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The people of God were never meant to be a people of stagnation, but a people of movement. Stagnation breeds decay. When the Holy Spirit shows up, we call it a move of the Spirit. God is ever at work, drawing His people into His movements, into His procession. He is a King and whenever He moves there is a Procession. Every procession has order, protocol, and qualification. All are invited, but not all may enter. Those who seek to usurp the King's glory cannot remain. Perjurers and liars cannot ride with the King. The proud and arrogant cannot walk in His company. The sexually perverse cannot enter His holy procession toward the Throne.
Early this morning, in my time with Jesus, I was thinking back on some of the changing seasons Steve and I have gone through in our marriage. There was the season we lived in Africa for almost two years, the season when we enjoyed a very stable pastoral ministry, and the season when we transitioned out of pastoral ministry and into the world of missions. There have been seasons where we traveled internationally and seasons where we've done more ministry here in the States.
"It is the spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak unto you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). Jesus said there is spirit life in the spoken word. That's why it is important for us to confess what God has already said about us in His Word. Words carry spiritual forces. Words can transmit fear or words can transmit faith. They transmit images after their kind to others. God's Word transmits the image God wants you to have. The devil's words transmit the image he wants you to have.
I know this is the right thing to do, and I want to do it. I just can't make myself do it! In fact, I fall back into doing the wrong thing!!! (Romans 7:15) Most of us have been taught that transformation is an information problem. Learn the right principles, apply the right rules. Study the right theology. Hear the right sermon. Think better thoughts, add a little discipline if you have to. Fix the argument and the behavior will follow. It won't, and it doesn't. Not because the information is wrong — but because information doesn't reach the place where your life is actually governed.
Romans 8:31 contains a powerful rhetorical question and I encourage you to memorize it. Unfortunately, there are still some believers today wondering, "Is God really for me?" Well, my friend, the Word of God does NOT say "maybe God is for us" or "hopefully, God is for us." It simply says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Indeed, when God is for you, what opposition can succeed against you? When God Himself fights for you, defends you and vindicates you, what adversity or adversary can stand against you? There are none! Hallelujah!
This Word is for those who have allowed themselves to be hindered and distracted from their highest calling. This is a day of Restoration. Can you imagine having a life that is carefree, full of joy, and full of the ambition to do The Father's Will? Well, that is the type of life that is promised to you if you would only cast all your cares upon The LORD and stand on the many promises given to you in His Word. Many are carrying their cares and are overloaded and overwhelmed, because they are trying to take control when they should be giving all control to The Master of their life.
Every morning, I wake up, make my coffee, and settle into my favorite chair, often without interacting with anyone else in my family. I spend time with the Lord and think through the day ahead. I'm ready to shine as a beacon of love, patience, and sacrificial service. But then I encounter other people. Often my resolve crumbles under the weight of my own sin, and I struggle to love people as God commands. Too often, there's a disconnect between my vertical relationship with Christ and my horizontal relationships with my husband, kids, and friends.
I have an old blue hoodie that should have been thrown away years ago. It has, in fact, seen better days. I bought it because I liked the color. That's it. There wasn't some deep, emotional connection. I wasn't trying to make a fashion statement. I simply saw the color, thought, "Yep, that'll work," and took it home. What I didn't know was that it would become one of the most comfortable pieces of clothing I've worn. Apparently, somewhere during the manufacturing process, angels, grandmothers, and clouds all signed off on the fabric.
When we suffer, it can be hard to look around at the blessings that some Christians enjoy and wonder what happened with our lives. Social media does not help, as it gives us front-row seats to the blessings of hundreds of people we know (and millions of people we don't know). While even the average person in relatively pleasant circumstances can struggle in this way, the experience is greatly compounded for those enduring comprehensive and/or chronic suffering. It's one thing to envy the prosperity of the wicked. Asaph describes his own experience of that in Psalm 73, and the psalm is instructive for believers who envy the blessings of unbelievers.
One of the greatest misunderstandings in the Christian life is the assumption that God's promises depend entirely upon our effort. Yet God consistently reveals a different pattern. The Father gives, His children receive, and together they establish His purposes in the earth. Jesus declared, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." That single statement reveals the entire dynamic of Kingdom living. Grace gives. Faith possesses. Partnership governs. Everything begins with the goodness of God. The Kingdom is not earned. It is not purchased by perfect behavior or exceptional spirituality. It is an inheritance.