TLB said:
If I rededicate my life to God and nothing changes then what? I've been battling along on my own for too long, not letting Him take control of my life but it doesn't mean that I'll start feeling better once I've handed my problems back over to Him.
I've rededicated my life to Him often in the past but then something will happen and I'll be right back where I am now. I don't have the energy to keep going on anymore.
Thank you TG
, I could not have passed along anything if someone had not taken the time to tell it to me.
TLB. What you are feeling is understandable and believe it or not is common and normal based on the line of thinking you have chosen...
(
I Corinthians 10:13,14) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God
is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear
it.
And you are right, neither you, nor I, nor anyone has the energy or strength to fight these giants. But Christ does...
(
Philippians 4:13) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
But that is only if you allow and accept Christ to abide in you. Christ cannot abide in you unless you allow Him. Also, Christ cannot abide in you if your Spirit is unclean so make sure it is clean.
(
Galatians 2:20)
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
(
II Corinthians 7:1) Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
(
I John 1:6-9)
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not know the truth:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and
the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we decieve ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It is not enough to merely speak of our problems. Speaking of them doesn't do much. All we are doing is talking or describing our problems. But if we want the burdens removed we have to humble ourselves before the Lord and call out to Him for help. The Lord abhors the proud but He delights in the humble.
(
James 4:7-10)
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse
your hands,
ye sinners; and purify
your hearts,
ye double minded.
Be allicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and
your joy to heaviness.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
God will only acknowledge honest and sincere repentance. That's why it says in the passage to 'be allicted', 'mourn', and 'weep'. Only when one is humble and surrenders completely to God will God answer them and lift them up.
To often we fall because something happens and then we turn around and accuse God for not doing enough of something or not doing something at all. But you MUST remember that God has your ENTIRE life planned out. It is up to you to choose His plan or to stick with your own...
(
Deuteronomy 30:19) I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Remember, if we are true believers and God is living inside us, the only thing that separates us from God is OUR leaving.
(
Romans 8:35-39)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written,
For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things
we are more than conquerors thorugh him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing I, or anyone else says to try to convince you will have any effect. Much less will God move in your life without YOUR consent and YOUR approval. It is going to take an honest effort on your behalf to seek God.
(
Matthew 6:33,34)
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day
is the evil thereof.
Those 'things' which happen to you are tests. They will always come as we live in a fallen world. But you cannot grow in Christ and be able to pass these tests if you do not go through with them. If you run off and come back, that first test you ran away from will be right there waiting for you. Much like a school test. If I do not pass the Grade 10 exam, I would not be able to face Grade 11. Someone in this forum, I do not remember who, gave this GREAT analogy. God's tests are like school tests. Much like school tests our 'teacher' will keep silent until the test is over. Don't be discouraged if you don't hear God's response right away. Sometimes no answer from God is the BEST answer from God. Our tests are not over until we either pass them. Running away from them only postpones them.
Think of your Spirit as ground, and God wants to build your life upon it. Usually when we build large buildings we do a geological survey of the ground to check if it meets the conditions and requirements for building. Think of those tests and trials that God send your way as His geological survey of your heart...
(
Matthew 7:24,25)
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Our foundation in our heart must be the Word of God. God is looking for this type of foundation to build upon. The house built of the rock of the Word of God meets the requirements of God's survey. If we have a foundation of the flesh and of selfishness even a foundation against the Word of God...
(
Matthew 7:26,27)
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Like the Word of God says before, it is all your choice (
Deuteronomy 30:19).
You can't just say your problems to God and expect them to just go away and the test is passed. Likewise, you would not say to your examiner, 'Teacher I do not understand these problems, therefore, let me pass anyway.' Instead, study the Word of God and let it change your thinking. That is the only way to fight off negative thoughts which lead to negative emotions. Which lead to a negative will contrary to God's will. Which governs your actions and ultimately leads you to your negative destination which is death (hell). But when we use the Word of God and allow it to transform our way of thinking it will then change our emotions, will, actions thereof and our end destination which is the kingdom of God. You must take every thought captive, examine it and see if it is in agreement with the Word of God. Use the Word of God to fight Satan's attacks. You cannot fight Satan, the trials, the pain, the suffering by simply accepting Jesus and giving your problems to him. Satan works by speaking to us. By getting our thinking changed from the Word of God. All it takes is one word. Satan even uses scripture twisted, contorted, or even in the wrong place to do this. A person who is not in the Word of God would not know the difference.
(
II Corinthians 10:5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
That is the key. We must be transformed completely by the renewing of our mind. Not by simply accepting Jesus and telling all our problems to him. Mountains cannot be removed by talking about them but by talking TO them...
(
Matthew 17:20) And Jesus said unto them,
Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
It takes effort, belief and faith on YOUR part. Not just God's...
(
Matthew 21:21) Jesus answered and said unto them,
Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast unto the sea; it shall be done.
(
Matthew 21:22)
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall recieve.
Remember this verse...
(
Isaiah 26:3,4) Thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace,
whose mind
is stayed
on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
May you decide to choose life and to seek peace and pursue it.
