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May the Lord fine-tune our ears, that He may speak special and specific words into our hearts, through His promise that we continue to study, for those who seek the Lord, lack no good thing. [Psalms 34:10] By His great salvation is how God’s goodness comes into your life, requiring a clear understanding of it, that it may become your life’s experience. A wonderful explanation of it is what Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians, saying that you are being saved by the light of God’s word shining in your heart, to bring divine order and divine abundance, that is the blessing of God, His goodness. [2 Corinthians 4:6]
Strength in your soul:
And as the apostle John prays, even as your soul prospers, you prosper in your entire being. And even as the psalmist declares, He shines His light as you call upon Him, to answer you, making you bold, giving you strength in your soul. [Psalms 138:3] And you and I, we all need strength in our soul, to be made bold, even as the situation demands it. For there is a challenge that you and I face, even now, that the apostle Peter describes.
Desires that war against your soul:
Beloved, I urge you, as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that war against your soul. [1 Peter 2:11] Fleshly lusts that war against your soul is what the apostle points out, as being a hindrance to God’s goodness flowing into your life. When the word ‘war’, is mentioned, one almost always thinks of military wars that rage all over the world.
The inner conflict:
But the bible talks about another war; one that is insidious and dangerous, for it is one that stealthily goes on within you, to war against your very own soul. And many may be oblivious to its presence and working within them. But some have addressed it to deal with it, as the apostle Paul has done. [Romans 7:23-25]
‘Wretched man, that I am’:
Painfully honest is Paul concerning himself, as he gives a powerful explanation, about the war that was going on inside him, even after being saved, to the extent of describing himself to be a wretched man! [Verse 24] Before one’s salvation, you had no other option but to be defeated by the sin principle in you that was waging war in you, against your soul. And going on and on, it would have been like a mega serial, keeping you in bondage, For there is a law at work in you, with four components:
The struggle:
And there is an inner struggle, for the spirit points out the discipline needed to be led to your godly destiny. But the mind has a mind of its own, it has been said, and when the spirit is willing, the flesh or the body is weak, and in the midst of it all the sin principle works, the sin that so easily entangles, to keep you down. It is the struggle in you, as an individual, and when individuals come together as a family, as a church, a society whatever. But the conflicts and disputes arise from your fleshly lusts that wage war within you. [James 4:1,2] The bible, brutally honest as it always is, exposes the raw nerve, the source of all conflicts, the war within each person. As G.K. Chesterton, so brilliantly replied when asked what was wrong with the world, It’s me, yours sincerely, G.K. Chesterton’!.
The source of the problem:
When it is the world system that is your point of reference, then it is all about ‘you’ in the center of things, big and small. It is either ‘my way’ or ‘no way’, naturally leading to incompatibility, when it comes to a marriage relationship, that involves cooperation and submission, establishing what God wants from the husband and wife. The source of quarrels is when your prayer is not about Him, but about what you want, in the way you want things to happen in your life.
‘No longer I, but HIM’:
But when you can say, ‘It is no longer I, but Him’, then His strength kicks in, and when a problem arises, you can deal with it by saying and knowing, ‘It is His problem, not mine’. When your eyes are focused on Him, in your need, He becomes your strength, your wisdom. It is vital that you turn to Him first in prayer, surrendering yourself to His will being done, His kingdom being established in your life, to then your daily bread or every need being provided to you. It is the divine order, that will see His abundance, His goodness, coming into your life. You are limited in all respects if you limit yourself to keeping yourself in the center of things, including your prayer.
Worldly desire and ego:
Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom,…and I will bring them all back to you, as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of one man, and all the people will be at peace. [2 Samuel 17:3] Ahithopel was a crafty, strategic thinker, who after being on David’s side, moved to be with Absalom, his son, devising plans for him to conquer David and his army. It would have been a painful time for David. But we have an Almighty God; and therefore in such a situation, we can pray that the counsel of Ahithopel may be disregarded. And that is exactly what happened. And it is then that his egoistic pride took control of him, a characteristic in him that ultimately led him to hang himself. Sad, but it is something that is present in almost everybody, at different levels. Ego and a selfish desire for his neighbor’s vineyard was what led King Ahab, to stoop to agree to a murder, orchestrated, by his wife, Jezebel. [1 Kings 21:1-16]
Lust grabs; love gives!:
It goes to illustrate the truth that lust in a person, grabs; while, on the other hand, love, gives. You serve a God, who gives; gives you what you need in life And the source of all the problems that arise is because, the ‘I’, or, your ‘self’ takes center stage, in every situation that you face in life.
Not ‘I’, but the CROSS, at the center:
I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. [Galatians 2:20] The source of the problem is ‘you’, the worldly passions warring in you. It is what the bible makes crystal clear. But it is also the answer; in pointing to the Cross, making Christ the center of your life, of every situation, big and small. It is by saying, ‘Not my will. Lord, but Yours’. What if things do not work out my way?, could be the question in you. But, it is when you need to realize that He will give you the very best. He will do exceedingly, abundantly, more than what you can ask or imagine.
JESUS is the answer !
And so, start trusting in the Lord Jesus, praying unto Him, saying, Lord, search my heart, and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting, even as the psalmist has done. [Psalms 139:23,24] It is a war within, that only you have to fight, and only you have to win! He is at your right hand, that you may not be shaken. May the Holy Spirit of God, shine His light in you, to expose what needs to be expelled, and what needs to be set in place to be accomplished. Let prayer, word of God, fellowship, and your gifting take their rightful place, for it is no longer you, but Christ who lives in you. And may Jesus be the center of it all, taking you by His hand, to lead you in a triumphal procession, for the Father’s glory. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
