Get Feisty with Satan

I refuse to lose so you might as well leave.

I’ll stay up all night if it means through Christ there will be victory.

I’m going to war, give me your best.

Oh wait, is that all you got?

Your old tricks won’t work on me anymore, I know them now.

You think you’re so clever and crafty,

but I can see right through your lies

I can call it out now, “Yep! That’s the enemy!”

I’m calling you out, I won’t be fooled by your schemes.

You promise me good things, but you leave me so displeased

You had me once before, but thankfully not anymore.

You whisper at me saying “it’s okay, just this one time”

But I know that “one time” turns into two, three, four then eventually an addiction.

I refuse to go back to that place, so I will fight.

I will get feisty with you Satan.

Go ahead, throw your temptations at me!

Give me the best you got.

I laugh at the thought of you, for my Savior and King has defeated you!

My mind is sharp and ready for attack,

I got my armor of God and it’s ready for use.

So throw your best stuff at me, taunt me with my past.

Your lies don’t hurt me because my King has got my back.

My armor protects me from all that junk.

So come on Satan.

I’m getting feisty with you tonight. 

*Disclaimer:

I wrote this because I wanted to communicate how Satan lies and deceives. I don’t have an addiction.

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Following God Through Dryness

It has been over a year since my last post. Why? Because I’ve been afraid to post. I’ve been ashamed to admit where I’ve been- In a place of dryness (I will hit more on being ashamed later). Over the past year, I’ve been walking with the Lord and many a times its seemed like I was in a desert. This dryness looks like me feeling like God is distant. Walking with God over the past year hasn’t been easy. It’s looked like me battling with depression, frustration and confusion.

So where am I now?

I’m still following God through dryness.

I learned that everyone goes through dry periods and that feeling this way doesn’t mean that I am doing anything wrong or that God isn’t pleased with me. I don’t need to be ashamed of where I am at. Christ is made perfect in my weaknesses and that is something to boast about!

God’s promises have sustained me over the past year. In His Word I am reminded of His promise to never leave me. Although God feels distant, He has never left me! Satan loves to whisper lies.

But bro and sisters..Don’t let him whisper lies to you! Call out those lies! Get feisty with satan, get feisty with sin! Don’t let them have a hold on you!

Don’t let your feelings triumph over Truth. You may be feeling distant from God, but what does God’s Word say about that (Your heart is deceitful above all thing! Jer. 17:9)? All throughout the Old and New Testament we see God making promises to His people, telling them that He won’t leave them (And He never did!) That “distant” feeling is a lie. Don’t let Satan pull one over on you. Shout it if you need to! (I like to shout at Satan and call him out on his schemes) (My residents probably think I’m nuts!)

Whether I am “feeling” God or not, His promises are still true, His character is still the same, His love for me is still everlasting!

This dryness will end. If not in this life, we can have confidence that dryness will be a thing of the past when we finally meet Jesus. Push on sisters and brothers..push on!

 

Joy

“I will be your Lighthouse when you are lost at sea…Throw off your fear and come running to me!”

The satisfaction that comes from the knowing the Lord is far greater than any earthly satisfaction you could ever imagine. It is in Christ that I understand the word “joy”. This joy is something that I receive from Him and oh how sweet it is! It’s this out-of-this-world feeling of pure and true satisfaction and absolute peace. 

I don’t know how to express how thankful I am for Him choosing me. I don’t deserve this grace. I don’t deserve this precious love and eternal life- But He looked at me and said, “I know, but I want you anyway.”  

 

What an amazing, unwarranted, beautiful gift we have in Christ Jesus. 

God Knows You Intimately

Sometimes I get caught up in the logistics of everything.  I forget about God, but instead focus on man’s interpretation, whether this be the right way to view a passage of scripture or figuring out the right type of theology to follow. I get so caught up I forge the most important thing: God.  What about God? I specifically forget His grace. His beautiful and undeserved grace.  Tonight I was reminded of His great grace for me.

In our nit-picky society, it is so easy to get so zoomed in on a particular passage of scripture that you forget what really matters in the end. Grace. Ultimately, all that matter’s is that I am His. For forever. And Eternity.

When I think about my relationship with God, I am drawn to the unexplainable joy that I have.

It brings me to tears.

The hope I have. The strength I have. The life I have. It’s His, but given to me.

How could this be? How could I, a horrible sinner, receive such grace! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Guys, my life apart from Christ, was leading to my destruction. I was looking for purpose. I was looking to be loved. By whom? Anyone. Anyone that would take me. I hit rock bottom and was dragging across it painfully, getting bruises and cuts.  When I look back at my life before Christ, I think, “Who was that girl?” It is literally a miracle that I know the Lord today. He moved in my heart and revealed Himself to me in a way that I couldn’t put into words.  He told me, “Emily, I love you. I chose YOU! You are loved, You are treasured, You are pursued, I will never leave You, I will never hurt You, You are mine.”

He revealed to me my identity in Christ. In Christ, I am able to be those things because when He looks at me He doesn’t see my yucky and dirty sins, but instead sees His perfect and spotless Son, who sacrificed Himself for ME.  My mind can’t comprehend His love for me. And I will never be able to, but that’s what makes it so amazing.  Until Christ revealed Himself to me I understand how valuable I was. I didn’t understand my worth. I couldn’t see that He really did care! I had no idea that He has more thoughts for me than all the grains of sand on all the beaches in the world (Psalm 139:17-18). I had no idea that He knows every hair on my head (Matthew 10:30).  I had no idea that He made me in HIS image (Genesis 1:27)! He chose me. Me. He designed me PERFECTLY, because I am in His image. He knows me intimately.

Man guys. I am just saying, but this stuff rocks my world. God rocks my world! 

Thanks for listening. 

My Sister’s Baptism

Today was a very exciting and spiritually uplifting day because my older sister was baptized. 

She had a little speech about herself and her journey prepared and, one of the pastors read it while she was baptized:

“I went off the Lord’s path for awhile because of my anger about my chronic illness and all the pain and suffering that ensued. I was so hurt and had the misconception that God did not love me, for how could he do this to me. I believed in his promise that ” He would never give me more than I can handle ” which is in 1 Corinthians 10:13. I have since then realized that God has allowed suffering and pain in my life but, Jesus has been with me every step of the way giving me courage and strength. The Lord worked on my heart and softened it. I realized that I am a daughter of the King and that God’s promises are true. He has never ” left me nor forsaken me ” (Colossians) and has provided for me every step of the way. I was too blinded by satan and my own desires to control everything and heal myself to see, that God had a plan and His plan was far better than my own. I now am ” taking up my cross daily to follow Him (Jesus) ” (Luke 9:23) and living in the light. ”

Needless to say, I am so thankful the Lord has been working in my sister’s heart. God is so faithful. Praising Him today! 

Teach me Lord.

Over the summer I came upon Psalm 143:10, “Teach me to do you will, for you are my God; may your good spirit lead me on level ground.” I had been struggling to accept God’s will as my own. I didn’t know how. I needed Him to change me. This verse was perfect. I had no idea that I could ask the Lord to “teach me” His will! What a wonderful and powerful thing! I love how God KNOWS my heart. He has prepared this verse for me (and you). 

Praying this verse has become a habit for me because I no longer desire my will, but His. I know His will for my life is perfect, whether that means I go through hardship or happy days, He knows what is best for me and what will bring Him the most glory. I am thankful to have a King who knows what is best for me. I am thankful for times of hardship, times of weeping, times of sadness, because ultimately He knows that will bring me closer to Him than anything else.  My Savior knows what is best for me. I am thankful for that this morning. I am trusting in Him today. 

 

His Strength

Very encouraging this morning!

Finding Strength. Gaining Courage. Loving God.

A good friend of mine always tells me, “Steph just take God what you have, He will make up for the rest.”

I’m learning that there is so much truth to that. In our weakest moments, God’s strength, if we allow, has the ability to shine through.

You know the moments I’m talking about. Our moments of sadness. Of anger. Of frustration. Disappointment. Fear. Whatever it is.

His strength is made perfect in those times. He ask of us only one thing…to be still long enough to allow it to happen.

We walk in the flesh and have flesh thoughts that prohibit us from feeling Him. I’m wondering if today we can focus more on Him. Listen to Him more so that when our “moments” happen today we can see God show-off for us.

Workout time! Shoulder Day!

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