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>>>”Tired makes you an easy target”<<<

Those were words that fell from Rochelle Frazier’s mouth a couple of weekends ago.

My thoughts, “Really? because if that’s the case I have been tired and a sitting target for the enemy for at least a year.”

That Friday morning I was exhausted from fighting the world. I turned on the praise and worship music in my car and started praying.  “God obviously I’m trying to do things myself.  Obviously I’m doing something wrong. I’m tired of being tired.  I’m tired of someone else’s actions causing unrest in me.  I can’t even enjoy the things I know I should be because I cannot get past the junk!  Please, show me what to do, show me what to change in myself so that I can be free again.”

It’s embarrassing to say that it’s almost as if I heard a giggle in my spirit.  Like God was saying “Daughter, you haven’t been listening.”

I think of all the times I have tried to counsel my kids, and all the times they have said, “but mom….” I remember times of being exasperated and amused at the same time.  I tried to give them sound advice but they wanted to do it the hard way.  They weren’t really listening. I wonder how many times has God shown me what to do when all the while I was probably saying “but God, you don’t understand this situation.”  “But God I already did that.”  “But God I was praying.”  “But God what about them!”   “Why ME?”

—->”Why YOU?  Because you have intelligence, you have enmity, you have power – but the enemy knows your ‘heel’.” Rochelle Frazier

That morning it was as if God giggled a bit at me.  Clearly he said, “I don’t think you have been listening.  I have already given you the tools to fix this, to be free.”  This conversation between God and I went on the entire weekend.  I listened.  I took notes.  I prayed.  Most importantly I said “Okay God, I trust YOU, challenge accepted.”

You know what he spoke to me?  He said I was so concerned with myself and my own feelings that I set Him aside and started taking offense.  I was offended!  I didn’t know I had been walking around offended about others choices that affected my heart!  That offense compounded and became bitterness.  On my drive home that Friday night I spoke out loud in my car….  “I am bitter.  I have been walking around with suppressed anger and offense and have become bitter.”  I pulled up in my driveway and before even getting out of my car I grabbed my phone and searched Google for “bitterness- verse- bible.”  Here is what I found…..

Ephesians 4:31

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with any form of malice.”

Proverbs 4:10

“Each heart knows it’s own bitterness, and no one else can share it’s joy.”

Colossians 3:13

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you have a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Psalms 51:10

“Create in me a pure heart, oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Ephesians 3:17-19

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with the Lords people, to grasp how long and how wide and how high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Wow.  Okay God I hear you.  I need to move on, move forward.  I need to get beyond myself.  As my friend Amanda P. says “God can’t control the unwilling.” (No matter how long or hard I pray)

So today I make time to be refreshed in God’s word.  I am determined to not let my mouth and thoughts agree with the devils lies.  (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV – We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ)

I am trying to release all things to Him.

Don’t pull back your faith.  Don’t be caught tired.  Don’t take offense.  Do not get in agreement with the devil and negativity.  Faith is the currency of Heaven.  Stock up!