He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not vs. Real Faith

I remember that childhood game we used to play with flowers. We would pull its petals going in tandem saying, “He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not.” With each petal pulled, resolving to leave our fate to the outcome of random chance.

That was a childish game but even more childlike is to pray that same way. At one moment we pray with belief, and the next we are in doubt. Our faith at times is like that flower game, “He loves me - the Lord, He loves me not.” Oh, but for the Grace of God! 

We are to always believe, always to pray, and always to give thanks. The Word says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Now that’s real faith. That’s mature and tried faith.  But wait, there’s more, the Word also says,  “Let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,” (James 1:6-7).

So, I decide that I will not have the, “He loves me, he loves me not,” kind of faith, but have that grounded and well established faith that comes from a heart surrendered in full assurance of the goodness of the Lord.

We Have Value, We Are Loved

 How many times have I felt that I needed to accomplish something in order to have value. It is so human to think that successes, jobs, wealth, knowledge, friendships, associations, my appearance, and most of all, my feelings, were indicators of my worth. But in reality, as a child of God, my worth comes from belonging to the Lord. 

Christians are called His children, as 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

So it is not that we are valuable because we receive a job promotion, or because we accumulate a few dollars in the bank, or because someone says, “I love you,” but it is because God has declared that we are His very own.

Therefore, my thought is no longer, “I must be valuable because have been blessed, but it is I am valuable because God says so, hallelujah! Even better, whether the blessings come or not, I’m still loved.

For we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

The Sword Is Weighty

 The sword that we wield is a weighty sword. Like a natural sword, the Word is powerful and able to strike down  formidable enemies, mighty strong holds, and is sharper than any two-edged sword. But we do not have to do it alone. We are not sent on the battlefield without support. We fight with the power of the Holy Spirit. 

David was strengthened by the Lord when cutting off the head of Goliath, and Jael, the woman in the Song of Deborah, who brought down the enemy with a spike. Both were empowered by the Lord. Our victories too require the power of God, walking in His wisdom, and in His strength. Christ says to bring our cares and lay them on His shoulders, assuring us of His available strength saying, “His yoke is easy and His burden is light” (Matt. 11:30).

We were never meant to live the Christian life defenseless. We were never designed to go it alone. Life takes courage and confidence. We need the wisdom and strength of the Lord as we move forward each day. In Christ, we have the power of the Holy Spirit and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to win the victory in each battle, one day at a time.

She Wields the Sword

On this wonderful Saturday towards the end of January on brand new year, the question is, why does she wield the sword? She wields the sword because it cuts through the chains of darkness, grief and heaviness and it bares the standard of victory.

The Bible says the Word is sharper than a two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12). It is by the Word of God that I have been reminded of the goodness of the Lord and have had my hope restored. The truth of God‘s Word has taken an ax to the very root of the source of my insecurities. It cut away the layers of the enemy’s agenda. 

This Sword, the Word of God, defends me against the very onslaught and attack of the enemy. When the lies come on in the form unholy attachments and generational curses, just a flash of this sword’s bright blade turns back the troops of darkness.

It is written, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord raises up a standard against it” (Isa. 59:19). This Standard is the Word, The same Word that Jesus used in the wilderness, it is the same power and very presence of the Almighty God. 

We have been given this Sword in our hands because we have been chosen and made one of his own.