Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Hostility and Jealousy Depart - August 8

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I open my heart and soul to You-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
"The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, the hostility of Judah shall be cut off, Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not be hostile toward Ephraim. But they shall swoop down on the backs of the Philistines in the west, and together they will plunder the people of the east" (Isaiah 11:13-14).
Our battle is not against flesh and blood; it's against the spiritual forces of wickedness that come to divide us and destroy us, to dishonor Your name and defile Your creation (Ephesians 6:12). So You continually call us to humble ourselves in Your sight and let You open our eyes to see everything in us that is not yet like You (Psalm 139:22-23).
You want us to be willing to let You draw up and out the hostilities and hurts, the jealousies and pride, the selfishness and resentment that the enemy of our souls constantly uses to keep us wounded and bound. With all our attention on our hurts and focused on fighting our chains, we are no threat to his purposes and become trophies of his arrogant rebellion against You, while being willing participants in our own destruction.
But if we humble ourselves before You, then You will lift us up (James 4:10). If we submit ourselves to You and resist the devil, then he will flee (James 4:7). Then we can get our eyes off of ourselves and our self-pity, and lift them up to You, our strength and help (Psalm 121:1). Then we can arise as one, forgiving each other and fighting for one another, as You send us forth into the battle for the hearts and souls of the nations (Psalm 110:3; Matthew 24:14).
Lord, give us this spirit of humility, this spirit of repentance, that we can turn our eyes off of ourselves and the enemy behind our sinful actions and back to You. "But as for me, I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me" (Micah 7:6). Hear me, O God, and help me hear You, as I try to willingly choose to humble myself in trusting surrender to You alone. Then let my God arise and my enemies be scattered (Psalm 68:1-35). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

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