SHREK IS NOT A DONKEY BUT A SHEEP
My2Cents: I have been thinking about how the world can weigh me/us down. How? When we are faced with trials or situations and they become too much for us. I know that when I was younger for about a year I was simply out of control. Meaning that I was so overwhelmed as a result, I had all this pent up frustration that I often would lash out at others. Simply because I was overwhelmed. But I thank GOD that during that time; I did not do stupid stuff. Amen. I just was a louder version of myself. Years later, I realized while reading the word of GOD-- that all that energy was caged and had no outlet. I myself did not understand it but just knew I was ticked off with the world. Well the world does not owe you or me one thing. Amen. So when frustration and anger is bubbling over in my soul I now know that------- Lisa, step back take inventory. Meaning, I have allowed[yes allowed] my fears/anxiety/frustrations to overwhelm what GOD has said about who and what I AM. Amen. I have come really to lean on 2 Corinthians 10:5 which says in part "... take CAPTIVE every thought to make it obedient to Christ [Jesus].." Amen. In other worlds when outward circumstances [be it a person or situation] began to dictate my thoughts and attitude I need to go back to the word of GOD that tells me that " I am the head not the tail... above only not beneath..." Deuteronomy 28:13 "...I can do all things through Christ Jesus that strengthens me...". Phllippians 4:13. Amen. So are things always rosy? No! Do I always immediately call upon scripture to remind me? NO! But the more I stay connected to the word of GOD the better I become at " .. seek[ing] ye first the kingdom of GOD and all [the other stuff will fall in place]" Matthew 6:33. Meaning, when I get in a place/rut/attitude I start asking "Lord what shall I do? I need you". And the good news is that I can just whisper it in my mind and heart and there HE IS. Praise be to GOD. Hallelujah!!!! And when I get back to being all that HE designed and created me to be- I am unstoppable. And the devil is nothing but a liar. Amen. The world does not have to like me or the things that I stand for, but if I am alright [on point with JESUS] I could give a care what somebody or anybody thinks of me. The word of GOD says "..we are in this world but [we] are not of this world... "John 17:14 & Romans 12:2. Meaning that our power does not come from physical manifestations or material things. Instead our power comes from beyond this world -- it is in our LORD JESUS CHRIST who has no limit. My truth, your truth is this : "...greater is HE that lives in me than he who lives in the world..." 1 John 4:4. So let us call upon the LORD as "HE is my Shepard". Psalm 23:1. And really look and take to heart the devotional that describes how Shrek had to be turned upside down/put on his back -- just as we are turned upside down and life in chaos as we are- "... rescue[d] from places [that are] dark and cloudy... bandage the injured and strengthen the weak... " Ezekiel 34:12,16. Praise be to GOD. Amen. Thank you JESUS. HOW TO TAKE YOUR LIFE BACK Read 2 Corinthians 10:5 Do you ever feel like things in your life are out of control? Usually that happens when we allow our circumstances to dictate our thoughts and attitudes. You might say, “Well, the economy is wreaking havoc on my business.” Or, “This relationship is just too far gone.” But today is the day to take your life back! We live in this natural realm, but as believers, we are not limited by this natural realm. We can tap into God’s supernatural power, but it starts by making every thought line up with the Word of God. Take your life back by taking your thoughts back. Don’t allow the enemy to have access any longer. Instead, meditate on the Word of God daily and allow His truth to sink down deep into your spirit. Let His truth make you free. Today, as you take captive every thought and boldly declare His promises over your life, you are setting yourself up for victory. You are positioning yourself to receive every spiritual blessing, and you are taking your life back! PRAYER: Father, thank You for empowering me to live in victory today. I choose to take my life back by taking captive every thought and submitting it to You. Help me live a life that is pleasing to You, Jesus, today and every day in Jesus’ name, Amen. SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM DELAYS, DISTRACTIONS AND HINDRANCES Read Genesis 11:26-12:5 The Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.” God told Abram to do three things: leave his country, separate himself from his family, and go to a land that God promised to show him. Abram followed through on the first requirement, but he failed to do the last two. He left Ur of the Chaldees, but instead of separating himself from his family, he took along Terah his father and Lot his nephew. Terah means “delay.” Allowing his father to accompany him resulted in a delay of five years in Haran. Haran means “parched, dry place, extremely dry place.” Are you in a dry place spiritually? If you are, perhaps you have someone with you whom God told you to leave behind. Abram delayed his own destiny because he took with him those whom God said not to take. He endured a five-year dry period in his life and never even made it to Canaan. He stopped and stayed in Haran until his father’s death finally broke the link that bound Abram to Haran. Only then did he enter Canaan. Lot’s name means “covering or veil,” and it comes from a verb meaning “to wrap up.” Lot wrapped up and entangled Abraham in all kinds of problems. Abraham actually divided his inheritance to provide land for Lot (in the region of Sodom and Gomorrah). That was when he finally said to Lot what he should have said a lot earlier, “Please separate from me” (Gen. 13:9 nkjv). Have kinfolk unintentionally or intentionally delayed and hindered your pursuit of God’s will? It is time to move on and separate yourself so you can do what God told you to do.1 It may not make sense, but you must enter Canaan. PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I love You. You are my Life, my Light, and my Salvation. Grant me the grace, the courage, and the determination to obey You and separate myself from every hindering and delaying influence. Bless my family and give them the grace to see Your hand at work in my life. If, however, they refuse to see, I will still follow You. MEET SHREK Read Ezekiel 34:11-16 Shrek was a renegade sheep. He went missing from his flock and remained lost for 6 years. The person who found him living in a cave on a high and rugged place in New Zealand didn’t recognize him as a sheep. “He looked like some biblical creature,” he said. In a way, he was. Shrek was a picture of what happens to sheep who become separated from their shepherd. Shrek had to be carried down the mountain because his fleece was so heavy (60 lbs or 27 kg) that he couldn’t walk down on his own. To relieve Shrek of the weight of his waywardness, he was turned upside down so that he would remain still and not be harmed when the shearer removed his heavy fleece. Shrek’s story illustrates the metaphor Jesus used when He called Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), and when God referred to His people as His flock (Ezek. 34:31). Like Shrek, we do not make good choices when we’re on our own, and we become weighed down with the consequences (Ezek. 33:10). To relieve us of the weight, we may have to be on our backs for a time. When we end up in this position, it is good to remain still and trust the Good Shepherd to do His work without hurting us. The King of love my Shepherd is, Whose goodness faileth never; I nothing lack if I am His, And He is mine forever. —Baker God’s training is designed to grow us in faith. RUNNING WITH ENDURANCE Read Hebrews 12:1-3 Nobody wakes up on the morning of a marathon and suddenly decides, Hey, I think I'll go down and run the race today. Long-distance running requires training, and lots of it. The typical marathon runner spends months preparing for the race. He pulls himself out of bed early and hits the street. Focusing on his goal, he pushes through physical and mental exhaustion. He watches what he eats, gets plenty of sleep, and runs—regularly. The main goal of all of this training is to build endurance. While not easy, the discipline is essential to running 26.2 miles. Since Scripture compares the Christian life to a race, we can assume that endurance is essential for our success as well. And what builds spiritual stamina? The apostle James points out that dealing with trials strengthens us. In fact, in James 1:2-3, he even tells us to welcome difficulties because "the testing of your faith produces endurance." He is talking about the inner strength that allows us to face any difficulty without quitting. A runner needs such strength for a race. So even though the training hurts, he conditions his body to be able to reach the finish line. For believers, the process is similar, except that our training comes through trials. As we face different challenges in the power of the Spirit, God builds us up more and more. Are you facing a hardship today? God wants you to trust Him and then ask yourself, Am I willing to go through this intense workout today in order to win the race tomorrow? May GOD bless you and keep you in HIS perfect PEACE. Amen. To GOD is the glory forever.