Philippians 2:1a
Does your life in Christ give you strength?
Does his love comfort you?
I ran across this Scripture a couple years ago when I was going through a very difficult season. As I read the questions above, I had to answer no to both questions. I realized at that moment, that there was a problem and that the way I was operating in that time period wasn't lining up with what God was offering to me. Even though my answers were no, God's offer was, "it can be, yes!" Our life in Christ can give us strength and His love can comfort us.
This scenario is a small example of how the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to speak to my heart. I have had time after time when God will cause His Word to register deep in my heart.
The Word of God is living and active and does apply to our lives today! The only way to be effected by it, however, is to take time to be in it.
When I have a scenario, like I described above, I like to write down the Scripture(s) in my journal and/or on a notecard. I often look back over the Scripture throughout the upcoming days, weeks, and sometimes months. Those verses become a prayer point for me and I pray the Scripture through. "Lord, please show me where I am relying on myself and not on you. Teach me how to receive comfort from your love." As I do this, the Lord begins to speak to my heart in a variety of ways, He begins to strip away the lies that I am hiding beneath and begins to replace them with His Truth. I ran across these verses again several months after I had written them down and I was so thankful that when I read them again that I was able to answer the questions with a resounding, "YES." The Holy Spirit had done a work in me and brought about the changes that were necessary for my answers to change from a definite no to a definite YES!
I share my journey with these verses not because it is the "only" way to go but rather because my prayer is that it will quicken something in your heart to go after God. He so desires to bring freedom to His children and one way He does it is through His Word (remember Hebrews 4:12). If you desire God to minister to your heart right where you are at then begin to approach His Word with eager expectation. When something catches your heart, no matter how small, begin to run with it. It is good to take His Word and spend time in prayer over it. Always take your contrary truth and lay it next to His Truth and He will begin to bring transformation to your life. Sometimes it happens in a matter of minutes, other times a matter of weeks, or months... He is not intimidated by time, so neither should you be. Allow the Holy Spirit to be your teacher.
In Christ,
This scenario is a small example of how the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to speak to my heart. I have had time after time when God will cause His Word to register deep in my heart.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even
to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
The Word of God is living and active and does apply to our lives today! The only way to be effected by it, however, is to take time to be in it.
When I have a scenario, like I described above, I like to write down the Scripture(s) in my journal and/or on a notecard. I often look back over the Scripture throughout the upcoming days, weeks, and sometimes months. Those verses become a prayer point for me and I pray the Scripture through. "Lord, please show me where I am relying on myself and not on you. Teach me how to receive comfort from your love." As I do this, the Lord begins to speak to my heart in a variety of ways, He begins to strip away the lies that I am hiding beneath and begins to replace them with His Truth. I ran across these verses again several months after I had written them down and I was so thankful that when I read them again that I was able to answer the questions with a resounding, "YES." The Holy Spirit had done a work in me and brought about the changes that were necessary for my answers to change from a definite no to a definite YES!
I share my journey with these verses not because it is the "only" way to go but rather because my prayer is that it will quicken something in your heart to go after God. He so desires to bring freedom to His children and one way He does it is through His Word (remember Hebrews 4:12). If you desire God to minister to your heart right where you are at then begin to approach His Word with eager expectation. When something catches your heart, no matter how small, begin to run with it. It is good to take His Word and spend time in prayer over it. Always take your contrary truth and lay it next to His Truth and He will begin to bring transformation to your life. Sometimes it happens in a matter of minutes, other times a matter of weeks, or months... He is not intimidated by time, so neither should you be. Allow the Holy Spirit to be your teacher.
In Christ,
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