GROOVES & GATEKEEPERS part two

SCRIPTURE:  “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8

As those who are Christ’s, we’ve been divinely authorized to stand firm in recalling whose we are, to maintain a realistic perspective that this world is not our eternal home. By God’s grace, we have been given the capacity to REST in all that He has promised us as those who are “seated in heavenly places.”  One such point of rest for me over the decades has been 2 Timothy 2:19—“…the firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness.”  To this end, 1st John 1:9 is wonderfully renewing!  Have you committed to memory some of God’s Word to help you stand firm when the world, your flesh, and/or the devil [and his emissaries scattered throughout this planet] challenge your spiritual convictions?
                                                                        
The best thing that we can do, whenever our thought channels encounter fleshly, satanic, or worldly interference, is to replace those “darts” with portions of God’s truth and promises; commit as many as will be helpful to MEMORY!    Such memorization is time WELL SPENT!  Oust the enemy’s lies and replace them with God’s truth!  We who truly love Jesus and desire to strengthen our inner being, must firmly resolve to press in even closer to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith!   Let us form NEW GROOVES, intensify our divine gatekeeper skills—i.e., our determined yieldedness to His Spirit--and thereby glorify Christ in our thought lives!  We must, without hesitation, replace those negative “grooves” with God’s affirmations of the truth as it is in JESUS!!

PRAYER:  Father God, I  desire to consistently obey Your command to let the mind of Christ indwell me; this is but one area, among so many, that demonstrates our love and obedience to You, as it affirms that our hearts are truly under Your lordship.  Thank You, Father, in Christ’s holy name; amen!
By Sis. Denise Diggs