The Battle Rages!

I personally know many of you are struggling right now with your faith, family issues, school/college issues, work issues, money issues, relationship issues, etc.

 

Today (the 24 hours of August 28, 2012), how much time did you spend in God's Word, prayer and being still before God (Psalm 46:10)?  Did you just skim over that question as if it wasn't critical to your very next breath?

 

Stop.

 

Be still.

 

Rest in Jesus' arms of love, protection and instruction.

 

Just stop.

 

Last May, Frank and I made the decision to bring home our dog, Serenity.  She is incredibly cute, sweet and small.  She is quite timid of newcomers and strangers.  In fact, she'll run for hiding the moment she hears a car door slam or the front screen begin to open.  She is crate trained, so she is used to sleeping in a cage all night.  In the morning, after we've freed her from her cage, she charges into "power puppy mode."  She becomes a whirling dirvish of running, pausing and lapping our living room, hallway & other parts of the house.  She is quite funny and silly during these times of rejoicing in her freedom.  It makes my dad laugh.  It annoys the cats.  It causes me to smile and sometimes giggle.  Frank watches with a bemused look on his face.

 

During these moments of abandoned bliss, Serenity isn't aware of strangers in the house, car doors slamming or imminent danger.  She's jetting around the house at dog-light-speed and expending great amounts of energy for such a small, less than 5 lbs, dog.

 

This sweet little dog is a lot like you and me.

 

We cower in the corner of life when bad times, problems, etc., come our way.  We sneak off to weather the storms of life, often alone. 

 

Many of us catch a 45 minute sermon on Sunday and then run in power puppy mode with that small morsal of refreshment from God's Word. 

 

But, it isn't enough. 

 

Thinking a quick Bible message on Sunday will provide the spiritual nourishment we need to get us through the next 7 days, is like eating a nutritious meal for dinner on Sunday and nothing else the rest of the week.  We couldn't do it.  We'd starve and demand food as soon as those hunger pangs persisted.

 

Unfortunately, we don't notice or pay attention to the spiritual hunger pangs the Holy Spirit prompts us with. 

 

Stop right now and cry out to the Lord.  Find rest for your soul in Him today.  And, every day. 

 

Read on.

I'm Being Devoured By The Monster Of My Flesh

posted by Guest Blogger on 08/28/12 found here: http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=1859

Grumpy. Annoyed. Stressed. These were the attitudes running through my veins over the course of the last few weeks. It seemed like everyone and everything grated on my nerves and added to the weight I carried on my back. The longer these feelings began to control me, the more power they had. I began lashing out at my family. Before I knew it, I was having a hard time falling asleep at night. Then I was having a hard time staying asleep. I would wake up in the middle of the night panicked about the silliest things, like to-do lists.

It's not like I hadn't been under stress before. In fact there have been many periods of my life that were much more stress-packed.

Now that I think of it, the last few weeks really didn't give me many reasons to be stressed or grumpy. I was on vacation for Pete's sake! So why the freak out? Why was the monster of my flesh suddenly devouring me? The answer was simple. I had been neglecting to spend time with God.

John 15:4 says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." Later in verse 11 Jesus says, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

My recent battle with the monster of my flesh helped me realize that if I want to produce the fruit of the Spirit and have full joy, then I must dig into the Word. I couldn't defeat the monster of my flesh alone. It was far too powerful. After all, Ephesians 6:12 says, "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."

Directly after this verse, Paul goes on to encourage believers to put on the armor of God, which includes the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. You can't fight unless you have a weapon. I was totally powerless to fight the monster of my flesh because I hadn't been sharpening my sword. I hadn't been soaking in God's power. I hadn't been saturating my mind in God's Word.

Finally, I came to a breaking point. My soul felt empty and my heart felt numb. I was tired of sitting in a spiritual lukewarm bath. I wanted to hear from God so badly because my life could not continue in the direction it was heading without an utter meltdown.

I got on my knees in my room and cried out for God's forgiveness of apathy and the grace to make me want to read the Word. I unleashed several weeks' worth of burdens and worries onto the heart of God. About a half-hour later, with tears streaming down my face, I stood up and felt as though a load of bricks had been taken off my back. I felt like a new woman. I remember thinking, "Wow, if I did this every day, how would it change me?" I would certainly be more joyful and a lot less weighed down, a lot less edgy.

I picked up my Bible and began to replace the old burdens with truth. I began to remember that I serve a big God, a God bigger than my sin and my problems. With a new mindset and a heart void of burdens and chains to hold me back, my step became a little lighter and my smile a little brighter.

What about you? Have you been feeling powerless to defeat your flesh? Have the stresses of life given you an excuse to be edgy? Have you been spending time soaking in the truth of God's Word and preparing to do battle?

This post was written by guest blogger Ashley Mazelin.

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Mary E.Hickcox
www.CalvaryBaptistSM.org
http://mary-neotes.blogspot.com/