In the thirty-plus years I have served as a pastor, I have heard many, many believers express doubt over God’s real love or concern for them and sometimes their anger at God when they believed he had let them down. Most of that doubt came from feelings of abandonment over prayers they perceived as unanswered and, perhaps, unheard. Maybe it was the divorce of parents when he or she was a child or the death of a loved one after praying for healing. Perhaps, it was the unfulfilled dream of a marriage and children that an individual had prayed for but which had not materialized. For others it was a tragedy that, in their mind, God should have prevented but didn’t. In each case, a prayer or a season of prayer went unanswered in regard to something that they assumed God controlled or which they assumed was the single key in life to their happiness.

There is no doubt that at some point we will all have to wrestle with the experience of a significant prayer that has seemingly gone unanswered. How we respond to that moment is significant and often sets a course for our spiritual life. It is our fallen nature or our un-renewed mind that assumes God does not truly care about us when a dream of ours does not come to pass in the time frame or in the form we have set in our own hearts.

The first sin was predicated on the suggestion that God did not fully care for Adam and Eve and that he was selfishly withholding the best from them. Satan’s opening gambit with Eve was a suggestion that God was not really as generous as he pretended to be. Remember the question? “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” (Gen.3:1).   Satan said that with a tone suggesting that he knew God and it would not surprise him to find God keeping the best things from others. Notice that the question implies that God was stingy by nature and unwilling for Adam and Eve to have many good things in the Garden that would contribute to their well-being and happiness. Eve correctly replied that they could eat of any tree except one – the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – but if they ate of that one tree, they would die.

Satan then called God a liar when he declared that Adam and Eve would not actually die if they ate of that tree but would become as wise as God. He suggested that the greatest blessing in the Garden was in that tree and the blessing was shrouded by God’s lies. The implication was that God’s denial of the tree to them was costing them the one thing that would make life everything it should be. Satan planted the belief in Eve’s heart that God did not care for her nearly as much as he claimed and was quite willing to withhold “true happiness” from her and her husband. Eve, then, went her own way, ate from the tree, and brought disaster on us all.

The challenge is that our fallen nature or the natural man seems to always gravitate toward that view…even when the Spirit of God lives within us. There is a maxim in the counseling world that says we become angry whenever a person or a circumstance seems to block our goal. When God doesn’t always act as we have suggested through our prayers, our response is often anger at him which results in us carrying an offense toward God – sometimes for years.

It’s not that we end our relationship with God. We just don’t trust him anymore like a spouse who stays married, but simply doesn’t trust the other spouse to act in his or her best interest. When you carry that offense, it is hard to have joy, pray for anything with faith, or risk anything because you are not sure how much God really cares. When prayers go unanswered we can quickly default to the “God doesn’t really love me” mode and distance ourselves from him. Nearly all of us run the risk of falling into that mindset and, I believe that the only safeguard is to spend a considerable amount of time mediating on who God is apart from an experience of disappointment with God.

We’ve all heard the expression. “God is good – all the time.” We may be quick to say amen to that in a conversation but in our hearts we often doubt the truth of that. The key is found in knowing the heart of God and using that knowledge as a lens through which we can view his actions or inactions. We often look at God’s actions or inaction through a different lens – our desires, rather than through a conviction about the heart of God. Let’s face it, even as adults, we can be like children whose perception of whether a parent loves them or not is based simply on whether or not those parents always give them what they want. Any good parent has withheld some request from a child because in the parent’s wisdom they knew that what that child wanted more than anything was not in his or her best interest – although the child could not and would not see it that way.

If children truly believed that their parents loved them with all their hearts and always acted in their best interest (which is the definition of agape love), then they might be disappointed or not understand but would not distance themselves from the parent or begin to distrust them for a lifetime.

In our Bible reading we often look at the broad actions of God and interpret God’s heart through those actions rather than understanding his actions through the lens of his heart. I often find a clue to God’s heart in a verse or two imbedded in a big story and can miss the clues altogether if not careful. For instance, in the Book of Judges there is story after story of Israel turning her back on God and pursuing idols and massive, national immorality. After years of persistent rebellion God would allow another nation to oppress them as discipline in order to draw them back to himself. One verse opens the window on God’s heart in Judges 10:16 where the text says, “Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.”

Even though Israel had rebelled again and again and shown disdain for the God who had brought them out of Egypt, the verse reveals that God’s heart hurt with them in the midst of their suffering – even though they had brought in on themselves. God is not distant and uncaring. He loves his children and, more than anything, wants to bless them. When their own actions create misery or demand discipline, he suffers with them just as a parent suffers when they see the awful state of their drug addicted son or daughter.

In 1 Chronicles 15, David had sinned and as the King of Israel had brought judgment on the nation. The Bible says, “And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” Again, even when the actions of his people demanded judgment, the heart of God was moved by their suffering. His heart breaks with every death, every lash of a slave whip, and every beating at the hands of the enemy. In a chapter on judgment to come, the Lord says, “For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!” (Ezek.18:32).

In the Old Testament we tend to view God as harsh and merciless because entire tribes were wiped out at his command and disasters were released by his word. But what we miss is the love of God protecting the bloodline of Christ from Israel’s enemies so that the entire world might be saved and the accumulated years of God calling nations to repentance through his prophets so that his judgments might be averted. When you read the fine print, you discover that God always went to extraordinary lengths to avoid judging nations and never took pleasure in the death of even the wicked – because he loves even the wicked.

In the New Testament the cross is the ultimate window into God’s heart. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us and Jesus himself said that whoever sees him sees the Father. We always see Jesus as kind and loving. He says that God the Father is exactly the same. God is good and loves each of us all the time. We can pray with hope and confidence because he loves us. Because he loves us he hears us and we can also pray with confidence that God will bring good things to us in time or will say no to the things that would endanger our faith and souls as any good father would. It is through that lens that we must view God’s activity or inactivity in our lives. We may not understand but we can still trust. You must know that before you pray or a loving “No” or delay may give offense when thanksgiving was the appropriate response.

When John the Baptist found himself in prison, he sent men to ask Jesus if he were really the Messiah. He asked because Jesus wasn’t bringing salvation to the world in ways that made sense to John. Jesus replied, “Blessed in he who takes no offense in me.” When God doesn’t act in response to our prayers as we expected, we must not take offense in him either. Being certain about the heart of the Father allows us to rest in his goodness, even when nothing around us make sense.

In the past few weeks, we have had several requests for “house cleansing” or driving demons from homes. I have written about this from time to time time in the past but feel that it might be helpful to do so again.  I have a lengthy article on this topic that is a practical guide to “house cleansing”  that I am going to offer here in several parts.  I hope it is helpful.

Taking Out the Trash

A Practical Guide to Cleansing a House from Evil Spirits

For many believers, the idea of demons lurking in a home would seem far-fetched and hyper-charismatic. Many believers don’t acknowledge that demons target people, attach themselves to some, and inhabit others much less believe that demons may be assigned to homes or other locations to afflict and harass whomever is within their reach.

However, Paul counsels us, “And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs” ( 2 Cor. 2:11, NRSV). Most translations read schemes rather than designs. Paul also tells us, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Eph.6:11). The truth is that Satan uses intelligent designs or schemes to entrap and sidetrack God’s people. If we give him no thought or assume he has no interest in us or our children we will certainly step into his trap. As believers, we have no need to fear this enemy because He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world, but we are instructed multiple times to be alert, to be aware, and to keep watch so that the devil does not gain access to us or our family. Remember, in describing Satan, Jesus said that he is a thief who comes to kill, steal and destroy (Jn.10:10). He doesn’t wait for us to search for him. He comes. Unclean spirits assigned to locations attempt to do the same through influence. They especially want to steal your peace, your faith, your love and destroy your family in order to draw you away from the Father. They want to impart fear, sorrow, anger, lust, and conflict which then undermines your peace, faith and love.

With that in mind, let me make a case for demonic spirits being assigned to locations (homes, businesses, geographical areas) so that they can influence or harass those who come into their arena. To begin with, let’s consider Pergamum. Jesus spoke to his church there and said, “I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives” (Rev.2:13). In one sense, Satan’s influence and his demonic servants can be found in every city, but a throne represents exceptionally strong rule and dominion. Over the centuries, Satan had established a stronghold of influence in Pergamum. Pagan worship invited and fueled the presence and influence of demons. Satan desires to be worshipped as well as those who reflect his nature. Satanic or pagan worship draws unclean spirits. So great was the influence in Pergamum that Satan had stirred up persecution against those who followed Jesus to such an extent that Antipas had been put to death.

We see the same demonic influence in Ephesus where the temple of Artemis (Diana, Moon Goddess) stood as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. As the apostles preached Jesus in that city (Acts 19-20), many sorcerers saw the power of Christ, repented, and burned their books and scrolls full of incantations. Soon, however, Satan stirred up other men who then stirred up strong opposition in the city in opposition to the church. These cities represented strongholds of the enemy where there was an exceptional concentration of demonic influence and power.

If you have traveled much and have any spiritual sensitivity you have experienced this spiritual reality that can be felt in the natural realm. Believers who visit certain sections of New Orleans, Salvador (the spiritist center of Brazil), Las Vegas, Haiti, pagan temples in Asia, etc. will tell you that they feel something in the city and even sense a dimming of the atmosphere on cloudless days. These cities, nations, and locations are thrones or places where Satan has an elevated level of authority because sin has been promoted and encouraged and because demons have been honored and worshipped.

In Peru, the ancient gods of the Inca’s are still worshiped. Their influence is so great that some have been incorporated into Catholic worship. One of those ancient demons is Pachamama, the earth goddess. In some Catholic churches in that nation you will find statues of Mary, Jesus, and Pachamama. Missionaries have had encounters with this spirit while working in Peru. A few years ago a demonic spirit appeared in the hotel room of two missionaries who were holding meetings in the area, identified itself as Pachamama, declared its rule over the valley, and threatened to kill them if they didn’t leave. They didn’t leave but went on about their business. This is an example of territorial spirits who have been given dominion over geographical areas by Satan and by those who surrender to their influence.

Paul is clear about such spirits when he says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph.6:12). Realities of the spiritual realm are reflected in the natural realm. There are rulers in the spiritual realm and rulers in the natural. There are armies in both, battles in both, and assignments and strategies in both realms.

Authorities in the natural realm rule over nations, territories, cities, organizations, groups and individuals. It is so in the spiritual realm as well. In the book of Revelation, the letters to the seven churches of Asia in Chapters 1-3 are each addressed to the “angel of the church in….” This could just be a literary construction or angel could be translated “messenger,” but would we really reject the idea that God would assign an angel to watch over and minister to a group of believers that we call a church? After all, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb.1:14)? In the book of Daniel, a demonic prince fought against an angel that God had sent to Daniel. That spirit is identified as the prince of the Persian kingdom (Dan.10:13). That was a demonic principality that had been given authority over a nation and assigned to influence its people and events for the dominion of darkness. We are told in several texts that pagans who sacrificed to idols were sacrificing to demons. It is not unreasonable to assume that the “high places” or geographic locations where demons were worshipped would be infested with demonic spirits waiting to affect those who came to the altar or go home with worshippers.

If demons are assigned to establish dominion over nations, territories, cities, people groups, probably churches, and organizations why not to lesser locations as well – homes, businesses, areas of a town, etc.? It is not unreasonable to assume that they gather in places where they are worshipped or where sin is promoted or where occult practices take place. All of these things occur in homes as well as in pagan temples and cities known for their immorality.  Wouldn’t demons be attracted to these places no matter whether they are in Haiti or West Texas?  As in the natural realm, those who are assigned to larger areas typically have more authority while those who are assigned to lesser locations typically have less authority. I say “typically” because some smaller locations and individuals are very strategic and may be assigned to a spirit with greater authority.  Many houses have more than one spirit operating in them and some can be more powerful than others.

Part 2 in my next blog.

We need to pay attention to our words because our words are windows into our hearts. Our words expose our deepest thoughts – especially those words spoken under stress. Jesus told his disciples, “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Mt.15:18-19). He also declared, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Lk.6:45).

In our unguarded moments, our words give us away. The words we speak, when we feel threatened or angry, expose thoughts and beliefs deep in our hearts. How many of us have spoken something hurtful, sinful, or unbelieving only to say later, “I don’t know where that came from, that’s not who I am?” I have certainly said that at times but, the truth is, the words came from part of who I am. To be sure, we are flesh and spirit, the new man and the old man, the spiritual man and the natural man. To be sure, the flesh wars against the spirit (see Romans 7), but our goal is to bring everything within us into alignment with the Father’s ways and the Father’s will.

Our words reveal places of misalignment in our hearts. Our words are clear indicators of areas that need the work of the Spirit and our cooperative efforts. Remember, unattended misalignment gives the devil entry into our thought life. Our words are a road map to the places in our spiritual walls that need repair. Pay attention to your words and don’t dismiss those that are misaligned as meaningless. Our words are symptomatic. They reveal spiritual health or spiritual weakness. A wise person will be encouraged by the health that he or she discovers and will take action on the areas of spiritual infirmity that are indicated.

Anything we speak that is contrary to or misaligned with God’s word, values, or priorities gives the enemy a place to slip into our lives and create havoc. The principal is illustrated in Paul’s letter to Ephesus where he counsels, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph.4:26-27). Anger is a work of the flesh characterized in Galatians 5:20 as hatred, discord, rage, and dissensions. Paul allows that we may become angry and not sin. Anger is a very human emotion and even God is said to become angry at times (his being a righteous anger). However, when we hold on to our anger, nurture it, or refuse to forgive, then we are moving into the arena of sin.

The original word translated as foothold is topos. It means a place, a territory, or even a sanctuary. It was used of sacred places, including the high places where false gods and demons were worshipped. When we nurture our anger we give Satan a place, a sanctuary, or some territory in our lives. In the same way, words spoken frequently that are aligned with Satan rather than with the Father, can give Satan a foothold as well. Eventually, a foothold will become a stronghold and Satan will wield tremendous influence in some part of our lives because he will strongly influence our thinking in that area. Our words will reveal that influence but it may take others to point out how misaligned we are in that slice of our life because the Satan is a master deceiver.

A wise person, then, will monitor his speech and ask others to alert him to speech that is misaligned with God’s truth.  Our words are symptoms of something in our heart that may need to be touched by the grace and healing power of God or that may need the balm of repentance.  They are great indicators of spiritual and emotional health or a lack of health and, like blood pressure, need to be checked on a regular basis.  Remember, the tongue has the power of life or death.  Choose life.

No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 54:17

For many of us, this is a familiar passage but, perhaps, one that we have not dug into very deeply. There is a two-part promise that comes to us as servants of the Lord that we often need to stand on. First of all, God promises that no (none, not any) weapon (weapon, instrument, possession, plan) forged (formed, fashioned, planned, designed) against us will prevail (prosper, cut through, force entry, succeed) if we are servants of the Lord (full time, not part time).

Since Paul tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but rather against spiritual forces of wickedness, we can say that no weapon the devil forms against us and uses through people will prevail or be victorious in the long run. He is not saying that we will not face some battles and even get some cuts and bruises. He is saying that in the long run, the plans of the enemy to destroy us will not succeed if we continue to stand with the Lord.

Secondly, he declares that God will eventually refute every accusation that comes against us. These are connected thoughts and the second may actually be a clarification of the first. Satan is called the accuser of the brethren (Rev.12:10) and not only accuses us day and night before God, but also before men. Many of the weapons formed against us come as accusations, slander, condemnation, and so forth. Sometimes we experience those assaults through the lips of people around us. At other times, we hear them in our own thoughts. They are hurtful, discouraging, and damaging. They are fiery darts from the enemy. Search the scriptures and you will see that all those who served the Lord were, eventually, accused of ungodly motives and actions by their enemies. They were accused of being blasphemers and heretics, subverting governments, and being in league with the devil just for a start.

The promise is that we will refute the accusations made against us. But how will we refute them? Do we argue, make our case, or slander back? No. We trust God to vindicate us in the eyes of those around us. Jesus did not answer his accusers and he is our model (1 Peter 2:23).
As you search the Psalms, you see David frequently asking God to vindicate him but he rarely attempted to vindicate himself. There is an old saying that you should not try to defend yourself against slander because your enemies won’t believe it and your friends don’t need it. There is a great deal of truth in that.

How, then, do we refute words spoken against us? By continuing to live a godly life regardless of how others accuse us. Jesus went as far as commanding us to love our enemies who typically reflect the devil’s character as they accuse us day and night. He commands us to love our enemies by praying for them, speaking well of them when they speak evil of us, and doing good to them (Lk.6). Those actions keep the devil from getting a foothold in our own hearts. The promise is that, eventually, the people we care about will see Christ in us and see the devil in our accusers. If we give in and join them in the mudslinging, then people will eventually see the devil in us and that will hide the devil in them because he is a much more accomplished mudslinger than we can ever be.

To me, the most important part of the Isaiah passage is that protection and vindication are our heritage in the Lord. If that promise is true for the servants of God, how much more must it be true for his children?

Jesus said that in this world we will have trouble (Jn.16:33). Weapons, plans, and strategies will be formed against us. We will experience much of that warfare in the form of accusations and condemnation. Our part is to continue to stand with God, always take the high road, and trust in the Lord for vindication. If we fall into the trap of the devil by taking up his tactics in the fight or by receiving the condemnation he is spewing, then his weapons will have prevailed in our lives. But if we trust the Lord and his promises and continue to reflect the character of God, then our faith will quench the fiery darts of the enemy.

Standing with God in the face of unfounded accusations is hard. It typically takes endurance. If there is truth in the accusation, then we need to hear it, acknowledge it, and repent. David understood this principle. After his son Absalom conspired to take David’s kingdom, David and those close to him were leaving Jerusalem. A man name Shimei accused David of treachery against Saul’s household and was pelting David with stones. Abishai, one of David’s commanders came to him and offered to separate Shemei’s head from his body. David commanded Abishai to leave the man alone. Davis thought that, perhaps, God had prompted the man to say those things for there might be some truth that David needed to hear. If there was no truth in the accusations, then David believed that God would bless him for the abuse he was receiving without retaliation (2 Sam.16). The same spirit is found in Paul’s directives in Romans 12. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse…Do not repay anyone evil for evil…but overcome evil with good” (Rom.12:14-21).

Satan’s primary strategy is to alienate us from God and to draw us into his camp. If we come into agreement with Satan in our heart or in our actions and remain there long, we give him a place in our lives.  When we stand with the Lord, believing that victory and vindication are part of our inheritance, then we will see the power of the enemy fade and the promises of the Father prevail. Then…no weapon formed against us shall prosper. Be blessed today by blessing those who curse you! By the way, you will probably have to ask Jesus for the grace to do so.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:29-30

When we think of unwholesome talk we typically think of vulgar expressions, sexual innuendo, coarse talk, and so on. The word in the original language is sapros. Greek scholars say that the word relates to anything causing decay or rot. It can be used to denote the ravaging and disgusting effects of disease on a human body. Leprosy comes to mind. It can also speak of an adverse fate or future. All in all, it connects unwholesome words to expressions that cause decay, weakness, illness or that lead to a negative future.

Instead of unwholesome words, we are to speak words that build up and benefit. The idea of building up is to strengthen or to draw out the potential in someone. The word translated as benefit carries with it the flavor of a gift given out of love or a grace given to someone as God gives to us out of his grace.

An amplified translation of Ephesians 4:29-30 might read, “Let no words come out of your mouth that impart weakness or decay that leads to death. Do not speak words that diminish another or that rob him or her of a full future. Rather speak words over others that build them up, that develop their potential, and that impart strength. Speak out of love. Let your words be life-giving gifts, given out of grace rather than because someone has earned the words or merits your encouragement.”

If you think about it, Paul’s words line up well with Proverbs 18:21, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” The implication of the Ephesians passage is that words spoken to injure or diminish someone do actually damage the recipient. That loveless action on our part grieves the Holy Spirit. Lovelessness on our part is always sin because it violates the very nature of God, who is love. We sin when we wound by our actions or our words.

We live in a world so saturated with words that we barely pay attention to what we say or even what others say. Yet, God pays attention. One of the most sobering passages in the New Testament comes from Matthew’s gospel. Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mt.12:36-37).

Words have power. The words of God created a universe out of nothing. We are made in his image. At some level, our words have power to create as well – for good or for evil. We need to measure our words and govern them. I know people who say whatever comes to mind and take pride in their frankness and openness. But in many ways they are like someone firing a gun randomly into a crowd and then denying responsibility for those injured because they “didn’t mean any harm.”

As the people of God, we are to always be sources of life and blessing. The Holy Spirit should flow out of us like living waters into the world around us. We are to be constant sources of blessing – speaking wholesome worlds that build up, encourage, heal, and that draw out the potential for goodness and greatness in people. If our style is to criticize, find fault, or belittle others, we need to repent. God has placed the potential for good in every human being. Our words need to draw that out, reinforce the potential, and create in the other person an identity of goodness and greatness. Our words should always bless and never curse.

The world needs a good word. There is something in nearly every person that responds to encouragement, someone believing in us, and a call to greatness. Our words can either kindle that response or quench it. Choose to be a source of life to everyone you encounter today. See what a difference it makes for them and even for your own heart. Blessings in Him.

What you think about God is the most important thought you are ever going to have about anything. – Graham Cooke

I believe the statement above is absolutely true. What you believe about God determines just about every decision you will ever make and those decisions will determine the accumulation of consequences in your life that will define it. Knowing what you believe about God is the first step to coming into alignment with his truth.

If I were to ask the average believer if he knows what he believes about God, the answer would most likely be “Of course!” Then that believer would begin to tell me everything he had ever learned in church about God and probably give me all the right answers. But knowing the right answers does not always mean that is what we believe. We typically believe that we believe the things we should believe. But our actions are more often the real indicators of what we truly believe.

For instance, if you are high on control in your life then you may actually believe that: (1) God does not always know what is best for you, or (2) God doesn’t always do what is best for you or (3) God is unable to accomplish the things in your life that would always be in your best interest. So…either God doesn’t know, he doesn’t care, or he can’t. Why else would you always have to be in the driver’s seat rather than letting God drive?   When we always have to be in control of the situation or always have to control the people around us it is, most likely, because we are afraid of being hurt or not having our needs met. We don’t trust God to meet our needs, protect us, or work things out for our ultimate benefit. If we don’t trust God it is because we believe he is either untrustworthy or incapable. Our actions are evidence of our actual beliefs.

If we are angry with God, then we must believe that he is uncaring, unfaithful, or incapable because we have taken up an offense against God believing that He betrayed us or wronged us in some way. Deep within, we believe that the Father does not always love, does not always keep his promises, and is not always righteous. Otherwise, how he could have wronged us?

If we are constantly driven by fear, then we hold similar beliefs about God or, at least, believe that God’s love is based on our performance and since we know our performance often falls short, we believe he doesn’t love us and, therefore, he will neither protect us nor provide for us. The world, then, becomes a frightening place.

We could go on but you get the drift. Most of us know what the Bible says about God but out actions reveal a deeper level of beliefs about God that are contrary to scripture. Taking a look at our actions and what they suggest about our view of God is the first step to correcting misbeliefs and is the first step to real faith.

Much of our disappointment with God, anger at him, or even “unbelief” comes from some experience in which we believe God let us down or wasn’t there for us. It is as if we have snapshots of God in our hearts through which we judge him even though the snapshots are taken in an isolated moment of time without regard for all the frames before that moment or after.

In my book, Born to Be Free, I tell a story that demonstrates that principle. Several years ago, I counseled a woman who was a survivor of satanic ritual abuse. When she was five years old she was taken to a “church” by her mother and left with some adult “church workers” who then took her to the basement of the building. In that dark basement, she became part of a satanic ritual complete with robes, candles, sexual molestation, incantations, threats and more. Terrified, this little girl cried out to God to have them stop … but they didn’t. Later, her mother picked her up and took her home. The little girl never told her mother thinking that she was part of what had happened to her or that the Satanists would kill her and her mother is she ever told anyone what had happened.

As an adult, she attended church faithfully and served in several ministries there but suffered from clinical depression. As we talked about her depression we got around to her relationship with God. She told me her story. She left that childhood experience with several negative views of God deep in her soul. Either he didn’t exist or he wasn’t loving (or at least didn’t love her) or Satan was more powerful than God because he didn’t supernaturally rescue her from those people.

Even though she was extremely hungry for God she couldn’t trust him to protect her or provide for her and she wasn’t sure that the loved her. Some days she wasn’t sure that he existed. She was fearful, controlling, self-rejecting and often found ways to medicate her emotions. After all, from her childhood perspective, she was on her own in a dangerous world being run by a God she couldn’t count on.

Our first step was to talk about the concept God’s love and free will. It is a difficult concept and gets back to the question, “If there is a loving God, why is there so much evil in the world?” That is a great question and one we will tackle briefly in my next blog. In the meantime, make Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians your own prayer as you ask God for a revelation of his true nature for your heart and be blessed today.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Eph.1:17-19).

Have you ever thought about your soul? What is it exactly? The common definition of soul is something that is a combination of our emotions, thoughts, and will (decision making functions). Dallas Willard, who writes extensively on spiritual disciplines and soul-care, defines it differently. He suggests, “What is running your life at any given moment is your soul. Not external circumstances, not your thoughts, not your intentions, not even your feelings but your soul. The soul is that aspect of your whole being that correlates, integrates, and enlivens everything going on in the various dimensions of the self. The soul is the life center of human beings.”

If you think about it, the usual definition almost attaches soul to our physical processes of feeling, thinking, and decision-making. But if our body is destroyed, our soul goes on apart from any physical connection. The soul then is a spiritual aspect of who we are that coordinates these other facets of the human experience. It doesn’t control those aspects but coordinates them. In the beginning, God’s intention was that a healthy soul connected to him would rule over or direct our thought life, our emotions, and all of our decisions. However, sin corrupted that process and our corrupted minds and emotions began to rule our souls. When we come to Jesus, he begins the process of restoring God’s intended order to our internal world.

John Ortberg suggests that we must move from being self-focused to being soul-focused. We tend to be self-focused where how I feel, what I do, my goals, my happiness, etc. are what life is all about. We read self-help books, go to therapy to explore our thoughts and our needs, and build relationships on the basis of how the other person might benefit or even complete me.

Soul-focus simply pays attention to my connection with God knowing that when my soul is healthy, everything else takes care of itself. When my soul is healthy my internal world will be divinely ordered and nothing (or very little) will block the flow of the Holy Spirit in my life. Then I will be like a tree planted by streams of water that flourishes and bears fruit in every season. The key is for my soul to be centered in my relationship with the Father. An uncentered soul is restless and constantly dissatisfied.

In his book, Soul Keeping (p.100-103), he lists several indicators of an uncentered soul. You might check these out.

• A soul without a center has difficulty making decisions. When our souls are not centered in God, even as believers we may have a great deal of internal debate about whether our decision should serve God or serve our flesh.

• A soul without a center feels constantly vulnerable to people or circumstances. In those moments we feel as if people, what they think of us, or our circumstances determine our well-being rather than God and his provision being the determination of that.

• A soul without a center lacks patience. Think express lane at HEB. When you feel your blood pressure rising because the woman who is paying out in front of you is fumbling for her coupons in a purse the size of Texas that she could have retrieved while she was waiting in line, shift your thoughts from self-focused to soul-focused and ask, “What is God wanting me to do or learn from this moment?” Your chosen focus changes everything.

• A soul without center is easily thrown. Does every little crisis or disappointment in your life cause a spinout? Are you derailed emotionally all day long when things don’t go your way? Did you experience a little road rage on your way to work this morning? Your soul may not be centered.

• A soul without a center finds its identity in externals. Does your car, your clothes, your house, your title, or the people you are seen with define you? Are you constantly thinking about image or the way others perceive you? Think about how much that dynamic steals your peace. The enemy comes to steal. If those concerns constantly steal your peace, then those concerns are probably from the enemy.

I have been challenged lately to think more about my soul than my self. My soul will never find rest until it rests in God. The key is finding that rest now, not just in eternity. Blessing in Him!