WLCC’s sermon series “Living in God’s Blessing- Part 2”
It’s a different life
We are now several weeks into “Covid-19 life.” Most of us are not crazy about this new normal but we have made adjustments. We are social distancing, we are staying at home, we are ordering food for take-out or delivery, we are watching church online, we are watching way too much Netflix, we are putting puzzles together, we are watching reruns of sporting events, and, you fill in the blank, _____________ . We miss hugging friends and family that don’t live in our home. We miss our favorite restaurants. We miss movie theaters and their popcorn. We miss live sports.
It’s a different life, and it’s one we did not choose. Didn’t we all think that we were in control of our lives – at least a little bit? Now we know that most of our sense of control was an illusion. I started thinking, “What’s the opposite of ‘control’?” I think it is surrender. In our marriages, I think it is letting go of everything we want to control and putting it in God’s hands. It is looking to Him together every day. He truly has all the answers. He is always in control. No matter what happens, our security is in Him. He is our way out today, tomorrow and every day after that – COVID-19 or not!
Today’s One Thing: Together surrender everything to God and let Him show you together the way out!
DON’T JUST SURVIVE! – Your Marriage Was Meant To Thrive!
If you like these series of tips and want to receive your One Thing Email please sign up at http://awesomemarriage.com/onething (It’s free!)
The Bible says that Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44 AMP). In fact, we give Satan more power over us when we choose to believe his lies.
To believe a lie is to be deceived. But here’s the thing—when people are deceived, they are not aware that they are deceived. They believe that what they think is true and they act accordingly. One of the most difficult tasks I have encountered in ministry is to try to convince someone who is deeply deceived that they are wrong about what they believe.
Let’s think for a moment about how this affects our lives. If we are unaware that Satan is a real threat and we do not know his character, he can easily deceive us and we can end up believing many things that are not true. These beliefs will keep us from enjoying the life that Jesus died for us to have.
What if you lived in poverty all of your life, and when you were ready to die someone told you that your grandparents had left you an inheritance and you had, in fact, been a millionaire for the past 40 years? You could have enjoyed a totally different life than you had. But since you didn’t know anything about the inheritance, you missed out on it even though it was yours all along.
This is what our lives are like when we believe Satan’s lies and do not know the truth of God’s Word! The spiritual and material riches of Christ’s inheritance are amazing, but we miss out on them because we lack knowledge of them.
Stop and ask yourself what lies you might be believing right now that are preventing you from entering into the fullness of the life Jesus wants you to have.
God’s Word is the antidote to Satan’s lies. It helps us to recognize the truth and expose the enemy’s attempts to deceive us. As we read, study and believe God’s Word, we begin to think as God wants us to think. It helps us to be in agreement with Him…and bring to pass His good plan and purpose for our lives.
Pray: God, I ask You to show me truth in every area of my life. As I read and study Your Word, please open my eyes to any areas where I am deceived. Help me to see myself the way You see me so I can walk in the good plan You have for my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Credit: Adapted from the book Your Battles Belong to the Lord by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2019 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
Our Daily Bread
The singing revolution
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God………..Psalm 42:5
What does it take to ignite a revolution? Guns? Bombs? Guerrilla warfare? In late-1980s Estonia, it took songs. After the people had lived under the burden of Soviet occupation for decades, a movement began with the singing of a series of patriotic songs. These songs birthed the “Singing Revolution,” which played a key role in restoring Estonian independence in 1991.
“This was a non-violent revolution that overthrew a very violent occupation,” says a website describing the movement. “But singing had always been a major unifying force for Estonians while they endured fifty years of Soviet rule.” Music can also play a significant part in helping us through our own hard times. I wonder if that’s why we so readily identify with the psalms. It was in a dark night of the soul that the psalmist sang, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5). It was in a season of deep disillusionment that Asaph, the worship leader, reminded himself, “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart” (73:1).
In our own challenging times, may we join the psalmists with a singing revolution for our hearts. Such a revolution overwhelms the personal tyranny of despair and confusion with faith-fueled confidence in God’s great love and faithfulness. By Bill Crowder
REFLECT & PRAY: Father, I thank You that Your mercies are new every morning and Your faithfulness is great. Empower me to sing the song of Your great love—even when I must sing it through my tears.
Credit: Our Daily Bread
