Our daycare kids think my nap time is my favorite time of the day. However, it is really when I get up in the morning and have uninterrupted time with my heavenly Father in his word and prayer. Not possible? Here's the summary of Father's ministry to my soul this morning.
The context is that I have been suffering with severe pain in my hip for quite a few days and having trouble sleeping. This has made me very aware of the frailties of our bodies, and how our physical condition affects so many things. I am thankful that God has better plans in mind.[1]
This has led to a consideration of our souls (our real selves), and how our hearts and minds determine how we are doing.
As I opened up Father’s word this morning, and began interacting with him about things he was teaching me, the influence that our souls, hearts and minds have on us became all the clearer.
The mind is the place where we determine what we believe. The heart is the spring of life that pumps through our souls whatever thoughts and intentions we have settled on.
Our soul-condition is then settled by whatever the heart pumps through us of what the mind believes. If our mind feeds us truth, and we take this truth to heart, our soul thrives. If our mind feeds us lies, and our heart pumps these lies through our soul, our soul languishes in all manner of deceptions, depressions and despondencies.
What does God do to help his children set our minds on him so that what we feed our minds is so good for us that our hearts pumping this goodness through our souls means we are filled with love, joy and peace as promised in his Book?[2]
Our heavenly Father teaches us to guard our hearts very carefully because it is our hearts that pump through our souls whatever we think, feel, believe, desire and choose.[3]
We are to be transformed through the renewal of our minds because our minds settle what we think and believe, giving our hearts the mindset that they pump through our souls.[4]
When we set our minds on the flesh (our earthly independence from God), our hearts then pump fleshliness through our souls, keeping us in bondage to whatever the world, the devil and the flesh continually feed our minds.[5]
When we set our minds on the Spirit (God’s presence with his children), our hearts then pump spiritual realities through our souls, constantly telling us the good news of great joy, and filling us up with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory.[6]
Lately, our home church has been picturing ourselves going on a WoLVeS hunt. WoLVeS stands for the Wounds, Lies, Vows and Strongholds that develop when our minds are set on the world, the devil and our own flesh.[7] They are far more common in the church than many people are willing to admit.
However, with our minds on the Spirit, and a readiness to thoroughly change our minds to whatever God shows us is “good and acceptable and perfect” in his word,[8] we can live as the “more than conquerors” that is our birthright in Jesus Christ our Lord.[9]
God says that, “to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”[10] When our minds are set on God’s Spirit, our hearts pump the life of the Spirit through our souls, and the resulting love, joy and peace give us the victory over whatever WoLVeS and sin have done to damage our relationship with God.
And, as we maintain such a faith-based relationship with our Father, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”[11]
© 2019 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8
Email: in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)
[1] Isaiah 65:17; II Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:4
[2] Galatians 5:22-23
[3] Proverbs 4:23
[4] Romans 12:2
[5] Romans 8:5-8
[6] Romans 8:5-8; I Corinthians 2:14-16; Luke 2:10-11; I Peter 1:8-9
[7] The Wounds, Lies, Vows and Strongholds are explained in this video
message: https://thedeeperwalkpath.org/institute_movies/1-understanding-the-wounded-heart/
It can also be found in Dr Warner’s book, “Understanding the Wounded Heart”. I
purchased the kindle version so I could read it anywhere I was waiting for
something.
[8] Romans 12:2
[9] Romans 8:37 (Context is Romans 8:31-39)
[10] Romans 8:6
[11] Philippians 4:7 (Context is Philippians 4:4-9)
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