chapter four - little by little

Okee Dokie  Ladies.....I believe THIS chapter practically JUMPED off the page for me.  How about you?  WOW.....

I believe I just want to reshare a few things Joyce stated...and just read them again.  So here I go, Michelle's ( JOYCE MEYER's)  TOP TEN golden nuggets of truth from Chapter Four: 

1.  And the Lord your God will clear out those nations before you, little by little, you may not consume them quickly, let the beast of the field increase among you.  Deuteronomy 7.22

WHOA....that really struck me, I asked God, what does this mean....and I believe for me, HE reminded me that HE will clear out all of the obstacles in front of me...in HIS time..in HIS time...in HIS time...little by little.  What did it speak to you? 

2.  The renewing of your mind will take place little by little, so don't be discouraged if progress seems slow.

WOW, I copied this on my index card spiral.  IT is a thought that deserves being memorized.  How many times in the past year or so have I prayed to God ...why is it taking to long?  why?  And now, I realized that it does TAKE time ..HIS time.  So, therefore, why would it not take time for my transition as well....changing habits...rethinking things...etc. etc.  This statement brings peace. 
Does it bring peace to you?  Are you discouraged today?  


I believe the timing is the HARDEST thing to deal with and realize.  It just is.  Do you agree? 

3.  Suffering precedes liberation. 

Oh MY.....can you attest to this?  I can.  And HIS word says it as well: 

 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who called you to HIS eternal Glory in Christ Jesus, will HImself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.  1 Peter 5.10

4.  Joyce wrote:  I believe that from the time we acutally realize we have a problem until Jesus delivers us, we endure a type of suffering, but we rejoice even more when freedom comes. 

AMEN.

5.  The devil will try his hardest to stop you in the area of renewing the mind.  He knows that his control over you is finished once you have learned to choose right thoughts. 

OK -- I just have to add in a personal experience here.  My husband and I have been in a lot of therapy over the past 18 months.  Just have.  And one of the tactics or exercises the counselor used was this ---  "put it on the table, state it..with no judging or changing but then it is there...then it can be heard..then the power of the thought or the action is gone and it has NO hold over the person thinking or wondering it" 

....Sometimes the thought or action just had to be said.  Sometimes something had to be confessed.  Sometimes it just needed to be said but not commented on.   Or maybe just a rumor had to be stated and then proved fact or fiction.  

 However, once it was said - it could be dealt with. 

Does that make sense?  I will site an example. 

 The Enemy would tell me lies and over and over again, I would listen and believe that a certain situation transpired.  However, the acknowledgment of that situation or that particular element of the lie  was not exactly something that my husband wanted to share.  I could not blame him.  There were things that I did not want to confess and share.  


 ON one hand, you could say he needed to 'come clean'.  ON the other hand, the past is the past.  However, back to my illustration.  I had to finally get to a place where the lie had to be put on the table.  


 It was finally 'put' on the table.   And it was a hard 'fact' but now that it was stated or placed on the table...I can't tell you HOW MUCH freedom there is for me.   Glory be!  REally,  I literally sang a sweet song, ha ha ha ha ha Satan - YOU lose.  I did.  Satan can NO longer use that lie against me.  Period.  And I really don't have to ask any more details or bring it up...does that make sense?  There is true freedom in that.  So therefore, the devil will try his hardest in the area of renewing the mind.  My mind can now concentrate and never go back to that situation. 

But this can happen in every aspect of our lives, has this happened to you?  Are you being lied to and is Satan working overtime to block you from choosing the right thoughts?  It does take time and sometimes literal practice. 


2nd illustration, it has been 24 hours since I posted this original message and today I am going to update it....it happened again today.  Satan lied.  He lied.  I prayed, thought about asking a person if this particular thing was true or fiction, but God quickly spoke to me...it was not true, or noble, or praiseworthy...etc.  It did not line up with what GOD does and IS...so I immediately knew it was a lie.  And it could not hound or hurt me ANY longer.  It is an active thing.  Beth Moore talks about an ACTIVE faith, God's word is alive and active and it HAS to be to live in this world or we will fall to the Enemy's lies.  I pray and hope that makes sense to you.  I know it will to some.  And if it doesn't, I am trusting the Holy Spirit to speak to you and you will SEEK HIM on it.  

6.  Don't get discouraged.  Psm 42.5    Why are you cast down, O my inner self?  And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me?  Hope in God and wait expectantly for HIM, for I shall yet praise HIM, my Help and My God. 

Discouragement can destroy hope, so the enemy will naturally discourage us.  Don't let him.


THIS is one of the BIGGEST things I see and encounter each day - I pray to God to encourage me...HE does.  

7.  We like everything instantaneous.  WE have the fruit of patience inside, but it is being worked to the outside....God will at times, take HIS time to bring us to our full deliverance......HE uses the difficult period of waiting to stretch our faith and to let patience have her perfect work.  God's timing is perfect.  HE is never late. 

AMEN....THAT says it ALL...Don't you agree? 

8.  Phil.  2. 13, 1: 6    The Lord has begun a good work in me, and HE will bring it to full completion.

9.  Our weapon -- HIS word. Our Weapon...HIS word....OUR weapon  HIS word and prayer!!   

My photo of encouragement....

10.  Remember God is delivering you, little by little, so don't be discouraged and don't feel condemned if you make a mistake. 

Ok Sweet beloved women of God.....I hope and trust that this chapter will JUMP out to you as well.  I am NOT putting any pressure on anyone, but please note, you can comment if you want to.   It does my heart good to know that this is helping you; however, I don't need a pat on the back or a response as I believe truth is truth, and those seeking and those wanting a deeper relationship with Christ WILL seek and WILL meet HIM and I trust God.  This is HIS endeavor, I just want to be the typing piece.  HE is BIG enough to do it.  I love HIM so.  

 I added this photo of my husband and I.  It was taken back in 2005, at a dear family's wedding.  It was taken at a time that was REALLY good in our marriage.  I don't have all the answers, and neither does he, but I can say this now - we are rebuilding.  There was a time in our lives when we did allow the Enemy to speak to us.  WE both fell out of love with God in our own ways...and with each other.  However, God does USE everything. 

When we were separated, I would stare at this picture and it gave me hope on many nights when I could not see our situation getting better.  It gave me hope, and I prayed over it -- wishing and praying that we could be 'this'  happy again.  God used this picture and HIS word, HIS servants to remind me when I wanted to quit...that HE can heal, restore, and renew. 

When I finally gave up and totally GAVE it all to God, knowing that I had to trust HIM with everything, HE had freedom then to begin to work on my husband, until then, I tried to control God.....


I am going to repeat myself...when I FINALLY gave it all to God, really gave it all and believed that HE just may use divorce and the breaking up of a family for HIS kingdom, THEN God could begin to work in others.  But THAT took time...real time... long time.  I would say that I finally just really 'got' that, about a year ago...maybe only 10 months ago!  And our lives have been in a battle for the past 4-5 years!  

God used our season of hurt for a reason, I have never been more in love with HIM, my LORD,  than I am now, nor do I appreciate and love my husband as I did before.  I laugh as I wanted to be 'that' happy again and now, I just want a 'new happy'...HIS happy...being one with my husband as a prayer warrior and friend in Christ.  I also laugh, as I did not like Joyce Meyer at all...and yet, God used her in a mighty way and in doing this book study, HE is cementing HIS promises. 

And, I realize that it may seem that I have a lot of experience because of what I have walked through...but I don't want to be a poster wife for infidelity  or suffering...I WANT HIS light to shine out of me...I want to share HIS love...I want to see people fall in love with Christ and get the freedom HE claimed for us.  So, it may seem like I have all the answers, but I really don't - I only know HE does.  And HIS word does. 

I only want God's best to be read in these posts and I don't want to use our past to illustrate a point or every chapter, but at times, I believe by being real and sharing...you can also believe and hold on to HIS promises.  I pray that makes sense.    God never fails.  Love never fails. 

I hope this post finds you well, reading, and getting closer to God.  HE loves you more than anyone...HE wants to be with you at all times.  HE can give you complete freedom.  I know it.  And I will encourage you - don't give up. 

Have a great day...

in Christ, Michelle


PS, if this post did speak to you - awesome for GOD.....as HE is in me.  I am praying as I edit and publish this, that it will not be a tool of the enemy to cause any more hurt - for anyone.