April 24 Subjective Truth

Reading: Deuteronomy 11-13 and 2 Corinthians 9

Scripture: Deuteronomy 13:1-3, If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Thoughts: As we live in a world that is so interconnected it is heard to know what is truth, verses what is opinion. We are told that truth is subjective and that everyone’s truth is truth to them. There are groups in this world that are even bringing many of these ideas and ways of thinking into the church. We have an objective truth that is laid out by our heavenly Father. Because we have the objective truth that 2+2=4 yet the world is trying to tell us it can equal anything that you feel like it dose makes is the enemy and those who are propagating that are those prophets and dreamers that we have to be aware of who are going to take us away from God’s objective truth. 

Prayer: Father God, you are the truth, you have created all and you know all. Lord help us to have a discerning spirit and see your truth and not the subjective truth of the world. Help us to refute the lies that are against you and your Church. Help us to be the warriors that have called us to be. 

April 23 Not in my own strength.

Reading: Deuteronomy 9-10, Psalm 143, 2 Corinthians 8, and Mark 10

Scripture: Deuteronomy 9:4, Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you.

Thoughts: I had recently been convicted in my spirit about pride in my life, the things that I overcame to get to where I am now. For a long time I had that pride of this accomplishment thinking that I did it in my own strength and in my own power. God gave me the ability to do what I did, to understand who I was and how I work that I could work through the things that held me back and strive forward in my accomplishments. It is not by my strength nor by my might but by his Spirit that I have overcome.

Prayer: Father you are our strength, you are how we overcome. We are nothing without you. I thank you that you are for us and not against us. You lead us and guide us, you help us to see the truth and overcome not only the trials of this world but the trials that we build ourselves. 

 

April 22 He left the 100 for me.

Reading: Deuteronomy 7-8, Psalm 139, 2 Corinthians 7, and Mark 9

Scripture: Psalm 139:7-10, Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

Thought: When the world is so loud that it is hard to focus on anything but those things of the world, it is a great reminder that God is there, he is always holding us and guiding us if we are willing to let him. We can not go so far away that he can not reach us. We may choose not to listen of find other things to focus on but he his there when we realize our need. 

Prayer: Thank you God for not just letting me go, thank you for not seeing me as a lost cause, you called me back, you searched for this lost sheep to bring him home. Your love abounds over me and your joy fills my soul. 

 

April 21 Great Endurance

Reading: Deuteronomy 5-6, Psalm 64, 2 Corinthians 6, and Mark 8

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:3-6, We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love

Thoughts: As I was reading this, I could not help but think back on the events of 2020 and how so many of the major cities across the US were being burned. When many Christ followers are being persecuted because we stand up for what the Word of God says and that it is contrary to what Big Tech, Major Media, and celebrities we are the ones being called all the slanderous things and being told that if we do not become like them, we are the problem with the country. Paul is reminding us that we need to be ready for the hardships and that we are to overcome it by the Holy Spirit and those things that He brings to us. 

Prayer: Father God you are so good, you give us through your Spirit the ability to overcome all affliction that comes our way. You give us a way out of our temptations. Grow us in your knowledge and power that we may be ready for every trial that comes our way. 

April 20 Tents are not permanent

Reading: Deuteronomy 3-4 and 2 Corinthians 5

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Thoughts: I love how earlier in the chapter Paul was looking at our bodies as tents a temporary dwelling place, yet we have a permanent dwelling in heaven. When we get down to verse 17 Paul is reminding us that even though we are still living in the tent we are to live as if we are in our permanent dwelling. Our old lives have passed away and we are new creations in Christ. We need to walk in the fact that we are new creations and let our old selves pass away. Over the last weekend at a men’s retreat I was reminded that the name of stupid that was spoken over me as a child and the pride that I developed after overcoming that obstacle and getting a Bachelors degree, both needed to be let go and given to God because I am a new creation and it dose not matter what others have called me or what I have claimed myself over the years but what matters is that we are all chosen by God and called Sons and Daughters. 

Prayer: Father God, I thank you for choosing me and creating me anew as your son through what you did through your Son. Your grace is sufficient for me, your abundant love pours over us. Open my eyes and ears to your ways and help me to live as if I am in that permanent dwelling you have made for me. 

April 19 Getting Life from death

Reading: Deuteronomy 1-2 and 2 Corinthians 4

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

Thoughts: When going through heard times, when the would feels like it is against you it is easy to forget that we have a treasure, and with that we also have the promises that we will not be crushed or driven into despair, we will not be forsaken or destroyed. When we carry Christ’s death with us we get his life. We are told that there will be trials and tribulations that will come from being a follower of Jesus but we are to count it as Joy when we suffer for His sake. 

Prayer: Father God I thank you for your strength and wisdom to walk through the afflictions and trials that will come being your adopted son. Your love is enough for me, you provide all that we need and lead us every day. Open my eyes to your path. 

April 18 Free to see

Reading: Numbers 34-36 and 2 Corinthians 3

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:16-17, But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Thoughts: Moses after coming out of the tent of meeting he would let everyone see the Glory of God shining from him then would put a vail on. I have seen people who get a glimpse of God’s glory and then cower or run away putting that vail that was removed back on. The pain and the failures in our lives that cause us to want to cover God up so that his glory does not condemn up are the very thing that will help us to grow and mature in him. As we allow those failures to be learned from and seek God though them that vail is lifted and we can walk in his victory and be free. 

Prayer: Father God you have given us the ability to remove the vail and to walk in your freedom. I thank you that you are calling us to seek you and seek your plan that we get to be apart of. Open my eyes help me to seek and walk in this world unveiled that I may walk in your ways. 

April 17 Correcting in love

Reading: Numbers 33, Psalm 65, 2 Corinthians 2, and Mark 7

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:4, For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. 

Thoughts: As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called to bear one another’s burdens and to exhort one another. What I got out of what Paul was saying to the Corinthians was as much as it hurts you to be corrected I’m going through great pains needing to do the corrections. Further more this correction was not done to just hurt then but to show them God’s love. Are we coming to our brothers and sisters in love and in a way that will help them to grow in their relationship with God or are we doing it to point fingers and make ourselves feel better. Let us lift up one another in love and exhort each other.

Prayer: Father, your love is so wonderful, you overwhelm me with the care you have for me and the grace you pour out. I ask that you help me to overcome the desires to tear someone down because of something done but instead to help them to rise and grow deeper with you through the correction and help that any correction made are from you and glorifying you. 

Fighting for others

Reading: Numbers 32, Psalm 74, and 2 Corinthians 1

Scripture: Numbers 32:18, We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance.

Thoughts: When Reuben and Gad noticed how good the land was for their animals they wanted it for themselves and their animals, and who could blame them they had already done the work to overturn those who were there. God and showed Moses that if they don’t come to fight for the others inheritance that things would fall apart like it did 40 years earlier when the 10 spies gave a bad report. We are called into battle with our brothers and sisters. We are not to just sit back and let them take the lad we are to go take it with them and once we are done then we go home and enjoy the fruit that we were a part of fighting for. 

Prayer: Lord God I thank you for the opportunities that you place before me, the love and joy that your pour out on us every day. I thank you that I am apart of your army and that we are fighting for the for the entire kingdom in this world and not just our own little place. Everything it yours there is nothing that you have not created. Lead us and guide us in your war. We know that the victory has already been declared and we are just a part of walking it out. 

 

Where are all the Men

Reading: Numbers 30-31 and 1 Corinthians 16

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.  

Thoughts: In western society over the last few decades and maybe even the better part of a century, there has been the a move from strong manly men. I feel that walks in lockstep with the decline of men in the Church and man in the family. As the industrial revolution, world wars and the increasingly common divorce, each generation has moved from men teaching boys to be men to boys are lucky to have a guy in their life. Now days there is the active attack on being a man(toxic masculinity). Paul is telling us boys to man up, but it is not the man up that the world says. Are we watching out for our fellow men, our wives, and our children, most importantly are we watching out for our Church, there are wolves trying to get in and devour our flocks. Next he said to stand firm in faith, are we constantly seeking God, is our faith growing. Then saying act like men be strong, as men we have great strength and power just because we are men, then Paul tops it all off with do it all in love. God is love and he pours it out on us and we need to be men doing our work with love.

Prayer: Father God, your love is deeper than anything I could imagine, you pour your love upon us and call us to walk in your ways. I ask you to help me to be the man I am called to be, help me to watch and constantly seek you and grow my faith. And to do it all in love. 

My 4 year journey

In October of 2017 we discovered that I had a hole in my diaphragm, that surgeon told me to lose a bunch of weight and come back. I struggled and never could get it off or keep off what I did lose. I did receive some relief from some issues after a prayer session at my churches men’s retreat and God protected me for those years until the fullness of his plan could take effect. In the years that followed I yo-yoed in my weight and had the thoughts in the back of my head about finances haunted me. How would we pay for our portion of the surgery and how would I be able to be off work for who knows how long to recover?

In March 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic became a thing throughout the world causing all sorts of issues. One such issue was having my hours at work reduced and loosing 5-10 hours of overtime a week. In doing so it put my family in an income bracket that allowed us to get onto Oregon Health Plan saving us by removing my company insurance to make ends meet during this entire year. During this year I also had other related health issues come up causing us to start reconsidering surgery. We start the process and find out that I will be off work for 6-8 week after the surgery. In preparation we start looking at vacation time sick time to see how long we could be covered. As we got closer to surgery time we receive our tax returns as well as the stimulus giving us more than we need to get though the time that I will be off.

One week post operation. On April 6^th I went in and had the hole in my diaphragm repaired, they had told me all the worse case scenarios, such as moving from a scoped surgery to one where they would completely open my up and stages in-between. They also told me to plan on 5 days in the Hospital after. After a 6.5 hour surgery where God’s hand was with the surgeons, everything was where it belonged and the 8.5CM hole in my diaphragm had been closed up. After the second night in the hospital I was prepped sent home. Slowly over the last 5 days I have already integrated thing back into my diet that in some postop schedules would not happen for another 2-3 weeks. God is healing me and shortening my recovery.

God is continually providing and pouring out his grace, peace and love on us. (And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 2 Corinthians 9:8-9)

April 14 Humility for miles

Reading: Numbers 29 and 1 Corinthians 15

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:8-9, Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Thoughts: I am so grateful of who Paul is and they way that he is able to show humility. Paul as a Pharisee and being taught by the teachers he had would have been like a super lawyer. He was a very well educated man before his interaction with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Knowing who he is in Christ makes all the difference. We need to make sure we are not seeking our glory our thinking of ourselves and more than we should because of anything we have done. We are who we are because of who’s we are. My value is not in the job I have but in who Christ says I am and I am a child of the one true king. 

Prayer: Father God you are so wonderful, your glory shines about the world. Your love pours out upon us all. I thank you that you are work on me helping me to see the truth of who I am and that you call me to your plan. Lead me and guide me in my days. 

 

April 13 Building a church

Reading: Numbers 27-28 and 1 Corinthians 14

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:12, So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

Thoughts: At different stages in our walk with the Lord we have different needs and different desires. Paul has talked about how when we are new, we need spiritual milk and as we mature we need weightier things to work on. When we are new, we are looking for different manifestations of the spirit. Everything from a word to experiencing a miracle ether receiving or seeing one. Having that eagerness is good as long as it is not for our own glory but for building up the church and giving glory to the father. 

Prayer: Father God, you know our hearts and our desires, you know when we need milk and when we need solid food. I thank you for the teachers that do being the solid food and don’t let us just subsist on milk and not call us to grow. Help us to use our eagerness and out striving for spiritual manifestation to be for your glory and to point this fallen world to you. 

 

April 12 Other peoples Discipline

Reading: Numbers 25-26 and 1 Corinthians 13

Scripture: Numbers 26:65, For the Lord had said of them, “They shall die in the wilderness.” Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

Thoughts: Over the last forty years Joshua and Caleb watched everyone that was older then them die in the wilderness, Moses was the last and he was about to send Israel over the Jorden. The hardest thing in life is to walk out someone else’s discipline. Caleb and Joshua were forced to walk out the 40 year discipline even though they tried to encourage the taking of the promised land. Are we walking in the discipline of our forefathers or just our own, are we creating discipline for our children and grandchildren? 

Prayer: Lord God you are in control, you have called us to speak your love and truth to the world around us. Every day opens new opportunities to touch a life. Help me to walk in your will even when it is in the middle of walking though discipline. May my life be a mirror shining your light into the world around us. 

April 11 Look at it from this side!!!

Reading: Numbers 23-24, 1 Corinthians 12, and Mark 6

Scripture: Numbers 23:13, And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.”

Thoughts: Just like Balaam, when Balak heard what God told Balaam to say over Israel and it was not what he wanted to hear, Balak just like I have done said “why don’t you try looking at it from a different point of view then you will see it my way.” When we don’t get the answer we want we have a tendency to forget that God can see it from that point of view as well and many more. His ways are higher and his plan even though it may not look the way we want it to, is much better than the one we have placed before him. Let us remember that He can see it all not just what we are pointing out to Him. 

Prayer: Father you know all, you see all and you work all things for the good of those who are yours. Work on my heart and help me to accept the good and the bad, those things I desire and those I do not. I submit and seek your will and your directions for each day. 

April 10 Changing God's mind!!

Reading: Numbers 22, Psalm 84, 1 Corinthians 11, and Mark 5

Scripture: Numbers 22:18-19, But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more. So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”

Thoughts: I don’t know how many times I have come back to God trying to get a different answer. Balaam went back to God even though he had the answer from before and he even reminded the servants of Balak that he can not do more than God will let him. What we need to remember, and I struggle with it is that even though we have chosen God and he washed us, Romans 1:24 leads me to the idea that we could be given over to our desires if we are not continuously seeking him. As much as Balaam was obeying God he was also had his own desires at heart too. The want of power, fame and money are some of the biggest trails for us all. Are we going back to God going “I need, I need, I want, I want” instead of not my will but yours be done? 

Prayer: Father, you are the great provider, you make sure all our needs are met. I thank you for all that you do and all that you are working in and around me. I ask that you help me to set aside my desires and seek after you and your will. Father help me to be a good steward of that witch you place before me. lead me and guide me in your ways and lead me to be the man you have called me to be. 

April 9 Serving?

Reading: Numbers 21, Psalm 49 and 1 Corinthians 10

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31-33, So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Thoughts: Seeking my own advantage, in a societal climate of everyone seeming to be out for themselves and “what do I get out of it?” attitudes, many are just trying to find a way to get something out of the things we do. When you do all for the glory of God and do it in a way that will open peoples eyes to salvation through Jesus, the floodgates of heaven will open and we set ourselves up in a place to receive. Let us not be concerned with the things of man but with the things of heaven. 

Prayer: Father, I thank you that you are helping us to not bring offence to anyone and that we can bring your love and joy to those we interact with. Open my eyes to see the next steps, lead me to where you call me to be that I may serve there you call. 

April 8th Muzzled?

Reading: Numbers 19-20, Psalm 47, 1 Corinthians 9, and Mark 4

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:9-10, For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.

Thoughts: Paul and Barnabas were being told that they needed to work for a living, many pastors work regular jobs as well as raising up their flocks. Paul brings up many scenarios where people get benefits from they work to the point of bring up a Mosaic law. As our Pastors and teachers work to help us to understand God and be discerning of the Word of God are they not entitled to compensation. We are all called to spread the Gospel and take God’s word to the world not everyone is called to serve in the Church. Are we withholding something God has called us to give? 

Prayer: Lord you are my source, through you my storehouses are filled. You lead me in all I do, help me to steward well the things you give me and remember that you are the owner of all and you are the one who calls us to where we are to work in your plan. You equip us for the work you call us too. 

April 7 Continually with you

Reading: Numbers 17-18, Psalm 73, 1 Corinthians 8, and Mark 3

Scripture: Psalm 73: 22-23, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.

Thoughts: In this portion of the Psalm it is showing the juxtaposition of who we are and how we will act toward God and how He acts toward us. The idea that how ignorant and mean I can be as he sits and holds our had to comfort us and is never leaving us. It is easy to lash out at God and throw a fit because we are going through something hard or a trial of some sort even though he is walking though it with us holding our hand.

Payer: Father you are the great comforter, you take care of all our needs, you lead us and guide us even when we fight against. I thank you that you are with us as we go about our days and seek what you have for us. Help me to see your leading and your guiding and to walk it our and walk in your strength. 

April 6th Your called condition.

Reading: Numbers 16 and 1 Corinthians 7

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:20-21, Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)

Thoughts: We are all at different stages of life when we find God, some truly know him from early in life and never really stray some hear it and have it in the back of our minds as we run hard into the world, and others do not even hear the Name of Jesus until later in life and bring lots of baggage with. I these and those surrounding are pointing out the way people saw each other in those days Jew or Gentile, and free or slave. God calls us as we are and will work on the things that need to be changed. We are not being told that we need to change to receive God’s love and to not be concerned about change, but what change needs to happen will have its own convictions From God. 

Prayer: You are so wonderful that even when I was a sinner you called me and offered me salvation through your Son and open the doors to leading and exhortation by your spirit. Lead me in your truth and your ways.

April 5 Satisfied in the morning!!!

Reading: Numbers 15, Psalm 90, 1 Chronicles 6 and Mark 2

Scripture: Psalm 90:14, Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Thoughts: I just love the reminder of the Fathers sufficiency, his love abounds over us and give us reason to have joy. I do my reading in the morning so that fact that it said “Satisfy us in the morning” it is the reminder that He pours out what we need as we start out day, we are given so that we me conquer the day in His name, let us steward what he give us every day to overcome the things he has called us to. 

Prayer: Father God you are so wonderful, your grace and mercy are sufficient for me and you pour out your love and strength upon us every day. Help me to use what you give me to honor you the best I can, lead me and guide me in all that I do

April 4th Ten vs Two.

Reading: Numbers 13-14, Psalm 81, 1 Corinthians 5

Scripture: Numbers‬ ‭13:31-32, Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height.

Thoughts: Ten of the twelve spies were looking through their earthly eyes, “these people are huge and they have walls around their cities we are going to be squashed like bugs.” How often do we look though a problem with that is before us that God has told us to walk though and throw our ands in the air and say, “I can’t do it, it’s impossible!” I know I have, when I first started walking though the process of working to get my surgery that happened April 6th, I struggled with the monster of finances, first two years ago when this started was how will we afford this and the time off to recover, slowly God has used this strange times of Covid and stuff to make it that we have no medical bills and we have money to cove my income for the two month I am off work. We are called to take the promised land and it is though God’s strength and power and his plan that we will succeed. I would have never expected and worldwide pandemic to help me get my surgery with and out of pocket expenses. 

Prayer: Father I thank you for your good gifts, your forethought and ability to us all things to point to you. You get all the glory and honor. Lord I thank you for your faithfulness and blessings that you pour out on us every day. I thank you for the Joy and peace that you give us in time of disarray and confusion. 

April 3 Are you Jealous?

Reading: Numbers 11-12, Psalm 148, 1 Corinthians 4 and Mark 1

Scripture: Numbers 11:28-29, And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

Thoughts: As I read this I was reminded about the joy and love I felt when I was able to be apart of something that God was doing. The most vivid is when I was told to go pray for my aunt, I was not told to go heal her but to pray for her. My father and I drove 300 miles to pray over my aunt and have a visit. I also know the jealousy that I have felt when others get to do or be apart of something that I am not. 

Prayer: Father God you are in control, your plans are higher than ours, I thank you for those plans that I am apart of and the plans that I get to witness. I ask that you help me to not ne jealous when others get to be apart of things I am not. You are working all things for your good and the good of those who are yours. 

At the command of the Lord

Reading: Numbers 8-10 and 1 Corinthians 3

 

Scripture: numbers 9:23, At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.

 

Thoughts: Most people do not like being told what to do or where to go. We have an independent sinful spirit that urges us to go our own way do our own thing. Yes, God created us each as unique and he knows each and every one of us, but when we take that freedom and uniqueness beyond God’s calling we will fall. As Israel was in the desert God lead them by showing them where to camp and how long to camp there. Are our ears open to the Lord telling us to go or stay, are we just comfortable where we are today or are we trying to get away. Open your ears and honestly as God should I stay or should I go? 

 

Prayer: Father God your plans are greater, your ways are higher, help me to seek and walk in your ways and in your plan that I may be more effective for you. Lead me and guide me. I thank you for calling me out of the mire and into your embrace. 

Spiritually discerned

Reading: Numbers 7 and 1 Corinthians 2

 

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:14-16, The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

 

Thoughts: As natural beings and sinful by that nature we do not want to accept the spiritual world at war around us. The evil one working to keep our heads in the sand and unaware of the truth. I grew up not hearing about spiritual war in the churches my family attended. We talked about the miracles of Jesus and not our authority he gave us. We are in a spiritual war. I have started to understand the oppression the evil one if putting on this world. As I travel for work I can feel and see the differences there are places in my home state where you can feel held back in the spirit and others that the freedom does not hold you. When we open ourselves to the spiritual work of God our eyes and ears can become attuned to that world. May the Lord open your minds to perceive the war and fight. 

 

Prayer: Father, you are so wonderful, your grace is enough for me, your love overwhelmed my soul and your joy fills me. I thank you that you give us the ability to see, and to discern the war around us. Help us to walk in your battle plan and in your victory. Pour out your steadfast love upon us as we are tested and forgive us when we succumb to temptation.