Decision-Making Strategies

God can turn our lives around when we earnestly repent, which means to turn back to Him. And no one is too far gone.

God can regenerate dead things. We were dead in our sin, but He came down and rescued us through Jesus (Co 2:13).

Jesus even revived Lazarus, who was dead (Jn 11:43-44). And when He did, He restored all of life to him, including his relationships. Jesus brought those close to Lazarus to a new level of gratitude and awe. And He expanded their evangelical outreach.

Very recently, Holy Spirit revealed to me that He’s about to do some Lazarus revivals in people’s lives. As we continue to depend upon God, many will witness His miraculous hand bringing dead things to life again.

God has positioned us before some amazing new beginnings, so it’s important to make wise choices. Our willingness and decisions that align with Him help facilitate His strategies.

However, for anyone who thinks they can just live irresponsibly and God will erase the effects of their poor decisions by His grace, they are unaware of God’s law of reciprocity. God’s truth is that we reap what we sow.

Yes, when our beliefs and actions oppose God’s way, they will also return upon our own heads. When this happens, we can turn to God and He will be there to restore us. But perhaps you’ve figured out that God’s restoration often takes decades. So, who would want to live a messed-up life this long?

I’ve viewed countless videos and shows where guests talk about lousy decisions they’ve made and how God redeemed their lives over time; but not once have I heard any of them specifically say that they brought their consequences on themselves.

This is a blow to the ego to even consider that we brought “it” on ourselves. And that’s the whole point: The truth of humility breaks false pride—the same kind of pride that caused Heaven’s most glorious angel, Lucifer, to fall.

So, when we make ungodly decisions, we cannot point a finger at anyone else, lest we memorialize ourselves as victims, the very opposite of victorious. What we do to other people comes back to us. In this way, we can perpetuate a victim cycle of our own doing in our own lives.

Do you see how desperately in need of Jesus we are? And at some point, we must awaken to who and what our God is and intentionally commit to Him and His ways consistently.

I recall a time in my own life, many years ago, when I was experiencing a long, dark night of the soul season. I asked God what was at the root of it all. He revealed a few specific actions in a previous season that brought heaviness into my then current season. I listened to His still, small voice, as He clearly listed a few root causes to me, one by one. And I understood Him perfectly.

Yes, I repented of each sinful cause, but God’s restoration for me was slow, deep and consistent over time. He knows how to correct and restore lasting character in us, so we don’t keep making the same mistakes.

Anytime we think we can get away with doing life our way and still be blessed by God, we are mistaken. The result of living this way is powerlessness, because God and His power are not in it.

If we want to walk in the righteousness and justice of God, we must align with Him by being open vessels to Him and His ways, even when it doesn’t make sense to us. We must decide to follow Him in Spirit and truth. Anything less than faithfulness is sin and will prove to be fruitless (Ro 14:23).

If you look up the Word “fruitless,” you will find it’s actually a type of destitution. It occurs when we leave our very Life Source (who is God), out of our decisions. Simply put, our way alone will not profit much, if at all (Jn 6:63). Ever. So, basically, not yielding to God’s ways produces a very limited yield. In God’s eyes, it’s literally counted as a no good, lifeless waste. God’s Word clearly tells us that we are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Ho 4:6).

I love the command that our Lord spoke through Joshua, which is, “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped . . . and serve the Lord. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Jos 24:14-15 NIV).

So, our decisions matter. God cares and is watching. He longs for us to draw near to Him and live out His strategies, even for our own benefit. When we seek Him, He’s faithful to lavish us with His wisdom. He will be overjoyed that we want to work with Him. He will meet us there and share His best life with us and Himself as our greatest love.

To God be the glory.

This devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

Seen Well

Right now, God is releasing grace to end our torment and destruction from the last season by bringing us into more of His understanding and truth of what happened.

This fresh perspective offers us greater peace and freedom, as Holy Spirit removes our confusion and un-resolve. In doing so, He’s restoring, preparing and enabling us to move full circle into locations and relationships better and wiser. To move into the new life that He promised. And to pour out His living water through us.

God works to unclog the deep wells of our understanding in different ways.

For example, He gave understanding directly to the suffering prophet, Jeremiah, saying, “You have seen well, for I am [actively] watching over My word to fulfill it” (Je 1:12 AMP). 

In this verse, to have seen (Strong’s #7200) means that Holy Spirit opens our eyes of understanding and gives us sure access to experience and display whatever He reveals to us. This is a key promise, as His governing spiritual laws are set in place to work on our behalves. 

In Acts 8:25-40, the curious and worshipful Ethiopian man, who worked as the minister of finance for the queen of his country, gained understanding through a disciple of Christ.

God sent him Philip, to “walk alongside” him in his journey and help him understand more about the Gospel of grace to the point where he could more fully accept it (vs 29). 

This happened while the man read passages from Isaiah 53, which say:

He was led away to the slaughter like a lamb to be offered. He was like a lamb that is silent before those who sheared him—he never even opened his mouth. In his lowliness justice was stripped away from him. And who could fully express his struggles? For his life was taken from the earth (Ac 8:32-33 TPT; Isaiah 53:7-8).

The Lord touched the Ethiopian man’s heart and sent him Philip, who led him to his confession of faith, baptism and indwelling of Holy Spirit (vs 36-38). 

Acts 8:39 TPT tells us that “The man never saw Philip again and that he returned to Ethiopia full of great joy.” 

So, the complete work of Jesus gave this man a new beginning, as he sought to understand Jesus more, while he traveled full circle, back to the physical location from where he came. 

This is our Gospel of Hope, which is certain to be fulfilled (vs 25).

We can only imagine the reach this man had when he returned to his nation. I wonder how he influenced Ethiopia’s Queen Candace (vs 27).

As in this man’s story, once the door of Christ is opened, Holy Spirit brings understanding, which, by invitation, lifts us out of frustrating limitations into a new attitude. So, we can be freer in Christ and with Christ to run and help others, like Philip.

Jesus is the God of Justice, who gives us beauty for ashes to build His Kingdom, beginning with our salvation. And when we seek Him for greater understanding, He’ll bring it. 

When we receive greater understanding, we can know our Lord better and do better for His Kingdom. 

As a well of understanding, we become fortified to overcome our previous lack of knowledge that worked against us to destroy (Ho 4:6; Is 5:13). And we are re-positioned for rivers of living water to flow through us outwardly.

For the Ethiopian man, it came in the form of a disciple of Jesus, who was directed by The Lord’s angel (Ac 8:26).

For Jeremiah, understanding was given directly by the Word of God (Je 1:4-19).

And God will do the same for us. 

So, pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for seeing us and our needs and for sharing Your Spirit of Understanding that knows all things. You command us to get perfect understanding with truth, discernment and wisdom as in Proverbs 4:5. Therefore, we seek You for understanding and invite You to open the eyes of our hearts to see what You would have us see and know right now. What gift of understanding would You like us to experience and display for Your glory? Open Your deep well of understanding Your truths to us, Lord. Help us to apply it and carry out Your mission wisely. Help our unbelief. Thank You for leading us from our certain hope in You to complete fulfillment. Thank You for helping us overcome our lack of knowledge that destroys, thus ending our torment. Thank You for purposely growing us in the knowledge of You and Your Kingdom. May Your rivers of living water pour out of us like a flood at Your will as You order our steps.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, 

Amen.

This devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.