Luke 11:33

No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.

The hurting and lost in the world need a light.  The lost of this world need genuine and caring people to show them what Love looks and acts like.  They need us to know God and what He represents and if we act like Him they will see Love in action.  We are watched by people more than we think. They wonder what makes our lives better and different and that is God showing through us.  Jesus showed people the possible in the impossible, He was a lamp in the darkness.

Luke 6:22-23

Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man’s sake.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

The world hated Jesus and will hate us as His representatives on earth, but without us here life would be pretty miserable.  Don’t be surprised or offended when we stand up for Christian values, that not everyone will agree.  People in sin don’t always recognize what they are doing without us to show them a better way.  God is with us wherever we go and will be our shield and protection.  God will give us wisdom and sensitivity as His representatives.

1 John4:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

The best way to measure anything that comes into our lives is by the bible.  The world will push what is current and popular but does it line up with the word of God.  A way for the devil to derail us is to get us offended or believe something that goes against Gods’ word.  We need to test the spirits and be in our Bibles regularly, so we know what the Scripture says before the deception comes.

Ephesians 1:17

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and the revelation in the knowledge of Him.

When we are born again, we go to a new level of communication with God.  Our spirits now being made alive to God are able to receive revelation knowledge of Him.  As we study the Bible, God will impart revelation knowledge unto us so that our faith will increase.  We move from information to revelation which strengthens our faith.

Hebrews 6:12

Do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promise.

We can get sluggish when we get tired or don’t see results.  Sometimes all we need is to look for examples of people who have overcome in situations similar to ours.  If we can learn what they did and imitate them, we will build up our hope and faith.  Our goal is the promise, and God never said it would be easy, but He did say He would help us along the way.

– Psalm 51-6

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 

The truth of Gods’ word is a light to our soul.  When God reveals His truth to our “hidden part” we learn from God on another level.  Truth makes clear the path we are to travel and gives us wisdom for our lives.  Sometimes the only reason we haven’t overcome a situation is that we don’t know Gods’ truth.  Without truth from God, we cannot remove the strongholds in our lives.

Hebrews 10:38

Now the just shall live by faith;

But if anyone draws back,

My soul has no pleasure in him.

We all know that if we believe we can do something we will.  The same concept applies to faith in God and His word.  If we believe in God and His word, then we will believe He can do it.  Drawing back from God is doubt, and God can’t work with doubt.  Faith is the door open to possibilities and doubts closes the door and locks it. 

2 Corinthians 10:5

Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Our imaginations are a powerful tool.  We can either imagine a fruitful life, or we can imagine a life contrary to Gods’ word.  When our thoughts line up with the word of God, we live in obedience to His word.  Our thoughts and imaginations are crucial, and that means every thought needs to be brought into captivity for us to reign and rule in this world.  God rewards the obedient and faithful, and it all starts with our thoughts.

James 1-22

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving yourselves. 

For us to be doers of the word, we have to let in sink in.  We can hear things but not really listen, and listening is the key to absorbing knowledge.  God says to meditate on the word because He knows we may not absorb the meaning the first time through.  We may have to speak it out loud and focus until we receive understanding.  The word of God is like a seed planted in us, sometimes it needs time and nurturing to grow.  

Ephesians 3:17-19

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Faith and love work together for us to be overcomers in this life.  Walking in love keeps us from getting into strife and out of the traps of the devil.  Faith then can have its perfect work with no hinderances toward our believing and receiving in this world.  As we learn to let our faith and love walk hand in hand together, we will know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.