Welcome to a guest post from my husband, Brad!
I hope from time to time Brad will continue to post here.
He recently introduced himself in this way: I ’m extremely excited to begin another phase of my journey. After many years in the manufacturing environment, God has called me into a biblical counseling ministry. It’s been exciting to witness and be a part of this path God has set me on. I know He will continue to lead me on the path He has set before me and complete the good work He has begun.
To Whom do I Listen?
Have you ever had someone in your life that cut you down, who used ‘honesty’ as a weapon? Have you ever experienced the cruelty of ‘friends’ who made fun of you because of the way you looked or dressed? When confronted about their verbal assault their response is: “What, I was just being honest”. If we’re being honest, probably every one of us has experienced what I’ve described at some point and most of us have made it a point to remove those people from our lives.
Still, there is one who causes us to doubt, steals our joy, robs us of happiness and tears us down every chance he can and we allow it. Somehow, when our adversary, the devil, whispers all those nasty, vile and corrupt words into our ears we have a tendency to listen as if it were truth. What’s more, when Satan causes us to doubt the goodness of God and the love of the Lord Jesus, we listen and if we listen long enough we begin to believe the lie.
“The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy” and “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (John 10:10a, 1 Peter 5:8). Satan has one agenda, your death and destruction, it’s just that simple. He will use every tactic in his arsenal of satanic weapons against you and do whatever necessary to discourage you in your life and your walk with Christ. We need to be able to discern the voice of God and the lie of Satan. And, yes it is possible.
My wife, Nancy, has been in the financial world most of her adult life. She told me that in order to spot a counterfeit bill she studies the genuine bill. She learns how it looks, how it feels along with the markings on the bill itself. Once she knows the real thing the counterfeit is easy to spot.
Jesus is the real deal. In order to spot the counterfeit (Satan) and his pack of putrid lies we need to study the Bible, the genuine article. As we read and study scripture we get to know Jesus, God the Father and Holy Spirit. We learn of God’s great love for each and every one of us, we learn of Jesus tender loving mercy and we’re able to spot the crafty deceit of Satan.
While Satan comes to steal kill and destroy, Jesus said; “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b). The closer we walk with Holy Spirit and learn to hear His voice, the more we learn and the more we’ll be able to understand that “no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you” (Isaiah 54:17).
Jesus is not the accuser. He does not condemn. Don’t listen to the lie of Satan when he says you’ve gone too far or done too much. Jesus said; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Stand firm in Christ, rebuke the devil and live in freedom.
Brad
As We Journey Along... 