Speaking to yourselves in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:19-20
Don’t allow your mind to be
controlled by the circumstances around you and thus give the enemy a foothold
on your life… In today’s devotional we are reminded of the importance of
speaking over ourselves instead of allowing someone else too… There are a lot
of things that we all face in this world, a lot of situations that we find ourselves
in which are disheartening to the strongest and most stable individuals;
however, the declaration that is made today is that we must maintain our
praise, worship and devotion to the Lord… The enemy has set out to destroy you;
however, it will not be a physical fight, it will be a battle within your mind…
All Satan once you to do is focus on the problem and not stand in faith knowing
that the Father is the solution… Your adversary has placed strategic things in
your life with the focus of derailing your faith; this is why you encounter obstacles
that seem impassable and burdens that appear to be unbearable… The word of God
tells in Hebrews 9:28, “so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to
take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our
sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” This is not the only
reference we have to know that Christ has delivered us from past, present and
future sins as Peter declares in the 3rd chapter of his 1st book, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the
unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made
alive by the Spirit,” These
scriptures are referenced in today’s devotional so that you can see clearly
that Satan only has the power that you give Him… He wants you to think (battle
in the mind) that you are in bondage because of mistakes and failures; however,
the Lord wants you to praise Him in and through your challenges because you know
that He has and will deliver you… Your thoughts are powerful and today make the
decision to make melody in your heart to
God… Things may not be going as you desire, but you can praise God for the
simple fact that His ways are flawless and He has a plan for you, to give you
hope and a future… I was once told this following quote by my father many years
ago, it reads as follows: “Be careful what you think, for your thoughts
become your words. Be careful what you say, for your words become your actions.
Be careful what you do, for your actions become your habits. Be careful what
becomes habitual, for your habits become your destiny.” Whether we
acknowledge it or not, the truth of the matter is that the things we think
about lead to the path that we choose to travel… Paul echoes this very thing in
his letter to the church of Ephesus… If we want to walk according to the will
of God and do the things that are pleasing in His sight than we must first
change our mindset and focus on our spiritual identity which will lead us to
spiritual thoughts… When we begin to think spiritual instead of seeking worldly
possession we begin to speak life (God’s word) over every situation and
circumstance and when we reach that level than we are able to “…give thanks
always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ…” Instead of harping on the negative and seeing the glass half empty
we must speak the positives and see the glass as half full…
When you are in the midst of trying
times in your life, be thankful knowing that we are to “Consider it pure joy
when we face trials and tribulations…” When you are in the midst of
suffering, when you feel like the weight of the world is upon your shoulders
and you can’t bare to carry this heavy load, be reminded today what Paul said
in his letter to the church of Rome, “For I reckon that the sufferings of
this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us…” We can overcome the adversity we face, we can turn
obstacles into stepping stones and speak the words that Joseph said after being
sold into slavery and imprisoned, “But as for you, you meant evil against
me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is
this day, to save many people alive…” This isn’t an easy thing to do, but
you can start down this path by speaking to yourself in psalms and hymns… Hum
your favorite hymn when things seem dim, recite your favorite verse when people
get on your nerves and praise the Lord in advance when you are faced with
hardships… Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you
declares the Lord, thoughts to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you
hope and a future…” God has a plan, but it can only be fulfilled when you
walk in His will… You will face tough days, but know that they aren’t intended
to harm you… Smile when you should frown, cry tears of joy instead of tears of
resentment and maintain your praise knowing that God inhabits the praises of
His people… As we go throughout this walk of life, Ephesians is reminding us to
be imitators of Christ. No matter what people may say or do, don’t allow them
to steal your joy and the beautiful things that God has planned for you. Give
thanks in everything and every situation, God is calling you to a more intimate
relationship with him and part of that calling maybe through growing pains. So,
be thankful of your current state and status whatever that may be. Know that
God is STILL and charge and your breakthrough is on the way, your healing is
right around the corner, and you will be exalted in due time… Sing songs of
praise to Lord our God, for he is worthy to be praised, (the devil comes to (STEAL, KILL, and DESTROY). Don’t let him steal your joy, don’t let the
devil kill everything that God wants to give you, and keep the faith, don’t let
the enemy destroy your chances of reaping the harvest God has promised you. (No
more weeping, no more pain, no more sorrow, we will walk the streets of GOLD,
everyday will be Sunday, and we will be able to claim the VICTORY in Christ
Jesus…) These are the words I speak to myself every time I am going through,
these are the words I meditate on when life seems unfair and these are the
words that keep me focused on obtaining the will of God and exalting His name
by my living…
BE BLESSED!!!
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