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Taken for Granted

Jeremiah 5:22 (AMP) ‘Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Do you not tremble [in awe] in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, an eternal decree and a perpetual barrier beyond which it cannot pass. Though the waves [of the sea] toss and break, yet they cannot prevail [against the sand ordained to hold them back]; though the waves and the billows roar, yet they cannot cross over [the barrier]. [Is not such a God to be feared?]

My word for 2023 is ‘Presence.’ Often we think of His Presence as His Blessings. His Presence is so much more than that. His Presence should not be ‘me’ focused. His Presence is all about Him. Our faith and honor are a reflection on how much of His Presence we really want. I was in prayer yesterday about getting ready for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Tomorrow we will be inviting people into our homes, or we will be traveling to someone else’s home, to share a meal. I do not know about you, but I start my planning about a month before. I have lined up when I need to purchase certain items. I check out the stores for when the turkey goes on sale for 49 cents a pound. I start planning my cooking schedule so that items will be fresh, but I can still enjoy the company of those we are to fellowship with.

It reminded me of how we also need to prepare our hearts. Holidays are not easy for everyone. Sometimes we do not see family but once or twice a year. Some family or friends have become estranged because of things that have been said or done, or perceived to have been said or done. My prayer was that we would not take for granted His Presence. How can we do that?

I went back to the beginning. Cain and Abel were bringing God an offering of their firsts (Genesis 4). Abel’s was accepted and Cain’s was not. God addressed Cain about the issue. Cain instead of correcting, had murder in his heart and carried it out. What happened to Cain?

Genesis 4:13-14, 16 (AMP) Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Your face (presence) I will be hidden, and I will be a fugitive and an [aimless] vagabond on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” So Cain went away from the [manifested] presence of the Lord, and lived in the land of Nod [wandering in exile], east of Eden.

What was so unbearable to Cain? He no longer had the Presence of the Lord. He took it for granted. There is nothing more disparaging than to not be in His Presence.

Can a believer have a murderous heart? Yes we can. How we speak of others is a reflections of our hearts. When we gossip and slander (damaging statements) it is like commiting murder. When we imagine scenarios of vengeance or one-uping each other we are not desiring the best (we are not exemplifying love). When we have arguments in our minds (we are fighting flesh and blood). What does this end up doing within us? I do not know about you, but I can tell I am in the wrong, especially when I am not at peace and have no joy. Ephesians 4:29-30 says, “Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him]“. How I speak (or even think) can be displeasing to Him.

2 Corinthians 3:17 (AMP) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].

1 Chronicles 16:27 (AMP) Splendor and majesty are [found] in His presence; strength and joy are [found] in His place (sanctuary).

Psalms 16:11 (AMP) You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Have you been searching for true freedom? Have you been chasing happy? Have you made statements of “I will do it when” or “I will be happy when”? The Lord is the Spirit and where He is there is freedom. Where He is there is joy. How about trying surrender? I surrender my mind, my will and my emotions to God. I surrender my words and my thoughts. I give Him access to put my heart in check. I give Him the ability to fight the battles so that He wins. It is not worth taking His Presence for granted. I want Him more. We can focus on Him and fellowship with those that have hurt us. That is what love is all about (seeking the best for others, no matter what). This does not mean I change my mind or have to accept anything contrary to the Word of God. How are people to receive the gift of salvation if they are not drawn by the Holy Spirit? How are they to draw if people who are filled with such are not around? Just like Jesus, we should desire freedom for all. You take the Presence of God with you wherever you go. Do not take that for granted. Surrender how we speak and think and allow Him (His Presence) to come forth.

Father, our Banner and Maker, we stand in awe of You. You are Holy. You are Mighty. You are Marvelous. Thank You for Your Son. Thank You for sending Him to take on our sins and redeem us to our purpose. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank You that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now dwells in us. Thank You for the written Word and the revelation Knowledge as revealed through the Holy Spirit. We surrender our mind, our will and our emotions to You. We tried doing it on our own. We repent for harboring unforgiveness and resentment. We repent for thoughts and words that defiled Your creation. We choose today to forgive. We desire You Presence. We know that in Your Presence is fullness of joy. In Your Presence is freedom from bondage. We surrender our expectations and choose to live in Your freedom. We choose love today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Set me free

Exodus 28:36-38 (AMP) “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ You shall fasten it on the front of the turban with a blue cord. It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall take away the guilt from the holy things which the sons of Israel dedicate, with regard to all their holy gifts. It shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be accepted before the Lord.

Your thoughts matter. We can be very creative in our imaginations. When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he had to imagine a light that did not require it to be lit daily by fire. Josephine Cochrane originally came up with the idea of a mechanical dishwasher that would hold dishes in a rack while pressurized water sprayed them clean. After her husband passed, she marketed her invention to hotels. It eventually became the standard household appliance we know today.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (AMP) For though we walk in the flesh [as mortal men], we are not carrying on our [spiritual] warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man. The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete.

Every description of strongholds refer to the mind. Arguments, knowledge, and our thoughts can lead us to want to seek division to flesh and blood. We vow never to allow access to certain areas of ourselves. We use the creative parts as a defense. We think our lives will be better. There is a light bulb that was invented that stayed lit for over 100 years. The light bulb that Thomas Edison invented was not cheap. It cost nearly a days wages…for a light bulb. What about the dishwasher? That created jobs for not just making them, but repairing them. Then there is the question of disposal once they stop working and can no longer be repaired. What has this to do with my mind? When we try to do fix a hurt with a vow, because of the argument, the thought, or the knowledge we have from past experiences we change the way we approach people.

1 Peter 1:13-16 (AMP) Prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. [Live] as obedient children [of God]; do not be conformed to the evil desires which governed you in your ignorance [before you knew the requirements and transforming power of the good news regarding salvation]. But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage]; because it is written, “You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy.”

As I was reading in Exodus last week, I ran across the passage that described the garments that Aaron was to wear as the chief priest of the Levitical priesthood. In Exodus 28 it describes the turban he was to wear. They made a plat of pure gold and engraved a signet that said ‘Holy to the Lord‘ (AMP) and fastened it to the front of the turban. It was to be on Aaron’s forehead (verses 36-38). At the beginning of this passage in 1 Peter, he is telling us to prepare our minds for action. What is holy to the Lord? Have you ever thought about your mind being holy to the Lord?

Many times when we want to see the outward change in a new convert. We tell them they should be dressing different. If they are a smoker, then we tell them to stop smoking. The first thing that was done with me was I was taken to buy new clothes. What really we need to do is help them with their new identity. We take the scripture out of context and tell people that their conduct (what they do) makes them holy.

Jesus read from Isaiah 61 the last time He was in His hometown of Nazareth (verses 1-3):

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed and commissioned me
To bring good news to the humble and afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted,
To proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives
And freedom to prisoners,

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance and retribution of our God,
To comfort all who mourn,
 
To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following:
To give them a turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning],
The oil of joy instead of mourning,
The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God],
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

When we understand the significance of the turban in context of the priestly garments, then we understand what Jesus really came to do. He came to set the captive free. They believed their freedom was going to come from being liberated from Roman rule. Then He went to tell about what He was going to put on them. A new mindset, Holy to the Lord! We have to be consistently renewed in this (Ephesians 4:23). Our old way of doing things will want to creep back in. None of us are without wounds and we all have made vows in some form or another. I do not know about you, but I want the freedom that Jesus talked about here in Isaiah 61. It is time to tear down those strongholds. It is time to set the captives free! It starts with me.

Father, Your Word says that because You are Holy, You want me to be holy. I cannot do that apart from Your Son. Search within me and bring back to remembrance any wound that I have created a vow against. I release that wound right now. I repent for me trying to control what should have been Yours all along. Give me a new mindset regarding that wound. Jesus, I release my control and submit it into Your care. I desire freedom in every area of my life, which includes my mind. I choose to cast down any imagination that has caused me to divide from the body of Christ. Holy Spirit, thank You for teaching me this revelation knowledge. Your Spirit alive in me is how I keep my mind holy to the Lord. Thank you for my freedom. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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He Understands

Ephesians 4:22-25 (AMP) That, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation]. Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one another [and we are all parts of the body of Christ].

So many of us put our faith in Christ as our Savior, but fail to allow Him to be our redeemer, our healer, our restorer. Christ has done everything He needs to do to be one with us. God lives in me, He sees me, He hears me, He loves me and He understands me. People may not always understand you, but Jesus will always understand you.

I have recently gone through a great heart ache. People in our church have recently walked away from ours to go to another in our area. As pastors it is hard because it feels like a divorce (or that is what those who have never had a divorce would think it feels like). I had a dream about one of them last night. It was a dream of when he and his brother were younger, with short curly hair. In my dream I wept. I also imagined myself using something to dull the feeling of pain. That is something I have never done in the natural, so why would I dream about that?

Galatians 5:16-17 (AMP) But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]. For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.

I have recently been reading about the time in David’s life when his son Absalom was against him. You can read about their tumultuous relationship in 2 Samuel 13-18. David did not send orders to end Absalom’s life. He asked for them to have mercy on his son, the son that was trying to overthrow him. I often think about how we want God to take revenge for us to those that have done us wrong. My husband made a good point yesterday and I have been asking God to help with my heart change. We have have every right to feel the way we do when someone wrongs us…in the natural. However, when we are born again we have to submit those feelings to the Kingdom and let go of our rights.

David writes during this time in Psalms 26:11 (AMP), “But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful and gracious to me.”

Psalms 139:23-24 (AMP) Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

I cannot allow these hurts to hold me back. I cannot beat myself up for them coming up sometimes either. I have to change my focus. I have to allow the Holy Spirit to heal me from the inside out. Remember, Jesus understands. David did have his moments when he cried out to God to hide his iniquity. Psalms 38:16 (AMP), For I pray, “May they not rejoice over me, who, when my foot slips, would boast against me.” We want to hide in our shame. We want to close the doors to our bedroom and not let the light shine in so we can stay in the bed all day long. Let Christ in!

Let me know how I can pray for you today. Let me know if you have moments like this too, or if you are in a season right now that is hard to get out of. I want to pray with you! You can email me at amanda@desiringformore.org.