In The “Storms of Life” that would assail, seek to discourage you, remember to Talk to your self the truth. Train your thinking to Focus on the Lord Jesus for He Himself is the prize, the goal!
Life reduced to companionship with Him is sufficient.
The attack is on your mind to distract you from devotion and dependance upon God and are seen by…
1. – ACCUSING JESUS.
In times of desperation-Look AWAY to Him. The disciples in the boat terrified saw Him coming and He calmed the seas and storms. They never would have known He could do that if they had not been in the storm! They awoke Him in the boat during one storm and said, “Don’t You care….”
How often we accuse Him of not caring when we find ourselves in the storms of life. The storms are but opportunities for you and me to know- He cares! He is able to deliver us from the storm or give us grace and His companionship to endure the storm!
2. – ATTACK IS ON THE CHARACTER OF JESUS.
Anytime you begin to DOUBT, or have a “fiery dart” of a dishonoring thought concerning His CHARACTER and care for you- CHOOSE TO THINK-..Remember – CALVARY! He has proved He cares for you, by laying down His life for you! The attack is on your faith concerning the character of God. It begins with a thought, and if enbraced and not taken captive to the obedience of Christ, will grow and consume you and deviate you from the life of faith in Jesus Christ, a moment by moment dependance upon the Spirit of God and the Word of God to look away and focus on Jesus Christ in your living- whatever the circumstances!
3. -ANSWER THE ATTACK – BY TAKING YOUR THOUGHTS CAPTIVE TO OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST!
Answer the attack by ASKING Questions of the thoughts!
Are these thoughts TRUE about the Person, character, promises of the Lord Jesus?
If not CHOOSE to REJECT the LIES… REPLACE WITH THE TRUTH OF HIS WORD!
By faith choose to Look away to Jesus in your troubles, He is your refuge, shield, provider, Master, Lover, Friend, Exalted on High, your Great High priest who is presently interceding for you. Look to Him in your troubles, let your troubles cause you to turn and THINK RIGHTLY about Jesus. Speak to Jesus, Relate it all to Jesus. LOOK to JESUS! He is LORD, Master over all. He is sufficient to come into the storm and quieten, dismantle it. He is sufficient to walk with you in the storm. His companionship, His cross, His love for you is everlasting!
“He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures…. Beginning with Moses and the prophets HE revealed HIMSELF in ALL the Scriptures.”- Luke 24. Look in the Scriptures to Him and see Him and find comfort, companionship, hope, in JESUS!
Troubles, none of us like them, but choose in the midst to train your THINKING to Look by faith – to the Lord Jesus- and TAKE Him at His Word and in doing so, you will HONOR HIM and find REST for your soul amidst the “storms of life”
RECOGNIZING THE TEMPTATIONS IN THE STORMS AND RESISTING THE TEMPTATION!
The Battle is ultimately for your mind to attack your faith in Jesus!
The attack on your mind in order to seek to distract you from trusting in and devotion to the Lord Jesus.
The Attack is always on your mind, to seek you to respond emotionally, accusing the Lord JESUS TO YOU.
ARISE and ANSWER with THE TRUTH of God’s Word, apply it and continue to walk by faith in the faithfulness of God.
The life of faith is not easy because it is the way that pleases God {See Hebrews 11:6} and so, an evil foe seeks to distort your view of God seeks to plant thoughts to distrust Him and if you CHOOSE to yield you cannot walk by faith.
The fight of faith is that- a Fight! Fight against the flesh, an evil foe, a world that lives as though there is no God and if there is He is irrelevant.
The fight is to walk looking away to the Jesus of the Bible and in Him is life, power to live for God’s honor and glory!
The Fight is to trust Him and Obey Him motivated by His love for you!
“Storms” come in various ways and means and with it comes…,
1. – The ACCUSATION against Jesus-“He Doesn’t care about you.”
2. – The ATTACK IS ULTIMATELY SLANDER AGAINST- HIS CHARACTER!
3. – The ANSWER – is to take up the “shield of faith’ and quench those fiery darts by using “the sword of the spirit”- the truth about Who He is- Faithful, Capable, Friend, and Lover of your soul. In the “storms” He is present, His peace He imparts to you, His joy to strengthen you,He loves you, He is for you. He will not let you go.
Cultivate your friendship with Him in the “storms!” Draw close to Him!
LEARN TO EVALUATE Your Thoughts in the “Storms of life” and choose to… Look Away to Jesus!