t understand Your operating procedures enough to know why sometimes You allow natural consequences of people’s actions to occur, and at other times You miraculously intervene.

I suppose that is the prime distinction between the Father and the child – the knowledge of the whole.

I need to be rescued from the sickness of downheartedness and lack of faith this morning. I trust that I shall be rescued!

I go now, Lord, to seek Your will and do it – please allow me to experience Your steadfast love and faithfulness this day. Amen.

Finding Your Haven

Listen to yourself. Watch yourself. Would your words appear logical if they were reported in the New Testament as having spoken by Christ? Would your actions appear to be appropriate if reported as His actions by the gospel writers?

Meditation Thought: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2-3)

Your mind, your will, your personality: all transformed by Christ through the Spirit whenever you are thinking on ‘things above’. ‘Things above’ are the eternal values, the ‘treasures in heaven’. To concentrate on these is to change your words and actions at the worldly level, through your mind projecting into words and actions – Christ’s words and Christ’s actions.

Listen to yourself. Watch yourself. Would your words appear logical if they were reported in the New Testament as having spoken by Christ? Would your actions appear to be appropriate if reported as His actions by the gospel writers?

You know Christ’s words. You know Christ’s actions. People he knew were no different than people you know. Despite the years since Christ walked the earth, it is possible to follow Him as a contemporary, as far as the problems posed, and the actions and reactions possible. Only the names have changed!

How did Christ interact with his friends, his enemies? His mind was on things ‘above’ – He prayed to His father seeking His Father’s will – and then He spoke and acted.

When your mind is ‘hidden with Christ in God’, in meditation and prayer, then shall your words and deeds be the Son’s and the Father’s for your will has died to be raised up and transformed by the will of the Son which was totally yielded to the will of the Father.

Jesus left his imprint for you to follow. As you follow that imprint, as a child imitates, you reproduce His imprint on things below. You feed the hungry, heal the sick, forgive, don’t judge, minister, clothe the naked, encourage the downhearted. In other words – you love! You give your ‘life’ (selfish desires) to be killed for others, that they might come to find your ‘hiding place’. You – and they – envisioned it as a grave. But your hiding place is not a grave; it is a haven.

Wherever God is, wherever Christ is, that place is a ‘haven’ – a ‘heaven’ – a safe place and a glorious place.

Finding Peace in God’s Grace

Take heart!

Meditation Thought: “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord let his face shine upon you…” (Numbers 6:24-25a)

But you want to choose the way of blessing don’t you? You want to decide where He keeps you? And you want His face to shine on you whether you are within His kingdom, or whether you are rebelling in the world?

Take heart! You at least recognize your willfulness, stubbornness and contrariness. You want to want the Father’s will – and that is a beginning!

Stay in prayer, in supplication, in thanksgiving – and make your requests known. You shall have “the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4) – it may be that your desires shall be what is changed, not circumstances. Do not plot and plan, get tense and fight what is disappointing to you. Relax. My Grace is sufficient for you. Do you believe this?

(Yes, Lord. I believe – help my unbelief!) (Mark 9:24)