Category: Strength for Today

Ezekiel 2:3
“And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.”

Dealing with a rebellious person or child is never pleasant. Rebellion is a little different from disobedience in that one who is disobedient will respond to authority’s correction but rebellion is a total and outward disregard to the direction of authority. God shows us through the Prophet Ezekiel how He advises us to deal with the rebellious.

First, be sure that you listen to God’s authority. At the core of all rebellion is a disregard and disrespect of God. You will often see that the rebellious don’t have any respect for what God says. You have to make sure that your heart is right with God. You must be sure that when He speaks to you that you obey His word. Many times someones rebellion can be a result of our own rebellion. This is not right, but when they see you practice rebellion, then they learn that is how to deal with authority. When God speaks, then you had better listen, respond and obey. If your heart is submitted to God’s authority, then you will have a better spirit to deal with the rebellious.

Second, stand and don’t back down. Verse 1 says, “…stand upon thy feet…” Many parents have fed their child’s rebellion by backing down to either keep peace in the home or to keep their child “liking” them. You have to be willing to deal with the tension and rejection of the rebellious if you have any chance of them turning around. They have to see that you are as strong and adamant about doing right as they are about doing wrong. When you tell the rebellious to do something, then you must not back down, but you must stand firmly on what you said to do.

Third, base your actions upon the Word of God. You will notice that Ezekiel was obeying God’s Word and not his own preferences. This is vitally important in dealing with the rebellious. The rebellious must understand that this has nothing to do with what you feel, and it has nothing to do with your opinion. They need to understand that you are standing on the authority of God’s Word which makes it right. That is why you firmly stand and don’t back down. You are firmly standing because you know it is the right thing to do based upon the highest authority, God. Preference and opinion have no basis for authority. God’s Word must always be your reference for authority.

Fourth, you must be yielded and filled with the Holy Spirit. Verse 2 says, “And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me…” You cannot deal with the rebellious under your own power because you cannot work on the heart. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. If you deal with the rebellious on your own, you will fail. The only hope of turning the rebellious around is through the power of the Holy Spirit. The rebellious may be able to resist you, but they cannot resist the power of the Holy Spirit.

Dealing with the rebellious is never pleasant. Whether the rebellious comes in the form of a child or someone whom you lead, the only hope of them doing right is by following these four steps. Let me challenge you to pray for God to do a work on the heart of the rebellious. Don’t do the work alone. Following these steps is the only hope of turning a rebellious heart into a submissive one.

Matthew 11:28
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Many years ago, I was working with a man as we were putting in the landscaping at our church. He told me to take the rototiller and plow the ground so that we could plant the grass seed. I started the rototiller and started plowing the ground when he came to me and asked me if I wanted some advice on how to make the work easier. He saw me trying to work with the rototiller, but really the rototiller was working me. He said to me, “You can either have the rototiller work for you or you can let it work you.” He then proceeded to show me how to properly use the rototiller and let it do the work. When I copied how to work the rototiller it made the work much easier.

Many Christians are trying to serve the LORD the same way that I was trying to work the rototiller. I put so much effort into that rototiller that I was working against what it was made to do. Many Christians have put too much pressure on themselves as if they have to do the LORD’s work when in reality they are burdening themselves down. That’s why God said to come unto Him. He is saying that you can try to do the LORD’s work by yourself or you can allow the LORD to do His own work. There are some lessons we need to apply to our Christian life so that we can find rest for our souls.

First, Christ can do the work better than you. You may mean well with all that you are trying to do, but you must realize that Christ knows how to do His work better. You need to stop putting the pressure on yourself to make things happen in the LORD’s work. You can’t change a person’s heart, only Christ can do that. You can’t grow a church or a Sunday school class, that is the area of Christ. He can do the work better than you.

Second, your job is to obey. Your job is to simply get in the yoke with Christ. It is His job to do the work, but you are to be in the yoke with Him. In other words, you are to simply go tell people how to be saved, but it is His job to save their soul. You can’t bring the conviction, but you can deliver the Gospel. My friend, stop troubling your soul because you didn’t get a result. That result is completely up to Christ. He is the One Who gives the increase. Your job is to simply teach the Sunday school class, invite children to ride the bus, preach the sermon or share the Gospel with others. It is His job to give the result.

Third, He will carry the load for how fast His work is to be done. When I started letting the rototiller do the work, it seemed to get the work accomplished much faster and with less effort. This is exactly what these verses are teaching. When you join Christ in His yoke, you both are working together. You do your part and He does His, and the work of the LORD is accomplished much better and with less effort.

You have a choice, you can either do it all yourself or you can join in Christ’s yoke and let Him help you with His work. If you will stop worrying about the results and just obey, you will find the rest in the Christian life for which you are looking. It is then you will discover the joy in the Christian life. When you focus your efforts on obedience and not results, then the pressure is lifted off your soul and the enjoyment in serving Christ is discovered.

Proverbs 15:1
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”

When you are involved in tensious situations, what you say will either send that situation over the top or defuse it. Many marriages have been destroyed in tensious situations because someone didn’t use words that would defuse the situation. Churches have struggled and split because a tensious situation elevated to an explosive situation all because someone didn’t do the right things to defuse it. God shows us in Proverbs 15 how to defuse tensious situations.

First, respond to tensious situations with soft words. Instead of rising to the pressure of the situation, learn to keep your words and volume at a steady and soft tone. When I find myself in a tensious situation, I oftentimes lower my voice on purpose, not for the sake of the other person, but for my own sake to keep me under control. They may use sharp words, but you need to stay under control and speak gently. Don’t let the passion of the situation dictate a response of words; rather, speak with gentle words. You may literally have to silently count to five and then answer, but be sure you answer with soft words so that you can defuse the situation.

Second, don’t use grievous words. Responding to a tensious situation by calling names or bringing up past actions will only cause the situation to get worse. Many married couples have destroyed their marriage because of name calling. The only reason someone uses grievous words is because they want to have the last word so that they can feel like they won. Friend, you may have won that tensious situation, but you may lose in the war of keeping a good relationship. Don’t bring up past situations; instead, deal with the situation at hand in an adult manner. Name calling and arguing will only cause the situation to get worse.

Third, only speak what you know is truth without embellishing it to make you look better. Verse 2 says, “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.” Many tensious situations can be defused if you speak the truth and nothing more. You don’t have to add your opinions to the fact. State the facts in a calm and gentle manner and let the truth do the work. If you stick with the truth and not let their grievous words get you sidetracked, then you can eventually defuse the situation. If you have to keep on going back to the truth, then do it.

Fourth, remember the LORD is hearing and watching what you say. Verse 3 says, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” When you keep in mind that the LORD is viewing everything you do and say, that can help you to stay under control. Most tensious situations become worse because both people are out of control. When one person is under control, it can defuse the situation. This will be greatly aided if you remember that the LORD sees and hears everything you do and say.

Everyone will have to deal with tensious situations at different times in life. These four things will help you to defuse those times and help you to keep relationships for a lifetime. Let me encourage you to stay under control in tensious situation and remember that one word will either escalate the tensions or defuse it. Be wise with what you say and how you say it so that those situations can be defused.

Matthew 4:3
“And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”

One of the keys to winning any war is to know the movements of your enemy. If you know the movements of the enemy and their tactics, then you have a better chance of defeating them. The enemy of the Christian is Satan. Our enemy is not the authority or the person who attacks us. Our enemy is not the person who commits the sin. Our enemy is the Devil himself. There are four key tactics that the Devil commonly uses to destroy the Christian.

First, he uses temptation to destroy the Christian. In the verse above, Satan is called the “tempter.” He tried to tempt Jesus in three different areas. We know that Jesus had no weaknesses, so Satan tempted Jesus in His strengths. We oftentimes think that Satan tempts us in the areas where we are weak, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t have to tempt us in our weak areas because those areas will tempt us on their own. He goes after our strengths. He continually tempts us where we are the strongest so that if we fall in those areas it brings the greatest damage to the cause of Christ. This is why you will be surprised when you hear of someone who fell in the very area where they seemed to be the strongest. Christian, if you are going to win in the battle of life, then you must beware of Satan tempting you in your areas of strength.

Second, Satan uses deceit to destroy the Christian. 1 Timothy 2:14 shows us that Eve was deceived by Satan. The only way we can be destroyed by deceit is when we take our eyes off Christ and place them on people or institutions. Satan will promise you many things, but he never follows through with his promises. Whenever you are given an opportunity, always check the Scriptures to be sure that what you are offered is true. The Scriptures are your final authority, and if you trust them, you will never be deceived.

Third, Satan uses lies to destroy the Christian. John 8:44 shows us that Satan is the father of lies. He will always tempt you to live or tell a lie. It is so easy to start telling lies when the truth is not convenient. You must always remember that telling a lie is never right no matter what the lie will do. You may think that telling a lie will keep you from hurting someone, but lies always hurt. Moreover, living a lie will hurt you. Living a life of transparency is always the answer to overcoming the double life. If you live right, you have nothing to hide or lie about.

Fourth, Satan uses hate to destroy the Christian. Matthew 13:39 calls Satan the “enemy.” The word “enemy” is the same word we use for hating. In other words, Satan will do all he can to tempt you to become hateful. He oftentimes uses the hurts of life to cause you to become hateful towards others. You have to be careful that you don’t allow the hurts from the past to cause you to become hateful toward those you are supposed to help. Always remember that broken people hurt you. If broken people get fixed, they will stop hurting people.

Satan uses these four tactics for one reason, so that the Christian loses their credibility with the lost. Christians are supposed to help people, and the only thing that will keep us from helping them is if we lose our credibility with them. Beware of these four tactics and always remember that Satan will use them in the areas where you are the strongest.

Jeremiah 48:11
“Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.”

The verse above talks how the taste of Moab had not changed. In other words, it had the same old tastes when it was a young country. Moab had not matured. God expected Moab to grow as a country. God expected its tastes to be different from what they were when it was young. The reason Moab had not changed is because it had “been at ease from his youth.” Moab took the easy road, and all that it expected was to be entertained. Everything it went after was based off whether it was easy to do. God wanted Moab to grow up because the lifestyle of ease led to sin and eventually bondage.

One of the mistakes I have seen throughout my lifetime is for authority figures to try and make it easy for youth. Many youth departments seem to be designed with entertainment in mind. Parents oftentimes won’t make their children endure hard times because they don’t want them to go through the same difficulties they faced when they were young. Bible colleges have tried to make it easier for young students instead of making them work hard as those who walked the hallways of that college in previous years.

This entertainment mentality has created an entitlement mentality in young adults. The ease mentality has created a taste for young adults to want church to be a place of entertainment instead of an emergency room that is aggressive about repairing lives and reaching the lost for Christ. Younger adults would rather have programs that entertain the flesh than sermons that convict the soul. Younger adults have tailored their lifestyle to play instead of a work. This taste has got to change! The only way it will be changed is for parents, churches and institutions to stop coddling the youth. Let me give you three quick thoughts to help to change their taste.

First, it is good for youth to struggle. Lamentations 3:27 says, “ It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.” Stop stepping in and helping the youth when things are difficult to do. Let them learn how to struggle, because if they don’t, they will have a taste for ease. Struggle makes the mind creative because it figures out a way to overcome obstacles. It is good for a youth to struggle, for it changes their taste for that entertainment lifestyle.

Second, it is good for youth to give of themselves. God said Moab “hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel.” Youth need to know what it is like to come home at the end of the day empty. It keeps them out of trouble. They need to know what it’s like to completely give themselves to helping others and not receive anything in return. This changes their taste by teaching that life is not about them.

Third, it is good for youth to face battles. God said Moab had never experienced “captivity.” Youth need to learn that life is filled with battles, and that you must fight through them if you are going to win in life. Facing battles changes their taste to not quit in the day of adversity.

Be careful about doing everything for the youth. Let them learn that life is not a party. Changing their tastes in these areas will help change them into responsible adults.

Jeremiah 36:24
“Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words.”

An amazing statement is made about King Jehoiakim and his servants in the verse above when it says, “Yet they were not afraid…” God spoke to Jeremiah and had him write the words in a roll. When the words were read in the house of the LORD, three men thought that these words should be read to the king. After listening to the words being read, the king took his penknife and cut the roll and threw it into the fire. No one was afraid when this was done. The brazen move by this king should have caused these people to fear God’s reaction.

Jehoiakim’s problem was that he did not like what Jeremiah wrote. He thought his position could give him the power to overcome God’s judgment. This is why he and his servants did not fear what was done to the roll. They didn’t fear because they thought their past success gave them the power to change what God said He would do.

There are times when people of position do wrong and the prophet of God speaks against them. Whether the person of position is a pastor, church leader, city leader or politician, their position doesn’t change what God says He will do. There are four thoughts we must remember when the man of God speaks against our sin.

First, God’s Word doesn’t change because you change it. Jehoiakim thought he could change God’s Word by cutting the roll and throwing it into the fire, but he didn’t. Just because you twist God’s Word to fit your changing lifestyle doesn’t mean that God’s Word has changed. God’s Word is not changed just because you try to persuade people that His Word doesn’t really mean what it says.

Second, sin’s consequences don’t change because you ignore them. You can bury your head in the sand concerning the consequences of sin, but that doesn’t mean they won’t happen. You can pick your sin, but you cannot pick the consequences. Ignoring what is going to happen won’t change the course you have taken. The only thing that will change sin’s consequence is to change your actions.

Third, God’s man is not the enemy because He was used to reveal your sin. Jeremiah wasn’t Jehoiakim’s enemy; his enemy was his sin. Don’t get upset at God’s man just because your sin has been exposed. Why is God’s man a good man as long as he doesn’t speak against your sin? Friend, instead of focusing your anger against the man of God, you need to focus your anger against your sin. Attacking God’s man won’t change your sin, instead it will add to it.

Fourth, God’s power is not lessened because you attack Him. Don’t be so emboldened in your sin that you think you can attack God and get away with it. God’s power is not lessened just because you proclaim you are going nowhere. You can make all the proclamations you want, but God’s Word is true and His power will eventually overcome yours.

The best reaction to sin is to get right. Don’t be like Jehoiakim who rebelled against God’s Word. Repentance is the best action to take when you have sinned and God speaks to you about that sin through His man.

Jeremiah 20:11
“But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.”

Jeremiah was mostly a prophet who kept a pretty positive attitude in spite of all that he faced. Yet, there was a short time in Jeremiah 20 when he faced discouragement. In that time of discouragement he still had the proper outlook on life and what to do.

Everyone will at some point in their life face a time of discouragement. Just like Jeremiah, the attacks and accusations do get to you. I know there are those who say not to listen, but the fact is you can’t help but hear those who defame you and predict your failure. However, just like Jeremiah, you have to see that their end is coming; but, between now and then what do you do?

Between now and then, remember that you are not alone. Jeremiah remembered the LORD was with him when he said, “But the LORD is with me…” You must be careful about falling into a selfish depression thinking that no one cares for you. Many Christians have adopted the martyr syndrome thinking everyone is against them, but that just isn’t true. You must realize that the LORD is with you even when you may feel that you are all alone.

Between now and then, you would be wise to sing the praises of God. Verse 13 says, “Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.” Jeremiah understood the power of music. Instead of having a pity party, he chose to sing the praises of God. You can sulk in all that you hear, or you can sing the praises of God. Sulking will not help the end of those who are against you to come any quicker, but singing can certainly lift your spirit and show them that they are not going to affect your spirit towards the LORD and life.

Between now and then, keep doing what you are supposed to do. One of the best prescriptions to help you through difficult times when you feel like everyone is against you is to continue doing what you have always done. Oftentimes people will go into hibernation mode and withdraw from everything which only feeds the feeling of self pity. The one normalcy in life that others cannot control is what you personally do and where you go. Don’t let their defamation and attacks hold you a prisoner to life. Keep doing what you have always done and it will eventually show others the reports of your demise are false.

Between now and then, don’t quit. My friend, you may be have come to what you feel is the end of your rope, but you must remember that the LORD knows what you can take and will not put more on you than what you can bear. Quitting should never be an option. If all you can do is put one foot in front of the other, then do that but don’t quit.

Time always seem to move slowly between the now and then, but time always tells who is right. Let me encourage you to take these thoughts of advice and continue on. Time always reveals who is right, and if you are right you will be proven in God’s time that what others have reported about you is false. Until then, take this advice and follow it so that you don’t prolong the reports of those who have predicted your demise.

Jeremiah 17:7
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.”

Several years ago, I lived in the mountainous region of Colorado for a few months. In that area was a river that was very refreshing to go to. Beside that river were trees that were green and obviously very healthy because of their close proximity water. That water allowed the roots to dig deep into the ground which kept the trees healthy.

If you took any one of those trees by the river and planted it out in the California desert, you would see a healthy tree eventually dry up and die. The reason being is because that tree needs water to live. That tree needs water to allow its roots to dig deeply into the earth. The difference in the livelihood of a tree is where it’s planted.

The same can be said about how strong a Christian will be. The strength of a Christian is all determined by where they are planted. The verse above says that the man who puts their trust in the LORD will be blessed. The following verse says that the man who puts his trust in the LORD will be like a “tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” In other words, the Christian who plants themselves in the LORD will always be able to withstand the different adversities of life.

I’m always amazed at how two people can go through the same heartache and one comes out bitter while the other comes out stronger. The difference is determined by where they are planted. The one who plants themselves in the LORD will be the one who comes out strong because their roots dig deeply into the soil of God’s Word which gives them the spiritual nourishment they need for the difficulties of life.

How you face the adversities of your life will be determined by where you plant yourself. You can plant your trust in money, but money will not give you the foundation you need to make it through the adversities of life. You can plant your trust in a man, but man cannot give you the strength to make it through the adversities you will face in life. You can plant yourself in worldly pleasures, but those worldly pleasures will not get you through the heartaches that life brings. It all comes down to where you are planted.

Christian, it is time to take your eyes off everything and everyone else and plant your trust in the LORD. It is only the LORD Who can help you when you face the heat of adversity. It is only the LORD Who can give you water in the drought of adversity. It is only the LORD Who will keep you bearing fruit when others are dying. It is the LORD Who will spread your roots in life and give you the stability to face any adversity in life.

Let me ask you, in whom or what are you planting your trust? If you want to live a blessed life, then plant your trust in the LORD. You certainly have the choice to plant yourself in man or worldly pleasures, but that is like being planted in a barren desert. The other and best choice is to plant yourself in the LORD, for when you are planted in Him you will find the strength you need to face any adversity that comes your way.

Revelation 3:19
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

My parents were oftentimes criticized by others for how they raised my siblings and me. They were told that they were too hard on us and that they would run us off because of the rules of our household. They were oftentimes looked down upon because they believed that my siblings and I needed to be punished when we did wrong.

The reason my parents were so often criticized was because there is a mentality that says that if you love someone that you won’t be hard on them. Instead of punishing, they say you need to give your children a timeout. Instead of being rigid with household rules, you should discuss the “mistake” with the child instead of punishing them or taking away some liberties.

When I look back at how my parents raised me, I thank the LORD that they loved me enough to rebuke and chasten me when I needed it. Had they not rebuked and chastened me, I would have never learned there are consequences to wrong actions. Had they not rebuked and chastened me, I would have been exposed to hurtful things that would have caused me to struggle throughout my adult years.

God says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten…” The test of true love is found in the strength to rebuke and chasten when someone does wrong. If someone is not willing to rebuke you when you do wrong, then they do not love you. If someone is not willing to chasten or punish you when you break the rules, then they do not love you. Certainly love is willing to overlook ones weakness to help them, but it does not overlook wrong and let it continue. If you know that something is going to hurt someone and won’t rebuke or chasten them, then you do not truly love them.

Parents, if you truly love your children, then you will rebuke and chasten them when they do wrong. Scriptural chastening is the true test of love. I’m not talking about correcting out of anger, but I’m talking about chastening out of a loving heart. A loving heart has a hard time rebuking and chastening their child, but for the sake of keeping them from destroying their future it will be done. The test of your love for your child is truly determined by whether you are willing to rebuke or chasten them when they do wrong.

Moreover, if a man of God truly loves those to whom he preaches, then there will be times when he rebukes and chastens them in his sermons. A man of God cannot always preach sermons that make people feel good, but there has to be times when he preaches truth that will bring strong conviction on the heart of those who are doing wrong. Is it easy to do this? Absolutely not! But, if you love people, then you will preach truth that rebukes and chastens along with truth that challenges and encourages.

Proper rebuke and chastening does not belittle the one being punished, but it leaves them with their dignity but understanding that there are consequences when wrong occurs. God makes it very clear that the test of true love will include rebuke and chastening. I ask you, are you practicing true love? Don’t close a blind eye to sin, but understand that if you truly love those who do wrong then you must rebuke and chasten them if you are their authority.