Friends,
I’ve heard from a few of you about how things are going with the fasting and prayer. For most you are being blessed in obeying. One expressed being tested. The enemy will certainly come at our weaknesses. For me it has been humbling. As I’m reading and studying the Word I keep seeing areas that need more of His grace and my cooperation with His Holy Spirit. The weight of our sinfulness was overwhelming on Sunday as I was in church. The body of Christ is so out of touch with its compromise with our culture. We have been so de-sensitized and slowly affected that we don’t even recognize the demise.
Psalm 1: 1 tells us” Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
“Walking in the counsel of the wicked” is the beginning of the compromise. It’s being exposed to ideas and influence that are not Godly. You’re in the place where you can be tempted. Listening, watching and becoming aware of what others think that don’t line up with the Word of God. This influence could come from people at work, TV, magazines, books, movies, friends, etc. It could be a negative example of how to handle a situation. It could be unwholesome talk that doesn’t build you up or glorify God. It could be the “ultra thin, super young, perfect models in your magazine- air brushed with no flaws that sets you up for thinking you are a “hopeless case” cause you will never look that great. It lowers self esteem and set you up for the next stage. The counsel of the ungodly is all around us but most of us invite it into our homes via the TV and rented movies. The sinful compromises wrapped in mysteries, comedy, love stories and cute chick flicks have a way of weaving a deceitful web on the corners of our minds. I can remember when I was a teenager and I watched soap operas –
“’Standing in the way of sinners” - This doesn’t’ mean getting in the way of sinners being saved; but standing among them or with them in their beliefs. Taking on their beliefs, rationalizations, pragmatism, etc. We become comfortable with the ungodly ideas we have been listening to and being influenced by. We stand with them in their arguments because they are starting to make sense to us. Surely we would want our children to participate in “’safe sex” instead of getting pregnant or STD’s. But there is no safe sex – sex outside of marriage is never safe – it’s sinful, death producing and self-destructive. But when we stand with the sinners we agree and say what they say. We see it their way and even take up their argument – “homosexuals are born that way; they can’t help themselves.”
“Sit in the seat of mockers” - Here we are participating in the ungodly idea, activity or philosophy. We have listened, agreed and now we have become one of them. The sinner has many views and even may see God’s view as a possibility. But the one who sits in the seat of mockers no longer considers God’s view as viable – his view is correct. His rationalism is truth. God is wrong – they are right. We have gone past agreement to participation and defending our right to do so.
Sisters, we can become so comfortable in the rationalization of our behavior that we don’t even realize that we are in direct opposition to God’s Word and have become a mocker to the very God we think we serve. The influence of our post modern, post Bible culture is so strong and ungodly it’s a full time job for the follower of Christ to be vigilant and sober because the enemy of our souls, like a roaring lion is seeking whom he may devour. The tide of evil influence is like a strong undercurrent pulling us into its dark, murky waters before we realize we have been captured by its powerful tow.
Hopefully, none of us are sitting with the mockers; but we may be somewhere in the first two. The enemy will condemn you which will cause you to withdraw from God and feel it’s hopeless or impossible to live godly in this modern world. Guilt and conviction, on the other hand, will cause you to run to God to confess (agree with what God says about this sin) and repent – turn from it and follow Christ. Let us come and have our consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ that we may be cleansed from the influence and the sin of compromise that we may receive grace and mercy in our time of need.
But notice this scripture goes on to say – Blessed is the man who does not (do these things) but his delight is in the law (Word of God) day and night. Let us delight in the Word – read, meditate, memorize, speak, share and live the Word so that we will not be so close to the shore that the undertow can swallow us.
Ps. 119:11 says “’Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God.” I remember fellowshipping with some Christians (one new) who were quoting verbatim parts of movies back and forth as if they were having a conversation. They had watched these movies so much that they could recall the phrases with no problem. I was amazed. I could only quote the ending to “Gone with the Wind.” However, if it had been a scripture marathon I know I would have bypassed them in no time flat. How about you?
Verse 3 of Psalm 1 goes on to say, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
What a blessing for us who make God’s Word our delight. God plants us (so the current cannot take us away) by streams of water so we have all the water we need to grow. The water is the Holy Spirit as He leads us into all truth. It’s the Holy Spirit who produces the fruit of the Spirit in us (Gal 5:23) in season. Notice that the fruit is produced in season – there is a growth and maturity process. I’ve been a Christian 45 years so the maturity of my fruit should be much greater than those of you who have only recently received Christ or have know Him much less. “The leaf does not wither because there is always enough water – never a drought when we delight in God’s Word day and night.
The Word finally says, “Whatever he does prospers.” God gives us favor, power, wind beneath our wings. He causes the work of our hands to prosper. Our prayers to be answered because when we delight in His Word day and night, we grow in our relationship with Christ and our wants and desires line up with His. When we pray according to His will, we have what we ask.. (John 15)
Be encouraged. The humbling of repentance is doing its work. The delighting in God’s Word day and night during this time of fasting will bring the blessing of being planted and rooted deeply in God. Ungodly influences will be exposed for what they are. Arguments that set themselves against God will be brought low and God will be exalted in your life. It will be worth the time, the sacrifice, the gnawing hunger in your stomach, the pain of change – it will be worth it all.
Praise God – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
Keep on fasting and praying. Expect God to meet you where you are. Expect God to breakthrough the darkness of our culture. God is on the throne – He reigns. The enemy is a defeated foe and he knows us. He is a toothless lion – all roar. Do not be intimidated by him. Go in the power and authority of Christ.
Father,
Thank you for Your Word that is powerful to the pulling down of strongholds and cutting apart even between bone and marrow. Lord show us if we are in walking in the counsel of the ungodly without being consciously aware. Show us if we have been standing in agreement with ungodly lies masquerading as truths. Expose the lies and set us free from their hold. Cleanse our minds. God have mercy on anyone seated with the mockers. Deliver them from their delusion and set them free to delight in your Word. Cause us to delight in Your Word. Open our minds to receive your truths with gladness of heart. Cause us to be like the deer that pants for the water brooks – may we long for your presence and look forward with great anticipation to reading and absorbing your revelation to us. Open our understanding to receive all you have for us. Enable us to believe the Word and put it into practice and that your fruit of the Spirit might be produced in us. We receive your blessings – prosper the work of our hands – prosper the prayers of our hearts. Amen.
Be blessed this week as you pray and fast.
Pregnant with Possibilities -- Angela
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