A Quiet Soul

“Lord, my heart is not proud; 

my eyes are not haughty.

I do not get involved with things

too great or too difficult for me. 

Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself

like a weaned child with its mother; 

I am like a weaned child.” 

Psalm 131:1-2

We need rest. We all agree. But as much as we want it, we don’t seem to be successful in achieving it. I can say from experience that before children, rest was easily attainable. At the time of this writing, we have joyfully endured the “toddler stage” twice and are presently entering the third with our youngest child. Whew!  Anyone with small kids can testify, right?!

In particular stages of your life, if you want rest, you’ve got to go find it. It doesn’t happen accidentally. You must pursue rest.

The kind of rest we need is spiritual rest. Of course, we need physical and mental rest as well. But if our souls are not a rest, our bodies and minds can’t rest. 

So, as believers who have entered into rest (Hebrews 4) we must maintain a pattern of rest in our daily lives. I am realizing that rest is not an escape from reality but a means of connecting with a deeper reality. In God’s presence, there is rest. 

The key to finding rest is living in God’s presence. 

I’m also learning how to maintain daily rest by quieting my soul. If David, the king of Israel with all his responsibilities and stresses could rest like a baby, so can I! 

There are two secrets I’ve discovered that help cultivate peace and find rest.  

Guard the intake. Watch what you’re feeding your mind. What you watch and listen to has a great influence on your soul. Much of what comes on t.v. these days, especially news, incites fear and discontentment. I’ve found that if I want to quiet my soul, I can’t really do it if I’m watching t.v., listening to negative people, or being on most forms of social media. If you can, go right ahead. But for me, it’s worth it to deny myself these things to cultivate peace. 

Guard the internal. You may limit your intake of distractions, but that doesn’t mean           your mind magically cooperates. You must keep a watch on what you’re thinking. Your patterns of thought have a direct correlation to your emotions. In fact, negative emotions are nothing more than signposts that point out our negative thinking. Fear is not just an emotion. It is rooted in believing something that isn’t true. 

Philippians 4:8 tells us to think about things that are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.” We must filter our thinking if we want a quiet soul. 

I hope you can get some rest today. 

Totally Messed Up

God's love has totally messed me up! This season of my life has me waking up every day wanting to be with Him and see what exciting things He's got up His sleeve. He has been saying a lot. He's been teaching me about who He is and who I am. The current theme of my life is simply this... Sonship. 

A New Identity

My Father has me on this exciting journey of becoming what I am - a son of the King. I use the phrase, "becoming what I am," because I, like most believers, have not really lived in the reality of being a son of God. 

Sure. We know we are technically His children. But what does that even look like? It's important to know your identity, but if you don't live your identity, what does it even matter?

This sonship journey has made the Bible come alive in a new and exciting way for me. Certain passages that I've always been familiar with, and could even quote from memory, have a new, incredibly personal significance. 

One such passage is John 3:1. 

"Look at how great a love the Father has given to us 

that we should be called God's children. And we are!..." 

My heart burns even now as I type these words. He's given us a new identity. He's given us a new name. We're no longer slaves, but sons! When we receive the Father's love, we willingly give our lives to Him, not out of unhealthy fear or duty, but from a heart full of pure love! 

That should rock you. 

Knowing this amazing truth shakes us out of our religiosity and launches us into an incredible life of purpose and intimacy with the God of the universe. 

We are familiar with this part of the verse, but that is not all it says. 

A New Motivation

"...The reason the world does not know us is that it didn't know Him."

People in the world just don't understand Kingdom Kids. When people see a son of the King acting like a son of the King, it's just a little weird. Let's face it. People who are in love walk around with their head in the clouds. It is often said that these kind of folks need a good dose of reality. 

When someone is in love with Jesus, they are actually living in a different reality - a higher one. Their minds aren't preoccupied with their needs, wants, worries, and cares. They are enthralled with Someone. 

He's more than ink on paper. He's more than a good idea of how to live without messing up your life. He's a person. He's a real person. And He's someone we get know more every day. He talks! He really does! He's just great. 

But the gut-wrenching truth is, there are billions of people on the planet, and every one of us was born an orphan, separated from our Father. The world doesn't understand us because they don't know the Father. 

They don't know the Father. 

Let that sink in. 

They don't know the Father. 

I don't say this in a condemning way. It's a travesty, actually. 

Does this not explain everything about our society - our world? How could we ever be judgmental toward anyone ever again if this statement is true - they don't know the Father. 

Just what do we expect? Do we expect spiritual orphans to live like sons and daughters? 

Without adoption, these spiritual orphans will never know anything different. 

This one fact should motivate us to introduce as many people as we can to Him. If we don't feel motivated to do so, what does that say about how we view our Father? 

Are our evangelism efforts simply a duty we perform because we were told to? Or do we have an insatiable drive to take the gospel to people because we have seen and experienced firsthand the goodness of a loving Father? 

I would argue that the only way any spiritual fruit and obedience can be maintained is by being absolutely silly in love with God. The only lasting motivation for reaching this orphan planet is to be personally wrecked by the Father's love.  

How do you see Him? What image of God pops into your mind right now? Is He good? Is He Father? Can you see yourself how He sees you? If you ever catch a glimpse of your reflection in His eyes, it will mess you up! It will change your life. Are you ready for it? 

Just look. 

May Cause Blindness

My Bible is full of highlights, underlines, coffee stains, and messy notes in the margin (as any good Bible should be). 

I'm more intentional than ever in the stage of my life to write down what God is speaking to me. My Bible looks the way it does because one day my son will read it. As a matter of fact, this is his Bible. He's only four now, but when he's a young man, I'll present it to him. I've written notes in it personally to him. I want my son to love God. I want him to know God in a deeply personal way. I want his eyes to be open to the things of God. That's why I highlighted this verse... 

"But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and doesn't know where he's going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." 1 John 2:11

Bitterness blinds us. 

A person who is bitter has no vision. It's like spiritual cataracts. It gets worse and worse until we can't even see where we're going. The longer we let bitterness fester, the more blind we become. 

In order to follow Jesus, we must see Him. We must be aware of His presence every day. Bitterness takes our focus off of Jesus and puts in on our circumstances or other people. We cannot gaze on more than one thing at a time. For a kingdom man or woman, our gaze must be fixed on Jesus. 

So, if you're bitter, forgive. Move on. There's grace for that! Just do it... today. 

Don't make important decisions when you're bitter. 

You're not thinking correctly. You'll end up hurting yourself and others. Just forgive. If you haven't forgiven, don't even think about making that decision. Many people live with regret because they acted hastily in reaction to someone or some circumstance. Stop and forgive. Then your vision will be clearer. 

Don't take advice from bitter people. 

There are a lot of wise people out there we should listen to. And I'm not saying God can't use anybody He wants. But if you're letting a bitter person speak into your life, you're in danger. Don't let a spiritually blind person give you spiritual guidance. That's just crazy. 

A clear conscience is a fountain. 

So many good things flow out of us when we maintain a clear conscience before God and others. Nothing stifles love, creativity and vision like bitterness. You were born for great things! Never let bitterness choke out your destiny. 

This is a father's advice to his son and to everyone who might read this: 

Be an unoffendable person. Surround yourself with people who are unoffendable. Pull up bitterness by its roots. Walk in freedom and fruitfulness. 

Him

"The kingdom of heaven in like a treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field." Matthew 13:44

To know Jesus.
To really know Him.
To see His face.

It is a new adventure that unfolds with every sunrise.
Each day is a glorious unveiling of His love and goodness.
With every season comes the growing realization of total dependance on Him.
He is the Source.

There is an ever-increasing awareness of His nearness.
He is always present.
His presence warms our hearts in the coldest of seasons.
His company brings us inexpressible peace in the most tumultuous of storms.

His words are as sweet as they are unfailing.
His speech illuminates the deepest recesses of our hearts.
It reveals the depths of His nature, His thoughts, His ways.
His voice brings order to chaos.

Of all the pursuits this brief existence offers, He is the most satisfying.
This great Treasure far exceeds all other riches.
To possess Him and to be possessed by Him is more valuable than any other possession.
His value is immeasurable.

He calls and awakens us to a measure of intimacy we have never known.
His love doesn't make sense.
But His love makes everything else make sense.
There is no other love like it.

Knowing Him.
Seeing His face.
It is everything.
He is everything.

Battle of Belief

In 1 Kings 19, we find Elijah running scared for his life from an evil queen named Jezebel. 

Here’s the quick backstory… 

God had just miraculously proved to a nation of Baal worshipers that He was the one true God, not Baal. A flaming fireball of glory rained down on Elijah’s altar atop Mt. Carmel. Elijah then orders all the prophets of Baal to be killed. Jezebel was a Baal worshiper, so she’s obviously ticked considering what just happened. She vows to have Elijah killed in return. 

It’s not every day that you get to see something like that, right? Elijah should be filled with courage, right? Nope. He’s terrified. 

A look into 1 Kings 19 gives us insight into how the Enemy of our souls attacks us following seasons of great victory. The spiritual battle you and I were born into is real. And we have a very real Enemy. While I think we shouldn’t give Satan too much credit or even talk about him that often, I do think we need to be aware of his schemes so that we won’t be blindsided.

Here’s how the Enemy of our souls attacks us. 

Fear

“Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life…” (1 Kings 19:3)

Fear is the gateway to spiritual bondage. For some of us, the fear of man (or in Elijah’s case, the fear of woman!) is the first strategy of the Enemy. If he can get us to believe that people’s opinions carry more weight than God’s, he has us tricked. 

Sometimes you can actually feel the spiritual attack coming on. There is an absence of peace. Your mind becomes chaotic as you give in to the lies being whispered into your mind. Many times, our first reaction is to run. It’s only natural. But that’s exactly what your Enemy wants you to do. He’s afraid of your power and authority as a Kingdom Son or Daughter. He wants you out of the picture so he can do what he wants. We have a bad habit of grossly underestimating our identity. Don’t run! Stand firm. 

“Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist…” (Ephesians 6:14)

Isolation 

“When he came to the Beersheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there, but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness…” (1 Kings 19:3-4)

One of the ironic responses to spiritual attack is to isolate yourself. It’s ironic because we are more vulnerable to further attack once we separate ourselves from other believers who can speak truth into our lives. Once Elijah isolated himself, things began to spiral out of control. 

Hopelessness

“He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die” (1 Kings 19:4). 

When facing spiritual attack, it’s difficult to recognize truth from lies. But one evidence that you are under attack is a sense of hopelessness. When we feel hopeless, it is a result of putting our hope in something other than God. Someone has said, “Any thought that does not inspire hope is under the influence of a lie.” 

Set your mind on Jesus and His unchanging faithfulness. Choose to be hopeful. You do have that ability in Christ. In fact, you have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). 

“Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable--if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise--dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8). 

Frustration

“He said, ‘I have had enough! Lord, take my life…” (1 Kings 19:4)

Hopelessness breeds discontentment. It works the other way around as well. Discontentment breeds hopelessness. When the dark cloud of hopelessness surrounds, we often look for something or someone to blame. Some people take it out on their families. Some blame the Church. The cry of a hopelessly frustrated heart is “I have had enough!” 

Keep in mind that this downward spiral started when we first believed the lie of the Enemy. Every level of agreement that we enter into opens more doors to his influence. The spirit of suicide doesn’t just come out of nowhere. The door is opened somewhere down the line when we believe what Satan has said to us. 

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). 

Guilt

“Lord take my life, for I’m no better than my fathers” (1 Kings 19:4). 

Satan’s other identity is “the Accuser of the Brethren.” There is a difference between conviction and condemnation. Conviction from the Holy Spirit is specific and leads us out of our sin into freedom. Condemnation is often very general and we can’t quite put our finger on it. We just feel guilty and beyond restoration. That is the voice of the Accuser, not your Redeemer. 

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). 

False Reality 

“‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts,’ he replied, ‘but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life” (1 Kings 19:14). 

In the midst of attack, our sense of reality is skewed. Our perception has actually been influenced by lies we have chosen to believe. And in a sense, we can quickly find ourselves living in a dream world. Elijah was convinced that he was the only man alive in Israel who still served God. God was quick to state the real facts.

“Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus… I will leave 7,000 in Israel - every knee that has not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him” (v. 17-18). 

We stand firm in the fight by standing on truth. We must believe what God says about things. We cannot afford to believe any other way.

So, next time you find yourself in the heat of spiritual attack, remember this. Jesus has already won this war. We don’t fight for victory. We fight from victory! Know what He has said. Believe what He has said. Walk in the victory that belongs to Kingdom Kids.