My Chains are Gone

With all that's going in the world lately, I shouldn't be surprised by the distractions happening around me. This Christian walk is not an easy one, we have an ever present enemy that hates us with a passion, he will attack again and again and with more ferocity every time. We must be able to encourage ourselves, focus on God and always be prepared! Paul wrote how essential it was to always wear our armor, by following his instructions we will not be weakened by the enemies attacks - instead we will be stronger because of them!(Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT ) 

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. (1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT)

I've been side tracked with some difficult things, so I've been trying to not lose sight of what really matters - GOD. It doesn't matter how miserable we get and  how fixed upon our worries and woes we are - we have to shift (and keep) our focus on God. 

When we keep looking to God, it doesn't mean the burden is gone, it simply means we can carry the burden. When the anxiety builds up, when the fear has settled in and when the tears start to flow - we have to give it over to God. I'm always amazed at how God sees me at my breaking point and brings me small miracles to encourage me to continue on, they are like little love notes to my heart to remind me that He's still here, He's never left me and He's with me until the end. 

In the middle of my tears, a text was sent to me out of the blue - a text that I knew was sent by the urging of the Holy Spirit - and I'm so happy she listened to His leading. I smiled through my tears, knowing all too well the timing was perfect and must be a God thing. I decided to turn on some Praise and Worship music, as my heart began to lift from the heavy sadness and soak in the beautiful power of singing praises to our Lord and Savior - I had an idea!

I needed to write down on an index card - my prayer request on one side, then on the other side - the burdens and sins I had been carrying - then I wrote on top of the burdens 'John 3:16,17 & 18' and now over that in the color red I wrote 'Blood of Jesus' - which completely covered up everything I had written. Then I took the card and held it over an open flame and burned it until there was nothing left but wispy smoke and ash.  This process slowly set in and as I soaked in the message of this lesson - my sins covered by the blood of Jesus - forgiven - these burdens I tried to continue to carry even after being given to God are lifted from me, I'm unable to take them back from the ashes - Jesus' words echoed in my heart, "Come to me, all of you are who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29 NLT) The enemy will do his best to remind us of our mistakes, but we must remember that "He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west." (Psalm 103:12 NLT). 

When we are going through a season of storms, it's hard to build ourselves up, we feel like we've been going under for so long, that we'll never make it out of the storm we're in. The strength we need to continue isn't our own strength - "He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless (Isaiah 40:29 NLT). We have to be able to stir ourselves up, encourage ourselves when no one else can - even David had to encourage himself, "Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God!" (Psalm 42:5 NLT). So when the disappointment has settled in and you want to give in, remember that you are never alone, that God is with you, He loves you and calls you His child, He sent His son to die for you and no matter your failures or doubts, He has a purpose for you and will always forgive you, because you are His masterpiece!

Just Trust

‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6 NKJV)

I’ve often been amazed at how complex we can try to make life, when God has a  simple solution for us. So many times we try to force how we think things should go, when we cannot even conceive the thoughts of the Creator of the universe. He has reminded us that His wisdom is not the world’s wisdom.

This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25 NLT)

Sometimes we’ll let our pride get in the way or maybe even think, that’s okay God, I got this. God never tests us to see if we can handle a challenge, but He will wait to to see if we trust in Him to get us through whatever situation we have gotten into.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.  Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil (Proverbs 3:5-7 NLT)

When we’re told to fear the Lord, it’s not about being scared, it’s about reverence and respect; the way a child wants to please their parents because of the love, not because of fear of getting into trouble. Jesus told us that we didn’t need to carry our burdens, He came so we could be free from those worries.

“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.” (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG)

Once we can give those burdens up, once we can let go and let God – we’ve given God complete and perfect trust in Him and not in ourselves. It’s at the point, that we can learn the freedom that God has had for us all along.

Lay Those Burdens Down and Pick up GOD's Promises

How often do you pray to GOD to help you with a burden and then after you lay it down, end up picking it back up when something else is added to it? Do you ever pick it up and start worrying over it again, pick it up and think GOD’s too busy for this, I’m sure I can figure something out… Part of the faith walk is leaving those burdens behind and keep trusting in GOD, trusting that in HIS time it will be taken care of.

‘For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’ (Matthew 11:30 NLT)

Walking by faith means trusting GOD no matter the circumstances around us. GOD didn’t put those road bumps, difficulties and pitfalls in our path, but HE can use any situation to teach us what we need in our journey with him.

‘Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from the beginning to end.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT)

Some people insist that their problems are too small for GOD and they don’t want to bother HIM with their ‘stuff’.

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. (1 Peter 5:7 AMP)

In the Greek translation, the word used for ‘all’ is the Greek ‘pas’ and this word is literally translated into ("each, every") means "all" in the sense of "each (every) part that applies." The emphasis of the total picture then is on "one piece at a time."  (ananeóō) then focuses on the part(s) making up the whole – viewing the whole in terms of the individual parts.

Do you see that ALL our cares, ALL our anxieties, EACH and EVERY little detail that makes up our anxieties are to be cast upon Jesus – there is no tiny detail that JESUS wants left out, HE wants us to bring HIM everything to HIM!!

Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). (Psalm 55:22 AMP)

What’s good about starting with the small stuff, is that when we see GOD’s faithfulness in answering those smaller issues, we have built our faith up enough that bringing HIM the bigger issues are second nature and without thought. The faith walk is a trust walk, we trust that GOD will answer our prayers; we lose our worldly way of thinking and begin to think in the Kingdom of GOD  way.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus spoke of the faith of a child? Because a child doesn’t question when they are told something, they believe it, it is fact - period: “You stole my nose!” and/or “Santa/Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy is coming”.  We are given a whole Bible filled with GOD’s Word and we still have doubts. Doubt is what happens when you’ve lived in the ‘world’ too long – we learn to doubt and we learn to distrust. This world is ruled by Satan and that’s his job, to keep us from receiving all that GOD has for us. When we buy into the enemies lies, ‘miracles are of the past’, ‘GOD doesn’t heal today’, ‘that’s prosperity teaching and it’s not for us’.

If you are a Believer and you believe the Bible is GOD’s Holy Word and that GOD is truth and GOD is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow – then you don’t need to be concerned with the devil’s lies because our GOD is a GOD of miracles, a GOD that heals, a GOD that wants to bless you with an abundance!!

Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. (Luke 10:19 AMP)

In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides] (Ephesians 6:10 AMP)

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. (1 John 4:4 NLT)

There’s our authority, we have Christ in us, we are empowered by the same Spirit of GOD that raised Jesus from the dead! With the Holy Spirit living in us, we are given the Authority of Christ, with that authority we can do all that Jesus told us we could do!

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! (Matthew 10:8 NLT)

Did you see that Jesus told us to heal, HE didn’t say, ‘go pray to GOD for healing, HE said go and heal’! The devil’s greatest deception has been using ‘wolves in sheep clothing’ to tell Believer’s that we can’t have what GOD’s Word ALREADY told us we have!

Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves. (Matthew 7:15 NLT)

Our minds have to be renewed to GOD’s way, not the world’s way, that’s why we HAVE to immerse ourselves in the Bible, immerse ourselves in the promises of GOD and refuse to listen to the lies of the enemy. The devil can’t take from us what is already ours, but he can lie to us and keep us from experiencing the promises that GOD has for us.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  I will be found by you,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLT)

GOD’s promises are so great that the enemy wants desperately to keep us from them, because when he keeps Believers in bondage from his lies, we aren’t able to fulfill all that GOD’s wants to give us and all that GOD has planned for us to bless and encourage others.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge (Hosea 4:6a AMP)

If you renew your mind with the Word of GOD, it will become second nature to you speak out the Word of GOD and to believe it without fail. Faith walking and trust walking can only happen if you keep the Word flowing from your heart so that it pours out of your mouth! Alter your thoughts to GOD’s will for your life, there you will find all the promises that GOD has for you and that is when you see those promises come to be!

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34 NIV)

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. (Romans 12:2 AMP)