Christian Living
Have you felt as if your whole world has been severely shaken lately? Has there been an increase of attack against you and your family? Has discouragement gripped your heart and mind. Are you ready to just give up?
If you answered "yes" to all the above questions, this article is for you.
The enemy is a thief and a liar. He wants to kill, steal and destroy. He wants to mess up your destiny and He will use whatever means is available to him to do just that. We must not give in to the wiles and plans of the enemy of our souls. We must continue to press in to God's presence. We must continue to stand on the promises of God because they are "yes" and "amen" to our spirit man.
I believe the body of Christ is experiencing a backlash of attacks from all sides, but we must not allow these attacks to discourage us and cause us to get our eyes off of Jesus. If we lose our focus, we will lose the battle. The enemy wants us to focus on all the bad things that are happening all around us. He wants to focus on everything that's NOT happening. This is directly opposite of what the word of God teaches us.
The word of God teaches us to focus our eyes upon Jesus. The word of God teaches us to set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth. Meaning, we must stop looking at all the bad things that are happening all around us (in the natural realm) and return our focus to Jesus and things above.
I personally have been going through a little season of major shaking. At first, my focus shifted from Jesus to all that was happening in my life. I found myself getting a little de pressed because my eyes were on ME, not Jesus. Thoughts such as these were going through my mind, "Where are You God? I've done my best to serve you and live for you. How come I'm sicker than a dog right now? How come you're not healing me? What have I done that is so wrong? Why are others getting blessed and I'm down here in this black pit? How come You're not answering my prayers God? Why are the heavens like brass? Why are some in the body of Christ having angelic visitations and awesome revelations from Your throne and I'm laying here sick in my body, discouraged in my soul and wanting to just give up everything? In fact God, things are so bad down here that I might just give up the ministry. Nothing is happening Lord. Where are You?"
Have you had these kinds of thoughts rolling around in your mind lately? Have you been questioning God? Have you been questioning your call? Have you been questi oning everything?
Questions such as these reveal doubt and unbelief in our hearts. If we are questioning God, our focus needs adjusted. If we have felt like giving up, our focus needs adjusted.
Faith does not doubt. Faith believes in and through all things regardless of what is going on around us. Faith perseveres. Faith never gives up.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He never changes. He is the same God in the valley as on the mountain top.
When our focus is shifted to ourselves and our situations, we have a tendency to drift away from intimacy with God. When our focus is upon Jesus, we have a tendency to draw nigh unto Him. God is calling us to Himself, regardless of what i s going on around us. As we draw nigh to Jesus, we will find the joy, peace and strength that we need to make it through the times of shaking.
God hasn't left us. He has not forsaken us in the times of shaking.
When things are being shaken, that which falls off or falls away during the shaking is that which needs to be removed from our lives. That which falls off during the shaking is that which has stopped producing life in and through us. That which remains steadfast during the shaking is that which will continue to produce life in and through us. There are things in our lives that need to fall away. Things that have held us back. Things that have held us up. Things that have kept us from going forward in God. These things all need to fall off of us; they need to be removed.
God is pruning His body once again. New things are in store for all of us. God is getting us ready for that which is to come. Don't hold on to those things that need to fall away. Let them go. Allow the new to come. Allow God to prune away that which needs to be removed.
When a tree is pruned, the produce of that tree will increase. Are you willing to be pruned so that God can bring the increase in your life? Don't you want to be a tree that is producing fruit in large amounts? Increase is coming to those who allow the pruning to take place. Increase is coming to those who will not allow themselves to shift their focus off of Jesus onto their circumstances. We must refocus. We must keep our eyes on Jesus and all that He has promised us in His word.
He is a prayer answering God. He hears every single prayer we pray in faith believing. He will answer our prayers. He has heard the cries of our hearts. We must continue to stand in faith believing God for all things. We must not allow the enemy to detour us from our God ordained destiny. We must not give up the good fight of faith. We must lay hold of Jesus and continue to press in to Him. We must worship Him in spirit and truth. We must learn how to prevail against the enemy and keep our eyes upon Jesus. We must stop complaining about all that's going wrong and begin praising God for all that's going right. We must take on the same attitude as our Lord Jesus. We must learn how to tarry in that place of intimacy and pryer. We must not allow circumstances to get us down. We must continually allow the Holy Spirit to take us up to the high places in God, heavenly places where we are seated together with Christ, far above circumstances and every demonic thing. We must remain in that place of prayer and praise and learn how! to ab ound in the goodness and greatness of our God. We are not to live as defeated citizens of heaven, but overcomers in Christ Jesus our Lord. We must learn how to declare and decree the goodness of God, speaking to those things that are not as though they were. Faith will always carry us through the valley of the shadow of death and destruction. Doubt and unbelief will leave you deserted in the valley.
Be encouraged today dear saint of God. God is with you. God is for you. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. What more could you want in this life? God is on your side and He has a divine destiny for you to fulfill in this life. Don't allow the enemy to take that from you. It's yours! Lay hold of it and press on in God.
Donna Kazenske
Sure Word Ministries
www.surewordministries.net
[email protected]
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