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Being burdened and heavy laden, is not how Lord Jesus wants your life to be. Life could be challenging, even as it now is, but Christ invites the one who is weary on account of it, to come to Him, learn from Him, and find rest in his soul. For, it is as you draw near to Him, to know Him more and more, that you will know and experience that, even in challenging times, God’s plan for your life is to lead you forward, in the path of progress. The psalmist David, passed through many different experiences to ultimately fulfill God’s purpose for his life. Therefore, may his prayer unto God, as we continue to study it, speak to your heart, to guide and lead you in His will for you. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; May Your good Spirit, lead me on level ground. [Psalm 143:10]
For, led by the God for whom nothing is impossible, even in a time of famine, it was an outcome that was abundantly higher, one that went against all human calculations and predictions, that came to pass in the life of Isaac. And it saw even his enemies come to him, declaring that they could see that God was with him to bless him. [Genesis chapter 26] Knowing God, in a relationship with Him, Isaac stayed in His will, and also reaped the benefits of it in his life. And, He is the same God, even today, in your life and mine, providing grace that makes it all possible. It was grace that enabled the Macedonian church to be joyful in affliction, and generous even in extreme poverty. [1 Corinthians 8:1-5] And even in your life, it is by knowing Him, in the sufficiency of His grace, that you get to know God’s plan for your life, and God’s ordained place for you.
The goal – your upward call:
The key lies in knowing more and more, the One who is now seated above, at His Father’s side, having glorified His Father, by accomplishing His will. I press toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:14] The apostle Paul has described his spiritual journey, that of knowing Christ more and more , in terms of a race in which it is the goal, one towards which he is pressing on. And, even in your life, it is in knowing Christ who has called you, to fulfill His upward call upon your life, that you reach your goal or win in your life, to be truly fulfilled. It is not a quick sprint, but a long distance race, that requires endurance and perseverance, is what God’s word, makes clear, even as it encourages you, not to give up on it midway – Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. [Hebrews 12:1]
When there is before you, a race to be run, carrying any heavy burden, will slow you down. And, when it is a race of faith, one that is very much internal, in your heart and in your mind, it is anything that brings sorrow within you, that needs to be dealt with, so that you may prosper, or accomplish God’s purposeful plan for your life. The importance of what goes on in your inner being, is what the apostle John highlights, to say, May you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. [3 John 2] Your soul denotes, your mind, emotions and your will. And when seen in that order, the importance of your mind can be perceived very well. For, your mind is always the storehouse of your thoughts, which then go on to influence your emotions, that result in a corresponding action, which is determined and carried out by your human will. It is therefore a call to prepare your mind for action, that the apostle Peter advocates – Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you, at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [1 Peter 1:13]
And, it is not something that you have to achieve, trusting in your own ability. It is made possible by His grace even as you fix your eyes, or your thoughts on Lord Jesus. It is by turning to, and focusing on the Lord, that you can lay aside every burden, or weight that is pulling you down, to hinder your progress in the race set before you, towards your godly destiny. Going forward in the plan of God, is not what the enemy, the evil one, wishes to happen in your life though. And so, division, diversion and above all, discouragement, are the weapons in his armory that he employs in order to halt you in your tracks.
Division, diversion, discouragement- the enemy’s tools:
Division comes within you, when it is not a whole-hearted, and single minded focus on the Lord, but is either splintered, or half hearted. And, ‘Take diversion’ is the sign that you see sometimes on the road you travel, for unavoidable reasons, and for your good, but the evil one diverts your focus, with maybe very attractive alternatives, but away from the best that God has for you, or the race that you need to run. But what Satan often employs, and also very effectively, to pull you down, and make you unable to go forward, is the weapon of discouragement, that can lead to despair. It happened even in the life of a prophet, the prophet Elijah. One day, he was on the mountain top, rejoicing over a great victory. Yet, the very next day, he was fleeing to safeguard his life, but declaring that he wanted to die.
And, the Bible, painfully honest as it is, has made it very clear, that he too was human, with like passions, and could also be vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. But he, and even you and I, have a God, who will not give up on us, and will lift us up. And therefore, be encouraged! ‘You have a long way yet, to go, It was the encouragement that Elijah received, after the rest he experienced in his body and soul, from the Lord who miraculously met his need, to make him arise and continue to run the race set before him. And, he was renewed in his spirit, to know that he could not give up, for his race was not yet finished. He had more things to accomplish, in God’s plan for his life. [1 kings 19:1-18]
The very same, unchanging God is your God too. And, when the attack of the enemy comes against you, He holds your right hand in a covenant relationship, to say, ‘Those who war against you shall be as nothing; As a non existent thing; For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand; Saying to you, ‘Fear not; I will help you’. [Isaiah 41:12,13] His word of promise will never fail. But, standing on His promise to you, it is in laying aside everything that is troubling your heart, to pull you down, that you will move forward to reach your godly destiny.
Dealing with anxiety:
Cast your burdens on the Lord, for He cares for you, is what the word of God declares. Burdens in your heart, are weights that can pull you down, and one of them is worry or anxiety. Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down; But a good word makes him glad’. [Proverbs 12:25] And, the need to deal with what can bring you down, cannot be over emphasized. For, in the Old Testament, one can see in the life of Jacob, carrying a heavy weight in his heart, as he refused to be comforted, but remained sorrowful, concerning the apparent loss of his son, Joseph. And, going through the narrative of the subsequent events of his life, one can see that the negative effect of it, lingered for many years in his life. With Jacob, it was sorrow that was weighing him down, but when it is anxiety or fear that is in your heart, it can go on to affect your faith. For, care or worry, can progress to fear, which then has the capacity to short circuit your faith, that in turn will prevent you from moving forward, in what you know is God’s ordained path for you. And how it happens can be seen in the lives of the disciples, as they traveled in the storm tossed boat in the Sea of Galilee.
They had the word from the Lord, that they would reach the other side, and the Lord Himself was with them, resting in the power of His word, when in fear they woke Him up, wrongly thinking that He did not care about their well being. And the Lord after calming their fear by calming the wind and the waves, pointed out where worry and fear had led them, as He asked, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’. [Mark 4:40] Thus, stringing it all together, the truth is, the necessity of dealing with your burdens is there so that you may go forward in God’s plan for you. And your burdens are dealt with, even as you begin to deal with your thoughts. It is only then, a care, will not progress to worry, that becomes fear, and arrests your faith, to paralyze you, instead of running the race set before you. Thoughts both negative and positive can run through your mind continually; it is human and natural, and they are what are termed ‘passing thoughts’. But, it is the thought, that lodges itself, and lingers in your mind, that can influence your action.
Therefore, to sit back and receive every thought, to implant it in your mind is not what the word of God bids you to do. For, one cannot prevent a bird from flying over one’s head. But, to prevent it from building a nest in one’s head is definitely possible. But, the evil one thrives in putting wrong suggestions in your mind, the ‘what ifs’ that may never happen; and entertaining his wily suggestions will see a quick progression in your thoughts towards fear, and an attack on your faith that literally stops you from moving forward. And it is in turning to God who is stronger, and His word that you can deal with it rightly to overcome and move in the right direction, towards your upward call, in Christ Jesus. Strongholds, speculations, lofty things – For the weapons of our warfare, are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, Casting down speculations, and every lofty thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. [2 Corinthians 10:4,5]
Whatever the burden of your heart is, it needs to be dealt with in your thought life, the realm of your thoughts, for it is where Satan operates to build strongholds, when a worrying thought, instead of being a passing thought, is allowed to become a festering problem. It becomes a fortress, holding you prisoner, a captive of it, and is also said to be like a ‘tomb’, one that provides no avenue of escape, but pulls you down so deeply that you are unable to rise up from it, forever. Speculations and lofty things, are the seemingly sophisticated arguments, the false human reasoning that try to rear their heads over and above Christ, the Living Word. They are the ‘what if’ scenarios, that the devil tries to plant in your mind, through your thoughts, to bring anxiety and worry in your heart, that lead to fear that inhibits you from stepping forward in God’s path, that has been earmarked for you. And, the apostle Paul brings an added dimension to it in his letter to the Colossians.
Do not be taken captive:
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition, and the elemental spiritual forces of the world, rather than on Christ. [Colossians 2:8] It has been said that God will not do what you and I have to do, but will empower us, by giving the wisdom, understanding and strength in order to accomplish it. And not falling prey to the philosophy of man, and the system, and traditions of the world, one that is self centered, and Satan dominated, to end up being taken captive by it, is what becomes your responsibility, in the calling of God upon your life. And, identifying what you should not be a captive of, is simple.
For, it is all about Christ – if it has nothing to do with Christ, have nothing to do with it! The line of demarcation is very clear. What does not come to you from God, is a spirit of fear; and therefore you do not need it. What comes from God, and what you need, is a spirit of power, love and sound mind. Anxiety is not from God, for His word bids you not to be anxious about anything, but to pray about everything with thanksgiving, to experience His peace that guards your heart and mind. [Philippians 4:6,7]
Familiarity with the Bible, through a relationship with the God of the Bible, is what will keep you away from becoming a captive of what is not from God. Thus, when it is anxiety, it needs to be dealt with, to make it captive. For otherwise, anxiety will deal with you, to take you captive! A preemptive strike therefore, is what you need to employ against every wrong thought that the devil or your circumstances, speak to you, to deal with them, by taking them into captivity, to the obedience of Christ. And, by His grace, and the spiritual weapons that God has given you, it becomes possible in your life. But, take into captivity, You have divine weapons, with which you can take captive every wrong thought, to make it obedient to Christ. It is how you can demolish strongholds, speculations, and every lofty thing, that exalts itself against knowledge of God. They are divinely empowered weapons, for in this battle against principalities and powers, spiritual forces in high places, you have been given the armor of God, to put on, for spiritual problems cannot be addressed in human ways.
Therefore, the counsel of God is to ,And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [Ephesians 6:17] And in the armor that is predominantly defensive, the sword of the Spirit, that is the word of God is the only offensive weapon, and it is given to you, to quench the fiery darts of the evil one, demolishing strongholds, and all false arguments that the devil brings in your thoughts, to pull you down.
Taking thoughts captive – the pattern:
The Lord who went through it all, in His path to the Cross, where He fulfilled His Father’s will in love and obedience, has shown and established the way, in His time of anxious thoughts, the manner in which to take them captive, in praying, ‘Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour?’. But for this purpose I have come forth. Father, glorify Your Name’. Then a voice came from heaven saying, ‘I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again’. [John 12:27,28] He has established the path of confession; the importance of the words you speak, in your time of worry, when anxious thoughts attempt to pull you down and stop your divine progress. ‘And, what shall I say’, are the Savior’s words, pinpointing, as it is written in the book of Proverbs, the power of your tongue, in the words that you choose to speak ,The tongue has the power of life and death; And those who love it, will eat it’s fruit. [Proverbs 18:21]
And it can point you in the right path, to say as the psalmist does, Why are you cast down, O my soul, And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him; The help of my countenance, and my God. [Psalm 43:5] It was what the prophet Habakkuk was able to proclaim, as a hymn of faith, even in a time of seeming lack and dryness, when the fig tree did not bear fruit. Job was able to look up in his time of suffering to know and say, ‘My Redeemer lives’. Even today, He is the same God, who loves you with an everlasting love, to take your hand, help you, and lift your heart, with a good word that will make your heart glad, as you confess it, to take captive every thought of anxiety and worry, to make it obedient to Christ.
God’s word – the good word:
The Lord Himself made it very clear that it was God, His Father’s word, that was the good word He spoke, Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak’. [John 12:50] How much more then, it needs to be the good word that lifts you up, to make you glad! It is what can bring about the change within you, one that is lasting, and true, to remain unruffled, even when anxious thoughts of worry and fear assail you, threatening to curtail your progress in your race of faith, towards the goal of knowing Christ more and more. It is always the promise of God to you through His word, with which you take captive every wrong thought that comes in your mind, in contradiction to it.
And you need to take time therefore, to reflect upon and register every promise that has come to you from Him, for they will not fail. Joshua’s words to the Israelites, would be your testimony too, And you know in all your hearts, and all your souls, that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you. Not one of them has failed. [Joshua 23:14] It is what God spoke to you, in your circumstance, that is the solution to taking wrong thoughts captive, and not allowing them to influence your mind, that will see you accomplish God’s plan. You will make your way prosperous and achieve good success, as you meditate upon His word day and night. [Joshua 1:8] Through His word, ‘you’ will make your way prosperous, and achieve good success.
‘You’ will take captive the ungodly thought, to demolish strongholds. Thus the response to His promise, is your responsibility. Choosing to take captive, or be taken captive by the thoughts that are not from God, is a choice that lies with you. And it shows the need for a timely word, from Him. For, A man has joy by the answer of His mouth; A word spoken in due season, how good it is. [Proverbs 15:23] And God knows how to give you, the timely word, that will raise you up, and not pull you down, even as you stay yielded in His hands, to be able to say, The Lord God has given me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word, He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear, to listen as a disciple. [Isaiah 50:4] In your relationship with the Sovereign God, He will make you listen, to receive the timely word from Him, and be empowered. And with the wisdom, strength, and ability from Him, you will find yourself, destroying arguments, and strongholds, to reach your destiny, running the race set before you, free of all encumbrance, that could slow you down. For, His word in your mouth, will see a demonstration of His power in you, a laying aside of all your burdens, to be light and free. As a disciple, learning from the Lord, your yoke will be easy, and your burden, light.
The Lord – your help and comfort:
And, the anxieties of your soul, the worries and cares, will not pull you down, into eternal silence, as in a tomb. For you have a Helper. Therefore, like the psalmist, you can declare, Unless the Lord had been my help; My soul would have soon settled in silence. [Psalm 94:17] And, even before your anxieties can weigh you down, when you can just feel the early signs of it, He is there -If I say, ‘My foot slips’, Your mercy O Lord, holds me up. [Psalm 94:18] And then, what fills your soul is comfort and joy, from the God of all comfort, the Father of all mercies, to give you renewed hope ,In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comfort delights my soul. [Psalm 94:19] Every good word that comes to you from the God who is good, will bring consolation to your soul, giving you eternal encouragement. Do not be discouraged therefore, but speak His word in your circumstance, one that could be tough and stormy.
For, the God who spoke it to you, is there to take you by your right hand, to help you, and fill your heart and soul with His delight. And, even as the Spirit leads you, you will be lifted high, to soar as on eagle’s wings, held by the hand of God, in the power of His love. May His loving consolation, and abiding comfort and delight, be your portion in the coming days, bringing renewed hope in you, leading you, lifting you up, to the place where God wants you to be.
In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
