If I were to offer the most important advice I could give, it would be this:
KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS
Proverbs 4:25-26 advises us:
“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
If you have accepted Jesus into your heart as your Savior, if you have determined to make Him Lord over your life, you have now become a soldier for Christ, and the enemy – ol’slewfoot is terribly angry. You see, previously you were under his domain, but his cohorts lost you (a valuable booty) to their enemy – our Savior and now all enemy eyes will be on you. I don’t say this to scare you, because 2 Timothy 1:7 says:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
And 1 John 4:4 tells us:
“Little children, you belong to God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
You have made an enemy to be sure, but your God IS greater. That being said, be alert because 1 Peter 5:8 informs us:
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
And so the most important weapons you can learn to wield are prayer and the reading of God’s Word, the Bible. Also, since you have made a profession of faith, Holy Spirit (the third member of the the Trinity) has taken up residence inside the very heart of you. You will find Him to be a wonderful Teacher, Guide, Comforter who will indeed show you ALL things. It may take discernment to learn His voice, but oh the joy that will fill your soul as you grow in Him who loves you, who has called you by name! The victory ALREADY has been won by Jesus, our walk in Him is one where we learn to walk IN Him. Philippians 4:13 tells us:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Indeed that IS true, you just have to believe it! 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us:
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
This is important to note because perception will either strengthen you or harm you, you still have free will, you just have to determine to use it by choosing to believe your promises, and trust God. This truly IS a faith walk and throughout this journey called life, you will grow in Him. There are things that Holy Spirit will show you that God wants to change, renew your mind. Determine in your heart that no matter WHAT comes your way, you will choose to listen. There will be growing pains, times where you just don’t THINK you can handle it – and you know what? You weren’t meant (or created) to handle life on your own. Jesus tells us to bring our burdens to Him. Matthew 11:28-30 says:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
You don’t need to sound like “Sister-So-And-So” or “Brother-Over-There” when you pray. God wants you to come to Him JUST as you are. Pour your heart out to Him, He hears you. He knows. Sometimes you won’t “feel” God, but the Bible tells us in Jeremiah 17:9:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?”
God wrote a love letter to you, it is called “The Bible” and it is His GPS for you in a fallen world. The world will tell you otherwise, but we are not OF this world. John 15:19 tells us:
“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Your enemy, satan knows what gets to you, what rubs you the wrong way. He knows what buttons to push and believe me, I speak from experience, he’s pushed MORE buttons in the life of me than I care to admit and I haven’t always responded in a faith based way, there are times when the wounds of the enemy of made me fall flat on my face. But what I will tell you, is that when that has happened, Holy Spirit has extended a hand to me to help me up. You see, you are NOT in this battle alone. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:12-20:
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”
God has brought prayer partners into my life to pray with, if you are newly saved it is important that you pray that God will direct you to the church home God wants you to be a part of – now I will say this- CHURCH does NOT save you. You CAN get saved AT church (and that is the way it is SUPPOSED to be) but what grows you in your walk is determining to keep your eyes focused on Jesus, praying and reading the Word of God. Getting connected in a GOOD church home will strengthen your walk in Him. But it is important to recognize that we are an imperfect people. Don’t put your eyes on those around you, keep your eyes on Jesus. Allow yourself to be open to making friends, these are your brothers and sisters in Christ! God often works through people! Hey – He *MAY* give you a divine appointment to help someone else! You are NOT in this walk alone.
The battle is fierce (and every day it is getting fiercer because the enemy knows his time is short), but your God IS fiercer. Trust in Him! Walk in Him! Read His Word! Apply what you read to your life – Holy Spirit will speak in His gentle, calming manner to direct your path – you just have to chose to walk in it! Nehemiah 8:10 tells us:
“The joy of the Lord is your strength!”
Can I tell you how true it is? The joy of the Lord IS your strength, God is amazing and you belong to Him! Psalm 37:23 says:
“The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.”
Oh dear one! God LOVES you SO SO much! Through it ALL He is there! Keep your eyes on Jesus, there is joy in Him! There is peace in Him! There is purpose in Him! There is SO MUCH love in Him! Your steps are ordered by Him! When times are tough – remember that YOU are a child of the MOST High God! You matter! God sees greatness in you! Hold your head up high, straighten your back and walk forward – eyes on Jesus! He’s got you, He REALLY does!
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