As we move into a new year, we all seem to have preconceived notions that new beginnings will happen, COVID-19 will disappear, we will finally start exercising and eating right, we will read our Bibles more, pray more, be kinder, etc. But…why do we feel that January 1st holds so much power? Like all the sudden on January 1st the whole world gets their slate erased and a fresh start? Is this really the case? Has this ever happened? It would be nice, but in reality all of our problems will still be there on January 1st. People will still be struggling, people will still be grumpy, sad, depressed, and unmotivated. COVID-19 (unfortunately) will still be there. And most of us (ahem…guilty!) will give up on our new diet or exercise plan before January ends. Our busy lives continue after January 1st and the “Bible in Year” plan gets more and more behind every day.
Why do we wait until January 1st to implement life changes? Don’t get me wrong, I am firm believer in setting new goals. However, I believe we should be setting new goals for ourselves all the time, all year long. If you want to start reading your Bible everyday, start now! If you want to start living a healthier life, start now! If you want to be a nicer person to others, start now! (and start praying) Set small goals all the time, start by reading a few Bible verses a day, read a daily devotional like Our Daily Bread (always a winner!) Start walking around the block and cut out junk food. Set small goals and build on them all year long. Setting goals is how most successful people become that way. They are highly motivated, goal oriented people. Andrew Carnegie once said, “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.”
Setting goals all year long is definitely important, but it also takes a real change of the heart to see a real change. You cannot force change if you don’t really want it deep down inside. After January 1st our situation and our lives are not going to change, but our hearts can. Real change starts on the inside.
How can we truly change our hearts? By giving out hearts to Jesus. In the Book of Proverbs, God tells us, “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” (Proverbs 23:26) Pray about these changes you want to make. Pray about the new goals you will set. And remember, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me.” (Philippians 4:13)
We can make our goals happen anytime. Maybe we cannot make COVID-19 disappear, but we can change the way react to it. Put your faith in Jesus and remove the fear from your heart. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isaiah 41:10)
Lord, I pray you will guide us all in 2021. Guide us in our personal lives, guide us in our spiritual walk and prayer life with you. Lord give us wisdom to do your will for your Kingdom. Help us put our faith in you! And Lord help us to give You our whole hearts! – In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the Shepherds said to one another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:13-16)
Hark the Herald Angels sing, glory to the newborn king, peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. I immediately think of this classic hymn when I read this scripture from the book of Luke. The angels of Heaven were so filled with an abundance of joy, they could not help but cry out in song. The angels had long been awaiting the day that the Savior would come to Earth to reconcile humanity from their sins. From the original sins of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis, we see God’s prophecy, that one will come from the womb of a woman to crush the head of the serpent.“And I will put enmity between thee and thy woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) This seed of the woman is Christ, born of Mary, and all His followers. The seed of the serpent is the fallen angel, Lucifer, the angels that fell from heaven with him and all his earthly followers. The Apostle Paul refers to this prophecy in his letter to the church in Rome.“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” (Romans 16:20a)
The shepherds could feel excitement of the angels, as the angels rejoiced and praised God. The shepherds were so filled with awe by the angels and the message they brought, they left with “haste” to find this baby that would be lying a manger.
“And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. And shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they heard and seen, as it was told them.” (Luke 2:17-20)
The shepherds became the very first to spread the Gospel of Christ. This gospel news would be familiar to many of those whom the shepherds told about this Christ child. The prophets of the Old Testament had long been speaking of the Messiah who would come. In fact, the wisemen that came from the East, were likely from Babylon and had been watching for generations for a special, particular star to follow since the prophet Daniel, during the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar over 500 years before Christ would be born. The Israelites were waiting for their Messiah, and now He had arrived.
“And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” (Luke 2:21)
The angel Gabriel gave Mary the name she was to name her baby at the same time he told her she was going to have a baby. “And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.” (Luke 1:31-32)
Gabriel knew His name because he already knew Him.“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)Jesus has been there since the before the beginning of creation. He is the Word that spoke creation into being. Once you began to realize how long the angels of heaven had been awaiting this moment, you can almost feel the excitement the angels and the shepherds felt that very special night.
While Joseph and Mary and were at the Temple when the baby Jesus was eight days old for the circumcision and naming of the baby and to make a sacrifice unto the Lord for the birth of the baby, a man named Simeon came and made another prophecy about the Christ child given him by the Holy Spirit. “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law. Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, ‘Lord, now lettest thou servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” (Luke 2: 25-32)
Simeon, assumably an old man, was a just and devout man of God. He had been awaiting this moment for a long time. The Holy Spirit had previously come upon him and told him he would not die until he got see this Christ child. When Joseph and Mary came into to the Temple with Jesus, Simeon’s heart leapt for joy within him. Simeon declared with great excitement that he could now die in peace because he had seen the one that will bring the light (salvation) to non-Israelites everywhere and bring glory to the people of Israel. Jesus would reconcile all. ‘God and sinners reconciled’
“And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:33-35)
Can you imagine how Joseph and Mary felt as all these amazing things were happening around them and this baby? Scared? Happy? Amazed? Terrified? So many feelings and thoughts must have been swirling around in their minds. Notice here in verse 34, Simeon says this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel. Many will fall from not putting their faith in Jesus and many will rise again with Him in the last day for believing in Him. And then in verse 35, Simeon says, a sword shall pierce thy soul also. A prophecy of the sword that would pierce Jesus side on the cross and a symbolic reference the sorrow Mary would feel when Jesus is crucified. Do you think Mary truly understood these prophecies at this moment in time? Probably not completely. But, I am sure she pondered these things in her heart her whole life.
“And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she was coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36-38)
After Simeon made his prophecy of the Christ child, another came. A widow woman this time. Anna had been a widow for eighty-four years and had not left the Temple during that time. She spent all her time in prayer and fasting. When she saw the child, she immediately began to give thanks to God, for the redemption of humanity had come. Anna continued to tell all the people she could about the Messiah and the forgiveness He brings.
“And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.” (Luke 2:39)
It is in Nazareth that Jesus the boy would grow up, a Hebrew son of a Carpenter. And it was there in Galilee, that Jesus would begin His Earthly ministry thirty years later.
When we celebrate Christmas this year, I encourage you to ponder these things in your heart, just like Mary did. The true meaning of the season can get lost in all the hustle and bustle leading up to Christmas. Let’s share the light and joy and peace on earth to all our loved ones this Christmas. The best gift of all is God’s Gift to us, the fulfillment of prophecy, our savior Jesus.
Jesus is our Lord and Savior, who frees us from sin and death. Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah. Jesus in the only son of God and the second member of trinity. We feel Him in our hearts, He answers our prayers and guides us and protects us daily. But, I want to take an in depth look at the character of Jesus during His short physical time on Earth. Jesus had a very humble beginning, not something one would expect from a King.
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went out to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.” (Luke 2:1-6)
Proceeding and leading up to Jesus’s birth, we see turmoil for Mary who is carrying the baby Jesus in her virgin womb. Firstly, Joseph and Mary were not yet married and she was very pregnant. There were surely people in their hometown of Galilee that were whispering about them behind their backs for the sin they were seemingly committing by having a baby out of wedlock. And now, when she is nine months pregnant, she must make the long journey on the back of a donkey to Bethlehem. Could God have chosen a different more convenient timing for His son to be born? Yes, He certainly could have. God is all-knowing and all-powerful, He certainly could have lined up the timing of His son’s birth to be more convenient for Mary and Joseph, but He chose not to. By Joseph and Mary not yet being married, it ensured Jesus virgin birth and the journey to Bethlehem ensured the Messiah would be born in the city of David, as was prophesied. All these things that had to happen before Jesus was born would allude to the humble character of Jesus. He would not be raised with the spoils and riches of a King, He would face suffering and ridicule.
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgement and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Not only would the be the baby born in the City of David, He would be a decedent of David as well. Both Joseph and Mary came from the lineage of David. This lineage brings them to Bethlehem just in time for the birth of the Messiah.
“And she (Mary) brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)
The newborn baby Jesus was placed in a stable’s feeding trough because the guest rooms of Bethlehem had all been taken. What a humble beginning. Couldn’t God have enabled His only Son to be born in a luxurious palace and swaddled in silk and placed in a basinet of gold inlayed with jewels? Well, yes, He could have, but He didn’t. Why? Why was the only Son of God e Hborn in a dirty, dingey stable and placed in a manger? It was not an accident. God does not make mistakes. God chose this. The humble beginning of Jesus was to show His humble nature. God had humbled Himself for
Here is a recreation of an First Century Israelite home. The family that lived in the home, would have slept upstairs, the animals would have been kept in the downstairs portion. The manger was a feeding trough for the animals. Oftentimes, these first century homes had guest rooms located around the back of the main home. Because of the Roman census of the time when Jesus was born, the city of Bethlehem had many people from “out of town” and all the guest rooms or “inns” were taken.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto the, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye, shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12)
The first people that God chose to announce the arrival of His Son and the Savior of the world to were shepherds out in the fields. I do not know how many of us have spent time around flocks of sheep before, but sheep stink and so do the shepherds. First century shepherds were not thought of very highly in society. They were outcasts. But the Almighty God chose to announce the arrival of the Son of God, the Messiah, to a group of lowly shepherds. The angels told the shepherds, that they would know when they find the correct the baby because he will be lying in a manger. It is safe to say that other first century newborn babies were not lying in mangers.
Jesus was born into this world as the humble king. He will return as the all powerful king, defeating evil and death forever. Jesus humbled Himself to save us, He also humbled himself as an example of how we should live our lives. We should not live our lives full of pride, rather humble ourselves to all we meet. Our reward in heaven will be great.
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6)
Jesus is our Lord and Savior, who frees us from sin and death. Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah. Jesus in the only son of God and the second member of trinity. We feel Him in our hearts, He answers our prayers, guides us and protects us daily. But, I want to take an in depth look at the character of Jesus during His short physical time on Earth.
“Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” (1 John 4:15)
Let us first take a look at the birth of Jesus in the small town of Bethlehem. “And she (Mary) brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)
The newborn baby Jesus was placed in a stable’s feeding trough because the guest rooms of Bethlehem had all been taken. What a humble beginning. Couldn’t God have enabled His only Son to be born in a luxurious palace and swaddled in silk and placed in a basinet of gold inlayed with jewels? Well, yes, He could have, but He didn’t. Why? Why was the only Son of God born in a dirty, dingy stable and placed in a manger? It was not an accident. God does not make mistakes. God chose this. The humble beginning of Jesus was to show His humble nature. God had humbled Himself for us.
Above is a recreation of an First Century Israelite home. The family that lived in the home, would have slept upstairs, the animals would have been kept in the downstairs portion. The manger was a feeding trough for the animals. Oftentimes, these first century homes had guest rooms located around the back of the main home. Because of the Roman census of the time when Jesus was born, the city of Bethlehem had many people from “out of town” and all the guest rooms or “inns” were taken.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye, shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12)
The first people that God chose to announce the arrival of His Son and the Savior of the world to were shepherds out in the fields. I do not know how many of us have spent time around flocks of sheep before, but sheep stink and so do the shepherds. First century shepherds were not thought of very highly in society. They were outcasts. But the Almighty God chose to announce the arrival of the Son of God, the Messiah, to a group of lowly shepherds. The angels told the shepherds, that they would know when they find the correct the baby because he will be lying in a manger. It is safe to say that other first century newborn babies were not lying in mangers.
Jesus was born into this world as the humble king. He will return as the all powerful king, defeating evil and death forever. Jesus humbled Himself to save us, He also humbled himself as an example of how we should live our lives. We should not live our lives full of pride, rather humble ourselves to all we meet. Our reward in heaven will be great.
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6)
“Fear – noun; a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.” (dictionary.com)
We have all had the dream, that someone or something is chasing you and no matter how hard you try to run, your body is heavy and feels as if you are running through a pool of molasses. When you manage to wake yourself up, your heart is racing, your breath has become quick and shallow, you may be sweating, and adrenaline is pumping through your body. Whatever had been chasing you in your dream was not real, but your physical symptoms sure are. Fear exists whether the treat is real or imagined. How much of the fear that we experience is imagined? “I’m afraid, I may fall.” “I’m afraid to fly because, the plane might crash.” “I’m afraid of dogs because, I may get bit.” Do bad things happen? Of Course, sometimes bad things do happen, but most of the time the things that we fear never happen.
Psychology Today, claims “91 percent of worries were false alarms. And of the remaining 9 percent of worries that did come true, the outcome was better than expected about a third of the time.” Another article in Psychology Today says, “fear that the plane might fall is transformed by psychic equivalence into terror that the plane is actually falling out of the sky.”
Anxiety, worry and fear are similar monsters that cause, very real, physical symptoms. But just like anxiety and worry, (check out my blog on beating anxiety here; https://maliapoggio.com/2020/07/18/how-to-beat-anxiety/) we have a way to combat fear as well. “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalms 34:4) Prayer. Prayer is a powerful tool. We must seek the Lord because, He is much larger than any of our fears, real or imagined. God tells us, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.” (Isaiah 41:10) God does not want us to fear, “God has NOT given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
When my son was about 4/5 years old (not long ago) he went through an awful time with nightmares. It seemed like he had nightmares almost every night for an entire year. If you have had a child that suffers from nightmares, you know how exhausting it can be for the whole family. Each night my response would be the same, “it is not real, it is only a dream. Enter monster de jour herecannot hurt you. Let’s pray about it.” We would pray for God to remove his fears, comfort him and banish all evil from his mind and presence, in the name of Jesus. It took time and repetition. Every night, we would pray the same prayer. Every night, I would tell him, that it was only a dream. And then, one day, I overheard him in the middle of the night, from his bedroom saying, “in the name of Jesus Christ, GET OUT!!!!!” He was so firm and sure of himself. And also, sure that God was with him. He stood up to his monsters and decided, you will not affect me any longer. Everything changed after that night. He still has nightmares, but they do not affect him like they used to. He learned that God is bigger than the “Boogie Man”.
Fear does not always appear in our dreams, it can grip us when we are awake as well. The next time the fear monster is chasing you. Stop running and face it. “If God is for us, who can be against us.” (Romans 8:31b)
Here are the links to the full articles quoted from Psychology Today;
“Be anxious for nothing, but it everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
The bible tells us to be anxious about NOTHING, nothing in our lives warrants anxiety. So why are we anxious? Anxiety has been something I struggled with for as long as I can remember. I was an anxious kid, anxious teen and grew into an anxious adult. To this day, I remind myself of this scripture frequently. For people like me, that seem to have been born with an extra helping of anxiety, this can seem daunting and maybe even give you anxiety (ironic right?!)
What is anxiety? According to dictionary.com, “anxiety is distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune.” The year 2020 has undoubtably brought on distress from fear of danger or misfortune. It seems the world has given us a surplus of things to be anxious about lately. Anxiety and depression are on the rise across America and throughout the world. Pandemic, race wars, riots, protests, economic collapse, fear of impending war, and all while we are being kept away from our friends and family. It can feel hopeless, but there is always hope.
The book of Matthew records Jesus own words, “…I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value then they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matthew 6: 25-17) Jesus asks us, why are you worrying? What does your worrying and anxiety accomplish? Nothing. We cannot change anything by worrying. If God feeds and cares for the sparrows, how much more does He care for us? We are His special creation.
Truly, Paul understood this about God. At the time when Paul wrote his letter to the Philippian church, Jesus had just been crucified. Believers in Christ were being hunted, imprisoned and put to death. Paul writes to the church from a Roman prison. A Roman prison is cold, dark, damp and daunting. The Romans would eventually behead him. Paul knew his future on Earth did not look good. He had been beaten and imprisoned on numerous occasions. But in his letter to the church of Philippi, he says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) The faith of Paul is astounding and something to aspire to. Paul tells us to be anxious about NOTHING, but in all things rejoice. Why? Because the Lord is in control and Paul trusted Him.
So, how do we beat anxiety? “Be anxious for nothing BUTin everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” We beat anxiety through prayer. We pray with a thankful heart, thankful for what we DO have. Pray to God for protection, healing, guidance, a miracle. When we do, a peace that only God can give, will guard our hearts and minds. Paul continues, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4: 8) If Paul and the early Christians could find things to rejoice about, surely we can today. Focus our hearts and minds on the good.
Trust the Lord. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29: 11)
I want to share a true story with you all, that someone else told me, that really spoke to my heart. A woman was on vacation in Jerusalem and sat down at an outdoor café. From her seat in the café, she could see a flock of sheep in a pasture. As an urban American, she had never seen a flock of sheep before. She loved watching them. A man with a shepherd’s crook came along and started herding the sheep down a narrow walkway. The man began to be rough with the sheep, aggressively herding them and the woman became rather alarmed. The sheep were bleating in distress that sounded like cries. The woman began to feel very uneasy. She asked the waiter at the café, “is it normal for shepherds to be that rough with their flock?” The waiter looked down into the pasture at the distressed flock and then back at the woman, “That is not the shepherd, that is the butcher.”
This story reminds us that Jesus is the good shepherd. He will not lead us down a path of destruction and death. Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and sheep know me…” (John 10:14) Sheep know the voice of their shepherd and they trust him and they follow him. Jesus is our shepherd, trust Him and follow Him.
Does anyone else struggle with listening to God? What are His plans for me? How do I know if I am walking the correct path? Over the years, I have personally struggled with listening to God. How do I hear Him? Should I be hearing a voice thundering from the clouds telling me the path I ought to take? You are probably thinking, as I did once…Boy! That would be nice! But, alas, the Almighty God is not Mufasa. We are not likely to get heavenly guidance from the clouds any time soon. So, how do we hear God?
In II Corinthians 5:7, Paul tell us, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” I would like to suggest that neither do we walk by hearing. God speaks to our hearts, not our ears. God reveals things to our hearts, not our eyes. The Lord works in mysterious ways indeed. He does not need to operate within the five human senses that we know. He speaks to us in a much more powerful way, He gives us His Holy Spirit to communicate directly with our souls. So, how come we have such a hard time hearing Him? Our physical bodies have become so conditioned to the physical world that it distracts our souls. Vision, hearing, taste, touch and smell have had a lifetime of perfecting their use. Oftentimes, we have forgotten how to listen to our own soul and what the Holy Spirit is trying to communicate with us. Our physical being is bombarded daily with visual stimulation. Most of that modern visual stimulation comes in the form of screen time. How many of us can waste endless amounts of time perusing Instagram and Pinterest? I know, I am guilty. We are also inundated with oratory distractions, as well. Do you ever just have the TV on because it feels too quiet without it? How about touch, taste and smell? If you are like me, food is one of your favorite past times. I love it all, the delightful aromas of cooking, the texture combinations of crunchy and creamy, the way a cold smoothie feels as it travels to my belly on a hot day, or a comforting bowl warm of soup after a long day, as well as, the experiences of my pallet as my brain registers the sweet, salty, tangy and savory flavors. Our five physical senses are working constantly and quite frankly, we enjoy them. They make being human enjoyable. God created us with these amazing senses, not only for survival, but for enjoyment. However, sometimes we need to turn them off in order to hear God speaking to our soul.
Before Jesus could begin in His earthly ministry, He fasted in the desert for forty days. “Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.” (Matthew 4: 1-2) If you remember, just before this in Matthew chapter 3, Jesus receives the Holy Spirit upon rising out of the water after John the Baptist, baptizes Him. Now, in chapter 4, we see Jesus must listen to what Holy Spirit is going to tell His soul. Jesus wanders the desert alone, with no water food or water for 40 days. During which time He is tempted by the devil three times. (And, of course resists the devil because, He is sinless Jesus.) Even Jesus Christ had to take time to turn off the physical and listen to the Holy Spirit.
Am I suggesting, we wander the desert alone without food or water? No. But, I am suggesting that we need to spend time with the Lord in solitude! That is when God really speaks to our hearts and it is when we are the strongest to resist the temptations of the devil. I used to think…if God would just light a bush on fire and speak to me, or send an angel to me with His Holy message, I will do it…I just wanted to be told blatantly, do this, so I do not doubt myself or waste time on things that would fail. But, as I have grown in my personal walk and faith in Jesus Christ, I see that I was wrong. The journey is how we grow, messing up, facing hurdles, having to start over, that is how we become stronger in our walk with God. And that, is how we learn to listen to God. Trust God. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Put your faith in the Lord, spend time with the Lord. He will reveal His plans for you.
What to pray for…
Pray for wisdom, to make the correct choices.
Pray for obedience, to God’s word and will.
Pray for discernment and courage, to persevere during uncertain and challenging times.
Pray with worship! Know that God is control and that He is always guiding you.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
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