To meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world, and the challenges of living in a world full of strife and competition we need to gather momentum, forge ahead and never give up. As the saying goes: when the going gets Tough, the Tough gets going!
Are you going through a difficult phase right now? Do you feel abandoned or estranged from those around you? Listen, this isn’t a time to weep and cry! It’s a season to learn new things! Yes you heard me. It’s a season God permits to teach you a lesson on how to find strength and power in the midst of adversity. I bet you after this season, you’ll come out strong and ready to face and combat future adversities. Are you interested in learning this lesson- how to overcome challenges- continue reading slowly…
Jeremiah 20:7-9
The word of the Lord has meant insult for me
You have seduced me, Lord, and I have let myself be seduced; you have overpowered me: you were the stronger. I am a daily laughing-stock, everybody’s butt.
Each time I speak the word, I have to howl
and proclaim: ‘Violence and ruin!’ The word of the Lord has meant for me insult, derision, all day long. I used to say, ‘I will not think about him, I will not speak in his name any more.’
Then there seemed to be a fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones.The effort to restrain it wearied me, I could not bear it.
POINTS FOR REFLECTION
1. Child of God the bible passage you just read is one of the lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah. As Jeremiah went through difficult phases he lamented. But God patiently taught and toughened him to meet the conditions which he was going to encounter increasingly. This is also what God has designed to teach us this season — to meet the conditions of a rapidly worsening world. Jeremiah was a testament to the immeasurable presence and power of God locked up in his bones. The fire became irresistible, undeniable, and unbearable in Jeremiah until he spoke. You also need to SPEAK, but you need to THINK right, otherwise you’ll speak wrongly.
2. How to Overcome Challenges
To overcome every challenge, two things are important, namely: What you Think and What you Speak.
What you Think
Do you realise you become what you think?The enemy knows this, that is why your mind is the first point of attack when you experience adversity. The enemy does this to tweak our minds to produce negative thoughts which at the end would consume us. From the mind comes thoughts to steal to overcome financial distress, to revenge those who hurt us, to commit suicide or quit making efforts when we feel we can’t take it anymore, etc.
Jeremiah said: “I used to say, ‘I will not think about him, I will not speak in his name any more.’ But he was mistaken because God’s Word was burning like a fire in his heart and imprisoned in his bones. He may have thought preaching God’s word would make him friends since God’s words are truth and life. He thought the people would appreciate it the way he did when it first came to him. But He realised his thoughts were not in conformation to what God had earlier revealed to him:
“They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” (Jer 1:19).
It is a distorted mind that produces thoughts of a crossless Christianity or crossless victory- that crosses are curses! In fact, Jesus had to rebuke Peter about this mindset as something coming from the devil, saying:
‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’ Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Cf. Matt 16:23-24)
You have to stop that mindset of seeing crosses as curses. Begin to see your crosses as battles you must fight and win. As a believer cling to the Cross of Jesus Christ for in it is the Power of God:
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1Cor 1:18)
What you Speak
Child of God if you think rightly, you’ll speak righty but if you think wrongly you are bound to Speak wrongly! For it is written: out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (Lk 6:45)
When the prophet Jeremiah thought wrongly he spoke wrongly! When Peter thought wrongly, his spoke wrongly to Jesus but Jesus rebuked the evil thought.
You too, you have to guard your thoughts during adversity so as to speak the right words. The best way to guard your thoughts and speak well is to study and meditate on God’s words of encouragement in moments of crises. It is a sure guide. Believe it and Speak it- confess it in your situation and experience its tremendous results. For it is written:
“I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak… (2 Cor 4:13)
TASK
Begin now by casting away every evil thoughts of giving up, suicide, revenge, etc by saying seven times: “Get behind me satan” (mention the evil thought in place of satan).
Now, plead the blood of Jesus and Speak positive words drawn from the bible over your conditions, for it is written:
“…they conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the words of their own testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death…” (Rev 12: 11).
PRAYER
I pray for you may the Lord Jesus dispel every evil thoughts from your heart and mind and fill you with power to overcome your tribulations in Jesus name. AMEN.
I thirst for you oh Lord my God come through for me
🙏🏾 Amenn
MAY YOU OH LORD DISPEL EVERY NEGATIVE THOUGHT OUT OF MY LIFE AND MY MOUTH BE FILLED WITH POSITIVITY IN JESUS NAME. AMEN.
may the Lord Jesus dispel every evil thoughts from my heart and mind and fill me with power to overcome my tribulations in Jesus name. AMEN