Stability

"As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.  For who is God, but the Lord?  And who is a rock, except our God, the God who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless?  He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.  He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.  You have also given me the shield of Your salvation and Your right hand upholds me; and Your gentleness1 (condescension) makes me great.  You enlarge my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped."  Psalm 18:30-36

        Walk in My ways, and your feet will not stumble.  You are living in a day when "truth has stumbled in the streets"2, but I will make your footing firm.  Fix your eyes upon Me, and I will be your STABILITY even when all around you ‘feels’ unstable. 


You do not have to believe according to how it 'feels'. 
                                                        You can trust Me with what it IS. 


        I am in control, and you can take your stand on Me.  I am your Rock and Defense -that your feet do not slip.  Do not rely upon yourself (you don’t have to); rely upon Me.

Take heart.


"And He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is his treasure."  Isaiah 33:6


1 (gentleness= humility and patience, mildness, tenderness, characteristic of God that fosters growth)
2 Isaiah 59:14

Read with a Purpose

       Consider asking God, "What purpose (or what theme) would You have me watching for as I read through Your Word?" 


       He may instruct you, for example, to read with an eye for Who He says He is or for who He says you are in Him or for His instructions in today's passage.  Then ask, "What does that look like for me to fully believe that or to fully obey that instruction?" and "Am I willing?"


"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."1


"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."2 

      As He points those out, you may even want to/need to put those thoughts down somewhere (in a journal or on notecards, even posting them on your bathroom mirror) to ensure that you are not a 'forgetful hearer' (see James 1:22-25). 


       In the busyness of these days, along with all the distractions, it is too easy to quickly forget even profound truth.  He may speak it so profoundly (He may be so gracious), and then we can run off for the day and wonder why He doesn't speak to us.......when He just did this very morning.


Take it to heart. 


        Now in this little assignment, it is being taken for granted that you are daily exposing yourself to the powerful, life-giving, living and active Word of God. If that is not the case, make that commitment and make a plan.  His Word is your very bread of life.  "...man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."3  and  ".. faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ (or the Word concerning Christ)."4   As you begin to partake, you'll realize how you have been starving yourself.  And starving will no longer be comfortable once you have 'tasted and seen' and as it "performs its work in you who believe.5". 


     So let's say your 'give your attention to' assignment is to watch for specific passages asking yourself, 'How would this change my life if this was all I knew?'


For example, ask yourself this: what if Hebrews 13:5,6 (see below) was all the truth I had and I really believed it - REALLY believed and allowed no unbelief to creep in? What would that look like lived out in my life, in my emotions (worries and fears), in my goals, in my day today (oh, the dailyness of life!).. what would be different? (And then, of course, act on that.)


"Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,' so that we confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What will man do to me?'" Hebrews 13:5,6


Or those same questions about Romans 8:28,29 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,.."


      Imagine how He could keep you in perfect peace if you just fully trusted Him on those four verses alone!  And He has given you a collection of 66 books full of divine inspiration that you may KNOW HIM and HIS TRUTH and cling to and trust in Him.  He has also whispered promises and truths directly to your heart, has He not? The question is- are you trusting and believing Him? 


      Overcome unbelief; trust Him even to enable you to do so, as it is according to His will for you.


"The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You."  Isaiah 26:3


1  2 Timothy 3:16,17 
2  Romans 15:4
3  Deuteronomy 8:3 (see also Matt 4:4)
4   Romans 10:17
5  1 Thessalonians 2:13

Overcome Unbelief

"You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.  So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]."  Isaiah 26:3-5 AMP


Fix your eyes on Him.  (see also Excel Still More: Concentrate on Jesus )
And relentlessly overcome any and all unbelief.


      Ask Him today (don't wait to get around to it) to search you and to reveal to you any and every way unbelief has crept its way into your daily life and into your honest thinking.  And then use the divinely powerful weapons you have been given to destroy and take captive every thought or attitude or any sense of hopelessness that does not line up with what God says.


"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts;"  Psalm 139:23


"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,.."  2 Corinthians 10:3-5   
  
      Be in the Word.  As we are daily bombarded with the false wisdom of this world, we must be in His Word to know if our thoughts and our beliefs are lining up with His truth. 


      Believe what He proclaims as truth.  Contend earnestly (even in your own mind and daily life) for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. (Jude 1:3)


Make your thoughts obedient to God's truth.  Overcome unbelief.