WEBVTT 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:04.019 Hey guys and welcome back to the salt and not 00:00:04.019 --> 00:00:08.439 sweetener podcast I am your host Danielle Townsend 00:00:08.439 --> 00:00:12.339 and in today's episode we are gonna talk about 00:00:12.339 --> 00:00:16.780 Turning to God and your moments of overwhelm 00:00:16.780 --> 00:00:18.679 and your times of hardship y 'all I could not 00:00:18.679 --> 00:00:21.660 think about a topic For today's podcast and you 00:00:21.660 --> 00:00:23.620 know, I want God to guide what I speak about. 00:00:23.620 --> 00:00:26.219 This is his podcast. I'm simply stewarding over 00:00:26.219 --> 00:00:30.649 it And when I had come to the conclusion of I 00:00:30.649 --> 00:00:33.250 have no idea and maybe I'm just not gonna record 00:00:33.250 --> 00:00:36.070 an episode today, I moved a blanket off my bed 00:00:36.070 --> 00:00:40.429 and I found this post -it note that I had written 00:00:40.429 --> 00:00:44.630 on months ago. And something that was written 00:00:44.630 --> 00:00:47.229 on here that stood out to me was it says, it 00:00:47.229 --> 00:00:51.390 feels harder and heavier when I am far from Jesus. 00:00:51.929 --> 00:00:56.179 Seek him, root myself. in the Lord and that is 00:00:56.179 --> 00:00:59.520 the basis of today's message is life is already 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:03.299 hard and heavy it's a lot harder and heavier 00:01:03.299 --> 00:01:07.680 when you are far from the Lord and let this be 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:09.959 your encouragement that whatever it is that you're 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:12.459 dealing with right now that is stressing you 00:01:12.459 --> 00:01:15.700 out that is overwhelming you whatever thing that 00:01:15.700 --> 00:01:18.159 you're dealing with that's making you anxious 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:23.700 depressed sad fearful whatever these emotions 00:01:23.700 --> 00:01:28.060 are that you're feeling. It's going to feel heavier 00:01:28.060 --> 00:01:33.060 when you are apart from God, when you stop praying 00:01:33.060 --> 00:01:36.400 to Him as febrantly, when you stop seeking Him, 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:38.640 when you stop making that intentional alone time 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:41.099 with Him, when you start turning to the things 00:01:41.099 --> 00:01:43.400 that you know He tells you to turn away from. 00:01:43.859 --> 00:01:46.920 You're putting distance between you and God and 00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:49.670 it's going to start feeling a lot heavier. it's 00:01:49.670 --> 00:01:52.209 going to start feeling a lot harder because whether 00:01:52.209 --> 00:01:54.469 or not you realize that you are starting to pick 00:01:54.469 --> 00:01:57.370 it up and carry it yourself you are starting 00:01:57.370 --> 00:01:59.950 to rely on your own strength you're starting 00:01:59.950 --> 00:02:02.890 to rely on your own thoughts your own reasoning 00:02:02.890 --> 00:02:07.709 your own comforts and God did not create us to 00:02:07.709 --> 00:02:12.250 do things apart from him and when you lean into 00:02:12.250 --> 00:02:17.750 him You're going to find a rest and a peace that 00:02:17.750 --> 00:02:21.430 you cannot find in the world And I'm speaking 00:02:21.430 --> 00:02:23.909 to y 'all today from experience as someone who 00:02:23.909 --> 00:02:29.550 I did it most of my life relying on myself Relying 00:02:29.550 --> 00:02:32.750 on my own thoughts relying on my own reasonings 00:02:32.750 --> 00:02:35.389 Relying on what my brain and my heart can create 00:02:35.389 --> 00:02:37.689 apart from God and you know what that resulted 00:02:37.689 --> 00:02:42.520 in overthinking A lot of overthinking. I would 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:45.120 end up thinking of every possible outcome and 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:49.319 every possible solution. I ended up living in 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:52.240 a cycle of fear. I was making my decisions out 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:54.639 of a place of fear. I was making my moves out 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:57.699 of a place of fear. I was more on the defensive. 00:02:57.860 --> 00:03:00.680 I was moving out of defense and out of more of 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:04.800 a reactive space than moving by faith. The decisions 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:07.280 I was making was planning according to what bad 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:10.590 things could happen. instead of moving by faith 00:03:10.590 --> 00:03:13.110 what God is calling me to do. I ended up with 00:03:13.110 --> 00:03:15.810 crippling depression and sadness. There were 00:03:15.810 --> 00:03:17.550 days when I would wake up and couldn't explain 00:03:17.550 --> 00:03:20.229 why I was sad. I was just sad. Days when I'd 00:03:20.229 --> 00:03:22.729 wake up and I was just angry and I couldn't explain 00:03:22.729 --> 00:03:25.669 why I was angry. I'd be experiencing situations 00:03:25.669 --> 00:03:28.189 I'm supposed to be grateful for and finding joy 00:03:28.189 --> 00:03:31.490 in and instead I'm complaining and thinking, 00:03:31.689 --> 00:03:35.080 well, this isn't gonna last. The one's the other 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:37.939 shoe gonna drop. There was always some fear or 00:03:37.939 --> 00:03:41.219 some negative thought I was feeding into. I ended 00:03:41.219 --> 00:03:46.759 up with panic disorder and anxiety. I ended up 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:51.280 as a people pleaser. I ended up putting God on 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:58.139 the back burner. I'm telling y 'all. that when 00:03:58.139 --> 00:04:02.460 you turn away, when you are in these hard situations, 00:04:02.819 --> 00:04:05.139 that is when you turn to God and someone needs 00:04:05.139 --> 00:04:07.699 to hear today that you are meant to do that for 00:04:07.699 --> 00:04:12.139 the rest of your life. I cannot tell y 'all how 00:04:12.139 --> 00:04:14.960 many conversations I've had where it's evident 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:17.399 that spiritual warfare is going on in someone's 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:20.199 life. Y 'all, I will be the first to say this, 00:04:20.199 --> 00:04:22.319 when you start seeking God more, when you start 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:25.000 praying more, when you start reading your Bible 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:28.290 more, When you start denying the flesh the devil 00:04:28.290 --> 00:04:31.089 is going to make it so uncomfortable for you 00:04:31.089 --> 00:04:36.189 because he wants you to stop The enemy comes 00:04:36.189 --> 00:04:39.550 to steal kill and destroy he does not want you 00:04:39.550 --> 00:04:42.910 to have a relationship with Christ So when you 00:04:42.910 --> 00:04:45.569 are doing the right thing, he is gonna attack 00:04:45.569 --> 00:04:48.110 you more than ever He's purposely gonna make 00:04:48.110 --> 00:04:53.470 it hard for you to continue He's purposely going 00:04:53.470 --> 00:04:56.920 to do that Y 'all when I first surrendered my 00:04:56.920 --> 00:04:58.699 life to Christ and I was trying to read my Bible 00:04:58.699 --> 00:05:00.980 more I remember there were days when people would 00:05:00.980 --> 00:05:03.379 just be like the situation I was in when I was 00:05:03.379 --> 00:05:05.920 like in my car and there would be someone around 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:08.740 me just blasting music all day and like all these 00:05:08.740 --> 00:05:10.980 things distracting me to where I couldn't focus 00:05:10.980 --> 00:05:13.000 and it was triggering anger and it was triggering 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:17.160 frustration times when I was putting my faith 00:05:17.160 --> 00:05:19.019 in God and there would be people coming up to 00:05:19.019 --> 00:05:21.459 me and straight up speaking death into my Situation 00:05:21.459 --> 00:05:23.500 saying God isn't real and God isn't gonna move 00:05:23.500 --> 00:05:26.040 mountains and God isn't gonna help you When God 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:27.879 would be telling me hey, I'm gonna do something 00:05:27.879 --> 00:05:30.300 amazing in your life I'm gonna restore you and 00:05:30.300 --> 00:05:32.779 then I would have a lot of hardships immediately 00:05:32.779 --> 00:05:36.160 hit after and my situation would not look like 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:39.759 what God promised. That was an attempt of the 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:42.360 enemy to get me to stop putting my faith in God. 00:05:42.420 --> 00:05:45.519 When you are on the right path, the devil is 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:48.060 going to do whatever he needs to do to convince 00:05:48.060 --> 00:05:50.920 you to backslide, to convince you that putting 00:05:50.920 --> 00:05:53.360 your faith in God isn't working, to convince 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:58.279 you that seeking God isn't working. And I'll 00:05:58.279 --> 00:06:00.660 tell you what, almost every person I have talked 00:06:00.660 --> 00:06:06.339 to has found peace. in times of trouble when 00:06:06.339 --> 00:06:08.420 they're reading their Bible and spending time 00:06:08.420 --> 00:06:10.819 with God. I know that was one of the first things 00:06:10.819 --> 00:06:12.819 I noticed when I gave my life to Christ was a 00:06:12.819 --> 00:06:14.939 peace that surpassed all understanding. When 00:06:14.939 --> 00:06:16.639 a stressful thing would come up, I could give 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:18.600 it to God and walk away entrusted to be taken 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:20.699 care of. I could leave a situation in peace. 00:06:21.339 --> 00:06:23.560 When I would start dealing with stress or anxiety 00:06:23.560 --> 00:06:26.459 or panic and I would start reading scripture 00:06:26.459 --> 00:06:28.040 and praying to the Lord and all of a sudden I 00:06:28.040 --> 00:06:33.379 would have peace that made no sense. That. That 00:06:33.379 --> 00:06:36.019 is a promise of God being fulfilled when you 00:06:36.019 --> 00:06:40.079 seek Him and lean into Him. Think of the story 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:43.519 of Hannah and Penina y 'all. Hannah had been 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:46.060 struggling with infertility for years, Penina 00:06:46.060 --> 00:06:48.339 making her feel like crap about it. And when 00:06:48.339 --> 00:06:50.639 she went to the temple and overwhelmed, poured 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:53.899 out her heart to God, she left that temple with 00:06:53.899 --> 00:06:57.180 a peace. Her situation hadn't yet changed. She 00:06:57.180 --> 00:07:00.439 wasn't pregnant yet. Penina wasn't wiped out. 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:04.860 Nothing had changed. Except for her she had placed 00:07:04.860 --> 00:07:07.680 her faith in God and she had trusted that she 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:15.699 gave it to him and he was working As followers 00:07:15.699 --> 00:07:19.100 of Christ we are able to access a peace in the 00:07:19.100 --> 00:07:23.459 middle of the storm But that comes through giving 00:07:23.459 --> 00:07:27.540 it to God and laying at his feet and I'm telling 00:07:27.540 --> 00:07:31.250 y 'all That when you don't do that when you choose 00:07:31.250 --> 00:07:34.829 to lean into the worldly advice When you choose 00:07:34.829 --> 00:07:37.509 to go back to the things that bring you short 00:07:37.509 --> 00:07:39.829 -term comfort and those quick dopamine hits that 00:07:39.829 --> 00:07:42.029 you know God is calling you to stay away from 00:07:42.029 --> 00:07:45.170 When you choose to turn on and binge watch those 00:07:45.170 --> 00:07:47.610 shows instead of getting into the word when you 00:07:47.610 --> 00:07:49.870 choose to go back to that drink or that smoke 00:07:49.870 --> 00:07:53.230 instead of praying When you choose to get on 00:07:53.230 --> 00:07:55.350 social media and gossip and rant and take your 00:07:55.350 --> 00:07:59.560 anger out in those ways instead of Praying reading 00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:02.439 scripture taking it to God spending intentional 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:05.000 alone time with him. It feels good in the moment 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:10.199 And then later on your situation feels even heavier 00:08:10.199 --> 00:08:15.060 Because whether or not you realize that you're 00:08:15.060 --> 00:08:17.779 starting to put the weight and the responsibility 00:08:17.779 --> 00:08:21.139 of The problem on your shoulders when you're 00:08:21.139 --> 00:08:23.519 meant to be sharing the love of God. He's meant 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:25.810 to be your strength And there's some different 00:08:25.810 --> 00:08:27.449 pieces of scripture I want to read to y 'all 00:08:27.449 --> 00:08:30.470 today. I'm going to start with Philippians 4, 00:08:30.670 --> 00:08:34.049 6 through 7. Do not be anxious about anything. 00:08:34.570 --> 00:08:37.330 Button everything by prayer and supplication 00:08:37.330 --> 00:08:40.549 with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made 00:08:40.549 --> 00:08:44.230 known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses 00:08:44.230 --> 00:08:47.210 all understanding, will guard your hearts and 00:08:47.210 --> 00:08:49.809 your minds in Christ Jesus. Whatever you are 00:08:49.809 --> 00:08:52.710 dealing with today that is emotionally compromising 00:08:52.710 --> 00:08:56.919 you. that is having you feel overwhelmed in your 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:01.179 intentional time with God tell him about it yes 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:03.659 he already knows but he wants to hear it from 00:09:03.659 --> 00:09:09.940 your mouth he wants you to entrust him with it 00:09:09.940 --> 00:09:13.940 so go into your prayer closet go into your bedroom 00:09:13.940 --> 00:09:17.580 go into your bathroom wherever it is that you 00:09:17.580 --> 00:09:21.289 can have intentional quiet time with God And 00:09:21.289 --> 00:09:24.730 tell him what is stressing you out. Tell him, 00:09:25.009 --> 00:09:28.210 God, this thing is causing me to feel overwhelmed. 00:09:28.250 --> 00:09:31.830 God, I don't have the strength to do this on 00:09:31.830 --> 00:09:36.409 my own. I don't have the ability to figure this 00:09:36.409 --> 00:09:40.110 out. Be honest with him about what it is with 00:09:40.110 --> 00:09:41.909 the situation that is stressing you out. Is it 00:09:41.909 --> 00:09:46.840 the lack of control? Is it the lack of understanding? 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:52.419 Is it the feeling of injustice? What is it that 00:09:52.419 --> 00:09:56.899 is making you feel the way you're feeling? Take 00:09:56.899 --> 00:09:59.700 it to him. He already knows that he wants you 00:09:59.700 --> 00:10:05.120 to trust him with your problem. And now this 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:07.720 is the key thing to prayer because a lot of us 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:11.139 think of prayer as just asking for something 00:10:11.139 --> 00:10:15.049 and just talking at God. Prayer is the way that 00:10:15.049 --> 00:10:17.669 we build our relationship. And you should not 00:10:17.669 --> 00:10:19.690 just be praying to God when you need something. 00:10:20.370 --> 00:10:23.250 You should be praying to Him, telling Him what 00:10:23.250 --> 00:10:26.870 you're grateful for. You should be praying to 00:10:26.870 --> 00:10:30.750 Him for guidance, for clarity, for understanding, 00:10:30.830 --> 00:10:36.029 not just for a blessing. You should be praying 00:10:36.029 --> 00:10:38.509 to Him for other people on other people's behalf, 00:10:38.690 --> 00:10:41.210 interceding. Praying with God is like talking 00:10:41.210 --> 00:10:44.179 to your parents. How can you have a relationship 00:10:44.179 --> 00:10:46.500 with someone without intentional alone time with 00:10:46.500 --> 00:10:48.980 them, without intentional conversations? So part 00:10:48.980 --> 00:10:52.759 of prayer is actually listening, right? So you're 00:10:52.759 --> 00:10:55.080 spending this intentional alone time with God. 00:10:55.820 --> 00:10:57.740 You're telling him what's on your mind. You're 00:10:57.740 --> 00:10:59.320 telling him what's wrong. You're pouring out 00:10:59.320 --> 00:11:01.779 these emotions. But then comes a time when you're 00:11:01.779 --> 00:11:04.220 supposed to be listening to what he's saying 00:11:04.220 --> 00:11:07.220 to you. Is he speaking scripture to you? Is there 00:11:07.220 --> 00:11:09.840 scripture that's coming to mind after your prayer? 00:11:10.299 --> 00:11:12.980 Is there a past scenario or situation that he's 00:11:12.980 --> 00:11:15.720 bringing to mind? A great thing to do after you 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:19.519 pour this out is ask God to guide you. Ask him 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:22.620 to soften your heart and to humble you to his 00:11:22.620 --> 00:11:26.240 answer. Pray that you accept God's answer and 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:29.720 that you obey him. Y 'all it was literally just 00:11:29.720 --> 00:11:34.000 today that there was a big decision I had to 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:40.019 make. What appeared to be a blessing and an open 00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:42.879 door made itself known to me recently and at 00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:44.860 first I jumped up to accept it but the more I 00:11:44.860 --> 00:11:46.940 was thinking on it the more I was like God I 00:11:46.940 --> 00:11:49.080 Although this looks really good in a lot of areas. 00:11:49.080 --> 00:11:51.440 There are other areas where I don't know if this 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:55.279 is from you. I don't know if this is what you 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:58.200 have been telling me about and I feel like I'm 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:01.840 acting too quickly and You might actually want 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:04.779 me to go in a different direction and I was really 00:12:04.779 --> 00:12:09.220 wrestling with do I close this door and trust 00:12:09.220 --> 00:12:12.639 that God will lead me towards the promise or 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:16.600 do I accept this because it's close enough and 00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:22.960 out of fear of God not delivering on his promise 00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:25.139 is the best way I can word it when I really thought 00:12:25.139 --> 00:12:28.460 about it the other option is accepting this door 00:12:28.460 --> 00:12:32.509 out of fear that another one will open When I 00:12:32.509 --> 00:12:34.129 started praying to God was like God, I don't 00:12:34.129 --> 00:12:36.429 want to make the wrong decision I need to hear 00:12:36.429 --> 00:12:39.710 from you like I need you to show me I need you 00:12:39.710 --> 00:12:42.850 to reveal this to me. I need you to guide me 00:12:42.850 --> 00:12:45.970 When I was actually in the bathroom praying that 00:12:45.970 --> 00:12:50.330 prayer You know, I just had a moment of silence 00:12:50.330 --> 00:12:52.970 and it was like not even 30 seconds later that 00:12:52.970 --> 00:12:56.149 he started bringing to my memory a Lesson that 00:12:56.149 --> 00:12:58.870 he had taught me just over a year ago about releasing 00:12:58.870 --> 00:13:05.019 things to him and trusting him. And in that moment 00:13:05.019 --> 00:13:10.240 I knew exactly what he was telling me. And I 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:12.179 knew that he was guiding me to listen to what 00:13:12.179 --> 00:13:15.059 he had already been placing in my heart. I had 00:13:15.059 --> 00:13:18.039 already known that he was calling me to give 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:21.320 this thing back to him and to trust that he would 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:23.980 deliver on his promise and not to settle in the 00:13:23.980 --> 00:13:33.409 situation. and him reminding me of a past situation 00:13:33.409 --> 00:13:37.389 where he called me to do that was the confirmation 00:13:37.389 --> 00:13:39.889 from him and since then he has given me scripture 00:13:39.889 --> 00:13:45.230 to back it up but if I had not sat and listened 00:13:45.230 --> 00:13:48.129 and just allowed him to speak back to me and 00:13:48.129 --> 00:13:53.809 accepted the way he was speaking to me I would 00:13:53.809 --> 00:13:59.720 have said God didn't answer me If I would have 00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:02.899 prayed, God, close that door yourself. Do that 00:14:02.899 --> 00:14:04.779 yourself. You know what? Interesting enough thing. 00:14:04.899 --> 00:14:06.600 I found out that that door was probably going 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:10.200 to close anyway. If I didn't close it, I think 00:14:10.200 --> 00:14:13.320 God was going to close that door for me. I do 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:18.879 think he was going to. But I could have been 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:20.799 stubborn and hard -headed and said, I'll only 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.039 walk away if you close the door, God. And you 00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:25.860 know what? There have been situations, y 'all, 00:14:25.879 --> 00:14:30.379 where I've been very hard -headed. but also really 00:14:30.379 --> 00:14:32.200 raw and honest with myself, where there were 00:14:32.200 --> 00:14:34.320 some things that I could not physically let go 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:36.779 of. And I told God, like, God, if this thing's 00:14:36.779 --> 00:14:38.539 removed from my life, I need you to rip it away. 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:40.299 And I know it's going to be painful, but I can't 00:14:40.299 --> 00:14:43.019 bring myself to let go of it. And he has answered 00:14:43.019 --> 00:14:44.759 that prayer too, and that prayer is painful. 00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:50.299 But I'm telling y 'all that part of prayer is 00:14:50.299 --> 00:14:53.200 listening and accepting God's answer. Because 00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:55.000 what God told me to do at the end of the day 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:57.940 was to deny myself. To trust that he was gonna 00:14:57.940 --> 00:15:00.700 pull through and that wasn't exactly easy to 00:15:00.700 --> 00:15:02.820 listen to my flesh Didn't want to hear that my 00:15:02.820 --> 00:15:05.220 flesh wanted to go through with the door wanted 00:15:05.220 --> 00:15:09.100 to walk through the door you have to be okay 00:15:09.100 --> 00:15:14.399 with God's answers being no or not yet and Submitting 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:21.720 to them You have to be okay with God not giving 00:15:21.720 --> 00:15:26.039 you the full picture for all the answers faith 00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:30.340 isn't knowing we walk by faith not by sight faith 00:15:30.340 --> 00:15:33.000 isn't being able to see and understand the game 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:39.100 plan faith is trusting god and notice how when 00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:40.919 i was reading this in philippians to y 'all it 00:15:40.919 --> 00:15:43.960 says that the peace of god which surpasses all 00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:46.139 understanding will guard your hearts and minds 00:15:46.139 --> 00:15:50.559 in christ jesus when you pray to god and it's 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:52.659 a situation that you're leaving us the majority 00:15:52.659 --> 00:15:55.629 of the time it's not an immediate like you say 00:15:55.629 --> 00:15:57.710 god i give this to you and it's like 10 seconds 00:15:57.710 --> 00:16:00.230 there you get a phone call of like all your situation 00:16:00.230 --> 00:16:02.389 is worked out or you get a text or a dm and it's 00:16:02.389 --> 00:16:06.509 all worked out oftentimes the first answer you're 00:16:06.509 --> 00:16:10.309 going to get from god is a peace when you submit 00:16:10.309 --> 00:16:12.870 and surrender it to him and say i can't work 00:16:12.870 --> 00:16:16.029 this out i can't figure this out i need you to 00:16:16.029 --> 00:16:18.350 work this out and figure this out there is a 00:16:18.350 --> 00:16:21.250 peace he'll give you of leaving it at his feet 00:16:21.250 --> 00:16:25.639 for you you Just know and believe that he is 00:16:25.639 --> 00:16:32.100 working it out and from there on Oftentimes you'll 00:16:32.100 --> 00:16:35.200 have the temptation to pick it back up and you 00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:38.740 have to make the decision to continue to entrust 00:16:38.740 --> 00:16:44.000 it to God But there is a piece that surpasses 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.480 all understanding that you will find when you 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:53.009 pray and give it to the Lord Prayer is our relationship 00:16:53.009 --> 00:16:56.909 with God. Prayer isn't just a direct line for 00:16:56.909 --> 00:17:00.250 help. Prayer is our relationship builder with 00:17:00.250 --> 00:17:03.509 Christ. Now I want to read to you on Matthew 00:17:03.509 --> 00:17:08.890 11, 28 through 30. Come to me, this is Jesus 00:17:08.890 --> 00:17:12.730 speaking, come to me all who labor and are heavy 00:17:12.730 --> 00:17:17.130 laden and I will give you rest. I want to pause 00:17:17.130 --> 00:17:23.460 this for a minute right here. Come to me Jesus 00:17:23.460 --> 00:17:30.980 is telling us to bring our burdens to him That 00:17:30.980 --> 00:17:33.019 thing that you're stressed out about that thing 00:17:33.019 --> 00:17:35.440 that you're panicked about as I said earlier 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:39.559 y 'all he wants to hear about it He wants you 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:41.640 to give it to him. He's waiting on you to give 00:17:41.640 --> 00:17:45.000 it to him He's never gonna be annoyed with you 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:47.400 coming and giving it to him because he is our 00:17:47.400 --> 00:17:49.619 strength There is not too much that you can give 00:17:49.619 --> 00:17:54.210 to God Give it all he wants your entire life 00:17:54.210 --> 00:17:57.990 He wants you to lay your life down. There is 00:17:57.990 --> 00:18:00.450 some scriptures reading this morning y 'all 2nd 00:18:00.450 --> 00:18:04.329 Corinthians 5 15 He died for all that those who 00:18:04.329 --> 00:18:07.170 live should no longer live for themselves But 00:18:07.170 --> 00:18:09.730 for him who died for them and was raised again 00:18:09.730 --> 00:18:12.690 Jesus literally expects us to give our lives 00:18:12.690 --> 00:18:16.490 to him Don't you think that includes our worldly 00:18:16.490 --> 00:18:22.160 problems? Remember that when Jesus Christ went 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:26.319 to the cross and raised from the dead he literally 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:30.099 conquered wickedness and evil he sealed the deal 00:18:30.099 --> 00:18:34.960 that one day Satan is gonna be Locked away for 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:40.940 eternity in hell like literally gone There is 00:18:40.940 --> 00:18:43.859 we are operating out of a space of victory when 00:18:43.859 --> 00:18:48.769 we are operating through Jesus Christ So when 00:18:48.769 --> 00:18:51.130 you give it to him, it's not it. Is he going 00:18:51.130 --> 00:18:53.589 to be able to take care of it? He is going to 00:18:53.589 --> 00:18:56.970 be able to take care of it The world has lost 00:18:56.970 --> 00:18:59.589 in the grand scheme of things meaning the worldly 00:18:59.589 --> 00:19:01.670 ways of solving things. Where is that gonna lead 00:19:01.670 --> 00:19:06.549 death separation? And remember y 'all the devil 00:19:06.549 --> 00:19:12.509 the enemy wants you to believe In the deception 00:19:12.509 --> 00:19:15.990 he tries to convince you that trusting in God 00:19:15.990 --> 00:19:19.589 is too hard that it's not working that prayers 00:19:19.589 --> 00:19:22.529 aren't being heard that God has left you none 00:19:22.529 --> 00:19:25.369 of that is real but the devil wants you to believe 00:19:25.369 --> 00:19:28.829 that so that way you may turn to the world turn 00:19:28.829 --> 00:19:32.170 to yourself turn to Satan and away from God away 00:19:32.170 --> 00:19:36.269 from prayer away from faith I want to continue 00:19:36.269 --> 00:19:40.029 reading Matthew 11 28 through 30 says here take 00:19:40.029 --> 00:19:44.470 my yoke upon you and learn from me For I am gentle 00:19:44.470 --> 00:19:47.849 and lowly in heart. You will find rest for your 00:19:47.849 --> 00:19:53.930 souls. My yoke is easy, my burden is light. Jesus 00:19:53.930 --> 00:19:57.569 is literally offering for us to give him this 00:19:57.569 --> 00:19:59.750 weight that we are carrying, and he will give 00:19:59.750 --> 00:20:02.730 us something lighter to carry, which is living 00:20:02.730 --> 00:20:09.289 for him, submitting to him, obeying him. And 00:20:09.289 --> 00:20:11.630 I'm not saying that it's always an easy thing. 00:20:12.519 --> 00:20:14.960 Because in obeying Christ we're gonna have to 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:18.559 go against the world. The world hates Jesus. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:21.279 Of course they'll hate us when we're doing things 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:25.640 that Jesus calls us to do. But Jesus assures 00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:29.539 us that obeying Him, trusting in Him, abiding 00:20:29.539 --> 00:20:32.859 in Him is much easier than doing it alone in 00:20:32.859 --> 00:20:35.519 this world, than doing things apart from Him. 00:20:36.460 --> 00:20:40.480 Remember the devil hates you. Satan hates you. 00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:44.559 We are creating in God's image. We have the opportunity 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:46.460 at forgiveness and eternity with the Heavenly 00:20:46.460 --> 00:20:49.500 Father Satan doesn't have that He was kicked 00:20:49.500 --> 00:20:51.319 out of heaven because of his pride because of 00:20:51.319 --> 00:20:53.819 his ego because he thought he could be like God 00:20:53.819 --> 00:20:59.039 Has he repented? Will he repent? No, we know 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:05.400 this from reading scripture So don't think for 00:21:05.400 --> 00:21:09.710 a second That those whispers Satan is whispering 00:21:09.710 --> 00:21:12.349 in your ear those false ideas of comfort because 00:21:12.349 --> 00:21:14.529 we know from reading scripture that he Masquerades 00:21:14.529 --> 00:21:16.289 as an angel like don't think for a second that 00:21:16.289 --> 00:21:19.710 he cares about you Or that he's trying to help 00:21:19.710 --> 00:21:22.430 you Or bring you comfort all he is trying to 00:21:22.430 --> 00:21:24.569 do is get you to put your faith in things outside 00:21:24.569 --> 00:21:28.109 of Jesus Christ Because that way he can block 00:21:28.109 --> 00:21:30.509 you from heaven. He doesn't have to get you to 00:21:30.509 --> 00:21:32.670 worship him He just has to get you to turn away 00:21:32.670 --> 00:21:35.680 from God He has to get you to turn away from 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:39.400 Jesus and take your faith away from Jesus He 00:21:39.400 --> 00:21:42.839 comes to steal kill and destroy God's creations 00:21:42.839 --> 00:21:46.099 and you are one of them Don't think for a second. 00:21:46.099 --> 00:21:50.839 He has your well -being and mind your eternal 00:21:50.839 --> 00:21:55.380 well -being Let's read some more scripture y 00:21:55.380 --> 00:22:02.640 'all Psalms we're gonna be in Psalm 91 verse 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:09.019 15 When he calls to me, I will answer him. I 00:22:09.019 --> 00:22:11.740 will be with him in trouble I will rescue him 00:22:11.740 --> 00:22:14.700 and honor him with long life. I will satisfy 00:22:14.700 --> 00:22:18.480 him and show him my salvation y 'all there is 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:23.059 This lie that the enemy loves to tell you The 00:22:23.059 --> 00:22:28.099 enemy loves to say God Won't come God won't help 00:22:28.099 --> 00:22:30.559 you. God won't hear your prayers. That's too 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:33.059 big for God. God has turned for me. That is a 00:22:33.059 --> 00:22:36.420 lie And right here is a promise from God that 00:22:36.420 --> 00:22:39.480 when we call to Him, meaning when we call out 00:22:39.480 --> 00:22:43.700 for His help, when we go to Him in faith, when 00:22:43.700 --> 00:22:47.000 we go to God actually believing that He has the 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:52.000 ability to change the situation, believing that 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:56.240 He will use this for our good, when we go to 00:22:56.240 --> 00:23:01.859 Him in faith, He will answer us. And remember 00:23:01.859 --> 00:23:04.180 y 'all, we have to listen. There are a lot of 00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:06.619 times God is answering, but you aren't listening. 00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:09.099 And you're walking around thinking he said no. 00:23:09.339 --> 00:23:11.240 When he said not yet, you're walking around thinking 00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:13.099 he didn't answer when you walked away before 00:23:13.099 --> 00:23:16.059 he could respond. When you tossed up your prayer 00:23:16.059 --> 00:23:18.299 and went on your day and started consuming social 00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:22.500 media, Facebook, Reels, talking on the phone, 00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:24.799 going to work. A lot of us distract ourselves 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:26.759 with work and busy moving throughout the day 00:23:26.759 --> 00:23:31.940 when we should be sitting and praying. Did you 00:23:31.940 --> 00:23:34.380 walk away before God could respond? Did you start 00:23:34.380 --> 00:23:37.460 occupying your brain again? Before you could 00:23:37.460 --> 00:23:40.359 receive before you could hear from him as God 00:23:40.359 --> 00:23:44.259 says here I will be with him in trouble I will 00:23:44.259 --> 00:23:48.009 rescue him and honor him You can be in the lowest 00:23:48.009 --> 00:23:50.369 of your low and God will rescue you y 'all. I 00:23:50.369 --> 00:23:53.490 have told you about how God restored me I was 00:23:53.490 --> 00:23:55.890 in the lowest of my low I was like literally 00:23:55.890 --> 00:23:58.289 living in my car in the middle of the desert 00:23:58.289 --> 00:24:01.170 with no money to my name My reputation the lowest 00:24:01.170 --> 00:24:03.309 had ever been I turned away from God and turned 00:24:03.309 --> 00:24:05.890 to new age spirituality And he told me if I put 00:24:05.890 --> 00:24:08.609 my faith in him, he would restore me Do you know 00:24:08.609 --> 00:24:10.769 how much faith I had to have that he was going 00:24:10.769 --> 00:24:16.079 to do that? And he did it I was in the deepest 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:19.579 pit y 'all when I would be reading those Psalms 00:24:19.579 --> 00:24:22.000 and say like let's say like my soul is down in 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:23.900 Sheol and he'll save me from Sheol that's how 00:24:23.900 --> 00:24:27.380 I felt I felt like I was the lowest of the low 00:24:27.380 --> 00:24:31.680 I could be without being in hell and there were 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:33.940 times I was thinking could could God fix the 00:24:33.940 --> 00:24:37.099 situation I was like because it he would have 00:24:37.099 --> 00:24:40.279 to bring me money in a miraculous way He would 00:24:40.279 --> 00:24:42.519 have to do, I don't know, how is it possible 00:24:42.519 --> 00:24:45.160 to restore reputation? How is it possible to 00:24:45.160 --> 00:24:47.559 do all these things? He did things that I could 00:24:47.559 --> 00:24:49.579 not do for myself. He restored relationships 00:24:49.579 --> 00:24:52.900 I couldn't restore. He got me jobs I couldn't 00:24:52.900 --> 00:24:56.859 get. He got me into places. He opened doors I 00:24:56.859 --> 00:24:59.039 could never open for myself or even think to 00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:01.059 open for myself. He made things work out in ways 00:25:01.059 --> 00:25:03.019 that I couldn't think to make them work out in 00:25:03.019 --> 00:25:09.420 million years. I have... Lit modern day living 00:25:09.420 --> 00:25:15.119 like testimony to him Saving and rescuing you 00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:19.079 when you call out to him in prayer and you listen 00:25:19.079 --> 00:25:24.059 to his answer When God said he would restore 00:25:24.059 --> 00:25:27.779 me He gave me some things y 'all and I didn't 00:25:27.779 --> 00:25:30.539 want to listen to him out first He told me you're 00:25:30.539 --> 00:25:32.380 gonna move back to Indiana. I didn't want to 00:25:32.380 --> 00:25:35.059 move back to Indiana. I was already in, California 00:25:35.319 --> 00:25:38.400 It's a drive through mountains. There were people 00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:40.500 I didn't want to see back in Indiana. I didn't 00:25:40.500 --> 00:25:43.700 want to go back to my old life. I didn't see 00:25:43.700 --> 00:25:46.980 how God would use that obedience to rebuild relationships, 00:25:47.480 --> 00:25:54.299 to lead me to my church. That that act of obedience 00:25:54.299 --> 00:25:56.799 was actually what he was going to move through. 00:25:58.440 --> 00:26:00.619 When he said he would restore me financially, 00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:03.000 I was ready to jump up in labor and get a job 00:26:03.000 --> 00:26:06.609 and he told me to wait on him. I didn't know 00:26:06.609 --> 00:26:08.250 if that meant he was gonna give me a job, if 00:26:08.250 --> 00:26:09.990 there was gonna be money, like what was gonna 00:26:09.990 --> 00:26:12.490 happen? And he ended up giving me a financial 00:26:12.490 --> 00:26:14.710 blessing through an act of obedience to move 00:26:14.710 --> 00:26:22.269 me back to Indiana to then get me a job. God 00:26:22.269 --> 00:26:26.450 gave me a promise, but I had to trust in his 00:26:26.450 --> 00:26:32.930 guidance. And the only reason, y 'all, why I 00:26:32.930 --> 00:26:38.599 knew to wait. the only reason why I knew to move 00:26:38.599 --> 00:26:40.920 and to do these things was because I prayed to 00:26:40.920 --> 00:26:44.119 him and I waited on an answer and when he gave 00:26:44.119 --> 00:26:46.839 me that answer I didn't say but this but that 00:26:46.839 --> 00:26:49.400 but that and try to ask him for a new one or 00:26:49.400 --> 00:26:52.559 anything I said okay this is your answer and 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:54.900 I'll be so transparent that wasn't always me 00:26:55.359 --> 00:26:57.019 At first, when I was hearing from God, I'd say, 00:26:57.140 --> 00:26:58.900 but God, I don't like that way. You're gonna 00:26:58.900 --> 00:27:00.460 have to do something else. But what about this? 00:27:00.519 --> 00:27:02.180 But what about that? And then I had to recognize 00:27:02.180 --> 00:27:03.859 that was pride and ego because I was thinking 00:27:03.859 --> 00:27:06.539 my way was better than God's. I was trusting 00:27:06.539 --> 00:27:09.119 in my understanding and my sight over God's understanding 00:27:09.119 --> 00:27:11.019 and his sight, and he sees a lot more than I 00:27:11.019 --> 00:27:16.680 see. My restoration, y 'all, my testimonies were 00:27:16.680 --> 00:27:20.720 based off of obedience to God. It wasn't anything 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:23.779 I created for myself. I was obeying God and submitting 00:27:23.779 --> 00:27:27.380 and saying yes. Was putting my faith in him and 00:27:27.380 --> 00:27:34.119 trusting in his planning and his abilities I 00:27:34.119 --> 00:27:37.000 Believed his word and the only way I was able 00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:41.460 to know his word was I was in his word Some of 00:27:41.460 --> 00:27:43.240 y 'all need to hear about the parable of the 00:27:43.240 --> 00:27:48.500 sower When God will give somebody a word he will 00:27:48.500 --> 00:27:50.420 give you a promise he will say I'm gonna restore 00:27:50.420 --> 00:27:52.160 you I'm gonna do this thing. I'm gonna do that 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:55.829 thing the devil best believe that when God gives 00:27:55.829 --> 00:27:58.569 you a promise or a word the devil very quickly 00:27:58.569 --> 00:28:02.109 tries to come along and steal it away people 00:28:02.109 --> 00:28:04.089 who aren't rooted in the word people who don't 00:28:04.089 --> 00:28:06.970 know God's word are able to be swayed pretty 00:28:06.970 --> 00:28:09.130 quickly all it takes is someone coming around 00:28:09.130 --> 00:28:11.549 that sounds a little bit holy and because you 00:28:11.549 --> 00:28:15.410 don't actually know what the Bible says you start 00:28:15.410 --> 00:28:21.190 believing in half Christian words Or you start 00:28:21.190 --> 00:28:24.349 believing the lies of the devil the lies of the 00:28:24.349 --> 00:28:27.549 enemy When he comes and says God didn't really 00:28:27.549 --> 00:28:29.930 say that you're quick to believe God didn't say 00:28:29.930 --> 00:28:36.069 it Or because your circumstances don't immediately 00:28:36.069 --> 00:28:39.470 look like God's promise You stop believing in 00:28:39.470 --> 00:28:41.869 God's promises y 'all when God told me he was 00:28:41.869 --> 00:28:43.849 gonna restore me my life didn't immediately get 00:28:43.849 --> 00:28:46.789 better Actually things around me started falling 00:28:46.789 --> 00:28:49.210 through more. It looked like I was like cursed 00:28:50.750 --> 00:28:52.549 I was like God, are you sure you're gonna bring 00:28:52.549 --> 00:28:57.650 me money? Because I'm actually losing money God 00:28:57.650 --> 00:28:59.950 are you sure my reputation is gonna be restored 00:28:59.950 --> 00:29:03.849 because people are starting to make fun But God 00:29:03.849 --> 00:29:06.170 gave me a promise and then my situation actually 00:29:06.170 --> 00:29:07.809 started to look worse it looked like doors were 00:29:07.809 --> 00:29:12.670 being opened and slammed in my face and That 00:29:12.670 --> 00:29:15.470 was the enemy trying to get me to lose faith 00:29:15.470 --> 00:29:18.710 and to lose heart that was him trying to steal 00:29:19.740 --> 00:29:23.640 The seed before it could take root But it was 00:29:23.640 --> 00:29:25.240 able to take root and y 'all know how it was 00:29:25.240 --> 00:29:28.640 able to take root when God gave me a word I put 00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:31.619 my faith in him and I stayed rooted in prayer. 00:29:31.779 --> 00:29:35.359 I continued to read my Bible I continued to get 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:39.019 to know God more I know God more a lot more now 00:29:39.019 --> 00:29:41.819 than I did back then because I continued to be 00:29:41.819 --> 00:29:46.440 in scripture. I continued to pray I continued 00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:49.460 When God gave me those promises, it was months 00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:52.599 before I saw a lot of things pick up. There's 00:29:52.599 --> 00:29:54.599 some things, y 'all, I'm still weighing on. It's 00:29:54.599 --> 00:29:59.019 been years. But I still have faith. And I'm not 00:29:59.019 --> 00:30:02.059 saying that faith wasn't a tap. It was. That 00:30:02.059 --> 00:30:05.720 faith hasn't always been perfect. But a big sign 00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:08.559 of my faith is I still am not trying to create 00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:10.339 for myself in that area. I'm still waiting on 00:30:10.339 --> 00:30:15.900 God. And someone needs to hear today, do not 00:30:15.900 --> 00:30:18.400 lose faith in the promises from God just because 00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:20.920 your surroundings don't match up with it. There's 00:30:20.920 --> 00:30:23.460 a reason why scripture says walk by faith, not 00:30:23.460 --> 00:30:26.859 by sight. You have to have faith in what God 00:30:26.859 --> 00:30:28.880 says over what you see around you. If you trust 00:30:28.880 --> 00:30:30.339 in what you see around you, you're never going 00:30:30.339 --> 00:30:32.819 to move by faith. You're never going to see the 00:30:32.819 --> 00:30:36.160 promises of God. Because things happen in the 00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:40.339 spirit before they happen here in the physical 00:30:40.339 --> 00:30:43.140 where you can see it. Haven't you noticed that 00:30:43.140 --> 00:30:44.900 right before breakthroughs and blessings happen, 00:30:44.900 --> 00:30:48.299 there's a lot of warfare? You notice there's 00:30:48.299 --> 00:30:51.420 arguments, fallouts, breakdowns, all these different 00:30:51.420 --> 00:30:55.039 things? Because things are happening in the spirit 00:30:55.039 --> 00:30:57.700 before we see them in the physical. Meaning the 00:30:57.700 --> 00:31:00.880 devil is seeing them too. He knows you're about 00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:02.740 to receive that blessing, and he's trying to 00:31:02.740 --> 00:31:04.980 get you to fudge it up. He's trying to get you 00:31:04.980 --> 00:31:07.619 to move out of position. He's trying to get you 00:31:07.619 --> 00:31:12.339 so, like, ungrateful. in a negative space that 00:31:12.339 --> 00:31:14.160 when the blessing comes you don't see the blessing, 00:31:14.299 --> 00:31:16.980 but you pass it up. He wants you to get so fearful 00:31:16.980 --> 00:31:22.400 that you move before God, that you settle, that 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:23.980 you do that thing that God's telling you not 00:31:23.980 --> 00:31:30.339 to do. I want to read a little bit more scripture 00:31:30.339 --> 00:31:32.819 to y 'all in Psalm 91, y 'all. This is verse 00:31:32.819 --> 00:31:43.190 11, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 00:31:43.650 --> 00:31:46.309 You will tread on the lion and the adder. The 00:31:46.309 --> 00:31:48.029 young lion and the serpent, you will trample 00:31:48.029 --> 00:31:49.789 underfoot." You know what I thought about reading 00:31:49.789 --> 00:31:51.490 that scripture? I didn't plan to read that scripture 00:31:51.490 --> 00:31:53.769 to you all today. That is the scripture that 00:31:53.769 --> 00:31:56.509 the devil read back and twisted to Jesus when 00:31:56.509 --> 00:31:58.130 he was trying to tempt him in the desert, in 00:31:58.130 --> 00:32:00.450 the wilderness. When Jesus Christ went into the 00:32:00.450 --> 00:32:04.069 wilderness, y 'all, he had just gotten baptized. 00:32:04.829 --> 00:32:08.809 He had just heard John the Baptist. Like John 00:32:08.809 --> 00:32:11.869 the Baptist said like proclaim him saying like 00:32:11.869 --> 00:32:14.089 this is the person I've been waiting on he had 00:32:14.089 --> 00:32:17.549 gone baptized and God Had spoken to him and said 00:32:17.549 --> 00:32:20.930 this is my son with who I am. Well, please He 00:32:20.930 --> 00:32:22.990 had just heard from God that God was pleased 00:32:22.990 --> 00:32:27.150 with him. God had just claimed him as his son 00:32:27.150 --> 00:32:32.210 He had just stepped like taking a big step into 00:32:32.210 --> 00:32:35.630 his ministry Right and right there in the moment. 00:32:35.630 --> 00:32:38.440 So you would think because God just gave him 00:32:38.440 --> 00:32:40.539 that promise and that beautiful thing a lot of 00:32:40.539 --> 00:32:41.839 us would think okay things are going to look 00:32:41.839 --> 00:32:43.519 really good things are going to be really easy 00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:50.180 now right wrong immediately after that where 00:32:50.180 --> 00:32:53.400 was Jesus led he was led into the wilderness 00:32:53.400 --> 00:32:59.200 into like the desert area for 40 days to fast 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:03.319 which to us would be being led into a struggle 00:33:03.319 --> 00:33:07.299 period Right after God blesses or get right after 00:33:07.299 --> 00:33:08.960 God gives you a word and says I'm so happy with 00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:10.779 you I'm so pleased with you and you're led immediately 00:33:10.779 --> 00:33:14.559 into a struggle bus season a wilderness season 00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:20.839 Where Jesus was without? He no food no what fasting 00:33:20.839 --> 00:33:25.480 40 days And while he's out there in the middle 00:33:25.480 --> 00:33:29.819 of nowhere The devil comes and tries to tempt 00:33:29.819 --> 00:33:34.140 him You know saying If you're really the son 00:33:34.140 --> 00:33:37.059 of God turn the stone into bread When he knew 00:33:37.059 --> 00:33:39.319 he had a command to be when he knew he was supposed 00:33:39.319 --> 00:33:42.279 to be fasting the devil trying to tempt him to 00:33:42.279 --> 00:33:45.519 break his ass To disobey what God had already 00:33:45.519 --> 00:33:50.319 told him to do. He's like now You shouldn't live 00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:53.059 on bread But you should live on the word of God 00:33:53.059 --> 00:33:55.240 someone needs to hear that today Put aside the 00:33:55.240 --> 00:33:57.019 fleshly things that are bringing you comfort 00:33:57.019 --> 00:33:59.700 and turn to the word of God That is what you 00:33:59.700 --> 00:34:02.640 should be feeding on right now When you're going 00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:04.240 through it mentally emotional, you should be 00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:10.000 feeding on the Word of God not AI Not tick -tock 00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:14.320 not Facebook Not listening to other angry people 00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:16.320 agree with you about being angry. You need to 00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:24.179 be in the Word of God But see this was something 00:34:24.179 --> 00:34:27.199 that the devil tried to tempt him with the devil 00:34:27.199 --> 00:34:31.570 tried to get Jesus to off himself To throw himself 00:34:31.570 --> 00:34:36.409 down to put God to the test He was saying throw 00:34:36.409 --> 00:34:39.369 yourself down from this mountaintop from this 00:34:39.369 --> 00:34:42.570 cliff side Because doesn't scripture say that 00:34:42.570 --> 00:34:45.409 like he will command his angels concerning you 00:34:45.409 --> 00:34:49.510 to guard you in all your ways On their hands 00:34:49.510 --> 00:34:50.949 will bear you up. Let's you strike your foot 00:34:50.949 --> 00:34:53.289 against a stone and Jesus remember He had respond 00:34:53.289 --> 00:34:55.570 back and I'm calling this remember y 'all so 00:34:55.570 --> 00:34:57.989 bear with me if it's if the words are scrambled 00:34:58.460 --> 00:35:01.800 but jesus said back to him you shall not put 00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:03.940 the lord your god to the test that was the devil 00:35:03.940 --> 00:35:07.760 trying to get jesus to step out of god's will 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:11.579 to harm himself to hurt himself to test if god 00:35:11.579 --> 00:35:14.659 was actually going to show up or not the devil 00:35:14.659 --> 00:35:18.139 was trying to twist scripture because does the 00:35:18.139 --> 00:35:20.840 bible say that he will command his angels concerning 00:35:20.840 --> 00:35:26.110 you yes it does but what is the context You guys 00:35:26.110 --> 00:35:30.050 need to know the Word of God and the context 00:35:30.050 --> 00:35:35.329 There are so many people who are tricked out 00:35:35.329 --> 00:35:38.190 of their promise who have peace and lose their 00:35:38.190 --> 00:35:41.849 peace are tricked out of their peace are Tricked 00:35:41.849 --> 00:35:45.050 into picking something back up are tricked out 00:35:45.050 --> 00:35:48.090 of putting their faith in God because they believe 00:35:48.090 --> 00:35:54.289 in the manipulated Bible verses Because they're 00:35:54.289 --> 00:35:57.409 not rooted in the Word, because they say, well, 00:35:57.409 --> 00:36:01.489 God knows my heart. Well, I have discernment. 00:36:01.489 --> 00:36:04.369 I don't need the Word. No, the Word actually 00:36:04.369 --> 00:36:06.389 strengthens discernment. You're following your 00:36:06.389 --> 00:36:08.849 heart. Let's be real, and the heart is deceptive. 00:36:11.570 --> 00:36:13.469 I cannot tell you all how many people I see that 00:36:13.469 --> 00:36:15.210 say, I don't need the Bible. I don't need to 00:36:15.210 --> 00:36:18.829 read all that. God will guide my heart. The devil 00:36:18.829 --> 00:36:20.469 will be whispering in your ear the whole way, 00:36:20.550 --> 00:36:22.949 too. How do you know the difference? You need 00:36:22.949 --> 00:36:25.769 to be rooted in the Word. God's Word is how you're 00:36:25.769 --> 00:36:27.929 able to hold things up and see things that sound 00:36:27.929 --> 00:36:34.469 holy that aren't from God. And because Jesus 00:36:34.469 --> 00:36:37.650 was constantly in prayer with the Heavenly Father, 00:36:37.650 --> 00:36:40.710 because he knew God's voice, because he knew 00:36:40.710 --> 00:36:43.210 the context, because he was rooted in Scripture, 00:36:43.570 --> 00:36:46.869 he was able to decipher and discern that to be 00:36:46.869 --> 00:36:49.989 a lie. You need to know the context. I cannot 00:36:49.989 --> 00:36:53.559 tell y 'all how many people for example quote 00:36:53.559 --> 00:36:56.340 Philippians 4 13 which says I can do all things 00:36:56.340 --> 00:36:58.940 through Christ who strengthens me you see how 00:36:58.940 --> 00:37:00.579 many athletes put that on their face how many 00:37:00.579 --> 00:37:02.760 people put that in their bios and they take that 00:37:02.760 --> 00:37:08.380 as I can do anything like I I can do anything 00:37:08.380 --> 00:37:10.639 if if I have God if I'm praying to God I can 00:37:10.639 --> 00:37:12.780 do anything anything I set my mind to I'll be 00:37:12.780 --> 00:37:15.030 able to achieve I'll be able to accomplish when 00:37:15.030 --> 00:37:16.829 if they read the context they would see what 00:37:16.829 --> 00:37:19.289 Paul was actually saying and right before that 00:37:19.289 --> 00:37:21.269 Paul says I have learned to be and I'm just quoting 00:37:21.269 --> 00:37:23.250 off memory all I have learned to be content in 00:37:23.250 --> 00:37:25.789 all situations in the hills and in the valleys 00:37:25.789 --> 00:37:28.030 Paul's talking about how he's been in situations 00:37:28.030 --> 00:37:31.610 where he has had nothing and still moved by faith 00:37:31.610 --> 00:37:34.329 in times when he has had everything and still 00:37:34.329 --> 00:37:39.380 moved by faith And that he can do all things 00:37:39.380 --> 00:37:41.559 through Christ who strengthens him meaning it 00:37:41.559 --> 00:37:44.559 doesn't matter if he has nothing to his name 00:37:44.559 --> 00:37:47.320 It doesn't matter if his situation looks dry 00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:51.500 pointless if he's up against a Appearing to be 00:37:51.500 --> 00:37:53.739 undefeatable person if he's up against the Goliath 00:37:53.739 --> 00:37:56.539 if God is on his side He will be able to achieve 00:37:56.539 --> 00:38:00.119 it if God has called him to it if God's hand 00:38:00.119 --> 00:38:06.539 is in the situation Saying despite his circumstances 00:38:06.539 --> 00:38:10.380 even if it looks Dire and unwinnable if God has 00:38:10.380 --> 00:38:12.519 decided the situation is a win. It will be a 00:38:12.519 --> 00:38:14.960 win That's not saying if you have decided you 00:38:14.960 --> 00:38:18.480 want it and you have decided this way. It's if 00:38:18.480 --> 00:38:24.300 God has Christ strengthens you when Christ is 00:38:24.300 --> 00:38:29.980 supporting that right? Just for an example of 00:38:29.980 --> 00:38:32.530 a situation God isn't going to support. God isn't 00:38:32.530 --> 00:38:34.449 going to strengthen. For an example, He's not 00:38:34.449 --> 00:38:36.269 going to strengthen you going into a marriage 00:38:36.269 --> 00:38:38.110 and taking someone's husband or taking someone's 00:38:38.110 --> 00:38:40.389 wife. You're going to have to do that one on 00:38:40.389 --> 00:38:44.750 your own, buddy. If God has called you to teach, 00:38:45.090 --> 00:38:47.190 but you decide that you want to be an influencer 00:38:47.190 --> 00:38:50.690 or a singer, you're going to be doing that on 00:38:50.690 --> 00:38:55.190 your own strength. You want to toss away a blessing 00:38:55.190 --> 00:38:57.570 God has given you. You want to toss away a promise 00:38:57.570 --> 00:38:59.570 God has given you. You're going to be doing that 00:38:59.570 --> 00:39:06.090 on your own strength. So many people twist Philippians 00:39:06.090 --> 00:39:09.650 4 13 to I can do whatever I want if I pray to 00:39:09.650 --> 00:39:16.269 God You have to know the context the devil will 00:39:16.269 --> 00:39:18.809 be quick to flip scripture and take it out of 00:39:18.809 --> 00:39:23.130 context to trick you out of your spot You need 00:39:23.130 --> 00:39:29.530 to know the Word of God Psalm 56 verses 3 through 00:39:29.530 --> 00:39:32.989 4 This is the last scripture I want to mention 00:39:32.989 --> 00:39:36.489 today y 'all when I am afraid I put my trust 00:39:36.489 --> 00:39:41.489 in you and God Whose word I praise and God I 00:39:41.489 --> 00:39:45.190 trust I shall not be afraid What can flesh do 00:39:45.190 --> 00:39:51.610 to me? When I am afraid I put my trust in God 00:39:51.610 --> 00:39:54.030 meaning when I am fearful when I don't know the 00:39:54.030 --> 00:39:57.230 outcome when I don't know what to do When I am 00:39:57.230 --> 00:39:58.869 scared, when I am put in a position of fear, 00:39:59.150 --> 00:40:01.469 I'm going to turn to God. I'm going to pray about 00:40:01.469 --> 00:40:04.489 it. I'm going to seek His will. I'm going to 00:40:04.489 --> 00:40:08.989 get in the Word. And God, whose Word I praise. 00:40:12.050 --> 00:40:13.690 Some people are going to hate to hear this today, 00:40:13.690 --> 00:40:16.869 but you need to hear it anyway. You have to accept 00:40:16.869 --> 00:40:19.909 every word of God, not just what makes you feel 00:40:19.909 --> 00:40:27.559 good. Denying the flesh goes for all the flesh 00:40:27.559 --> 00:40:29.940 not just bits and pieces of it I know so many 00:40:29.940 --> 00:40:32.559 people that are down to say okay can't gossip 00:40:32.559 --> 00:40:34.739 can't lie can't do all these things But the second 00:40:34.739 --> 00:40:36.659 it comes to fornication the second it comes to 00:40:36.659 --> 00:40:38.619 sex outside of marriage. They don't want to hear 00:40:38.619 --> 00:40:43.719 it anymore The second it comes to looking at 00:40:43.719 --> 00:40:45.659 people lustfully the second it comes to forgiving 00:40:45.659 --> 00:40:48.099 your enemies They don't want to hear it or they 00:40:48.099 --> 00:40:50.460 want to pick and choose which enemies they only 00:40:50.460 --> 00:40:52.440 want to forgive the enemies from 25 years ago 00:40:52.750 --> 00:40:54.809 They can't forgive the enemies that made themselves 00:40:54.809 --> 00:40:58.269 enemies yesterday. You have to accept all of 00:40:58.269 --> 00:41:02.369 God's Word, not just part of it. You have to 00:41:02.369 --> 00:41:07.750 praise His Word. Now I'm not saying to idolize. 00:41:08.050 --> 00:41:11.030 We should not be idolizing the Bible. That should 00:41:11.030 --> 00:41:15.710 not be above God. But the Bible was a gift given 00:41:15.710 --> 00:41:18.869 to us from God. This is the living breathing 00:41:18.869 --> 00:41:22.849 word of God This is God God is the author of 00:41:22.849 --> 00:41:25.809 the Bible and the people who wrote the different 00:41:25.809 --> 00:41:28.170 books were the Transcribers people who heard 00:41:28.170 --> 00:41:32.329 from God and wrote down his word people who saw 00:41:32.329 --> 00:41:42.519 moves of God And wrote it down for us You cannot 00:41:42.519 --> 00:41:48.159 be a Christian love love Jesus follow Jesus But 00:41:48.159 --> 00:41:50.900 not love the Word of God. Jesus is literally 00:41:50.900 --> 00:41:58.440 the Word made flesh And God I trust I shall not 00:41:58.440 --> 00:42:01.420 be afraid when you put your faith in God he will 00:42:01.420 --> 00:42:06.039 take that fear away from you Now it may try to 00:42:06.039 --> 00:42:08.079 creep back up but when it creeps back up you 00:42:08.079 --> 00:42:10.440 put your faith in God again You give it to God 00:42:10.440 --> 00:42:12.260 again. If you have to lay it down at the altar 00:42:12.260 --> 00:42:14.559 50 times, you keep laying it down at the altar. 00:42:15.960 --> 00:42:19.320 Remind yourself of who God is. Get in the Word. 00:42:19.360 --> 00:42:22.139 Remind yourself of what God is capable of. Read 00:42:22.139 --> 00:42:25.099 about how He did it with the Israelites in Egypt. 00:42:26.780 --> 00:42:29.079 Read about how He delivered on His promises. 00:42:30.360 --> 00:42:34.360 Read about what He did for Joseph. Read about 00:42:34.360 --> 00:42:36.400 what Jesus Christ going to the cross did for 00:42:36.400 --> 00:42:41.630 us. There are so many examples in the Bible of 00:42:41.630 --> 00:42:45.590 God and his promises and how he keeps them and 00:42:45.590 --> 00:42:48.369 Someone needs to hear this today. What can flesh 00:42:48.369 --> 00:42:53.269 do to me? That's what we just read and God whose 00:42:53.269 --> 00:42:55.329 word I praise and God I trust I shall not be 00:42:55.329 --> 00:42:58.389 afraid. What can flesh do to me? You need to 00:42:58.389 --> 00:43:00.630 start walking around with that energy if God 00:43:00.630 --> 00:43:04.739 is with me what can be against me? Weapons may 00:43:04.739 --> 00:43:07.219 form, but those who have their faith in God, 00:43:07.579 --> 00:43:10.699 weapons that form will not prosper. God never 00:43:10.699 --> 00:43:13.219 promised a weapon wouldn't form. Nowhere in the 00:43:13.219 --> 00:43:15.280 Bible does it say that when you're reading scripture, 00:43:15.719 --> 00:43:17.480 when you're putting your faith in Jesus, when 00:43:17.480 --> 00:43:19.340 you're denying the flesh, it's going to get easier. 00:43:20.300 --> 00:43:22.119 Nowhere in the Bible does it say the worker is 00:43:22.119 --> 00:43:27.980 going to stop. But you do read to not be afraid 00:43:27.980 --> 00:43:33.090 of men. Don't fear the one who can kill the body 00:43:33.090 --> 00:43:35.130 fear the one who can kill the soul and the body 00:43:35.130 --> 00:43:39.590 you fear God over your men Says here what can 00:43:39.590 --> 00:43:42.130 flesh do to me if God is with you who can stand 00:43:42.130 --> 00:43:44.650 against you? If God has decided you're gonna 00:43:44.650 --> 00:43:46.849 win in that situation sure the weapons inform 00:43:46.849 --> 00:43:48.789 the devil might try to get in your head He might 00:43:48.789 --> 00:43:51.050 try to delay you He might try to backtrack you 00:43:51.050 --> 00:43:54.070 of God has already anointed you for the situation. 00:43:54.090 --> 00:43:56.230 You're putting your faith in him You're doing 00:43:56.230 --> 00:43:58.329 what God calls you to do. You're playing your 00:43:58.329 --> 00:44:00.860 you're playing by God's rules those weapons forming 00:44:00.860 --> 00:44:04.659 aren't going to prosper and there's a real temptation 00:44:04.659 --> 00:44:08.860 when you're doing it God's way to stop the devil 00:44:08.860 --> 00:44:10.559 will do that he will try to get you to think 00:44:10.559 --> 00:44:12.559 well you've already done God's way this far enough 00:44:12.559 --> 00:44:15.500 let's do it flesh for a little while let's do 00:44:15.500 --> 00:44:17.519 it worldly for a little while that is a lie straight 00:44:17.519 --> 00:44:28.559 from hell do not give the devil an inch nowhere 00:44:28.559 --> 00:44:31.260 in scripture does it say when you check all these 00:44:31.260 --> 00:44:34.280 boxes as a Christian the warfare is going to 00:44:34.280 --> 00:44:39.579 stop nowhere does it say that but what are the 00:44:39.579 --> 00:44:43.019 different verses we read today talking about 00:44:43.019 --> 00:44:48.960 how when you face that warfare there is a rest 00:44:48.960 --> 00:44:51.440 and there's a peace and God will fight your battles 00:44:51.440 --> 00:44:56.849 you need only be still I'm telling y 'all today 00:44:56.849 --> 00:44:59.889 that your problems are going to feel heavier 00:44:59.889 --> 00:45:02.989 the more you distance yourself from God, from 00:45:02.989 --> 00:45:06.389 His Word, from communication with Him. But when 00:45:06.389 --> 00:45:11.809 you lean into Him, despite the opposition, you 00:45:11.809 --> 00:45:16.929 will find a peace. You will find victory in Christ 00:45:16.929 --> 00:45:21.250 Jesus. And I know the flesh may be telling you 00:45:21.250 --> 00:45:24.030 to lean away, to lean back to your old comforts. 00:45:24.090 --> 00:45:26.210 Go back to those things that you usually turn 00:45:26.210 --> 00:45:29.510 to, whether it's crashing out, lashing out, posting, 00:45:29.989 --> 00:45:38.050 whatever it is. Listen to Jesus instead. You'll 00:45:38.050 --> 00:45:41.449 never regret listening to God. You'll never regret 00:45:41.449 --> 00:45:46.230 waiting on God, because He will do exceedingly 00:45:46.230 --> 00:45:48.130 and abundantly ever better than you could create 00:45:48.130 --> 00:45:53.300 for yourself. And then some. But you will always 00:45:53.300 --> 00:45:58.880 regret not trusting God and not moving on Now 00:45:58.880 --> 00:46:04.539 I pray that this episode blessed y 'all and I 00:46:04.539 --> 00:46:08.639 want to remind you so heavily guys I am NOT Speaking 00:46:08.639 --> 00:46:11.420 this to you from some mountaintop like I'm set 00:46:11.420 --> 00:46:14.420 apart from all of this I am able to speak to 00:46:14.420 --> 00:46:18.159 y 'all about this with such enthusiasm and authority 00:46:18.489 --> 00:46:23.489 Because I have experienced this most of my life 00:46:23.489 --> 00:46:26.829 I Was relying on myself instead of God. I know 00:46:26.829 --> 00:46:30.269 firsthand what the warfare is like when you're 00:46:30.269 --> 00:46:34.210 relying on your own strength I Know firsthand 00:46:34.210 --> 00:46:36.909 the temptations to go back. I know firsthand 00:46:36.909 --> 00:46:39.849 what it's like to stumble and backslide and have 00:46:39.849 --> 00:46:44.989 to repent I know what it's like to believe the 00:46:44.989 --> 00:46:48.250 lies of the enemy and start doubting God. I know 00:46:48.250 --> 00:46:50.829 what it's like to start getting angry and thinking 00:46:50.829 --> 00:46:53.869 God isn't working in your situation. I am not 00:46:53.869 --> 00:46:56.170 speaking to you all as someone who is better 00:46:56.170 --> 00:46:58.769 than or hasn't experienced this or has gotten 00:46:58.769 --> 00:47:01.170 around it. I'm speaking to you all as someone 00:47:01.170 --> 00:47:04.989 who has and I have stumbled and I have tripped 00:47:04.989 --> 00:47:07.530 and I have had moments where I've seen through 00:47:07.530 --> 00:47:10.449 the lies of the enemy and gotten to bypass that. 00:47:10.849 --> 00:47:14.139 Glory be to God. I've also believed the lives 00:47:14.139 --> 00:47:16.300 of the young me, stumbled, and had to look to 00:47:16.300 --> 00:47:20.519 God to help me up. I'm speaking to y 'all as 00:47:20.519 --> 00:47:27.360 a sister in Christ that is lovingly trying to 00:47:27.360 --> 00:47:31.940 help you through this season. And I pray that 00:47:31.940 --> 00:47:34.820 God is speaking through me today, that the Holy 00:47:34.820 --> 00:47:38.599 Spirit is speaking through me today and ministering 00:47:38.599 --> 00:47:41.179 to you in ways that you didn't even realize you 00:47:41.179 --> 00:47:46.699 needed ministered to. I pray that whatever it 00:47:46.699 --> 00:47:49.639 is you are carrying, you give it to God, and 00:47:49.639 --> 00:47:52.039 that you too experience the peace that surpasses 00:47:52.039 --> 00:47:54.260 all understanding, and that when you face the 00:47:54.260 --> 00:47:56.579 next hardship, the next storm, you remember the 00:47:56.579 --> 00:48:00.599 peace that God gave you. you remember the tactics 00:48:00.599 --> 00:48:04.280 of the enemy and you choose to put your faith 00:48:04.280 --> 00:48:08.219 in God and I do pray that your scripture reading 00:48:08.219 --> 00:48:11.260 increases that you are rooted in the Word and 00:48:11.260 --> 00:48:13.679 that you memorize scripture and that you have 00:48:13.679 --> 00:48:15.679 it hidden in your heart so that way when the 00:48:15.679 --> 00:48:17.880 devil comes and tries to manipulate scripture 00:48:17.880 --> 00:48:22.219 you know the context you know God's will you 00:48:22.219 --> 00:48:25.519 know what God's Word says and these out of context 00:48:25.519 --> 00:48:29.909 quotations These twisted words aren't going to 00:48:29.909 --> 00:48:34.989 trip you up for nobody. And I just want to thank 00:48:34.989 --> 00:48:37.730 y 'all for listening to today's episode. And 00:48:37.730 --> 00:48:40.570 I pray that it blesses you. And I do ask you 00:48:40.570 --> 00:48:42.730 to hit subscribe wherever it is you're listening 00:48:42.730 --> 00:48:46.329 to this podcast. Share it. Share this podcast 00:48:46.329 --> 00:48:48.610 with your friend, your family member. Share it 00:48:48.610 --> 00:48:52.429 on social media. Share the podcast with whoever 00:48:52.429 --> 00:48:54.570 it is that the Lord is putting it on your heart. 00:48:54.829 --> 00:48:58.570 to share this podcast with. And I will see you 00:48:58.570 --> 00:49:00.690 guys next time. This was the Salt Not Sweetener 00:49:00.690 --> 00:49:03.969 podcast. My name is Danielle Townsend and I am 00:49:03.969 --> 00:49:07.769 so grateful that you chose to listen today. God 00:49:07.769 --> 00:49:08.210 bless.