In this month's Chapter and Verse I'm going to reveal to you one of the devils favorite traps he uses on believers to get them to limit God in their lives.
We must first start with the condition of man's heart. From the heart springs everything in life.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Our heart effects everything we do however our senses program our hearts. The surrounding world, family, friends and the like shape our world view and our heart.
There are many biblical examples of how your thoughts influence your heart. The one that comes to my mind immediately is Pharaoh.
Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. Exodus 8:32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go. Exodus 9:34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
This is why we need to guard our heart Pharaoh had developed a bad habit of listening to his senses, his flesh. After all he was Pharaoh, he had become accustom to getting his own way.
Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Ephesians 2:1-3 1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
This is the condition of every man woman and child born. They are born with sin. A corrupted sin nature resides inside of every person on earth.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Our flesh that which the bible refers to, the senses or sometimes it's called the old man is our default nature.
Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
The word conversation is talking about your old life. Our default nature is corrupt and driven by lust. Our heart is shaped by our thoughts. The Bible sometimes calls these corrupt or carnal thoughts.
Romans 8:6-8 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
When we walk by our senses our flesh we cannot please God. The carnal mind, our old man nature, our flesh fights against God and if we yield to the flesh it stops us from doing the will of God in our lives.
Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
There are many scriptures that teach this truth but I like to show you one more.
NLT Galatians 5:17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.
Like it or not as long as you draw breath you will be faced with this choice every day. Do I yield to the Word or do I yield to the flesh?
And this is where we limit God in our lives. Most Christians would agree if asked the question who is smarter, wiser, stronger, and more loving than God? Their answer would unanimously be no one.
This is a no brainer right? Then why is it when we have a problem in life we are tricked into thinking we can handle it better than God. Furthermore we are hard wired to go to our default setting of the old man, our senses to solve this problem. In doing so we ignore God who is a wealth of accuracy information and wisdom and limit our solution to our flesh.
And you wonder why you are stuck on the hamster wheel of life in a continual cycle of defeat and heart ache? It's because you have to retrain your mind, reboot your thoughts to go to God first when something comes up. We are so accustom to walking by the flesh for many of us we never give God a thought.
When was the last time you prayed at work and asked the father what would be the best way to handle this? For many of us, we have been doing our job for so long we have gotten into the habit of excluding God from our work. After all what does God know about marketing or business in general?
I remember a time when I needed to buy a rear clip. For those of you who do not know what a rear clip is it's the back end of a car. It's where you cut the car across the floor under the seat and the front windshield post half way up. In this way you can roll the new clip to the damaged car and weld them together.
We called a salvage yard and they told us there was only one clip available for this car at such and such a price. And if we wanted it we better get it now or someone else might buy it out from under us. Well first of all I have been doing this for too long to be intimidated or manipulated into becoming a motivated buyer. So I prayed and waited on God. I was getting a lot of flak because we need this part what if we lose it etc., etc., etc.
When this confrontation was getting intense and the part was ready to be ordered (not by me) the phone rang and low and behold another salvage yard called and sold us the clip we needed for $1500.00 less. That day I did not limit God and he blessed me exceeding above what I could ask or think.
Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Romans 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Are you fully persuaded that God is able to perform his promises to you? His promises include every aspect of your life.
2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: KJV Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
God is not holding back on us. We limit God when we do not acknowledge him in everyday life. How many wasted hours of torment and concern we has endured because we have neglected the father of all knowledge.
Proverbs 3:5-6 5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Lord may we learn to seek you first in all our ways. This world is designed to steal our thoughts and hearts away from Jesus. But we have a say in this battle. We choose to bring the word of God into our lives and act accordingly.
Then and only then we will be well on the path of not limiting God and seeking him first.