Yeah, I haven’t done well at keeping this updated since returning from SA but here comes another attempt. 
I have really been trying to be disciplined at staying in the word and feeding my mind upon truth. Either through listening to teachings on podcasts or reading books and remembering the promises of God over my own personal life.
Yesterday I was reading a book that talks about the tests that Joseph went through to get from the promises that God had made to him to the actual fulfillment of those promises. What a great reminder this story is, I could relate so well re- reading it about how faithful God is to not leave us as we are, but through trials and tribulations to work patient endurance and character into our lives.
A verse I woke up thinking about this morning is from Psalm 84:11
“For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly”.
I struggle daily (I’m sure like all of us do) to lift my eyes from the earthly visible things that surround my life. There are so many lies that try to fill my mind, lies that say “God is not good”, “He doesn’t care about the details in your life”, “You’ve been forgotten by God” and they go on and on.
The only thing that I’ve found to be effective in waging war in my mind is the same thing that Jesus did when the devil came to tempt him while he was in the wilderness. This story is told in Matthew 4 and Jesus repeatedly says “It is written” and then proceeds to tell what the word of God says. It’s so simple and so clear but why is this so often we forget this effective way to wage war
I have felt in my own life lately such a lack of hunger for the word, it’s such a frustration because I know that it is life to me! The word of God is alive and active and sharper than a double edged sword, able to divide soul and spirit (Heb 4:12)
As I have been fighting in my mind regarding the promises that God has spoken over my life that I believe will come to pass in the perfect timing, I have realized that the only source of my strength is going to come from the word of God.
I decide to resort back to what I have done in the past, which is to use index cards and write out promises from the word. It sounds maybe overly simple but we are in a war and in a very intense season that requires whatever methods needed to win! We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony! (Rev 12:11)
Something I have also found helpful is when I do my daily work out routine that I start speaking OUT LOUD the truth of who God is and who He says I am. (I have given the mind of Christ, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is LIVING inside of me, greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, all things are possible with God and to him to believes ect ect) .. In order to do this I need to have these verses in my memory.
It is truth when I say that after a while, the voices that are reminding me of my failures and questioning the faithfulness of God start to grow more and more faint. The enemy simply cannot compete with the power of the word of God.
I want to challenge anyone who reads this to consider the amount of time spent reading and memorizing the word. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are MIGHTY in God for tearing down strongholds, and this includes the strongholds of thought patterns where we allow ourselves to come into agreement with lies instead of believing the truth of God.
Daily I find myself praying James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him”. There are so many decisions that I find myself faced with and in my most vulnerable moment of being overwhelmed I ask God to fill me with wisdom that far exceeds age or experience and I can testify that He really does it!
A couple of months ago I had a dream that I was in this room that was filled with costumes, in the dream I found a entire suit of armor and started to put in on. It was an old vintage style of armor and I put the entire thing on including the head piece. I looked like I was ready for war!
As I remember that dream, I feel like this dream was like Ephesians 6 that exhorts us “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!” And then continues on to list the suit of armor that we should daily be fitted with. The costume I was putting on was an old vintage style and I think of the word of God that is ageless and timeless because the word of God is eternal!
Who are we in Christ? We have been bought with the precious blood of Christ! We are hidden in Christ, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places, we are co-heirs, we are His inheritance, we have been clothed in garments of righteousness instead of our filthy rags. We are not orphans but we have been adopted by Abba Father and there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are IN Christ Jesus. He has wiped away our guilty stain and sees us as blameless and holy, a spotless bride. We are highly favored by God almighty!
Looking away from all that distracts and to fix my eyes on Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the Father. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12)
