That old filthy serpent likes to do all he can to throw us off the intended path that God has for us; anything he can do to sidetrack us, he will do. And it does not always appear to be him, often times our distractions are so subtle, happening over time, that before you know it, you find yourself in a place you never intended to be - moving further away from where God has called you to be - or shying away from using the gifts that God has given you to use - or worst of all, doubting that God loves you. The devil will even work through well meaning people to thwart you; remember the scripture that says "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities..." So rest assured, when you are discouraged by a person, either their actions or what have you, you gotta know that it's not them, it's the principality working behind them. Sure, they could have bad intentions toward you and actually be glad at your demise. Run from those people. But then there are times when the devil will even use someone you would never, ever expect!
I'll give you an example.
I have different women that I like to follow on Instagram and such, women that inspire me to reach to a higher level in my walk with Christ. I love to see what they are doing, be it a Conference they are speaking at or just a random picture or perhaps sharing an encouraging thought. I learn a lot from ladies that I'll never have the chance to know, but thanks to social media, I can feel like I do.
Well, without even realizing the subtle move of the devil, I found myself having the following thought in my head one day after seeing something posted by one of these amazing women: "you are nothing in the Kingdom of God."
Now, I know that's not true. My heart absolutely knows that God has a call on my life and I believe I'm currently doing my best to live that call out to the fullest. But that's the subtle way the devil moves...after that thought came in my mind, I didn't reject it. I didn't rebuke the devil, I didn't encourage myself in the Lord, as I should have. No. I let the thought stay. I didn't meditate on it or anything, but I didn't disregard it either.
And so it sits. And grows. Until, like mold grows on a rotting object, other negative thoughts begin to spring board off the initial thought, and you find yourself in a very negative thought pattern. All lies. All things that go against what the Word of God says about you! Oh he is subtle. That filthy devil.
Thank God for His great mercy, His great kindness, His great love - that while the devil works his subtle moves, God comes in at just the right time with His might and His power and peels back the veil, allowing you for a moment to actually see the subtly in action! Thank you Jesus for your flashlight.
Mine came on Wednesday night at church. Joey said something that absolutely stuck in my heart, revealing to me the subtly of satan that I've allowed to settle in my heart. He said, "It's my faithfulness that makes me important to God." The whole Word that Joey shared that night encouraged me to the fullest, well, minus his embarrassing comment that may or may not have referred to, um...never mind.
My faithfulness is what makes me important to God. Now of course we know that we have to do nothing to be important to Him, we already are important as His Children, we know that. But this particular statement was just what I needed to have highlighted to me that night, my faithfulness is what matters! It does not matter that I'm not out doing what women I admire are doing, I'm doing what God has me doing, and I'm trying to do it with all the faithfulness I possibly can. I can't walk the walk that other women are walking, I don't have the grace for their walk. I can't imagine the struggles they face and obstacles and challenges that come against them as they strive towards the call God has on their life, I can only live out my call. And my call is great in the Kingdom of God. And so is yours.
So today, let me leave you with a scripture that encouraged me this morning and brings tears to my eyes right now:
1 Peter 2:9-10 says, "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10 “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
So much in this to grab hold of for your life today, and for mine. But I love "Once you had no identity as a people, now you are God's people."
There ya go. Once upon a time, that subtle thought that ran through my head was true, I was nothing in the Kingdom of God. Because I didn't know Jesus, and I didn't know the Kingdom I was missing out on. But ever since the crazy age of 14 years old when I accepted Christ, I've been something in the Kingdom of God! I may be a work in progress, I may miss the mark a lot, a whole lot - I may not be anywhere near I should be or will be, but one thing is for sure, He called me out of darkness into His wonderful light! Oh man!! Little old me. He called me. And He has gifted me. And yes, I am something in the Kingdom of God. I'm a whole lot of something. And so are you.
So no matter where you are in life today, if Jesus is Lord of your heart and soul, then rest in the fact that you absolutely do matter in God's great Kingdom! You have something to do for Him, something that God has tailor made just for you to do. Feel insignificant? Join the club. Feel incapable? Join the club. It's a great club to belong to though. It's a club full of people that God says He chose! It's a club full of people that are royal, that are holy, that belong to God. I'm down with this club. Join me, will ya?
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