Cutting through the darkness

Isaiah 60: 1+2

The Glory of Zion

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,

    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

 

See, darkness covers the earth

    and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the Lord rises upon you

    and his glory appears over you.

Wake up 👀
What do you think about yourself? Really think on that. Be honest with yourself, do you believe you are a masterpiece? I know that's an area I struggle with. I believe God loves me, I know he provides, I trust in his plan. But I struggle with the fact that I'm a masterpiece. I proclaim when I look in the mirror I'm beautiful to God and to my husband, but I still struggle with things such as people taking my photo, or when people compliment me. I love it when people say nice things, under the layers of it making me feel awkward and uncomfortable, it makes me feel fuzzy inside. But I don't know how to receive it without feeling uncomfortable and awkward. If the word of God says I'm a masterpiece then why do I struggle to rise up to the fact of the matter. 

While laying in bed saying goodnight to Jesus and praying for various things that came to mind. A word came to my mind, Encouragement. This of course expanded to a brain storm of ideas for the next coffee cake and conversation with a slice of prayer meeting in June. This is all good anal but the very next morning from the moment I woke up and throughout the day I was being spiritually attacked by the enemy. He used my husband to make me feel worthless and second best. I'm not in any way saying that's what my husband thinks of me, but the enemy likes to plant ideas and send the train off down the track to bitter Town and angry and tearful valley. Our minds are a beautiful, incredible part of our body. The things our brains can achieve and intake is mind blowing and we probably don't even use our mind to the full potential that it can reach. Unfortunately our mind is also the one tool the enemy likes to use to bring us down. To crush us spiritually and physically, mentally and emotionally. And majority of the time, he unfortunately succeeds in the matter of our minds. He knows that as humans its easier to remember and embrace a negative comment than a positive. We can pin point everything wrong that someone has done or said that hurt us, and immediately fire it back to hurt them. Anyway in using my mind to attack me, using my self worth against me. Degrading me, demeaning me, making me feel that I'm second best, a mobile phone has more importance than myself. Attempting to make me feel like a useless mom. He tried and tried with every opportunity he could grab. It's so easy to give up. I even had the thoughts I've had enough, it's me or the phone, if Ben mentioned divorce I would say being it on. Come on, how silly. The devil must have been laughing his head off. But to his dismay, I have come a long way to who I was 3 or 4 plus years ago. I'm no longer that lady who allows these train track thoughts to manifest in my mind and grow into a deep spiritual disease within my body. I was able to take authority and say back off. I was able to remind myself who God says I am. I was able to turn my head away from the temptation that longed for me to travel down the track to bitter sadness and anger. I was able to know that the war isn't against myself and my husband, no no no, the real war is against the Prince of darkness whose only desire is to rip us apart and suck every inch of the light that is within us, when we became a christ follower. But like Joyce myers spoke about in the sermon I was listening to, when jesus spoke to the man that had spent most of his life if not all of it laid down, not being able to move. No one ever challenged him the way jesus did, Jesus told him to get up. But not only to physically get up but spiritually get up. Because our bodies will respond to what we believe, so if our spirit arises our flesh will get into alignment. Just like that man did. I'm not saying it's a quick over night transformation for us. It's not impossible, God, if he wanted to could supernaturally make us perfect in ever way shape or form, believing trusting loving sharing and every good aspect we find ourselves learning. But if he did that we wouldn't learn anything by going through trials and challengers to help us learn how God and his glory can work miracles into our lives. So the world will know who we serve and give him the glory. I haven't always been who I am today, I used to have major anxiety, low self worth, insecurity and so on. I'm in no way saying I have it all together because as I admitted earlier I still struggling accepting I'm a masterpiece but I'm further down that race track than what I used to be. One thing that helped me is proclamation. Everyday, especially when I'm about to meet people on a social matter, or go to a meeting God has asked me to start/organise. I proclaim, I'm confident, beautiful, successful and happy. I say this a few times over and over. At first I'll be honest with you I didn't think it even made an impact until the days I didn't say it and I finally noticed the difference in myself between the days I proclaimed and the days I didn't. I was two different people. The days I proclaims who I am, my body got in line with those words and I was confident and people saw me as a confident person. And the days I didn't I just went on in my own strength I failed big time, and was far from confident as I could be. I struggled making conversations with people and even if I did start one I couldn't keep it going. True stuff.

So, cutting through the darkness is what we are going to do. The devil may want to cover us with darkness like it says in Isaiah 60, he may want us to be far away from what God feels and thinks about us, he doesn't want us knowing how much of an impact we can make when we allow God to use us. How many goliaths we can knock down just like the shepard boy David did. One thing that is a known fact is that darkness can not hide from light, but whatever is in that darkness is exposed. When God made the earth it was covered in darkness and he pierced it with the words let their be light, and there was light. Jesus is the light of the world, and He lives in us. So, are we going to hide him or are we going to infect those around us by beeming the light of christ to the world around us. The choice is up to us. You are beautiful. Thanks for existing.

Let's pray
God you are the king of Kings, Lord of Lords the Prince of peace. Thank you for creating me, caring for me, loving me, providing for me. Help me embrace what your word says who I am, help me become the warrior you design me to be,. To take on the authority you have given me, to shine your light and love to those around me. Help me see others the way you see them so I can encourage them to see themselves the way you made them. Help me notice those opportunities so I can rise up to the occasion to encourage others spreading the light of christ. In jesus name amen.