Friday, April 23, 2010

Are You Waivering?

"Worry never empties tomorrow of its sorrow, but it does empty it of its strength. Don't let anyone rob you of your confidence in GOD. Know HIS Word. Hold on to HIS hand. HE will make your impossible mission possible and your life so much more than bearable." ~ Barbara Johnson



To say that this year has started off with a bang is an understatement. This year has brought with it more attacks by the enemy than we care to say. However, GOD'S Word faithfully tells us in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things GOD works for the good of those who love HIM, and are called according to HIS purpose." So I am continuing to stand in faith and not waiver (or be double minded) in the glorious work that the LORD continues to do in our lives each moment. Yes, there are times when I can feel the enemy trying to stir up doubt and disbelief in my thoughts and cause those "butterflies in my stomach" twinges, but I refuse to entertain those things. 2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of GOD, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to CHRIST."

When things in the natural look like there has been no change or maybe it looks/feels as if the situation is steadily going south, this is when we need to hold fast our confession of faith the most. Scripture tells us plainly, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to GOD. And the peace of GOD, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in CHRIST JESUS." ~ Philippians 4:6-7. So when we are told not to be anxious about anything, that means we are not to worry about anything...nothing...NO THING!

So why do many of us (including myself) fall into the trap of worrying about things when we are instructed not to? Have you ever read the verse above or heard it quoted to you while going through a situation and replied with, "yeah, but...." We can fill in the blank after that 'but' to justify our reasons for wavering but regardless of our buts..."but the money's just not there to meet our need," or "but the doctor said no one ever recovers from this disease," or "but you don't know how bad things are right now." No matter what our buts may be, we are commanded in the Word not to worry about it. So in other words....we need to get our buts out of the way.

It's easy to believe the lies of the Enemy when we are in a weakened state, and worrying is certainly one state that will weaken us quicker than anything if we allow it to. Once we allow worry to weaken us, we open the door for Satan to think he has an invitation into our lives. We might be believing for something and our Sunday confession & faith is pumped and strong that we are more than overcomers and that our answer is on the way. Tuesday comes and you see no change or you get a bad report. By Wednesday night's service you are downtrodden and running to the prayer workers telling them that you just don't know what your going to do or how things are ever going to work out, so you ask them to help pray over your situation. What happened to our strongly pumped faith that we had on Sunday? I'll tell you what happened...we waivered (doubted) and thus our faith fell by the wayside.

While it is always good to pray and seek the LORD in every situation, we sometimes miss what JESUS has said. Look for example at what JESUS said about the fig tree in Mark 11:13-14, 20-24, "And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it...And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

Do you read anywhere in this passage that JESUS told us to pray and seek the LORD to move our mountain? No, instead JESUS said "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain," What is the key word here...SAY. JESUS said if we "say" to our mountain. HE didn't tell us to pray to it, pray about it, pray to GOD to move it....no HE clearly says we are to speak to our mountain. Your mountain needs to hear your voice! HE goes further to say "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Did you catch the part where HE says...'and shall not doubt in his heart.' What is doubt -- waivering (My definition: being tossed to and fro in our stand or our thoughts. Up one minute and down the next.)

Did you know that when we "talk" about or "vent" to others about our situation we are committing a form of wavering? Yes, there are times when we just feel like we have to talk to someone about the situation at hand...we say things like, "you know Sister/Brother so & so, I have been believing for things to get better but it looks like everyday things are taking a step in the opposite direction. I just don't know what I'm going to do if JESUS doesn't intercede and do something soon to help." We sometimes feel we have to get things off our chest so we talk to our friends or our family. But all we are really doing is giving voice to doubt. I'm not saying that we shouldn't talk to others...there is most certainly a time and place for that. If you really feel you need to talk to someone to let it all out, then I would suggest you talk to GOD. But watch what/how you say it. Just because we don't see GOD working in our natural sense doesn't mean that HE isn't working in the supernatural on our behalf. There is no time for GOD, so what we said in faith a week ago or a month ago..."GOD, I know You can turn this situation around and bring healing and restoration to our family," and what we say now...."LORD, I have been believing for an answer but I just don't know how Your going to it." To the LORD, HE can hear our prayer as "GOD, I know You can turn this situation around and bring healing and restoration to our family...LORD, I have been believing for an answer but I just don't know how Your going to it." Don't allow our prayers to be hindered by waivering/doubt. Stand firm in your confession.

When we get hold of this revelation that we are to not doubt...not waiver in our faith stand from moment to moment, regardless of what things look like in the natural, that's when we shut the door to the enemy. He may still try and attack us by feeding us thoughts of doubt, but if we lay hold of GOD'S Word and HIS promises...not the thoughts of the enemy, then we can stand firm in our victories! Romans 8:37 "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through HIM Who loved us."

As fallen people we will have to fight the temptation to cave into what Satan is trying to put on us, and at times we might stumble and fall, but I've got good news for us all....we have something, some One better than anything to lean upon Who "is able to keep you from falling and to present you before HIS glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only GOD our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through JESUS CHRIST our LORD, before all ages, now and forever more! Amen." ~ Jude 24-25

4 comments:

Mrs. B, a very peculiar person said...

Hi Mrs. M,

This post has been so timely for me. I send you an abundance of thanks for posting it!
Mrs.B

Keeper of the Home said...

Mrs. B ~
I am so glad that this was able to minister to you. Isn't it great how no matter what time it is, when GOD'S Word is meant for us...it's always the 'right' time! I am one who likes to have things now...so when the LORD speaks to me in HIS time, I have learned it is so much better than had I gotten my Word when 'I' thought I needed it. HE is certainly teaching me patience. Thank You FATHER, I need it!! Let me always have a teachable heart and spirit.

~Mrs. M

Mrs.B said...

Thank you so much for posting this,

I am printing it off to keep in my notebook. Going through the fire is never fun. But God is faithful.

Thanks for the encouragement

In HIS Keeping
Mrs.B

Keeper of the Home said...

Your right....going through the fire is definitely NOT fun!!! It can however be either our downfall or the next step in growth to our faith. It's all a matter of how we handle it. Unfortunately I have had some downfalls in the past but I am standing strong and refuse to give up or give in. I know that GOD is working everything out for HIS glory and that soon...very soon we will see the victory in this and be able to use it as a testimony to others who may have similar trials. To GOD be the glory always.

~Mrs. M