Re Dieting

Do not put "do and do" and "rule on rule" over your own head. The devil loves lists. They help him to organize his strategies of attack; and you cannot stand against him. The only way you can be unpredictable to Satan is to abide in the Lord.

In-the-moment obedience will protect you.

The enemy of your soul can’t touch your will; he can only manipulate your desires. A commitment to obey is difficult for him to attack.

An obedience commitment differs from the kind of desperate game you play when you attempt to outfox your sinful nature. Commitment does not need to destroy the source of temptation or even to hide from it.

Commit, not to abstaining or partaking or to any set of rules; but to the Lord.

Scripture: "...he said, 'This is the resting place, let the weary rest'; and, 'This is the place of repose'—but they would not listen. So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there—so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured (Isaiah 28:12-13).

"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God..." (Hebrews 4:9).

 

Solomon's Song

Do not judge yourself by the world's standards. If you believe you are no longer lovable because you are growing old, then you make the error of worshiping at the altar of human perfection (which is always an illusion) and forfeit the Heavenly vision of the true perfection that is yours in Christ Jesus.

The Song of Solomon is an allegory of God’s love told through the story of a human love. He created human love as a type and foreshadow of the perfection of His desire for His beloved, the church. He desires you corporately, as a member of the body of Christ; and individually, as the unique individual He has created you to be. Come to Him. Come to Him and be satisfied, even now, by His love.

Scripture: "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine..." (Song of Solomon 6:3a KJV).

"He has taken me to the banquet hall; and his banner over me is love" (Song of Solomon 2:4).

Once Again: Do Not be Afraid!

Fear is a normal response to frightening things. It is not invalid, but it is unnecessary.

Although you may not like its appearance, a snake behind a glass is not fearsome. You would be perfectly safe to lie down and fall asleep with your back to the glass, because the snake cannot reach you.

The terrors you fear in the future cannot touch you today. Like the protective glass between you and a serpent in an enclosure, time is your protector in the moment you are in. For this present day, the future has no hold on you and no power to harm. Fear of the future is unnecessary, because “now” is where you live. Live in your present, and leave your future to the Lord.

It Will Not Happen a Second Time

Loving others is a risk. It is like lowering your shield and putting away your sword in order to extend the right hand of fellowship. You have been betrayed in the past, and so you fear the possibility of hurt through rejection, particularly a humiliating rejection such as that you experienced before. Believe in the Lord's promise when He says this kind of sorrow will not happen a second time.

Blessings will overtake you; make preparation! It would not seem necessary to prepare for blessings, but it is prudent to do so. It is possible to be overwhelmed by blessing as well as by stress. Be overwhelmed by God's presence and His love, and all will be well apart from any material or physical preparation you make.

The Lord asks you to trust Him and to remember that He is in your circumstances. Go with the flow of His perfect will. God is with you. He acts on your behalf to protect you. It is safe to trust Him. All of His promises are good.

Scripture: "Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again'" (Exodus 14:13).

"And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God" Deuteronomy 28:2, KJV.

Sweeten the Message

God's voice, as it flows through you, becomes flavored with who you are in Him. Sin would taint the final product, but a pure heart and mind only lends flavor, like a teaspoon of vanilla in cookie dough. You actually have the opportunity to enhance His message—not to change it, but to enhance it—when you walk the narrow way.

Although he himself was slovenly, Balaam repeated God's messages verbatim; and the Lord's power is such that Balaam was recognized as a prophet. God's word will stand, regardless of the individual He uses as a vessel or a channel. But how much better if His spokesperson sweetens the message!

God uses those He chooses, and you must not gauge the veracity of a prophet’s message based on the appearance of the prophet. But He has placed His hand on your unique way of expressing your thoughts and feelings. Again He reminds you, do not edit your responses based on the reactions of other people, but look to the Lord!


Scripture: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).

Look to the Lord

In your interactions with other human beings, you are afraid of rejection. You now find yourself at an impasse between yourself and one who needs your love, because fear of rejection is at work on both sides. You must make the first move, and follow it with a second move, and another, and another. Acts of love; intentional, confident, calm. The Lord will help you.

You say that your spontaneity has been crushed by the negative words and actions of others; then do not be manipulated by other peoples’ reactions. Dance to the music the Lord has placed within your heart and mind, and trust that initial responses may not be accurate indicators of heart responses.

Resurrection Life

Focus upon resurrection life day by day, and do not dwell in a grief-stricken way upon the pathos of a man born to die for the sins of the world. The Cross stands at the center of eternity as a symbol of Christ's passion to obey His Heavenly Father, but it is the fruit Christ brought forth on that Cross that gives hope to your heart. Jesus has been resurrected as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Do not weep for the man who died. You did not know him as a human being. He does not mean you to bear the grief the disciples bore, or to focus upon human grief. The crucifixion occurred in one moment in time, but for all of eternity the Resurrection resounds with His victory song. Do you not hear it? This is cause for rejoicing, not for tears.

Remember Good Friday one day a year, and honor it as the pivotal Holy event on the time line of mankind; but take the Resurrection with you every day into eternity.