1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  NKJV

Let me assert at the very outset of this devotional that I believe that repentance is required for salvation.  I also understand the word repent to mean to go in the opposite direction doing a 180-degree turn in our lives.  Unlike what I heard a preacher say once in talking about repentance, “You have to do a 360-degree turn.”  I had had three observations as I heard that statement.  First, I was totally convinced he simply misspoke.  Second, if you do a 360-degree turn you come back to where you were and there is no change. Third, the number of people that shouted Amen amazed me.

I occasionally hear preaching that seems to suggest that salvation is Jesus and…  On occasions in discussing salvation with believers, they seem to add something to the work of Christ on the Cross and present a pathway to salvation that requires more than grace through repentance and faith.  When Jesus was on the Cross He declared, “IT IS FINISHED or COMPLETE!”  I must ask how complete is complete?  It is not Jesus AND anything it is Grace.  By grace, we are saved through faith.  It is a free gift of God in response to our repentance and belief.  John’s word in John 3:16 proclaims loudly that WHOSOEVER can be and is saved through faith.

Repentance is not simply acknowledging that we have been exposed or confession alone.  It is a change of heart and a response to sin through the recognition that we have missed God’s mark.  If one is more concerned with the punishment than the sin, an attitude of repentance is unlikely.  Man’s depraved nature is usually susceptible to the wiles of the devil and if we confessed due to fear of punishment or as a result of exposure, we are open to the lie that maybe next time we won’t get caught.  Our hearts were not broken by sin and our view of sin was not God’s view but man’s view.  In that scenario, it is questionable if repentance was anything more than an admission of failure but not a change of mind toward the behavior or condition.

Without straining at gnats and swallowing camels I stand firm on the belief that if we confess (repent) of our sins God forgives.  I am totally secure in my confidence that if we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that God raised Him from the dead we will be saved.  I am anchored in my hope that if we repent, we will turn from our sin and they will be blotted out.  I believe that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.  I believe that when God’s conviction of sin smites our heart and we come face to face with the realization sin is an affront to God and separates us from His fellowship we can, should, and hopefully will repent and receive.

Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life and has opened the door to eternal life.  The simple prescription is repent which involves confession and belief.  He has extended His Grace to whosoever will, and it is not maybe He will forgive but HE WILL FORGIVE!  If the strings of your heart are being tugged by the Holy Spirit about anything, please do not resist His nudging.  All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory and Jesus promised that if we come to Him, He will not cast us away.

God bless you as you go through this beautiful day!

2 Corinthians 2:11 – “…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”  NKJV

Joshua 9:3-4a – “But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors.”  NKJV

We have considered the reality that our victories invite a counterattack, by the forces of hell but we must not stop there.  Next, I would like us to note that before the full-frontal assault of the enemy, the inhabitants of the land in Joshua 9 attempted to deceive Israel into making a pact with them.  Cohabitation with and a Non-Aggression pact with the devil is impossible.  He is not a covenant keeper and wants your destruction.

The Canaanites knew the picture was dark and therefore decided that rather than risk an attack that would likely end in defeat they would try deception.  The Gibeonites arrived on the scene from Gilgal and pretended to be from a very distant land, a land that meant nothing to Joshua and Israel.  They came with all the visible signs of having been on a long journey. They were skillfully crafty, mentioning nothing of Jericho or Ai but talked about the Wilderness.  They also claimed to honor and respect the God of Israel.

If you can receive it, this exposes the devil’s tactics.  He knows, too well, that a believer who is totally committed to Christ will not be tempted or dissuaded by a frontal attack.  He knows that the child of God who is determined to press on and press into God’s Promise will not be stopped by an all-out assault so what does he do?

• He suggests possible alliances that seem small and insignificant.
• He talks to us about a certain area of our lives over which Jesus has given no specific command, a part so small and seemingly insignificant that it really won’t matter.
• He challenges the need for total consecration in everything after all we are all human.
• He warns us that overdoing it religiously and spiritually will result in being too heavenly minded to be any earthly good and will cause burnout.
• He cautions us about becoming too narrow suggesting that we need to be more open to differing beliefs.
• He suggests that there is no reason we should not indulge and even become a bit lazy occasionally for after all even Jesus drew aside to rest and relax.

He wants to steal our affection and move us from our first love.  He wants to get us to lower our Christian standards and compromise our convictions even if it is occasional.  He comes and suggests that what the church really needs is a common-sense approach and that we are in danger of being too radical in our faith and thereby turning people off.  He is often difficult to detect, and he offers help, but his objective is to shipwreck your life.  No wonder John warned us in 1 John 4:1 to “…try the spirits, whether they are of God…”

In this account we find Israel, for the first time, seeking to co-mingle with the enemy on Holy Ground.  They were doing what God told them not to do.  They were violating the principle of “coming out from among them and being separate spiritually”.  The Gibeonites crept in!  They found the door of gullibility and walked through.  Sheep, in nature, are among the dumbest creatures in existence.  In verse 14 we read, “…they did not ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord…”  Big mistake!  Every alliance must be seasoned in prayer.  That is why I refuse to make decisions without first taking them to prayer.  If a deal is so good that I have to decide immediately and not given time to pray I pass.  The Bible tells us, “…there is a way that seems right to a man, but the ends are the ways of death.”  Gullibility will result in deception and place us in disobedience.

The Bible declares that the devil comes as an “angel of light” and is not always easily detected.  Remember the foolish virgins resembled the wise, the tares resembled the wheat, the voice of the hireling sounds much like the shepherd and the wayward meadow is laid out beside the king’s highway and only a soft shoulder separates them.  Does a small concession and pact matter?  The record gives a clear answer – YES!

What do we do attempt to match the devil in his subtle ways?  NO!  Do not trust your judgment, intellect, or perceived spirituality.  Take the matter, every matter to God in prayer and if after prayer you are still in doubt – DON’T!  Be strong enough and brave enough to stand still and wait for the Lord for none that wait on Him are ashamed and that is the only way to outmatch and outmaneuver the devil.

If you have failed it is not over!   All is not lost!  The devil would have you believe so but that is a Lie from the Pit.  Joshua and Israel once realizing their error placed the Gibeonites in a position of menial laborers and subjects.  God took the scheme of the devil and turned it against the deceivers.  Let your mistakes drive you to the altar and allow the Spirit of God to administer forgiveness, healing, deliverance, and restoration.  God wants to warn you, wash you, and welcome you!

May God be with you as you go through this day!

2 Corinthians 2:11 – “…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”  NKJV

Joshua 9:3-4a – “But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors.”  NKJV

Paul declared in Corinthians that we are not ignorant of the devices of the devil so let’s study to show ourselves approved unto God workmen capable of exposing his tactics and possessing our promise.

First, I would like for us to take note that the victories of Israel brought about a combined, concentrated, and concerted attack of enemy forces.  In verse 1 of Joshua 9, we find the idea that the tribal warfare existing among the Canaanites had been laid aside as they joined forces against Israel.  Their petty squabbles and secondary issues were placed on the back burner as they joined forces against a common foe, and they amassed an all-out effort to turn back Israel’s advance. 

It is important to remember that with every victory as a Christian in your personal life you just sent out an engraved invitation for a full-scale assault by the forces of hell.  Every time you experience blessing you are one step away from another attack from hell.  I do not say that to discourage but to enlighten you. The devil may be a defeated foe, but he has not quit the fight.  Blessing and battle go hand in hand and instead of allowing fear to grip your heart rejoice!  It should be a joy to know that if we are pressed on every side we are in the heart of the battle and moving in the right direction spiritually.  If you are finding temptation almost more than you can bear, then rejoice.  Remember the words of James, “Count it all joy when…”

I said that in a church once and had a person come to me afterward seeking to set me straight and said, “I don’t know what you are talking about, I haven’t been tempted in years!”  If that is, you then I suggest that you run to the altar and ask Him to let you see yourself as the devil sees you and as He sees you.  The devil does not mess with what is not a threat to him.  Maybe you have matured to the place that you immediately resist temptation and it is almost as though it does not exist for you but if you are moving forward as a threat to the devil he tempts and sees to destroy.

The need for every believer and every church is to lay aside the secondary issues and launch a full-scale attack on the enemy repossessing and possessing that which he has stolen.  Unfortunately, the church world is frequently engaged in tribal warfare, too busy settling petty squabbles and splitting doctrinal hairs to engage the real enemy.  There must be jubilation in hell when the church becomes sectarianism protecting the place while the world plunges into darkness.  May God help us to never forget that nothing short of a full-scale united assault by all the people of God (Church) is needed.  It is time to pull down strongholds and set at liberty those who are bruised.  It is time to possess the promise and move into and onto our Canaan.

We are going to pause again and take this up next time as we look at the devil’s deception tactics.  

May the Lord bless you richly as you go through this day!

2 Corinthians 2:11 – “…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”  NKJV

Joshua 9:3-4a – “But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors.”  NKJV

I believe, without a doubt, that God’s greatest desire for us that we be saved!   He has no desire for mankind greater than full salvation and complete deliverance.   He wants us to become what He has already declared us – Overcomers!   Most have realized or will that this Christian walk is not a bed of roses and there are battles to be fought.  Most have realized that a battle won is not a war won nor a battle lost is a war lost. 

As long as sin lasts, and Satan is loosed from the pit there will be conflict.  As long as we live in these fleshly bodies there will be temptation.  However, it is important to remember no one sin can be regarded paramount nor can any sin be lightly regarded.  Any attempt or temptation to compromise with the devil is to invite certain disaster and court sure destruction.

If we can hold it in our hearts and minds that there will be battles lost and times of retreat, we can more readily maintain our hope.   However, I firmly believe that if or when we lose a battle and are forced into a temporary retreat it is imperative that we find out the true cause of the setback.  How?  Through prayer!  If we come before God in repentance and prayer, He will open the curtain and allow us to look beyond the veil and see.   Prayer will give us understanding but it takes more than prayer to regain or reclaim the lost ground.  We do not render the devil totally defeated in a moment of victory for the process of deliverance is gradual and often slow.

The Law or Plan of God given to believers that brings peace, joy, happiness, life, and health is not given for the purpose of admiration but obedience.  We are in a spiritual war and that war pits God’s forces against the devil’s legions.  The secret to winning any war lies in strategy.  If you fail to plan you plan to fail.  Joshua had planned the war against the inhabitants of Canaan carefully.  He had taken his forces and driven a wedge westward from Jericho into the heart of the land dividing the forces of the enemy.  He then quickly turned south and destroyed the forces there before coming back North to finish the job. He had a plan, God’s plan!

We face a problem in today’s world. That problem is our failure to apply God’s Divine Strategy to our daily lives.  I have witnessed believers and churches develop a hold the fort mentality and in so doing offer little or no offensives.  So, it is legitimate to ask, how often do we apply God’s Divine Strategy to our daily activities or planned war against our souls?  Some live hit or miss and miss more than they hit resulting in being outmaneuvered by the enemy.  Satan is not only a roaring lion he is a subtle serpent and the roar of the lion is far less dangerous than the hiss of the snake spiritually.

Joshua 9 is a classic example of the subtility, trickery, and deception of the devil and exposes the gullibility of man, especially when he becomes overconfident through a few victories.  Thank God our God is Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent.  He overrules our mistakes and failures for His glory.  In this passage and account, we find a revelation of the wiliness of the devil and a lesson worthy of learning in today’s world.  In this account, we can learn things that will help us expose the devil and move into victory possessing the place of promise in God our Canaan.

In the interest of brevity, we will pause here and pick up next time and hopefully provide some valuable information and tools to use in our daily lives in defeating the devil daily.   

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day!

Psalm 46:1-3 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.”  NKJV

Each of us has an option or options when we are faced with trouble.  We can, as many, become troubled and allow trouble to flood over us sapping us of our hope and rendering us impotent in its wake.  The other option is to follow the prescription David offers here and experience a revelation that will release the supernatural in our lives and situation.  There is always a choice!

Most of us have experienced times of deep trouble where we were not sure how we would or if we would come through it.  When we find ourselves in the face of imminent danger or threat we can allow the waves of fear to overcome us, or we can look outside our fears looking through the situation to the solution.  It is a choice but one that is rooted in relationship and anchored to experiential confidence.  I can have all the information about a matter that is available and know logically and rationally what could or should happen but my confidence in the outcome will be stronger after experience.

David declared, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  The words present help seem to leap off the page at me when I read this.  Most will affirm that they believe God has promised to be our refuge and that He is our strength but too frequently we miss the PRESENTNESS of God!  Amid the difficulty, HE IS THERE!  He is in the immediate not the projected.  He is in the immediate not the theoretical.  He “IS” and because He “IS” David says, “we will not fear…”  The confidence of God’s promise of a provision of safety and His Omnipotence in the IMMEDIATE banishes fear.  Fear and God’s presence are not compatible except for our reverential fear of Him.  Fear that has torment is incompatible with the presence of God.

David described a condition where there are earthquakes either natural, emotional, social, economic, political, or spiritual and declares that because of GOD’s Presence fear was banished.  When he says we will not he declared that this is a cooperation between the heart of man and the power of God.  God provides the power and demonstrates His presence and man must make the choice to embrace God or fear. 

The question is always, “Do we trust?”  I suggest that knowing the promise is one thing.   Believing that God is Omnipotent is one thing.  Believing that God is Now Present in our situation is another.  Just knowing it with our heads does not always equivalent to receiving it in our hearts.  Knowing something theoretically without the experiential may leave one with doubt whereas having both knowledge and experience opens the door and makes it easier to enter into the Present Reality of God’s Presence, Purpose, Promise, and Provision.  Therefore, developing a relationship with Him is vital to our forward progress in life spiritually.

Rather than being troubled, I pray that God will help each one to see the trouble simply a condition unworthy of fear because of the PRESENTNESS of God.  Look beyond and through the troubles and trials to the solution and in Him rejoice and relax.  He is God and always will be God.

God bless you as you go through your day!

Proverbs 23:7 – “…as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”  NKJV

Let me say at the outset that the context of this passage is about charity or the lack thereof of a greedy stingy person.  However, it can be applied much beyond that and that is what I wish to do at this time.

Through years of ministry, it has been my observation that a very significant portion of people say they want to soar with the eagles but often quack with the crowd.  Why?  It is far easier to become part of the crowd than it is to go against the grain.  It is easier to go downstream with the current than to swim or paddle against it.  Too often we are caught up in the clutter and distress of our present world and if we do not rise above the crowd and see it from a heavenly perspective, we will miss opportunities and solutions. 

I know some who truly desire to break free, but desire alone is not enough.  If we are to attain that lofty goal of soaring with the eagles, we will find there are some incredibly fierce battles and intense struggles in our future.  We will have to come to a clear understanding that what and how we think is important.  We will have to come to grips with the fact that what we think about is important.  We will find it mandatory that we gain control of our thought processes and bring them into captivity to Jesus Christ. 

It is absolutely necessary that we think clearly, ridding our minds of clutter.  That we think courageously filling our hearts and minds with faith and confidence.  We must learn to think confidently knowing that we can do all things through Christ our strength.  Simply, you do not soar with the eagles by simply deciding you no longer want to quack with the crowd.  It takes courage, determination, and work!

WE BECOME WHAT WE THINK…

We read in Romans 12 that we are not to be conformed (ducks, geese, turkeys) but transformed (eagles).  There is to be a renewal or reprogramming of our minds (thought processes).  2 Peter 2:22 is a most riveting passage which speaks to what I’m talking about.  Why do dogs and hogs go back?  I believe that the simplest explanation is that they think differently.  You can give Rolls Royce to a person who has no concept of its value or worth and they will appreciate it no more than a VW Dune Buggy.  That is true in all things.  We have to reprogram our thought process with the kind of information that will propel us toward our goal.  Sadly, many are entrenched in defeatist thinking and find soaring almost impossible.

SATAN’S NUMBER ONE TARGET IS OUR MINDS (Thoughts)…

He knows too well that if he can keep us bound in our thoughts, he can keep us from becoming what God desires us to be.  In Ephesians 6:10-11, we discover the wiles or the schemes of the devil. The Greek word is ‘methodia’ from which we get our word method.  The Amplified calls it the strategies of the devil.  In verse 12 we are told that our struggle is not with flesh and blood it is with spiritual powers of darkness.  In 2 Corinthians 4, we read that the devil is described as the god of this world and blinds minds.  In 2 Corinthians 10, we are instructed to take control through the Holy Spirit of our thoughts.  It is possible to be transformed from one who quacks with the crowd to one who soars with the eagles.

We need to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus.  Our thoughts are incredibly important in our spiritual development.  So, as you begin this day begin it with the commitment to think rightly. 

Blessings as you continue your journey!

Job 14:1 – “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.”  KJV

That is a mouthful Job, but incredibly true!  I don’t recall where I heard it but heard about a little boy leading his sister up a steep mountain path which was very difficult.  She complained and complained saying, “This isn’t a real path it’s all bumpy and rocky.”  He said, “Sure Sis, but the bumps are what you climb on.”  Great attitude!

Reflecting on Job’s statement and the many Bible references to difficulty in life would lead one to ask, “What do you do with the bumps on the path of life?”  How do you handle difficulty?  When I read some of the accounts in the Bible of the incredible difficulty many had to reach the Place of Promise in God, I find it nothing short of amazing and often feel shame in my own heart for my complaints.

Abraham did not become a great man of faith instantly he had to walk out some incredible paths to reach that place where his faith was accounted to him as righteousness.  Remember his life:

• Upon arrival in Canaan, there is a famine. 
• He has trouble with his nephew Lot.
• War breaks out and he has to fight.
• Received bad counsel from Sarah and Ishmael resulted.
• Finally, he receives his ‘son of promise’ only to have God tell him to offer the boy up as a human sacrifice.

Obviously, it got better but those are some of the problems he encountered.  At what point would we have said ENOUGH!

How about Joseph and his rocky road to the place God ordained him to ascend.  Remember his life:

• Pampered by his father.
• Hated by his brothers.
• Sold as a slave.
• Falsely accused and then forgotten in prison.
• Apparently forsaken by the Lord.

Finally, he was brought out of prison and promoted to 2^nd in command in the most powerful nation on earth and used to preserve the Seed Line of the Savior in the nation of Israel.

How about men like Moses, Paul, David, Daniel, and others?  They refused to complain about the road and roughness.  They accepted the trials and difficulties as steppingstones to the Promise, not signs of being forsaken and that is a significant difference!

Many have or feel like quitting thinking that there is no help or hope, so why continue?  Why doesn’t God just remove the stones and make it easy for us?  Frankly, I am convinced if He did most would never climb to the top for truly the bumps are what we climb on and at least a motivation for us to press on and in. 

In Psalms 91 there are eleven kinds of dangers listed such as war, snakes, sickness, terror by night, arrows by day, and more, and God promises Protection from them All…  God has given His angels charge over us to keep us from bruising our feet on the bumps or stones.  They are stepping stones not stumbling stones!  So, lift up your heads and rejoice for GOD IS IN CONTROL!

May the Lord be with you and bless you as you go through this day!

Isaiah 53:1-6 – “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.  4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.  5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.  6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” NASB

Revelation 21:3-4 – “”Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”  NASB

We have considered two of the four categories of PAIN the Physical and the Emotional.  Now I would like to consider the other two and hope that these brief words will become catalyst launching you into your own discovery of remedies in God for your pain or that of someone you know and love.

Mental Pain is so closely akin to Emotional Pain that it is difficult to differentiate and separate and may be the old ‘chicken’ and ‘egg’ argument.  Does emotional pain cause mental pain or vice versa or both?  There is no question that they are closely linked and virtually inseparable. 

Mental pain could logically fall into two categories:  The thoughts and sanity or lack thereof.  The pain referred to is from the troubling or tormenting thoughts which refuse to dissipate.  They are present night and day, 24/7, and may be the result of guilt, shame, anger, resentment, or wounds.

Tragically the one suffering, in this case, plays the video over and over in their minds and continually debates with themselves – “Could I, should I, would I???”  It is as we allow thoughts to conjure up scenarios that are beyond reason and so twist our psyche that we reach an emotional and mental state where rational thought is impossible.  The pain that results is one of the most diabolical that a person can experience.  If this state is allowed to continue long term the individual will become emotionally and mentally paralyzed unable to enjoy even a semblance of a normal life.  The paranoia will become so acute spiraling into phobias and rendering the individual a danger to themselves and others.  This is a horrendous torturous prison and ONLY GOD can relieve one from those chains.

We now come to Spiritual Pain and I see this very differently from the other three although often very closely connected to the Emotional and Mental.  Spiritual pain comes almost directly from Guilt, a Lack of Purpose, and being void of a Sense of Worth! The person has believed The Lie of the devil that God does not value them, love them, or care about them.  When I view the Cross, I find it impossible to not understand that God values me greatly as He does you. 

John 3:16 makes it virtually impossible to miss that truth.  Still, the human mind will follow human reason and come up with a myriad of explanations and justifications as to why God should not or could not love them.  Before my conversion, I was one of those and had the list of why God could not or should not love me. I was under conviction and miserable but convinced that I could not be forgiven.  Thank God He used some loving and praying people to penetrate that wall.  Proverbs 3:5-6 was the catalyst that opened my eyes and opened the door to forgiveness and freedom from my Prison of Pain Spiritually. 

If you have physical pain, I do not suggest that you fail to get a proper diagnosis and treatment.  If your pain is emotional, mental, or spiritual I believe fully that there is a definitive answer for you in God’s Word. I also believe that about the physical but the spiritual has eternal consequences. God wants to free you from Pain’s Prison and allow you to walk into the light of the Fullness of His Love, Light, and Glory.

God bless you as you go through your day!

Isaiah 53:1-6 – “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.  4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.  5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.  6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” NASB

Revelation 21:3-4 – “”Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”  NASB

For the most part, PAIN can be grouped into four categories – – Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual. Each category can involve other categories and overlap but most of the time we can identify them in one of the four spectrums.

All of us know and maybe have experienced Physical Pain of the kind and quality that debilitates.  I know, have known, and experience physical pain to the point that putting one foot in front of another was an excruciating experience and required all the will-power that could be mustered.  A person in that kind of pain, long term is certainly a target for Pain’s Prison. 

We are told by medical science and research that there are some sources or roots of physical pain that are directly connected to one’s mental, emotional, and/or spiritual state.  There is an often-quoted but seldom heeded passage regarding emotional anger. 

Ephesians 4:26 – “Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.”  Assuredly this has to do with our spiritual relationship with God, but could there be another reason for this prohibition or warning?  Modern discoveries say yes!  We find that harboring the emotion of anger, fear, bitterness, and other distressful emotions will adversely affect one’s physical health.  It has been estimated that two-thirds of the people who see General Practitioners are stress-related.  We also find that 25% of people in the USA miss work 16 or more days per year due to stress and that over 50% acknowledged that they are stressed.  

The human body releases chemicals into the bloodstream when either positive or negative emotions are experienced.  The long-term result of negative emotions represses the immune system and makes a person far more susceptible to disease and/or pain. 

Emotional Pain is a diabolical enemy of health and happiness.  Virtually all dictionaries define emotion – – “a strong feeling or state such as excitement, happiness, sadness, love, hate, fear, or anger.”  We call this a person’s mood. Emotional pain surfaces when a person is antagonized or traumatized by their emotions.  It can come from a wound, a harsh word, or some form of embarrassment experienced.  Emotional pain can come through the loss of a loved one or possession.  It could be the result of a breakup, a business failure, a church split where you internalize the anger or the hurt and allow it to fester in your heart to the point that you are debilitated in your emotions. 

Just as in physical pain those dastardly chemicals are released in your bloodstream as a result of the emotions and transported throughout the body affecting your heart, stomach, muscles, lungs, liver, brain, kidneys, and immune system.  It is your daily dose of Poison and becomes a vicious cycle that literally imprisons a person.  The pain never goes away, and the by-products continue to exist and become enlarged to the point that you could not only be an emotional prisoner but literally sick as a result.

God does not want you to live in a PRISON OF PAIN and has provided an escape for you through the Blood of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  I pray now that God so touch your heart that you can release any negative emotions and being to see the healing come.

God bless you as you go through your day!