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…
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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