Bonnie Mechelle, founder of "Victory Steps," said this:
The devil really is using food to conquer God’s people!!
There are foods that we are consuming for entertainment –
and not just for entertainment but as a substitute for prayer, for
communication with other Christians, and as a substitute for God’s love and His
Holy Spirit.
I was standing near the kitchen sink about to begin taking my supplements, gazing at the window blinds, and I began re-experiencing the reconnection to myself. It felt so good and safe and real and I was thrilled by it all over again. I was kind of peering into my stomach area with the renewed freedom while observing and enjoying the connection that I now have. I then noticed I was also standing taller and feeling, I think the word may be, "confident," or "free." Surely it was "unburdened." Bless God oh my soul!! And forget not all His benefits!! Such a joy.
It is important to me to keep my faith in this new... I'm searching for the word.... perhaps..... oneness. It is important to me that I continue to be reconnected by faith.
It is not so much that I need to change the habits that have been formed over the last 60 years, but that I need to keep tuned into the reconnection. Nurture it. Water it. Let it grow and get firmly established. It would be easy to let the old habits take over, but they have never been productive and need to be allowed to fade.
Overcoming by faith. Yes, that is it. The renewing of the mind nurtured by faith in God and what He has given me.
It is like the story of the sower in the Bible and the seed that fell on good ground.
Luke 8:4-15 KJV
4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:
5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
The renewing that I have felt is very much like the renewal we receive in Christ. In fact, I feel, that this renewal is part of my growing in Christ. I've been praying for the Lord to give me a new heart and to be restored based on this verse:
Psalm 51: 9-12
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
God is so precious and loving. He always gives so much more than I thought I was asking for. Thank you Lord.
Verse 12 is exactly the idea I've been searching for here. If I let the devil take away the word, the renewal, out of my heart, it will keep me from believing and I won't actually be rescued. Don't let it get trodden down as in verse 5.
Or like those is verse 13 I could receive the word with joy, but if I have no root and do not let it get rooted in me, I might believe for a while, and then in the time of temptation I would fall back into my old ways and the renewal would be left behind. If I don't water it as in verse 6, it will simply wither away.
Or like verse 14 I could hear it and let other things choke the renewal with cravings and the pleasures of this life bringing no fruit to wholeness or perfection. As in verse 7, don't let the thorns spring up.
I would rather be like verse 15: "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."
An honest and good heart believes in the goodness and the renewal. Once it has been experienced it is kept close to the heart and real in the mind. Oh yes, "keep" it. Hold on to it. Trust it. Believe it.
"Bring forth fruit with patience." It requires patience to bring forth the good result.
When the old habits show up, I want to become more aware, sooner, so I can nip them in the bud, because I believe in what the Lord has given me. But nipping them in the bud does not come immediately and all at once. It requires patience to allow yourself to learn to turn to the Lord sooner -- before, rather than after.
It may begin by recognizing it when it resurfaces and going to the Lord with faith that He forgives and that He helps to hold you up. It's like baby steps but with practice and remembering, and holding on to the truth and the renewal it will come sooner and sooner. It will move from "after the fact" to "before it begins" by holding on to Him. By turning to Him in faith.
- 1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
- Revelation 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Faith produces certain things in our lives. It produces works! We do what we do by faith. Every person has a portion of faith. It is what we put our faith in, that causes us to do what we do.
My renewal took place when I re-experienced what it was like when my "eating" was truly as God had given it to me. Back when my eating was governed by the natural responses that God puts in all of us. Back before anything had gotten in the way or changed my course. Back before I made the decision that changed my life when I was a BABY! When God restored my heart He removed that wrong decision and all its consequences. He prompted me to see and feel and re-experience that time of freedom and gave it back to me. Thank you Lord.
I need to, want to, keep what He gave me. I need to nurture that newness in my heart. I need to keep my faith in Him.
So that was what "reliving" it did. Made it real for me again. It is so important to continue in Him and what He has given us. We do that by trusting. We do it by actively re-creating it for ourselves. We let ourselves be reminded by reading His word. We nurture our prayer life with Him. We seek Him.
James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
I am so grateful for the instruction book -- the Bible -- which teaches us not only Whom to seek, but how to seek Him for every need in our lives. There may be some who think that comparing my experience to salvation is somehow "shallow." But I know that God saved me and restored me and I am holding on to Him and to what He has given me.
Psalm 103:2
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Keep the newness alive by faith.
Be back soon,
Marcia
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