Hey!
Been a while, but I have been doing an in-depth study on Joyce Meyer's book "Power Thoughts" and I am going to post messages about what I learn and how I am applying them to my daily life. The first PT is "I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ" so the first question would be do you believe you can do whatever you need to do in life??? Really, do you believe?? I got hit hard with this by the Lord last Thursday when I had a so-called "crisis". Did I believe?? I had been reading the chapter all week and meditating on it and then the car had a problem and what turned out to be a little problem, we complicated it trying to fix it ourselves. Then it became an "expensive" repair. When I got the price that it had cost, I had a serious "pity party", ever have one of those? Did I say I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ?? No. I didn't believe. Then God sent the blessing he had planned all along, my dad paid for just about all of the repair bill and all I had to pay was $90! God is good! The bill was $400 and we also had to buy $100 in parts.
As I sat thinking about this on Friday I had asked myself what happened?? And the Lord said "You didn't believe it." So I have been on a serious study as to why I believe some scripture and why I seem not to believe others the same way. I read them and understand them but that doesn't mean I believe them. Interesting.... Joyce Meyer has several things I pulled out of her book after this had happened. It seemed that I was reading the chapter for the first time. First one I saw was we are partners with God. We cannot do his part and He will not do our part. He wants us to believe and take action on His direction and leading, but He insists that we trust Him every step of the way. Next is we can easily deceive ourselves into thinking we have great faith but if we are easily defeated by challenges, then perhaps our faith is not as great as we thought it was. (that one hit hard) Next is did I want to be able to meet all challenges head-on and overcome them? Then I have to get mentally prepared for whatever comes. Colossians 3:2 says "set your mind and keep it set." You need to have your mind renewed and set on the Word. This trial will work out for your good! John 15:5 says apart from Jesus you can do nothing.
This would also mean I didn't believe the Lord would provide. I think I am going to learn alot from this study. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says God provides a way out , and it also says that He gives us strength to bear up under our challenge patiently. That means we can go thru it with a good attitude! You attitude is actually more important than your challenges in life. God is looking to see if you are going to stand on His Word. It is your choice! He gave you the help you needed, now you have to choose that path. Don't make excuses, stop looking at all your weaknesses. God actually chooses people on purpose who absolutely cannot do what He is asking them to do unless they allow Him to do it through them.
I seem to have a hard time trusting God, trusting God requires that we believe He gives us our "daily bread." In other words, we receive what we need as we need it and usually not before. I have seen this happen in my life so many times and yet I still "whine" when everything seems to be going wrong. As I thought about my lack of belief, a scripture came to mind about the man whose son was possessed by a demon and the disciples couldn't cast it out. Jesus came along and said "you have little faith, just believe" and the boy's father said "I do believe, help my unbelief!" That's how I am praying right now, I do believe, help my unbelief! Adults seem to complicate things so much. Kids believe so much easier. I think that's why Jesus said you must be like a little child. You would believe so much faster and hold onto it. Like I said some scripture I believe without a shadow of a doubt and some scripture I say I believe but I do not seem to at all.
I will leave you with some Power Pack scripture, Philippians 4:13, Romans 8:37, Hebrews 12:2
Blessings!!
