Time to Make it Personal

As we close another week of intense reflection (Bible study comes tomorrow!), we will be completing Chapter 2 in our books. On pages 60 and 61 in the texts, we are challenged to take what we have learned thus far and make it personal. We all agree that we have at sometime in our lives believed one or more lies about God. Let's take some time now and respond to the Truth in five different ways:

1. Agree with God.
What lies have you believed about God? Perhaps you would like to read once again one of the past posts that ariculate the specific lie that you have believed. Perhaps you know the lie now without having to go back. Pause for a minute now and agree with God that you have believed it.

2. Accept responsibility.
How has believing the lie(s) manifested itself in the way you live? Perhaps you have noticed an attitude of ungratefulness toward the Lord. Perhaps because of this attitude you have stopped reading your Bible. If this or something similar is the case, it would be good for you to confess this to God right now.

3. Affirm the Truth.
The best way to affirm God's Truth is to read it and embrace it.

Psalm 100:5: "For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations."

Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anount my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

4. Act on the Truth.
What specific action must you take to align your life with the Truth you have seen about God? The Scripture exhorts us to, "..be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Don't you see that if you don't take action after knowing the Truth, then nobody deceives you but yourself?

5. Ask God to help you walk in the Truth.
When you humble yourself before the Lord, you will experience a closeness with the Him. He waits for you to talk to Him, and He loves you very much. You can trust Him.

Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit (humble), for theirs is the kingdom of God."

James 4:6, "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'"

As you receive God's grace to humble yourself, your eyes will open to see a new perspective of Him. The "fresh vision of God" will then produce hope in you, the hope that you can experience freedom from deception. We must keep walking toward that freedom because there is Christ, the Hope of Glory! God bless you.

Love, Karen