This week began with a question. The question posed was meant to stimulate self-examination in those who truly desire to follow Christ. What are we standing on in order to see change? Although there are many different attributes we must stand on to see change. Faith, trust, and obedience were three particular ones covered that are guaranteed to bring transformation. Each one is unique in its own way, yet intertwined to work and function as one.
For us to sincerely approach God or attempt to pursue Him in a real way, we must have faith. If we do not have faith or our faith is not active, there is no way God will find satisfaction in us. The reason is that our faith is linked to whether or not we trust Him. If we find it hard to trust Him, it’s probably because we don’t have enough faith in Him. If we don’t trust because of our lack of faith, then obedience never becomes an option. However, if we have the faith needed, we’ll begin to know and realize how much we really can trust God. The more we trust, the more we are willing to fall in line and do whatever is asked of us. For us to truly trust God, we must stop trusting in and relying on ourselves and instead give it all to Him.
We were given a reminder that it is the truth of God that is able to make us free from any and everything. Whether or not we believe, trust, and act on the truth God presents to us as individuals is the determining factor in how life turns out.
Throughout multiple sections within scripture, God has presented us with a choice between life and death. Based on the choice we make, we will either find ourselves being rewarded or suffering consequences; in other words blessings or curses.
We came to understand that as human beings if we lack the knowledge of who God is, we automatically find ourselves walking in deception because deception roots itself anywhere there is no truth. This led us to realize that our true identity is found in Christ. So for that reason, before we knew Him we walked in the identity that the world manufactured for us. This is what caused the human race as a whole to grow further and further away from God.
The further we get away from God, the deeper we move into deception. However, praise God that out of love He will do whatever it takes to grab our attention and turn it towards the truth so that we may be free. God has given us free will, so although He may get our attention, we still have to choose based on what He’s shown us. This gives us the ability to choose life or death, blessing or curse, rewards or consequences.
So again, do we have the faith necessary to trust God enough to choose correctly? If obeying the truth makes us free, then we have to understand that disobeying puts us in bondage. If we come to God and begin to follow His direction then we will walk on the path of freedom. During our walk down freedom lane, if we start being disobedient, we can fall back into the same traps we were freed from. This transitions us from a life full of rewards back into a life full of repercussions and consequences, and our fall is back into a place of deception.
Again, praise God that out of love and because of patience and mercy. He will attempt to get our attention once again. Like the prodigal son no matter how far we travel backward, if we come to our senses and begin obeying and following what God presents He will meet us where we are clean us up, and celebrate that we have been revived. He will reveal the lesson and provide us with an understanding of how to avoid the tactics and strategies put in play by our enemy. He will send help in whatever form is needed at the time. He will strengthen and empower us to continue moving forward, but repentance through obedience is the key that restarts a life of blessings and turns off the lifestyle that brings on nothing but curses.
In conclusion, free will gives us the power to choose the type of bed we lie in. A nice strong and stable frame with a mattress that is custom made just for us, or a frame that is barely holding on because of so many missing parts, and a mattress that is torn and beat up with little to no cushion. We always have a choice and our choices will determine our outcomes on our journey. The enemy is real and his determination to see us fail is great. If we resist the offers he makes he will have to walk away. If we consider or even entertain anything he presents, he will remain in our face, pushing harder and harder until we fall. We resist by following God’s directive, which is obedience. Yet we comply with the enemy through disobeying what God has shown us. The result is in our hands. Where is our faith, who do we trust, and will we obey what we know is true?
Scriptures from this week
Hebrews 11:1-6
Proverbs 3:5
Psalm 28:7
Deuteronomy 5:33
John 8:31
Hosea 4:6
John 14:15-16
Deuteronomy 11:26
James 5:13-17
2 Corinthians 10:3-4
1 John 5:4-5
John 19-30
1 Peter 5:8-9
2 Samuel 22:2-51
2 Peter 2:20-21
James 4:7-10
Galatians 6:7-10
