Back to basics

After our women's retreat on living in the fullness of God, I have been challenged to go beyond my quick snack devotionals into a fuller meal with God. Actually sitting down and going through a passage of scripture instead of my devotional app has been a lot more challenging than I thought it would be.  It was no longer fun, or quick and quirky. I am not using what God has taught me or remembering what I have learned. I've become spiritually lazy. Learning how to use a concordance or what was going on culturally or in history at the same time is too much effort. It's time for me to relearn some basics.

Starting with Prayer, Read, Writing it down, Sharing it with someone, Obeying what I learned. Accountability, Mentoring- passing on what we've learned!

       From this I have been able to learn different verses for life checks. For example if I'm questioning if This book, music, ad, television program, conversation is something that I should participate in, I check  with Philippians 4:8-9
    Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I need to know scripture! I need to know the promises I can stand on no matter what. I need to know how disgusting sin is and what it is. I need to know how God views me and how precious I am, because He said so. What other instructions do scripture contain for life!

Here are some tools I am starting or have used that I have found very helpful in learning to read my bible without becoming overwhelmed.
 1. Prayer: all starts with hanging out with God. If I can do this he changes me so much.
2. Asking God to help me understand as I read.
3.Give myself grace as I learn. Its a relationship with the creator of the universe who loves me. Not cramming for finals.
4. Give myself permission to spend time to read

I still read devotional and use my quick 5 minute devotional, but I am trying to read the bible itself and that has been a daily struggle.  I am a work in progress. God is definitely trying to get my attention on my habits and priorities.

Just for fun, what habits help you have Christ focused perspective?



A Just for fun list of helpful tools:

Robin Sampson BibleJournalLove Psalm 119 Study
 Great variety of fun ways for me to add creativity, depth, and making bible studying a habit.

For us visual learners a quick synopsis of this study can be found on YouTube at
Bible Journaling in a Planner

Mrs Sampson also has a 7 minute YouTube video called Robin Sampson's passion, which is about the passion that God has given her. When I watched it for the psalm 119 study it reminded me of Pam Waites talk at retreat. When God gives you a passion for something, use it for his glory and to help others. Its amazing to watch how God given passions change lives and bring us to Christ.

Books I have found helpful:

7 lies women Believe and the truth that sets them free: Nancy deMoss

Adorn: Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth

Kneeling Christian by  Unknown Christian

Armor of God by Pricilla Shirer

Veggie Tales (they keep it simple for me :) )

Experiencing God by Richard Blackaby

Fox's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe

Voice of the Martyrs

Andy Stanley YouTube series on Guardrails

Passport 2 Purity (when through with my oldest when she became a preteen)

Ministries and people:

Inquest Ministries: Parenting disc profile

Creation Museum

Lamar and Sandy Brenneman's Creation Class and Solving the Mystery series for preteens

Short term missions trips changed my self centered perspective

Meeting with a more mature Christ like older women who have guided, challenged and counseled me.
Teaching and training up younger christians (when you teach, you learn yourself!)

The devil is vicious, but he is not victorious.

Why is it so easy to let reading my bible and devotions, praying for my husband, family and friends, and spending time with God fall off? It's so easy because we have a silent enemy who knows us very well who know the best way to bring evil into our lives. For me he knows that busyness distracts me from being with God. And if I'm not with God then everything else falls apart. I yell at my husband instead of praying for him. I become impatient with my child instead of enjoying every moment I get to spend with him. I become stressed and let my house become a mess and I don't put the attention into what really matters. But God is good in so many ways. He reminds me in the ways I can truly see that I've slipped again. That I've let other things fill my time instead of letting Him fill my time. So, I'm pulling back on other things and I'm diving back into Him. Listening to worship music instead of secular, letting my devotions be the first thing I pull up on my phone in the morning, trying to pull back my anger and pray instead. I'm also on getting parts of my life organized. A real budget, a chore list, a daily schedule for Malachi and I. So prayer for me in these things because when I am unorganized in my life that is how I become distant from God. What prompted me to share today was this little reminder from God in the form of my First 5 devotion. It's a reminder that God has equipped me to fight against the devil. That the devil is vicious and he is sneaky. He will use everything against you. But what we have to remember is when we have God in our lives the devil is not victorious. I encourage you to spend the time reading this, this afternoon. Also, the first 5 devotions always end in a prayer. The one for this was so good I was smiling, almost in tears. It's one I plan for n writing down and saying on a daily basis to God.

Clothed in Victory
Lysa TerKeurst
Today’s Reading: Ephesians 6

Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV) “Finally, be strong in the LORD and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

The armor of God. It’s something children learn about from an early age in Sunday school. And the enemy would love us to believe it’s simply a nice Sunday morning lesson for kids — one involving nothing more than felt board pieces of armor and harmless plastic swords.

But Paul included these words in his letter to the Christians of Ephesus because he knew putting on the armor of God was vital to their ability to walk victoriously with Christ. And what was vital for Christians then is still crucial for us today.

While most of us have probably never seen actual armor, Paul’s vivid imagery would have reminded the Ephesians of the Roman military and the armor they wore. They would have known that every part of Roman armor had a specific purpose and was designed to not only protect the soldier individually, but the army as a whole.

Ephesians 6 also draws imagery from Isaiah’s prophecy describing the armor of God. (Isaiah 11:4-5; Isaiah 49:2; Isaiah 52:7; Isaiah 59:17) A closer look at these references in Isaiah reveals God as a warrior who is fully dressed for battle as He goes out to restore and redeem His people.

But what does all of this mean for us today? I believe there are two important points God wants us to grab hold of with fresh clarity:

1. Spiritual warfare is real, and we have a very real and vicious enemy.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood.” I know it often feels like our battles are against people. Boy does it ever! But, in reality, the battle is against Satan and his schemes.

We need to be equipped in every way to respond to the battle at hand. Our enemy isn’t just looking to distract us, tempt us or pull us slightly off course. John 10:10 tells us that Satan comes “to steal and kill and destroy.”

These aren’t words meant to stir up fear; they are meant to spur us to action. Both the words of Paul and John remind us it is imperative that we suit up and stand strong.

2. God does not call us to find a power within ourselves to overcome the battles we face.

Paul’s command in Ephesians 6:10 to “be strong” can actually be interpreted in the original Greek in the passive voice. Paul is saying we should be, “made strong, or be strengthened.” There is tremendous freedom to be found in this subtle difference.

God isn’t asking us to stand in whatever scraps of strength we can muster up on our own. The activation of our strength comes from the empowerment of the Spirit of God. We receive His strength as we put on the full armor of the King of Kings. And in wearing God’s armor, we are in essence putting on or abiding in God Himself. We are clothing ourselves in the victory He has already achieved through Christ. (Colossians 2:15)

Yes, the battle we face is of epic proportions. But God’s weapons aren’t silly little spiritual suggestions that might or might not work. His weapons are certain.

When the battle is raging around us, His belt of truth will help us park our runaway minds in the assurance of God’s love for us.

His breastplate of righteousness will equip us to stop reacting in the flesh and instead choose to battle with our praises and prayers.

His gospel of peace will remind us to walk in assurance and peace, knowing that even when we can’t see things changing, God is working on our behalf.

His shield of faith will give us the ability to trust in God’s timing and in His ways.

His helmet of salvation will remind us that God’s ultimate desire is to have a close relationship with Him. Though a battle might seem like an unlikely part of that process, God can bring good out of it.

His sword, which is the Bible, will act as both a love letter to our hearts and a fierce and accurate weapon for our souls to use against the devil.

And His gift of prayer. We can choose to remember that it’s not something to turn to as a last resort but the very thing God’s most courageous followers turn to first.

Ephesians 6:13-18 assures us with these in place, we’ll be able to stand and tap into a power beyond ourselves. And while the enemy may be vicious, we know he won’t be victorious.

Let’s put on the full armor of God, sweet friends, so that we can stand strong against Satan’s schemes.

Prayer: Father God, You know how many days I end up feeling weak and battle-weary, all because I keep trying to fight the enemy in my own strength. Thank You for reminding me yet again that true and lasting strength comes from You. And thank You for perfectly equipping me to stand strong against the enemy. Today I lift my prayers and my praises up to You, reminding myself that I’m fighting from victory, not for victory. In You, I’ve already won. And Satan is a defeated foe. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!