MANY ARE FACING PROBLEMS THAT ONLY
GOD CAN FIX
(A Just In Time Word by Al Thomas)

SO…DON’T BELIEVE THE DEVIL’S LIES…

That you have to be perfect. That you can’t be happy unless things go your way. That your worth is determined by your performance. That God only loves you when you do everything right. Although Jesus has saved us, we are in the process of being repaired. This is called sanctification (EPH. 5:26). When you allow the devil to tell you lies about yourself you shipwreck your emotional and spiritual life. You never will be perfect in this life and you will never measure up to God’s standards in your own power. This is one of the primary weapons of the Devil...getting you to believe a lie. God did not destine you to be a failure. Years ago Ray Charles sang a song “Born to Lose.” Not one of God’s children were born to lose. You’ve got it all wrong. You were born to win (ROM. 8:37). The Devil’s the loser. Get that through your head.

DON’T EVER CONSIDER QUITTING BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH…

Listen, God uses weak vessels (1 COR. 1:27). This immediately qualifies you and I. God uses the unsophisticated. He chose losers (1 COR. 1:28), sinners and disheveled people. God uses the rejected. He chose prostitutes (LUKE 7:37) and down and outers. God loves to use the unlovely to confound the prideful. God uses the common people (MARK 12:37). Not the rich, famous and beautiful. This is not Hollywood. He’s the Holy Spirit not the Hollywood Spirit. Don’t quit, spit…at the Devil!

DON’T TELL YOURSELF YOU ARE A FAILURE…

Don’t repeat what the devil says. That’s like telling God He is a liar. God never lies (NUMBERS 23:19). You are so very precious to your heavenly Father. You are not a failure. The Devil is a failure. God doesn’t birth losers. He takes what used to be a loser and makes them winners. Agree with God, resist the devil (and he will flee from you) and stand up straight. Shake off doubt, embrace faith. You used to be part of the kingdom of darkness (COL. 1:13) but are now in the Kingdom of Light (1 PETER 2:9). Shine, child of God and resist the darkness (1 JOHN 2:8). You are very, very special to God. He loves you.

DON’T ACT LIKE A FAILURE…

Failures whine. They complain, they moan, they snivel. They feel sorry for themselves. They have a “Woe is me attitude” They throw massive pity parties. Listen, when you do those things you are doing exactly what the devil wants you to do. The devil knows that when you do these things you lose all interest in living the Victorious Kingdom life God has designed for you. That’s the life that cares more about others than yourself. The life that is interested in spreading the good news of the Gospel and reaching a lost world for Christ. The life of joy in the Holy Spirit (ROMANS 14:17). You are not a failure, so don’t act like one. Period.

DISMISS (AGGRESSIVELY) THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS.

If you lose the battle in your mind, you lose the battle completely. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (PROV. 23:7) Practice thinking positive (until that’s all you do). God is the ultimate Norman Vincent Peal Type. We are not to think evil or negative (I COR. 13:5). When you think negative thoughts you are ignoring the love God has for you. Renew your mind (ROM. 12:2) with God’s Word. Yes, the Bible tells us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought (ROM. 12:3), but many people have the opposite problem: Thinking lower than they ought. Snap out of it. What should you be thinking? The Bible is very clear: True things, honest things, just things, pure things, lovely things, good things, virtuous things and all things worthy of praise (PHILIPPIANS 4:8). When we do this, we get the peace of God in our heart and mind (PHIL. 4:7).

DISCOVER WHAT THE WORD SAYS ABOUT YOU.

You are greatly loved (JER. 31:3; EPHESIANS 2:4; 1 JOHN 3:1). Not just accepted. Not just barely making it into heaven. No, you are the object of His affection (EPHESIANS 3:17-20) You are being held in His arms (DEU. 33:27). You are in God’s thoughts now. God has plans for you “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (JER. 29:11). Imagine that. God is thinking about you. This all powerful, loving God is thinking about you. Stop thinking negative and start thinking what God thinks about you. When should you do this? Not tomorrow, not next week, not next year. Not when things get better. Not when the money rolls in. Do it NOW.

DECLARE WHAT THE WORD SAYS ABOUT YOU…WHILE GOD WORKS ON YOUR PROBLEM

Personalize Jeremiah 29:11 by saying “I know that God has plans to prosper me. I know that God has a hope and a future for me and I know those plans are good and I know that they will come to pass because God said they would.” We are commanded to sing and rejoice in the Lord (EPH. 5:10; COL. 3:16). Do it by faith. I don’t care how you feel. Faith your way out of those feelings by declaring who you are in Christ. Shout out every doubt and lie the Devil would throw at you. Declare it and do it. God is the ultimate authority on all truth and He says you are not a failure. Always look for the good (PHIL. 4: 8). Get up and God will strengthen you. Get up and get moving. Get up and stay up. When you get up the Devil will stay down. He knows that when you take your rightful place, he has to stay in his (LUKE 10:19). He’s the loser. You are the winner. Get the picture?