The foolish and the righteous are like night and day, Romans 15:5b says, "Apart from Me (God) you can do nothing (meaning nothing righteous). In Psalm 14 there is a clear and distinctive line drawn that identifies each of these choices, and yes, it is a choice. We can choose to walk in the light of love, wisdom, grace, salvation....or we can choose to stumble in the darkness and try to "do life" on our own. One choice is self-focused and the other is God-focused, and which one we choose will determine not only how we go through life but where we go after our earthly life! When considering our eternal salvation it would be wise to choose righteousness rather than making a foolish decision, but on the other hand we can be saved and yet make foolish choices.
Verse 6 especially stood out to me this week, as it reads, "Evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, BUT the Lord is their refuge." Oh, what a week I had! It wasn't horrible as far as any catastrophic or imminent trouble but it was aggravating and frustrating! In my journal I wrote, "I'm going from patience to fury in seconds as my spirit feels shaky, vexed and edgy. The cloudy day should be bringing a sense of coolness to my skin, but rather it's muggy and unsettling and my skin feels like there's a thousand tiny needles poking into it!. I feel self-conscience and my head is tightening as if it's in a vise! I'm dropping everything, bumping into and banging into everything, my bangs keep falling in my eyes, the back of my neck is hot, nothing is going right and I feel creepy and out of sorts! Where is the nice lady that I was becoming through Christ? She seems to have run off and left her ugly, angry twin behind and everything she should be praying about is spewing out of her mouth! Ahhhhhh!"
I often picture a certain scenario when I feel that way...."I'm walking down the center of a prison block, cells line the sides filled with every bad thing! In one cell is aggravation, in another is heat, then pride, discouragement, pain, anger, bitterness, resentment, fury, confusion, hunger, thirst, jealousy, envy.....They are all screaming, yelling, swiping at me and poking me as I walk down the corridor." This scene is a metaphor of life! This earthly walk takes us "through" the center isle of all kinds of trials and the spiritual enemies of God can try to torment us but we have a choice whether to walk the corridor knowing victory or knowing fear! Yes, the evildoers WILL frustrate the plans of the poor, BUT the Lord is their refuge!
Children of God....each battle is hard fought in His name and may not look to you as if it was won, BUT every battle He fights with and for us is won! Victors not victims! So, when the enemies begin a new campaign to frighten us, cause us to doubt or to bring out the worst in us, we must put on the armor of God and trust Him more and more each time. Through each struggle He will build into our characters a maturity that will less and less question His steadfast and immutable power!
Verse 6 especially stood out to me this week, as it reads, "Evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, BUT the Lord is their refuge." Oh, what a week I had! It wasn't horrible as far as any catastrophic or imminent trouble but it was aggravating and frustrating! In my journal I wrote, "I'm going from patience to fury in seconds as my spirit feels shaky, vexed and edgy. The cloudy day should be bringing a sense of coolness to my skin, but rather it's muggy and unsettling and my skin feels like there's a thousand tiny needles poking into it!. I feel self-conscience and my head is tightening as if it's in a vise! I'm dropping everything, bumping into and banging into everything, my bangs keep falling in my eyes, the back of my neck is hot, nothing is going right and I feel creepy and out of sorts! Where is the nice lady that I was becoming through Christ? She seems to have run off and left her ugly, angry twin behind and everything she should be praying about is spewing out of her mouth! Ahhhhhh!"
I often picture a certain scenario when I feel that way...."I'm walking down the center of a prison block, cells line the sides filled with every bad thing! In one cell is aggravation, in another is heat, then pride, discouragement, pain, anger, bitterness, resentment, fury, confusion, hunger, thirst, jealousy, envy.....They are all screaming, yelling, swiping at me and poking me as I walk down the corridor." This scene is a metaphor of life! This earthly walk takes us "through" the center isle of all kinds of trials and the spiritual enemies of God can try to torment us but we have a choice whether to walk the corridor knowing victory or knowing fear! Yes, the evildoers WILL frustrate the plans of the poor, BUT the Lord is their refuge!
Children of God....each battle is hard fought in His name and may not look to you as if it was won, BUT every battle He fights with and for us is won! Victors not victims! So, when the enemies begin a new campaign to frighten us, cause us to doubt or to bring out the worst in us, we must put on the armor of God and trust Him more and more each time. Through each struggle He will build into our characters a maturity that will less and less question His steadfast and immutable power!
Steps that can help:
- Pray daily for the Holy Spirit to enable you!
- Identify the hostile intruder as soon as possible!
- Have a scripture to battle every attack!
- Ask for intercessory prayer!
- Put on praise music or sing worship songs!
- See God as the all powerful Victor that He is!
- Rest if you are tired!
- Carry on after making sure you're hydrated and fed!
- Walk "in" the Spirit and keep growing and maturing.
Read Romans 7:15-25 and chapter 8. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us! Rom 8:37
~The Lord is our Refuge~
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