Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Talk Tuesday-Denial of the Flesh

Jesus wisely warns us about what to expect as we soldier on through the pilgrimage of life.
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" John 16:33.

King David reminds us that, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all" Psalm 34:19.

Suffering, in its nature, is truly abhorrent to the flesh. It denies our carnal nature the comfort of appeasement. When we fast, we lay aside our earthly desires in order to pursue communion and fulfillment with the LORD. As one sense decreases, the other increases. It is like that as we wait upon the LORD. We choose to TRUST HIM, despite our circumstances. We choose to tell our flesh-our physical sight-that we do not allow it to lead our FAITH, but our FAITH will guard our hearts. It is a denial of the flesh and inherent in that DENIAL, is the subordination of our sense of entitlement to the WILL OF GOD for our lives. As I sit here, journalling before the LORD, I wonder about Job and Jesus.

How was Job able to say, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" Job 13:15 or Jesus able to concede, "Not my will, but Yours be done?" John 22:42.

I cannot explain these things to the non-believer. I cannot explain them to one who does not know the Son, because without the Son it is impossible to know the Father. Yet, once you know the Father and the Son, you know the Holy Spirit. You step out of the realm of the natural, into the spiritual. As Paul writes, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Galatians 5:16

So let me encourage you, as I seek to encourage myself. Let us spur each other on, to finish the race, and to finish it well. If you are suffering, know that it is not in vain. If you are waiting, know that it is unto a purpose. And if you are fasting, know that you are exercising your spiritual discipline. The DENIAL of the FLESH for the sake of the LORD will result in sweeping rewards. Continue to tenaciously hold to His promise, because GOD DOES NOT LIE!

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for that post. I feel so encouraged. It is not easy to deny the flesh but God meets us when we deny the flesh in total surrender to His mercies. We must continue to encourage one another to keep our focus on God the Father, God the Son and and God the Holy Spirit as we deny the flesh during our faith walk knowing that the victory is already won for us on the cross at Calvary.
Today was a day of fast for my husband and me - we also found ourselves spending extra time in prayer crying out to God in faith for the turmoil we have been experinecing in our family, knowing that He showed us his compassion so many times before and He will do it for us again and again. Our God is the same
yesterday, today and forever.
Blessings Andrew and Natasha.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I am also going through a very difficult valley experience in my life right now. Each day is a step of trust with the LORD. At first I felt like, 'why should I have to go through this?' Now I see how narrow-minded I have been. God is training me, teaching me how to stand. I can see that in my pain He is doing a great work in my life that will result in more spiritual fruit. It ain't easy!

Anonymous said...

This is my second experience as a mother where I have had to deny the flesh and make a direct committment to hold on to God's promises instead. During my first experience, though the situation before me seemed ever so daunting and bleak, I grabbed hold of God's promises with all my heart and soul, and when sight beconed me to wallow in self-pity and faithlessness, I hung on to Jesus my life-raft and kept plugging into His promises in prayer and faith and GOD came through for me and the family BIG TIME!!
Once again, the enemy has come in like a flood with another daughter but God promises His people that He would raise up a standard against the enemy in such times and to this life-raft I clutch in utter faith and confidence. God also promised that He will not let me down, so I continue to embrace His promises, in the face of an enemy who appears to be grinning at me (us) - the more I cry out to the Lord, the more the enemy seems to regroup and employ new strategies but my Father is the greatest strategist ever, so I will keep my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith and that of my children. God is not a man that He should lie and if He promises, He will bring to fruition what He has promised and from that well I draw the drink of hope. In the interim, the flesh continues to gnaw at me to look at the circumstance, therefore, mine
is a purposed faith and prayer walk, in unthetered confidence that God will do what He says He will do. He came through before with one daughter and He will come through again with the other. I am so reminded of the song, "Yet still I rise, never to give up, never to give in against all odds.
Yet still I rise, high above the clouds. Sometimes I get weary,yet still I rise." When I rise, He holds me in the palm of His hands.
God bless you Andrew and Natasha.

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