Don't lean on your own understanding

I have found the worst enemy I can have as a born again believer in Christ  is my carnal mind.
The carnal mind considers anything that does not fit in with its limited earthly knowledge to be foolishness, and that in itself fits in perfectly with scripture:-
'But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' 1 Corinthians ch. 2 v.14
                                                                                                                  

Also, the battle I have as I work out my salvation by listening to, and endeavouring to act upon, the Word spoken to me daily is not with flesh and blood.  It is a spiritual battle as spoken of in Ephesians ch. 6 v. 12:-

'For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.'

 

Some time ago I wrote a poem regarding my struggle with this spiritual enemy which emphasized to me just how this battle is won:-

  

I'm on the 'Never mind him - follow Me' course

the subject I'm studying is 'love'

I have the best tutor that money can't buy

He's been sent down from God above

Patience, kindness and lack of wrong-doing

are the skills that I'm hoping to learn

and when doing my homework through life's daily trials

there's a reference to which I can turn

 

It's a book called the Bible that can take away strife

a manual (Emanuel) where I can receive
every promise of God that is 'Yes' in the name
of the Saviour in Whom I believe

For all the promises of God are 'Yes' in Christ.  And so through Him, our 'Amen' is spoken to the glory of God.'  2 Corinthians ch. 1  v.20

There is a scripture that says 'No longer will they teach their neighbour, or say to one another, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,' declares the LORD. ... Jeremiah ch. 31 v. 34 

The Lord highlighted this scripture to me many years ago when I first became born again of His Spirit.  Paul also speaks of this in 1 John ch. 2 v. 27 when he says to the believers:- 'But the anointing which you have received of Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him.' 

The 'anointing' spoken of here is the anointing of the Holy Spirit

Acts ch. 10 vs. 34 - 38 testifies to the anointing of Jesus by God:-
'And Peter opened his mouth and said: 'Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.  You know the word which He sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all), and the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.'

Although we may not be able to teach one another, what we can do is encourage and build up one another '   

There are many little incidents that happen daily that speak spiritually to me.  One of these happened recently.  The winds had been very strong in the area where I live and, as I looked out of my lounge window onto my front garden one morning I noticed that a bud had snapped off one of my dahlia plants.  I brought it in and put it in a glass of water, supporting the bent stem with some  paper kitchen towel.  It slowly began to strengthen and raise its head.

A few days later I noticed another stem broken on the same plant, this one in full bloom.  I brought that in and placed it in the same glass of water.

As I looked at them in the glass I was reminded of how we as believers can go through turbulent times whatever our maturity is in our walk with the Lord, but if we stand together, persevering and being sustained with the water of the Word, we shall be strengthened and come through those challenging times together.

1 Thessalonians ch. 5 v. 11 verifies this:-
'Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.'

 

Nothing is impossible with God if we remain in Jesus, trusting in Him with all our heart and not leaning on our own understanding, and allow the anointing of the Holy Spirit to teach us God's ways.

                                   

 If God is for me

If God is for me who can be my foe?
that the Master loves me is all I need to know
Can tribulation, trial and fear
make me give up hope when my Lord is near
Can worldly woes and misery
keep me tightly bound when I've been set free?
No - God the Father heard my cry
and because He sent His Son to die
then even sin - my enemy
always crouching at my door
at Jesus' name must bow the knee
and trouble me no more