My Sword shall lead me to VICTORY!!!

Yesterday was an interesting day. There was a battle fought in the spiritual realm over circumstances in our life. Ephesians 6:10-12 says, "10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.". But Shaun and I, for the first time, took the WORD OF GOD and used it in that battle. We did not get derailed or thrown off course. God says this, Matthew 11:28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." I learned what this means yesterday. It was (as Oprah says) a light bulb moment. There is a reason why we are to read the Bible every day...why we are to saturate ourselves with the Truth. It is so that when we face difficult things in life we will come out on the other side with LIFE. When (and it's not an if? It's a definite WHEN) trials come into our lives we will have the weapons and the tools. God gives us His word as a weapon to use...but we have to be the ones to know where to find the tools...so that His living is EASY come what may! James 1:2-8, 12, 16-18 says this, "2-4Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
5-8If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believing, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open...12Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life... 16-18So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures. "

Another word picture is one I just heard this morning. It is the difference between reservoirs and canals.

"If then you are wise, you show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. A canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus without loss to itself [it share] its superabundant water."

-Bernard of Clairvaux-

The Bible talks about storerooms in Matt 13:52 (52He said, "Then you see how every student well-trained in God's kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it." ) and Luke 6:43-45 ("You don't get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It's who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds. ". ). God also gives out of His storerooms or reservoirs. It says in John 1:16 from the fullness of His grace we have received one blessing after another." The Message puts that verse like this, "We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift. We got the basics from Moses, and then this exuberant giving and receiving, This endless knowing and understanding— In Ephesians 3:16 Paul says "I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you"...the Message put the same verse this way "And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. "

It is beautiful to see the word of God come alive...

Adventuring,

Tama