What voice are you listening to?
What seeds are you allowing to be planted in your mind, your heart?
One of the voices I'm hearing lately, "You fail at everything you do." Whose voice do you suppose that is? A scripture I've shared with you before, and I need to remind myself of is this.
John 10:10 (NLT), The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
Every day we have a battle that we fight. The battle is in our mind. Whose voice are we going to choose to listen too? This goes for me as well. Nobody wants to live a life of defeat, doubt, or depression. God doesn't call us to live a life like this. In Jeremiah 29:11 He promises us a hope and a future. He promises us good and not harm.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NLT), "For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me."
When we are feeling discouraged what should we do? The answer is in the scriptures. When you pray...when you seek Him wholeheartedly, you will find Him. He promises to never leave us or forsake us. I know this promise is true. But yet I still struggle to keep things surrendered to Him. One of my favorite scriptures has always been Proverbs 3:5-6, which I'm sure I've shared with you before and if you don't mind, I am going to share it with you again.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT), Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
I've always loved this scripture. But recently I've been thinking, "Do I really trust the LORD with all my heart?" If I do, then why do I struggle to give something to Him to take care of? I believe we all struggle with this. We struggle to trust what we cannot see. But that's where faith comes in. Scripture tells us to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). Scripture also tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). So, what do we do? We choose to listen to the voice of truth who promises us a hope and a future. We choose to walk by faith and not by sight. Will this be an easy thing to do? No, it will not be. Jesus never said that being a Christian would be easy. In fact, He told us the complete opposite.
John 16:33 (NLT)"...Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
Jesus tells us to take heart! So, what does that mean? Don't give up! That's what the enemy wants you to do. He wants you to believe that there is no hope and future for you. He wants you to believe that every promise God has made to you, to me, is a lie. But that is a lie straight from the pits of hell! Don't you believe a word he says! Listen to the voice of truth!
Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT), "I have loved you with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself."
Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT), For the LORD your God is living among you, He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Psalm 103:10-18 (NLT), He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. For He knows how weak we are; He remembers that we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone -- as though we had never been here. But, the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children's children of those who are faithful to His covenant, of those who obey His commandments.
Who could possibly be more forgiving and more loving and more compassionate than our God? I know that with the trials I face on a daily basis, I couldn't get through them without Him. His love gives me hope and security. It gives me assurance. It gives me something to believe in! So, I will listen to the voice of truth!
I want to close out this article by sharing some song lyrics with you from Casting Crowns. I encourage you, that if you haven't heard this song to listen to the lyrics. It's entitled "The Voice of Truth."
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid"
The voice of truth says, "This is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
(c) 2021 Leslie Wittenmyer ~ All rights reserved.