" FAITHING THE GIANTS "

By: Donna Selma Lind

"FAITHING THE GIANTS"

I live with Giants. Or should I say Giants live with me. Yes, every day I am facing some Giant issue or colossal problem that seems like an impossibility to overcome. Most of the Giants live in my head (the battlefield.) Many Giants never make it out of my head they just re-surface from time to time whenever I am confronted with people or situations that seem impossible, that is when the Giants rear their ugly heads and the battle begins. Anxious thoughts, insecurities and fears play over and over like a video in my mind reminding me of failures and battles that I have lost in the past. The Giants always seem bigger when they are in our minds because that is where the battles begin.

Some days I feel like a Grasshopper living in a land of Giants! {LOSER MENTALITY}

In Numbers 13, The LORD instructed Moses, "Send spies into the land I am giving to Israel; send one leader from each of the twelve tribes." The following is the report from ten of the twelve leaders:

 "There we saw the Giants; and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." Numbers 13:33

 Notice "we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

THE ENEMY SEES US AS WE SEE OURSELVES! 

HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF? WINNER OR LOSER? VICTORIOUS OR DEFEATED?

I must remember who I am in Christ and who Christ is in me!

If Jesus lives in my heart then; "Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world" 1John4:4

No matter how big the Giant seems, God is bigger! I said; "GOD IS BIGGER!"

"What seems impossible to man is possible with God." Luke 18:27

On days when I feel like I'm a grasshopper in a land of giants, I will tell the giants to Shut-up and I will ''SUIT UP." I will put on my big girl boots and my Armor Battle gear. 

"Put on the whole armor of God." Ephesians 6:10

I will not shrink back or run away, but I will stand tall when I am "FAITHING THE GIANTS!" 

FAITHING- My faith in action. If I want something different , I have to BELIEVE and  DO something different! It's a FAITH THING!

"Faith that does nothing is dead."James 2:26

Now let's hear what the other two spies Caleb and Joshua had to say when they returned from exploring the same land.  

But Caleb reassured the people as they stood before Moses. Numbers 13:30"Let us go up at once and possess it," he said "for we are well able to conquer it!"  {WINNER MENTALITY}

Gotta love that Caleb! Keep in mind he is in his eighties and perkier than a rutting Buck!

Caleb has no problem "FAITHING THE GIANTS"  he has no fear because he knows the LORD is with them. He is suited up and ready to go!

"Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." Numbers 14:9

"We will devour them." In other words,we will eat the enemy for lunch! 

Joshua and Caleb saw the enemy different than the other spies. In their eyes the enemy was a Loser- a tiny grasshopper that they saw crushed and defeated. Joshua and Caleb saw themselves as Winners with God. They were Giants in their Faith! 

Remember what I said earlier? "THE ENEMY SEES US AS WE SEE OURSELVES!"

So when you have a grasshopper day like I do, whether you are "FAITHING THE GIANTS" in your head or they are standing right in front of you, don't run from the giants! 

Don't be afraid, don't be dismayed!

 If you are Fed up then Get up. Suit up.Gear up.Cheer up. Rise up. Pray up. LOOK UP! 

Tell the enemy to Wake up, Shut-up, Listen up because his Time is up! AMEN. 

Whew! Glory to God that's good stuff! Somebody write that down!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

"For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory." Deuteronomy 20:4

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ."

 1 Corinthians 15:57

WHO AND WHAT ARE THE GIANTS IN YOUR LIFE TODAY? 

 ARE YOU FACING THE GIANTS OR ARE YOU FAITHING THE GIANTS? 

WRITE DOWN YOUR GIANTS.

 SPEAK THE TRUTH THE WORD OF GOD TO THE GIANTS.

 NOW GIVE THE GIANTS TO GOD.

THE GIANTS ARE ONLY AS BIG AS WE MAKE THEM!

GOD IS ALWAYS BIGGER! AMEN.

  HALLELUJAH!

 PRAISE THE LORD AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

        DONNA SELMA LIND

NO "SPANX" IN HEAVEN

By: Donna Selma Lind

No "SPANX" in Heaven

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." Hebrews 4:13

Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden and had just finished noshing on the forbidden fruit from the tree of good and evil. 

Genesis 3:7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Okay, so here's Adam and Eve, they are like little sponges all soaked in sin. They think they're going to hide their trespasses from God Almighty himself!  I can hear Eve now;

 "Come on Adam, trust me, just put on these "SPANX" they are like wonder underwear they conceal and cover everything! Look they even come in a nice Fig Leaf Camo pattern, I got them at the "Paradise Mall" at a BOGO sale!"

Isn't that what we do, we think we can hide our sins from God?

Let's be real. We know we stuff and push, cram, jam and squeeze into our 

Shapeware Girdles so that we give the outward appearance of looking good, being smooth and having it all together, but the truth is all our junk is still in the trunk! 
All our ugly lumps, bumps and wrinkles are still there. 

There is no hiding from God. He knows all and sees all. HE IS GOD.  He has X-Ray vision. When we stand before him he sees clear right through our "SPANX!"

8)Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Can you imagine what the sound of the LORD'S footsteps must have sounded like? Wow!

9) But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"

10) He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."

The first thing that happens when we fall into sin is the spirit of fear comes upon us. Why? Because we feel exposed, ashamed and guilty. Shame, Shame you know your name.

Then we try to hide. 

11) And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"

12) The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

13) Then the LORD God said to the woman,"What is this you have done?"

The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Blame. We usually try to blame someone or something else, not taking responsibility for our own choices and our own actions.

We will never get better if we don't get real, confess, repent, and ask God to forgive us and help us, change us.

Ask God to create in you a clean heart and a new fresh start!

Who out there is ready to trade their Fig Leaf  "SPANX"  for Righteousness , Truth and Freedom?

Romans 13:14 "Instead clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh."

Galatians 3:27 "And all who have been united with Christ in baptism, have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes."

Luke 12:25 

"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs." 

There will come a time when we will all stand naked before God.  Give him all your secrets, and all the junk in your trunk. Be Transparent. Get Real. Stop hiding and trying to  cover it up. Be bold! 

            LET'S GET NAKED AND UNASHAMED BEFORE                                                THE LORD!              

      There are no "SPANX" in Heaven! 

  HALLELUJAH!  

PRAISE THE LORD AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

                                                        DONNA SELMA LIND

"PIGS AND PEARLS"

By: Donna Selma Lind

"PIGS AND PEARLS"

Strolling through the park the other day my husband said "Hey look at the cute little puppy!"

 Across the field of grass was a young woman walking her pup. He had on a snug blue harness with a matching blue leash. From a distance we watched the puppy zipping back and forth across the park frolicking in the piles of leaves. 

As we walked closer I elbowed my husband, "That is not a puppy, that is a PIG!" 

"Noooo! No way is that a pig are you kidding me?" was his unbelieving response.

We darted through the grass stepping on crunchy leaves and acorns along the way until we were face to face with the cutest little tiny three pound pig!

Yes! There was a Pig in the Park! Or should I say a Pork in the Park? I'm not Bacon this stuff  up! 

 I don't want to Hog up your time and Boar you with details, but this little piggy was quite a Ham! 

It was love at first glance. My heart began to pitter-patter and pine for this little Swine!

But I digress... His name was Humphrey. He was a six week old Teacup pig and his owner was a darling college student who was a Nutrition major (which assured me that she had no plans to eat Humphrey in the near future)!

While Humphrey was the cutest little piggy that I ever did see, there have been other Pigs in my life that were not so cute!

Jesus said in Matthew 7:6 "Don't throw your pearls to pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them and tear you to pieces."

Have you ever given your time, energy and gifts to someone who didn't appreciate you? 

Did you ever give your heart and share yourself with a person who used and abused you?

Have you done and given everything you have to help someone until you are completely drained and spent, only to be attacked and stomped on from the very ones you gave it all to?

Well, now we know how Jesus felt and now we can understand when he warned us:

 "Don't throw your pearls (your time,energy and gifts) to pigs(scavengers,unappreciative,ungrateful people.) Otherwise, they will trample them (take advantage,walk all over you) and tear you to pieces (attack,mistreat,use and abuse) ."

If you have been a victim of "Pigs and Pearls" then it is time to pray for Discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to show you who the "Pigs" are in your life and stop sharing your "Pearls" with them.

Jesus continued his message in Matthew 10:14 " Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that place, shake the dust off your feet."

Time to clean out the Pig Pen!

"You don't need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of."

"The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray."
 Proverbs 12:26

"Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20

"Do not be misled:Bad company corrupts good character." 1 Corinthians 15:33

Share your "Pearls" with those who celebrate, respect and receive the good that you have to give!

             HALLELUJAH! 

PRAISE THE LORD AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

                                                          

   Donna Selma Lind