What is everyone reading right now, and I don't mean novels... What is your nourishment plan for your life? What book, study or keywords (or share what you are doing) are you allowing into your heart, thoughts and all that you breathe?
I have been all over the place these past few weeks, and I sure noticed a difference. I want to read a book, but would love to have some others reading the same so we can share (I am a really slow reader, "see Jane run", but the Holy Spirit always helps me and keeps me in tune... What do you say? What thoughts are you allowing to creep in?
“For although we are living in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but powerful to God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments 5 and all pride that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” ~2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (Lexham English Bible)
I have been on an amazing learning curve these past months. I was getting more and more tired, more 'depressed' (using this word, describe, not as a diagnosis), heavy hearted, angry, discouraged.... and the more tired and (fill in the blank) I got, the less I purposely got in the Word. My routine changed; the way I saw the things around me changed, my heart was heavy for the sake of lacking the discipline to trust that God was truly and earnestly waiting for me to see Him...
I really want to encourage you to get into the WORD first, then pick up the other books. I visibly and physically notice a difference.
Time with God can be many things... a spot on your calendar, a meeting with others, but really it's an all day slot on your schedule. He has an open door, which is right before all of us to help us open our eyes, ears and hearts. Let us not forget how powerful that is for all of us. He is our strength, our direction, our hope and our “everything”; especially the priority in our lives.
Honestly, we are kidding ourselves if we believe we can pray our way to hear Him... it is His Word.... this is huge conviction for me, and I think that is why we have dropped off so much. When I asked this question 8 months ago, many of us were reading and in the Word heavily... as I read through an old note, this really popped out.
A Poem of David; [probably] intended to record memorable thoughts.“Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have found refuge, and in You do I put my trust and hide myself.“I say to the Lord, You are my Lord; I have no good beside or beyond You.“As for the godly (the saints) who are in the land, they are the excellent, the noble, and the glorious, in whom is all my delight.” ~Psalm 16:1-3 (Amplified Bible)
Here's what I started doing. I began to listen through the scripture. I went over Genesis 6 or 7 times in a month... listening, then reading; reading, then listening... I gleaned so much and began to see the change, than BAM, I got hit again, more tired, no results from the treatments, job issues, home issues, money issues... and it kept going and going. First, I stopped reading, then I stopped writing, I prayed, but my heart was still very heavy... and I figured out why. I was not following my own advice, AND GOD'S INSTRUCTION to stay in His Word - I went from devouring His word, to starving and becoming anorexic of the Word.
I had no energy to dive in... and the enemy loved it, and by this point he didn't have to do anything, I was already down spiraling to despair and pain of my own doing. I kept hearing, "snap out of it", "this isn't you", "listen and hear and rest in Him".... So I did... I forced myself to snap out of it. To move inch by inch... moment to moment. I had some friends pray with me, and it lifted. The one friend who prayed with me all times, said yesterday, "It's like the LORD grabbed you and shook off the despair and shined you up".
It's being in the WORD that keeps us with Him, no doubt in my mind and deep in my heart. I pray you too, come to the same conclusion...
© 2012 Shawn Boreta, Giving Thanks Daily
Web: http://shawnsgivingthanksdaily.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150327530757809
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We are Wonderfully Made (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wonderfully-Made/130178720330362), living to encourage and Equip His People (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Equip-His-People-Ephesians-411-13/170487976325407) and completely committed to believing greatly Psalm 139 with purpose (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Psalm-139-with-purpose/183264461708034).
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