Battlefield Of The Mind Devotional Part 9

Elijah wouldn't allow the people of his day to move back and forth from doubt to belief. He made the options clear: Believe the true G.o.d or believe a false idol.

Don't fall into the trap of saying you believe in G.o.d when your heart is filled with doubts and questions. Choose true faith and say, "Lord, I believe. I may not always understand, but I trust You."

True and faithful G.o.d, in the past, I've been weak, allowing Satan to make me question You, Your love, and Your plans for my life. Not only do I ask You to forgive me, but I also ask You to teach me Your Word and strengthen me so that Satan can never trick me again. Thank You for hearing my prayer. Amen.

51.

The Sin of Unbelief [For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah's [deadened] womb. No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of G.o.d, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to G.o.d, fully satisfied and a.s.sured that G.o.d was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

-ROMANS 4:18-21 Doubt, as I've said, raises questions. It makes us ask, "Did G.o.d really say . . . ?" "Does the Word really mean . . . ?" Doubt is often the devil's entry point into our minds. Just such simple, easy questions are enough to give Satan a place to attack.

Unbelief is far worse than doubt. Doubt brings in the question, but unbelief is the result. I've watched Satan launch his attacks on Christians by first posing a question and then causing that question to bring doubt. The triumph of sin in the Garden of Eden began just that way. Satan said to Eve, "Can it really be that G.o.d has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1b). That's subtle. Satan doesn't fight with G.o.d or argue with the Bible. He just raises a question and allows our minds to do the rest.

When the question comes in such a simple way, the obvious answer must be, "Well, He didn't really mean . . ." With that reaction, Satan has established a stronghold in your mind, and it takes little for him to move you from there to a total lack of belief.

I've spoken with people who were led astray in just such a way. They started out as faithful, committed followers of Jesus Christ. But as Satan planted doubt and unbelief in their hearts, they turned their backs on spiritual things. One man said, "I was simple and naive in those days. I believed anything I heard. I know better now." Satan robbed him of his faith and, in the process, stole his joy and hope.

I am familiar with this battle. Because of my ministry, some people think I have everything all worked out and never have to battle for my faith. I can tell you that no Christian reaches that place this side of heaven. As soon as we let our guard down, even in the slightest, Satan sneaks up behind us and starts whispering his lies to us.

That may be the reason the story of Abraham is such an encouragement to me. When I have my battles with faith and taking G.o.d totally at His Word, I often go back and read Romans 4. The example of that G.o.dly man is absolutely amazing to me. In the natural, everything appeared to be against G.o.d's promises to Abraham. I'm sure Abraham's friends laughed when he said, "G.o.d will give me a son." Satan's scoffers must have been in place every day, but Abraham stood the test. The Bible says, "He did not weaken in faith . . . but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to G.o.d" (vs. 19-20). I love that statement.

After the Holy Spirit called me into ministry, I was elated-and humbled. I thought, Who am I that G.o.d should call me? I could think of hundreds of reasons why anyone but Joyce Meyer should be used by G.o.d. But I believed in His call, and I had no doubt-not then.

In the months after the call, however, things moved more slowly than I wanted. More times than I can count, I found myself meditating on Abraham and G.o.d's promises to him. If a human being like Abraham could believe and not stagger with unbelief, why couldn't Joyce Meyer? I fought the battles, and with G.o.d's grace, I won. That's how it is each time-a fresh battle and a new and joyous victory.

G.o.d and Father of Abraham, I thank You for Abraham's example. Help me to push aside the devil's advances by totally trusting You and standing on Your promises for my life-even if no one else stands with me. In Jesus' name, I ask. Amen.

52.

Defeating Unbelief Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset-rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.

-1 PETER 5:8-9 Sometimes we unintentionally give the wrong impression about spiritual warfare. We know that our enemy is the devil and that we must fight daily to win, but that's not everything. If the Christian life were nothing but battles, it would be discouraging to fight every hour of every day.

I would feel that I could never relax because as soon as I did, Satan would sneak back again. That's not the picture I want to present. The Christian life is one of joy and peace. G.o.d gives us a great sense of fulfillment, and we're at rest because we know we honor Him by the way we live.

Peter wrote to Christians about their enemy-warning them and urging them to be vigilant, which is where we often put the emphasis. Just before he wrote those words, however, he said, "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully" (v. 7). As we read that verse, it tells us that we must remind ourselves of G.o.d's love for us-G.o.d cares. Because G.o.d cares, we can trust Him to take care of us.

We need that as part of our foundation. It's not that we don't have faith; it's that Satan tries to destroy our faith with lies like: "If G.o.d really cared about you, would He make you go through this trial?" "If G.o.d truly loved you, would He treat you this way?"

Those questions that the devil throws at you are full of lies. If he can make you think you're not loved or that G.o.d doesn't have your best interests at heart, he can plant tiny seeds of unbelief. G.o.d wants you to remain strong and true like Abraham and other believers in the Bible.

One of the things I've learned from ministering to thousands of people is that the terrible and negative problems striking our lives are not what cause us to turn away from G.o.d. No, it's our reaction to those situations that makes the difference. Think of Abraham again. When G.o.d promised to give him a son, he was an old man. He could have said, "How could that possibly be? I'm old and long past being able to father a child." Instead, he said, "That's wonderful! I believe."

When struggles, trials, and hardships come your way-and they always do-you have a choice. You can heed Peter's words and give G.o.d your cares, worries, and concerns. No matter how dark the night or how evil the situation, you must remind yourself that G.o.d is not only present with you in those situations, but He also loves you and will provide for you.

Your job is to be vigilant during those difficult times. You can rejoice in G.o.d's love and blessings when all is going well-and that's what G.o.d wants you to do. But in the dark moments, you need to remind yourself that the devil stalks you and wants to defeat you.

One more thing. Sometimes you may wonder why you have so many trials and problems. Is it possible that the devil may have singled you out because of G.o.d's great plan for your life? The more faithful you are, the more you have to resist him and his lies of unbelief.

Dear heavenly Father, the enemy often tries to fill me with unbelief and make me deny Your powerful love for me. But like Abraham, I stand firm on Your promises. Thank You for the comfort I find in Your a.s.surance that You're always with me. Amen.

53.

Keep Walking on the Water!

And in the fourth watch [between 3:00-6:00 a.m.] of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, It is a ghost! And they screamed out with fright. But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid! And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.

-MATTHEW 14:25-28 Let's focus for a moment on this part of a well-known New Testament story. The disciples were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee at midnight when they looked up and saw Jesus walking on the water. That is amazing, but as the story continues, Matthew wrote of the boisterous winds, yet Jesus kept walking on top of the waves.

The disciples were afraid-and that makes sense. Who would expect to see anyone walking on top of the water, even under the best of conditions?

Then Jesus cried out and told them, "Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid!" (v. 27). This is the powerful moment in the story. What will happen now? Do they move over and give Jesus a place to sit in their boat? Should they get out and join Him on the waves? Do they huddle in fear, reminding themselves that human beings can't walk on top of water?

Peter was the only one who responded in true faith. And let's make no mistake here. For Peter to say, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water" (v. 28) was a tremendous act of faith. You'll notice that he was the only one who spoke that way.

That was a powerful moment of faith. It was a defining moment that pointed out Peter's great faith and belief in Jesus, the Anointed One of G.o.d. He was so convinced that Jesus truly was the Son of G.o.d that he was ready to get out of the boat and walk on top of the water with Him.

How many of you would get out of the boat? I emphasize this because it would be easy enough to say, "Lord, I see You walking on the water, and I believe I could walk on the water alongside You." But would you? Do you have the kind of faith that would enable you to step out of the boat? Of the twelve disciples, Peter was the only one who took that step of faith.

I'm not citing this example of faith to discourage you or to make you feel that your faith is somehow lacking. I'm simply pointing out the great triumph of a man who dared to believe! Peter believed so strongly that he took a step of faith over the side of the boat and started walking toward Jesus.

Most of us know the rest of the story. Some might even smirk, saying, "Big deal! He got out of the boat, started walking on the water, got scared, and began to sink. And he also received a rebuke from Jesus: 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'" (v. 31). But think about it-Jesus didn't say those words to the other disciples. He directed the words "you of little faith" to Peter. The implication is the others had no faith at that moment.

Think of these words not just as words of rebuke, but also as words of encouragement to Peter, the one who had enough faith to step out of the boat and begin walking on the water. "But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]!" (v. 30).

What if you saw this as Jesus' great encouragement, not just to Peter, but also to you? What if you looked at this event as Jesus saying to you, "You started so well. You believed Me, and got out of the boat. You did it! You walked on water just as I did. But then you allowed doubt to enter, and when that happened, you began to sink."

This powerful story is a wonderful reminder that Jesus is always with you, and He will suspend natural laws to reach out to you and care for you.

Lord Jesus, please forgive my lack of faith. Increase my faith in Your Word, and help me to trust You enough to follow Your leading. When the circ.u.mstances around me threaten to pull me into deep waters of doubt, help me to focus on You. I ask these things in Your holy name. Amen.

54.

Time to Worship He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]! Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat knelt and worshiped Him, saying, Truly You are the Son of G.o.d!

-MATTHEW 14:29-33 Let's take a closer look at this story. Peter believed and stepped out, and then doubt filled his mind, and he started to sink. His rational mind reminded him that people can't walk on water. As soon as his mind turned from the spiritual and supernatural, he failed.

Jesus had already said, "Take courage . . . Stop being afraid!" (v. 27). Those few words were meant to a.s.sure the disciples that both the presence and power of Jesus were there to take care of them. Yet only one man responded-one out of twelve.

Peter stepped out and started walking toward the Master . . . then he faltered. He focused on the storm instead of the presence of Jesus, who was only a few feet away from him. As soon as he diverted his attention, doubt and unbelief pressed in on him.

I've often wondered if his feet slowly sank into the water or if he instantly plunged downward. The Bible account doesn't give us that information, but it does tell us Jesus' response. He grabbed Peter and saved him from the waves, the wind, and the storm.

Even that's not the end of the story. After Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat, another miracle took place: The storm ceased. It's easy to spiritualize this incident and point out that whenever Jesus is with us, the storms of life cease and peace fills our hearts. That is true, but this was a real storm, not a figurative or spiritual one, and the winds instantly stopped.

Matthew makes a point of telling us what happened after the storm. During the storm, Peter exercised faith. He believed and he proved it. The others watched and listened, but there was no response from them.

I believe they were still so scared that they hadn't even moved. They heard Jesus' voice telling them not to be afraid, but still they didn't do anything. No one else moved or spoke a word.

Verse 33 tells us that after the storm, the other disciples knelt and worshiped Jesus. I would certainly hope so! Look at the miracles they witnessed. The storm came, the winds blew, and Jesus came to them, walking on the water. He tried to calm their fears by saying, "Stop being afraid," but they were not ready to hear Him. Only after Peter exhibited his faith and Jesus calmed the storm were they able to say, "Truly You are the Son of G.o.d!" I'm glad they were able to say those words-finally. It shows that the message got through. But what took so long? How much proof did they need before they were ready to worship?

How much proof do you need of Jesus' love and presence in your life?

Lord Jesus, sometimes I'm like one of the fearful disciples, requiring all kinds of proof before I can believe You. How many miracles do I need to see before I can call You the Son of G.o.d? Help me to be more like Peter, ready and willing to walk with You in any and all storms of life. Thank You for loving me and encouraging me to follow You in faith. Amen.

55.

Why the Storms?

Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in G.o.d and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my G.o.d.

-PSALM 42:5 O G.o.d, why do You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger burn and smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?

-PSALM 74:1 As I think about the storms we all face in life, I can understand why people sometimes ask, "Why the storms? Why do we have so many problems and struggles in life? Why do G.o.d's people have to deal with so much suffering?"

As I considered these questions, I began to see that Satan plants these questions in our minds. It is his attempt to keep us focused on our problems instead of focusing on the goodness of G.o.d. If we persist in asking these questions, we're implying that G.o.d may be to blame. I don't think it's wrong to ask G.o.d why things happen. The writers of the psalms certainly didn't hesitate to ask.

I think of the story of Jesus when He visited the home of Mary and Martha after their brother, Lazarus, died. Jesus waited until Lazarus had been dead for four days before He visited. When He arrived, Martha said to Jesus, "Master, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:21). She went on to say, "And even now I know that whatever You ask from G.o.d, He will grant it to You" (v. 22).

Did she really believe those words? I wonder, because "Jesus said to her, Your brother shall rise again. Martha replied, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day" (vs. 23-24). She didn't get what Jesus was saying.

I don't want to be unkind to Martha, but she missed it. When Jesus came, she didn't ask, "Why didn't You do something?" Instead she said, "If You had been here-if You had been on the job-he'd be alive."

When Jesus a.s.sured her that Lazarus would rise again, she didn't understand that it was going to happen right then. She could focus only on the resurrection. By looking at an event that was still in the future, she missed the real meaning of Jesus' words for the present.

But aren't many of us like Martha? We want our lives to run smoothly, and when they don't, we ask why? But we really mean, "G.o.d, if You truly loved and cared for me, this wouldn't have happened."

Let's think a little more about the "why" question. For example, when someone dies in an accident, one of the first questions family members ask is why? "Why her? Why now? Why this accident?"

For one moment, let's say G.o.d explained the reason. Would that change anything? Probably not. The loved one is still gone, and the pain is just as severe as it was before. What, then, did you learn from the explanation?

In recent years, I've begun to think that why isn't what Christians are really asking G.o.d. Is it possible that we're asking, "G.o.d, do You love me? Will You take care of me in my sorrow and pain? You won't leave me alone in my pain, will You?" Is it possible that, because we're afraid that G.o.d doesn't truly care about us, we ask for explanations?

Instead, we must learn to say, "Lord G.o.d, I believe. I don't understand, and I could probably never grasp all the reasons why bad things happen, but I can know for certain that You love me and You are with me-always."

Heavenly Father, instead of asking for answers to the why questions, help me to focus on Your great love for me. When Satan tries to fill my mind with troublesome questions, help me to feel the protection of Your loving, caring arms around me. Help me always to show my grat.i.tude and devotion for all that You do for me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

56.

Doubt Is a Choice Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed and made appointment with them. And when they saw Him, they fell down and worshiped Him; but some doubted. Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).

-MATTHEW 28:16-20 These verses give us some insights as to what happened immediately after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We often refer to this pa.s.sage as the Great Commission. Jesus appeared to His disciples on a particular mountain in Galilee, and He told them that G.o.d the Father had given Him all authority in heaven and on earth. He then charged them to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations.

Matthew says that the disciples worshiped Jesus the instant they realized it was actually Him they were seeing. But then he adds the one sad, negative statement in this significant story: But some doubted.

How can that be? Judas was dead, but the others-those great Christians who later traveled throughout the known world and taught everyone about Jesus-doubted? How could they? Had they not witnessed miracles? Had they not seen the lame walk, the blind eyes opened, the demon-possessed healed? Had they not seen Jesus dying on the cross? Did they not-even now-notice His nail-scarred hands?

The answer to all of these questions, of course, is yes. Yet Matthew still says, "But some doubted." Even these special, anointed, and handpicked followers of Christ struggled with doubt and unbelief.

Is it any wonder then that Jesus referred to the importance of faith on so many occasions? Why would Jesus rebuke these faithful men for not believing? Why would He urge them not to doubt? It was because He knew the hearts of men.

Earlier in his gospel, Matthew described what happened when Jesus saw a fig tree that had leaves but no fruit. A fig tree bears fruit at the same time or before it produces leaves, so it was reasonable for him to expect the tree to be bearing fruit. "And He said to it, Never again shall fruit grow on you! And the fig tree withered up at once" (Matthew 21:19b).

The disciples marveled and asked him, "How is it that the fig tree has withered away all at once?" (v.20).

Jesus' answer about the fig tree also applies to faith. "Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done" (v. 21).

His point is this: When we believe and do not doubt, we can accomplish miracles. Abraham believed, and G.o.d honored his faithfulness. Faith is a gift of G.o.d, but doubt is a choice. Doubt is a result of thoughts formed in the mind that are in direct opposition to G.o.d's Word. That is why it is so important for us to know the Word of G.o.d. We are immediately able to discern the devil's lies when we know the Word. Doubt is just another part of the devil's a.r.s.enal of weapons aimed against our minds.

Throughout this book, I've pointed out that we can choose our thoughts. We have the option to decide whether to accept or reject our thoughts. That means when doubt knocks on the door of our minds, we have the option of inviting it in or calmly but firmly dismissing it. The choice is ours. We can believe or we can doubt. And we know the path of believing leads to the blessings of G.o.d.

Dear Lord Jesus, I have allowed doubt to enter my mind; many times I have allowed Satan to torture me through my thoughts. I confess these things and ask for Your forgiveness. Now I ask You to fill me with faith and enable me to push away such thoughts. I rejoice that I believe only in You. Amen.