Monday Morning Devotion-July 7, 2014
How's Your Belief System?
I command you---be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
"Is it working? Your belief system that is. Is it really working? Gods' intention all along has been for the believer's life to work. From divine perspective toward terrestrial turf, God meant for His children to succeed."
Beth Moore, author of a ga-zillion books poses this question at the beginning of "Believing God." She goes on to tell the story of what happened on her morning walk. She came upon four ducks that were splashing around in a mud puddle while a "large, pristine pond was just over a small hill." She wondered if that isn't a scene that might sometimes be applied to us as Christians. The church may be splashing around in a mud puddle with a sea of living waters within her reach, just on the other side."
Funny what little things can trigger an idea for a book, a chapter or even a devotion for a writer. Yep, we are pretty impressionable. :)
Beth goes on to say that no one has been covered with more mud from "puddles-settled-for-than I." She said her "past record of failure, defeat, and pitiful mediocrity is exactly why she is heaven-bent on sharing this message with you." She wants to help strengthen our belief systems so we move from murky mud-puddles to the clear waters of the pond.
So are we living in God's Promised Land or are we still wandering around lost in the wilderness like the Israelites were?
The problem for the Israelites was not that they didn't believe in God. They did.
But they wandered around lost because they didn't believe God. Beth points out; "They talked a good talk, but their walk did nothing but tread sand tracks in desert circles."
She says: "I want to finish my race in the Promised Land, not in the wilderness. "
To do that we have to "cash in our fear and complacency and spend all we have on the only ticket out: BELIEF.
Building up our belief system starts with making sure our faith is strong, unwavering and cannot be defeated. Hebrews 11:6 says "Without faith it is impossible to please God." And the last thing the enemy wants is for God to be pleased.
And Christ wants us to respond according to our faith. So strengthening our faith is the first step in bolstering our belief system. Our walk with God began with that first step taken in faith. And things have been bombarding this faith ever since. Trying to weaken or refute it. But, as Beth says, "God exerts incomparable power in those who continue believing in Him."
We must raise the "shield of faith" in heated battles when temptation is strong and the tendency to feel overwhelmed is present. Beth Moore suggests that embattled Christians can use a five statement pledge of faith to help them win the faith battle. I've also heard Pastor Joel Osteen refer to this statement on his telecasts. It goes like this:
God is who He says He is.
God can do what He says He can do.
I am who God says I am.
I can do all things through Christ.
God's Word is alive and active in me.
Another faith-practice is to be open and alert to what God is doing around us. Henry Blackaby wrote in the landmark book "Experiencing God"---a big favorite among small groups in the late 90's early 2000 "That if you want to experience God, just look around. His activity is taking place all around you."
Being open and understanding not only about what's going on physically around us but analyzing each thought we have is an important way to boost our faith while strengthening our belief system.
John Ortberg ("God is Closer than You Think") says that each thought you have is, "at least to a small extent God-breathed or God -avoidant; leading toward death or life."
He qualifies it by saying "In time if we listen carefully, we can learn to recognize His voice. Not infallibly but the kind of thoughts that come from God are those in line with the fruit of the spirit. They move us toward love and joy and peace and patience. And we will learn that there are other thoughts that are not likely to be God speaking. For instance, nowhere in the Bible does it say, 'And then God worried.' So those thoughts that lead you towards paralyzing anxiety are not from God."
I have a friend we call "Science Mike." He was a believer who turned skeptic and became an atheist. Then in a dramatic turnaround became a Christian. He is a brilliant person. Loves the world of science. Likes a mental challenge. So he has dug deeply into the world of science seeking answers to the dilemma that Jesus Christ has put him in. And as he became a Christ-follower he found more and more answers in the Scientific World to justify his beliefs.
As we address analyzing our thought processes to determine which ones are God-sent and which ones aren't let me share with you some thoughts that Science Mike wrote in a recent article for "Relevant" magazine.
Mike says that "Scientists have been looking for a spot in the brain that corresponds with God. After all, there's a place in your brain responsible for vision, language, memory and anger. Couldn't there be neurological God spot?"
The research did not reveal a particular spot for God. What it reveled was that God redecorates the entire brain. "For the devout, God is not just an idea, but a tapestry of feelings and experiences. This network affects how our brains work at fundamental levels. People who focus on God's love through prayer and meditation change." These folks experience less stress and can even experience a reduction in blood pressure.
Mike writes that any prayer is beneficial, but prayers focused on God's love are most helpful.
When you follow this line of thinking your belief system will be in good shape.
Monday Prayer: Lord thank you that as believers we can count on you to keep our lives running the way you direct us. Amen!
***author's note: Your belief system requires maintenance to run well, just like your car does. Keep it well oiled with prayer and worship.