Stand Firm in Your Time with the Lord

by Angie Thomas

What an amazing semester this has been! I have seen God working so powerfully in so many of your lives as you have sought Him and fought to keep your relationship with Him a priority.  He is so glorified and honored in your perseverance and struggle. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:12-13).

My prayer for all of us as we enter into this break of meeting weekly and being in a formal study is that we will STAND FIRM in maintaining daily time with the Lord.  The enemy would love nothing better than to get us to backslide and neglect time with the Lord in the next few months.  I know because I will struggle and hear the same lies you will. Here are a few I have already heard the enemy whispering this week:

“You don’t have to have any work done, no one will be checking up on you now, stay in bed.”

“It’s just one day of sleeping in.  You deserve it.”

“You can work on it tomorrow.”

“You really need some extra sleep. You have had a hard week.”

Perhaps what the enemy will whisper to you will be different, but just be aware he will do anything he can to distract and delay you from meeting with your loving Heavenly Father. One day of no prayer and Bible reading turns into 3 or 4 and before you know it a whole week goes by and we haven’t spent time with Jesus. Then we start to wonder why we are irritated, grumpy and walking through our days with no peace and joy.

Jesus, we confess we are so weak and so easily distracted by Satan’s often subtle lies and whisperings to us.  Give us the grace and wisdom to see the schemes he uses on us and stand firm by your Word and the power of your Spirit within us to continue to lay down our lives daily to you and to not indulge our flesh that wants to be coddled and comforted.  We confess we are often just down right lazy and give up time with you for entertainment, sleep, or a host of other things.  May we truly hunger and thirst after you above all these things and may you allow us to experience your presence like never before!

Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewedday by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

I have also decided that I need to make a plan.  I am going to try and go back and review our Falling In Love Again With Your Lord study this next week and then start an Advent Devotional on Decemeber 1st.  I am also hoping to work on organizing my prayer journal more effectively during January.  May God give you much wisdom, guidance and discernment as well.

Have a safe and really wonderful Thanksgiving.  So thankful for Jesus and for His sacrificial death that allows us to proclaim the Good News to others and also enjoy His love and peace daily!

 

 

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Increments

by Dottie Ryan

I was raised in a dysfunctional home.  And as a result, much of my thought processes — my coping mechanisms — the ways I perceived and walked through everyday life were skewed.  The way I saw and understood God was just as distorted.  I would like to say that the Lord has totally healed me from the place He took me to that summer of 2007 when I first did the Falling in Love Again with Your Lord study.  But that is not true.  What I can do is share a word – one simple word — that spoke to my heart back then . . . one I have leaned on almost daily since then.  The word is “Increments.”  Progress.  The Bible tells us that we journey from faith-to-faith.  Increments.  So I believe that this side of eternity we will be on a continuous journey that will consistently increase our faith and knowledge of God through Christ so that we can be anchored in Him.  It is so important how we respond to Him.  Belief. Trust. Bowing. Surrendering. Walking out the truth of what He shows us.  Yet it is also He who works all these things in us.

Taking the revised Falling in Love Again with Your Lord study in 2013 has shown me that He is changing me — that my faith has grown — that He is faithful.  I am still walking it out daily — still preaching the Gospel to myself several times a day — still fighting the fight of faith to submit to His Word and not my feelings.  It is an ongoing battle.  But He — He — get’s the glory.  Because in eternity the victory has already been won by Christ. Aside from His grace and mercy . . . well, I’d be headed to eternal destruction.  Grace! Amazing Grace!

His right hand upholds me. . . upholds you (cf. Psalm 63:8). Believe that.  And thank your Lord!

 

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Truth? Feelings? Feelings? Truth?

by Susan Sampson

Question – Has the Lord forsaken me?

The Truth – “for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5b).

Question – Does the Lord love me?  I am prone to doubt this when things go so wrong in my own eyes and the circumstances feel so painful.

The Truth – “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

Truth?  Feelings?  Feelings?  Truth?

Which one shall I go with?  Is that even a question?  I know which one I go with still much of the time.  Why?  As I type this I see the ridiculousness of it!  The futility.  The sin.  Lord, please forgive me and cleanse me of all unrighteousness.  Please forgive my idolatry in bowing to king Feelings.  He is nothing.  You are God Most High, King of kings and Lord of lords.  You alone are God and worthy of all worship and humble obedience.  Your Word is truth.  You have exalted your name and your word above all things.

Truth – “My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me” (Psalm 63:8).

Heavenly Father,

You are God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth.  Worthy is your Son who was slain (Rev. 5:12).

We confess that we continue to bow to our feelings.  We continue to doubt your great love.  We continue to disregard your truth and believe the lies of the enemy and our flesh.  Forgive us, Lord.  Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Have mercy on us and give us grace to humbly believe the truth of your Word.

We come to your throne of grace and humbly ask for the grace to believe your perfect love for us.  To believe that you are our loving Father.  That you want so much for us to run to you and not any other person or any earthly thing.  Cause us to run into your loving arms!

We thank you, Lord, for your Word.  Your eternal truths recorded in the Bible for all generations.  We thank you for being our faithful Covenant Keeper.  Keep us all now close to your heart, Father.  Enable us to cling to you as you uphold us with your might right hand.  Keep us in your Word, Lord.

Grant us faith to CLING to Christ alone by –

  • Choosing to believe your Word and not our feelings
  • Looking to Christ alone
  • Immediately obeying your Word
  • Never giving an inch to our flesh or the enemy
  • Going forward in your grace1

“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young” (Is. 40:11).

“The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27).

“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend, you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off’; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Is. 41:8-10). 

Praising God from whom all blessings flow!

Footnotes:
1Adapted from a recent Falling in Love Again with Your Lord lecture

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