If underneath our armor we have doubt, even just a veneer of it, it will not allow us to receive the Lord’s full blessing, fully accomplish His purposes, or defeat our flesh. Doubt is a robber of what would normally be an easy victory. Peter walks on water, which is an impossible feat, while he looks at Christ, but then, he takes his focus off Christ and looks at the waves. Fear entered in, and he sank. The same things happen to us. We can do some pretty cool things as long as we are focused on growing and serving Christ. If fear, doubt, disillusionment, pride, etc., “our waves,” and we all have them, cause us to doubt, the victory that should have been ours is lost. Now, we need rescuing. At times, not understanding what Christianity is about is part of the cause.
We have Christian terms, and many times, they are not given enough definitions. We probably don’t even fully understand them ourselves. We say to someone struggling, let the joy of the Lord be your strength. God’s joy strengthens us, but how do I get it? Or, just have faith, and things will work out. Again, I agree, but how? Do I have faith in myself, as many teach, or how do I increase my faith in Jesus? These sayings are true, but they are short sayings of complex truths that need a better explanation, and they are not without their “problems.” For example, “I’ve had faith before and it didn’t work out, I still ended up getting a divorce.”
I’ve got faith in something that does not work out. It can be discouraging; I’m sure we have all experienced this. However, as one matures in the Lord, you gain understanding. You begin to understand that any trial from mild to hard that brings you closer or more dependent upon Christ is a win for us, including the times when things are super painful (if you’re in a situation as such right now, I know it’s hard to believe that good will come from it. However stay faithful to the Lord, trust Him, and He will be faithful to you. Please believe me).
Only in trial, in loss, in hardship, when life seems ugly and unfair, does it make us call out to The Lord, and as we do, we begin to see His faithfulness to us. In turn, those experiences grow us, and we begin to willingly surrender over all the superficial stuff of this life. Stuff that, before our trials, seemed so important to us. These things hold us so close that we don’t see how they hinder us until they are stripped away or we surrender them (which can also be painful). He allows us to see that it is His presence that we truly need, not the other stuff that we thought was so important.
‘Without these hard trials, we can be “religious,” believing we are “good Christians.” However, we will completely miss out on the real relationship that we can have with Christ. I have come to trust Christ with every fiber of my being, and when things are hard and painful, and I do not understand, He does not owe me an explanation. He owes me nothing because He already has given me everything I could ever want: His love (bear in mind I’ve followed Christ for 40 years, reading the Bible daily). It’s been His Grace and Love that has carried me. My only part is that I made sure to be in His Word daily.
Romans 3:10-12
As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together, they have become worthless; no one does good,
not even one (man without the Holy Spirit).
This is a hard verse because we cannot understand righteousness from God’s perspective. His perspective is sinless, and no one comes close to that. We all measure each other by each other; it’s like grading on a curve, and because of that, it is easy for us to feel good about ourselves, and sinful habits go unchallenged. True Holy conviction is lacking in us unless the Holy Spirit brings it or reveals to us our sin. Sinful habits, thoughts, or ways develop easily.
Like barnacles on the bottom of ships, they develop because the ship’s hull is constantly in the water (as we are constantly in the world). From time to time, the ship needs to have the barnacles cleaned off. It’s hard work but a necessary job. Once completed, the ship travels faster and is much more efficient in everything it does. Our sinful nature and its habits are just like barnacles to our souls, and they need to be removed. It’s hard work, and because we don’t understand what the Lord is doing (wanting to remove the hindrances and blindness that keep us from seeing Him clearly), we get mad at Him, blame Him, or become so offended that we fall away. That is a wrong response.
This is a bad example, but it’s like beating your dog because he’s biting your pants and pulling you, but he sees the rattlesnake, and you don’t. Many times, God’s faithfulness appears to be just like this dog; we do not see the danger that awaits us.
He removes someone or something from us, and we get so mad at Him, but we don’t see how that person or thing stood between us and Him. So in love, He removes it or them, so now we can become direct recipients of His love. I can tell you that this was the reason 100% of the time in my life.
Idols are things that we put before God; they can be people, things, and or sinful habits, though we would never admit they are idols. The trials show us. We want them more than we want Christ. He must remove them, or we must repent and remove them by His strength. Insecurities, fears, and patterns of thought many have developed since our youth (normally from our parents or events that happened to us) we are blind to. For these, we need His help. Both are barnacles to our soul, with the latter being the most difficult to remove but not impossible.
If you are aware of these “stumbling blocks (another term for barnacles) in your life, pray first, asking the Lord to show you the verses in scripture that speak of them. With google, or any search engine, you can just ask, “where in the Bible does it speak of fear, insecurity, lust, or loneliness, etc., you will get several scriptures. Look them up, find the ones that speak to you, and copy them. Put them in your phone notes; you must also write them out, taping them to your bathroom mirror and the car dashboard, read them as much as possible, and share your struggle with a trusted friend, seeking prayer. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS WITHOUT GOD’s WORD. THE VERSES YOU WILL FIND ARE YOUR SWORD AND SHIELD AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE YOU WILL FACE.
James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
With each trial conquered, specific stumbling block(s) are removed. The superficial (that which the world pursues) is replaced with true life as Christ comes into clearer focus. God immensely values us, but we do not even have a clue as long as we pursue our wants and pleasures. We always put our happiness into things, people, or situations we believe will make us happy. Sometimes, He allows us to get them and let these things fail, allowing the emptiness to grow inside. He teaches us that true contentment is not in things, people, or favorable circumstances, for we are all empty vessels apart from Him.
It’s nice to get things we want, but they are never to be a substitute for Christ. I learned this lesson 30 years ago and have never forgotten it. It is a hard lesson for American Christians, but once learned, oh my, what freedom opens to us. So let’s settle this issue of having faith, not just faith, but trust, forgiveness, joy, peace, all these terms. They find their answer and ability to do in knowing Jesus and nothing else. As we get closer to Him, these attributes, promises, and blessings become more active and permanent. We then begin to fulfill a key truth of becoming a witness of Christ.
1 Timothy 4:15-16 (ESV translation)
Practice these things, and immerse yourself in them so that all may see your progress. Keep a close eye on yourself and the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers (see how complete the Bible is; a Bible verse follows up every statement I make)
**** There are several key points that this verse makes, but I only want to make one. Long ago, I read something that, when witnessing, you need to use words. I didn’t understand it at first because of the witnessing I had done; I always used words. I began to understand as I thought about it and studied the scriptures more. As a true believer in Christ, you are always witnessing. Your actions, your kindness, your care, your smile, your calm and joyful spirit (this may be harder for some of us) is constant communication that all points to a life filled with God’s Holy Spirit (if you are not experiencing this then I would be cautious when witnessing. Only speak of what is true in your life. For example, don’t speak of the “peace that passes understanding” if you do not have that). So that when you use words, belief is easy. Your hearer may not completely believe the full message, but there will be no doubt of the sincerity and truth of your words because, day in and day out, your life has demonstrated it.
To know Jesus and pardon me if I offend some of you is to be intimate with Him. The word “to know” in scripture has two meanings; it references the sexual relationship between a man and his wife (sexual relationship between nonwedded people is referenced as fornication; it is not given any honor in the scriptures). As an act in marriage, it is the most intimate and personal relationship that can be had, and it shadows the intimacy Christ seeks with us.
So, in “knowing” Jesus, we refer to a most personal, intimate, and open relationship. Upon accepting Christ, The Holy Spirit comes into us (the exact words the Bible uses to describe intercourse) to dwell, and it’s not a one-and-done. It is just the beginning of our relationship. Growth happens as we spend time in His Word; in reading and prayer, you feel His presence and hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Whatever words you hear in your mind, as in thought, start writing them down, write neatly, date your notes, and review them before starting your next devotional. I always learned more in the review. Vida comes from this background. You will find that He is quite talkative. Also, let me stress that there are times when you do not hear or feel Him; it becomes a walk of faith. Provided you are not concealing any unconfessed sin, or He’s asking you to forgive or be kind to someone, and you are saying no. Any No on our part will put a stop to our growth.
Another analogy that is much less intimate is the example of planting a seed. We plant a seed in the ground, which needs water once planted. Jesus wants us to water our seed of faith through hearing Godly messages, reading His Word, and hearing Godly music. Music is so colored with sexual language that it is very important to listen to Christian music with clean lyrics. It may not have the beat, but sacrifice it for clean lyrics. If you do this as “unto the Lord,” you will be rewarded as your faith grows. Also, the frequency of hearing the gospel is important.
Imagine if you only hear a Godly message once a week, and the rest of the week, it’s all secular influences, friends, music, and news. Do you think that you will grow “Godly?” Like a seedling getting only 2 hours of sunlight a day. It will be anemic and eventually die. The more “Son-Light” we get, the more strength and growth will occur. Our spiritual intake will not compare to all the secular influences we take in, not to mention our carnal nature that we have to engage with daily, but that’s okay. My walk with God has been built on a half hour a day and an hour on the weekends. God has honored the time I had and matured me. He will use whatever time you give freely. Don’t become legalistic in pursuing Him, for it will not work. Even in doing this, it’s a tug of war at times, and you will sin, but repent and learn from it and get going.
Therefore, The Holy Spirit seeks permission to put out “roots” in every part of us. That means we must choose to position ourselves in situations and or opportunities where Holiness and Godliness are exalted. And vice versa, we must position ourselves away from and out of situations and circumstances that displease the Lord. Whether at work in ungodly conversations, at home, in my thought life, what I do when I’m alone, in the most personal times, etc. Growth also means allowing Him to throw out what doesn’t please Him. That’s called conviction.
It’s a most uncomfortable feeling. It’s when you feel uncomfortable, even dirty, and you know that what you’re doing doesn’t please the Holy Spirit that abides/dwells in you. It’s like having sex with someone else who’s not your spouse with your spouse watching. We forget that God sees everything we do. Again, this maturing takes time, but nothing like shocking us into spiritual sobriety. Here’s a great verse that exemplifies the close relationship God wants with us. Listen to His tenderness.
Psalms 32:8-9
I will instruct and teach you how you should go and counsel you with my eye upon you. (Only) Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding (stubborn is being implied) which must be curbed (guided) with bit and bridle, or else (the promise of God’s) will not stay with you.” Do you ever wonder where God is? Maybe the better question is, where are you? Imagine that God Almighty will instruct us, teach us, and give our life direction and purpose, and it’s personal, with His eye guiding us. It does not get any better than this. Talking about security and assurance! If you feel lost, guess who got off the path? Repent and return to obedience.
Also, there is this truth. You could be doing everything right but still lack peace, joy, trust, forgiveness, hope, etc. It is because we do not know Jesus intimately enough, compared to the conflict that faces us; we don’t have peace for the same reason. The roar of the lion, be it of fear, insecurity, lust, worry, etc., is louder than His voice, “peace be still.” Our struggle is greater than my confidence in Him. When I join the gym, I cannot lift 100 pounds; I have to work up to it. Just continue to present your heart and mind to Him, and growth will occur. So, if we struggle with forgiveness, we lack understanding of what He suffered to grant us forgiveness.
I can guarantee it will not cost you or me what it cost Him. He also suffered God’s wrath as He was hanging there being punished, the Innocent for the guilty; my sins, your sins, and the sins of all who would come unto Him. We will never experience God’s wrath; I can’t imagine that. It is reserved for the devil and his demons and the unrepentant. Joy, peace, freedom, etc., are our reward, though we don’t deserve them, and it’s found in knowing His love for you and me, which deepens as we walk with Him. So, if your only resolve and take away from reading this Vida is the absolute need to know Jesus better through Bible study, prayer, and fellowship, you got it! Praise the Lord! The rest is the Holy Spirit’s job, provided we continue to study, “water the seed.” I would add one more thing: pray for a soft, willing heart.
As we approach Easter, if you haven’t seen The Chosen, a wonderful, very believable depiction of Christ’s life and the disciples. Most of it can be seen under The Chosen app, which can be downloaded from the App Store. I would strongly encourage you to see it. It is also showing in some theaters, the app will tell you.
Father God,
Thank you for this devotional. It’s hard-hitting, seeking to cleanse the soul from all the vices, sins, bad habits, and addictions. Be it porn, alcohol, pride, or gender identity confusion, it’s all set right in knowing your love for us. It may take time, but the answer is found in your love for us. Now, Father, help our weaknesses as we turn ourselves to You, knowing that a repentant heart you will in no wise turn away.
John 6:35-37
Jesus told them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”
The evidence of God’s presence is felt in the reading of Vida. I know that, not as a credit to me but to Him. As I write, I feel His Spirit in me and hear His Words, not mine. So please heed His Words. Thank you, and Amen.
Have a blessed Easter. This even be your first Easter celebration as a new believer, son, or daugng. I’m so happy for whoever comes to meyou!!!
Thank you, Father,
Your son by Grace
Arthur