Cursed?

God reminds me of His truth, often in surprising ways. For instance, a few nights ago I clicked onto Netflix and scrolled through the movie selection and came across one that had never before appealed to me. But on that night I felt like something lighthearted and decided to watch a  movie called Penelope. To my surprise I enjoyed the story. But it's something one of the characters said at the end of the movie that caught my attention most.


"It's not how powerful the curse, but how much power you give the curse."

That statement got me to thinking.

In the movie a witch had placed a curse on a family centuries before and that curse destined a beautiful child to be born with a pig snout. I won't say more about it because I'd hate to give away too much of the movie in case any of you might want to watch it. 

The curse theme got me to thinking about all sorts of curses, or what I'd rather refer to as lies. Lies that we bring upon ourselves or accept from the mouths of others, or simply come to believe because of circumstances, or an idea we accept rather than God's truth. 

I'm certain we all have lies we believe about ourselves rather than the truth. I have a bunch. Some I've come to see as lies and others I still drag along with me. 

•      I'm not intelligent. I listened to that one for many, many years. 
•     I have reason to be afraid. I still struggle with that one. However, when I look back over my life and remember the many risks I've taken, the times I stood up when no one else would, and when I've stepped out because I was sure it was what God wanted even when I knew there would be consequences to pay ... I see the lie. I'm only fearful when I give power to the lie.    

There are others that try to keep me down, keep me isolated or stuck. 

•      I can't do that.
•      I'm never going to be capable of ... 
•      When my vision is gone I won't be able to write.

     And more.

Lies. All lies. 

We need to see them for what they are, destroyers from the enemy, satan, the author of lies, who wants to see us fail, relishes in keeping us weak and afraid, and powerless to serve the Lord. He wants us to believe he has the power. But he only has as much power as we give him. Because in Christ we are powerful, and all things are possible. Christ gives us insight to see the lies and courage to stand up to them. He helps us see that we can be more than we believe we can.


Out Father gives us all that we need. And tells us how to battle in Ephesians 6: 10 - 18 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power . Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand, Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers for all the saints.

We can shut out the lies and listen only to truth. We are able because we belong to The Father. We are His. 

Never forget. Do not live under a curse.


Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Quiet Moments With God -- Walking a Tightrope--Do You Dare?

This week, while working on a Bible Study I was reminded of an inspiring incident that took place years ago while at a retreat. There were four speakers scheduled that weekend, with the last speaking on Sunday morning. We had a great three days filled with fun, words of wisdom, tears and laughter. We had a front row seat at God's production. I love retreats not just because it's an opportunity to build friendships and to grow in our faith, but God always surprises me in some way. That particular retreat was no exception.

On Sunday morning my sister Myrn was the speaker. She stood before the group, notes in hand. She'd worked hard to prepare--spent hours in prayer and more hours crafting just the right words. As she stood there a smile broke out on her face and then she shocked us all by tossing her notes over her shoulder where they fell to the floor. Wearing a playful expression she looked out at our surprised faces and said, "I had something prepared, but that's not what God wants me to talk about this morning."

I want that kind of faith and courage--to listen so closely to God that I hear Him even when He asks me to do something that makes me quake, to do what I know is beyond my own ability. He'd been speaking to Myrn throughout the weekend and by Sunday morning she knew He had another message to deliver other than the one she'd prepared. She did just that and quite eloquently. When we hand ourselves over to God He shines.

Often we rely on "us" instead of Him. I'm not saying we should always expect something dramatic, nor that we ought to ignore the wisdom and knowledge God has given us. But there are moments when God has something greater for us to do than what our small minds have conjured up--times when we have to toss away our grand plan and exchange it for God's.

Do we have the courage to move out of our comfort zone and take a risk? It may feel as if we're stepping onto a tight rope. But we have no reason to fear. Even if we fall, God will catch us.

I'm a planner. I rely on notes and calendars and lists. Letting go isn't easy for me. And yet, God has honored me by including me in His plans many times. The apostle Paul said to the Corinthians in the book of 1 Corinthians, "I came to you in weakness--timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied ONLY on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this SO you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God."

God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise. We don't have to be wise or strong in ourselves, we only need to believe in The One who is wise, who is powerful. He will give us strength and the words to speak so we can tell others of His great love.

Try stepping out onto the tight rope of faith and see God shine.

Grace and peace to you from God.

Bonnie

Tips For Triumphant Living--It's Who You Know.

While reading Isaiah 31:1-3 I was profoundly struck by the power God gives to those who believe. It begins with, What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

It is who you know that brings victory. My self-reliant personality can sometimes be a stumbling block for me. I want to fix things, to call in the experts, to get ‘it’ done right. God created me with a good mind and organizational skills, and I can usually figure out which expert to call when I need one. All that’s good, but my strengths can sometimes be weaknesses. I too often forget to call first on ‘The One’ who knows all things and can do all things.

Verse three in Isaiah 31 goes on to say, For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God! Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits! When the Lord raises his fist against them, those who help will stumble, and those being helped will fall. They will all fall down and die together.

No expert, no specialist, not even the most spiritually mature person we know is as powerful or as knowledgeable as The King. It’s clearly stated; He strikes down puny flesh. When we stand we will prevail only if our army is God’s army. If we stand in our own strength we will soon discover how frail and worthless our power is.

So, may we be true conquerors, remembering that nothing is too difficult for God. He will deliver us from our foes.


Grace and peace to you from God.

Bonnie