Some running thought

How long have we been living in the pipe dream? 
Looking away from what is real and raw and true? 
The world is not our home. We will have trouble. 
It will be heavy. We will need God. 
We will return to dust and so will everyone we love.
 The broken world masquerading as something untrue.
 And we believe it. 

God who brings us life
Turns us back to dust
Every moment fleeting
All the world will wilt and fade away

How long? Have mercy
How long will it be?

Until this world is made new
Until my soul is with You
Teach me to number my days
Teach me to number my days
Until my faith is made sight
And every wrong is made right

We press away from what God says 
We walk in a perspective skewed 
We are thrust out of the now, what is
The what we will it to be 
and live in "hope-y change" of make believe

But God is in the ever - present
He said, "I am with you" 
Not I will be... but I AM. 

Looking at the Devices of the Enemy

¹¹ lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

2 Corinthians 2:11

The scripture gives us other verses that encourage us to learn how to “recover ourselves from his snare” (2 Tim 2:26) and also to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to “stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:11)

Devices – invention, constructed tool, plan, scheme

Snare – a noose, entanglement, entrapment

Wiles – tactics, deceitful stratagem, trick, fraud, to hook like a fish

Some things we need to know about our enemy:

He has a personality (personhood):

• Luke 22:31 And the Lord (Jesus) said, “Simon, Simon! (Peter) Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
• And in 1 Peter 5:8 (that we ought to) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
• He use to be called Lucifer and in speaking of him in Ezekiel 28:15 (it says) You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.
• Revelation 2:9 …he has a synagogue
• Galatians 1:6-9 …he has his own “another gospel”
• 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 …he has his own ministers who transform into ministers of light.
• 1 Tim 4:1 …he has his own doctrines
• 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 …he has his own communion with the cup of demons and the table of demons

He has devices:

• John 8:44 ….he lies
• Genesis 2:17 …he blinds us to the truth by questioning it – he takes scripture out of context or distorts it all together.
• John 13:2 & Acts 5:3 … he puts evil suggestions in our hearts and minds.
• James 3:14-15 & Ephesians 4:32 …he promotes an unforgiving spirit.
• 1 Corinthians 7:5 …he tempts believers to commit sexual immorality.
• Revelation 2:10…he incited persecution of Christians

How do we oppose this:

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

1. Submit to God
2. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you
3. Put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18)

• Belt of truth
• Breastplate of Righteousness
• Feet prepared with the gospel of peace
• shield of faith
• helmet of salvation
• the sword of the Spirit

A note about Anxiety – I spoke at church on March 16th on the Idol of control and how it surfaces as Anxiety

“Anxiety is a way of seeing.”
This shifts the perspective on anxiety—it’s not just an emotion but a lens through which we view the world. The more we focus on uncertainty and control, the more anxious we become. Instead, faith invites us to see through God’s eyes, trusting that He provides what we truly need.

Starla Smith

Book I am reading

All That’s Good – by Hanna Anderson

This book is about discernment. Discernment is the ability to sort between options and choose the good. Here are some highlights I’ve noted so far.

For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
⁷ he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

Proverbs 2:6-7

God made the world good but through the fall and sin entering the world, damage has happened and can be so distracting that we miss the goodness of what is in front of us.

• God saw the light and that it was good. Genesis 1
• God created the dry land earth and water, and it was good. Genesis 3
• He loves righteousness and judgment; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Ps 33:5
• For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. 1 Tim 4:4

Rejecting the Good — rejecting God.

Finding and understanding the evil in the world does not make us wise. We know things are off. Discernment gives us the ability to see but it does not overlook the brokenness of the world or deny the need for redemption or excuse the sin or pretend the damage is good.

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.

Psalm 27:13

The good is eternal pleasure. It is not WHAT we are pursuing, it is HOW we are pursuing it.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:21

We must develop an instinct for what is good by learning how to think. By being transformed by the renewing of our minds. By testing so that we can discern what is good. BY TESTING — by examining, sorting, paying attention, by judging if it will last or fade, by comparing it to God’s standard.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

I think I am going to like this book!

Thanks for listening,
Starla