Our mood is a choice. Our joy is our job. We are responsible for our hearts – Prov 23:7.
I had a spiritual warfare day this week when I found myself struggling for the return of my hopeful and joyful happy-place with God. I was walking around imaging disrespectful things people “COULD” say to me and what I “COULD” say in return to thwart them. Odd. Very strange, and it wouldn’t stop. No matter how hard I tried – Thoughts just kept coming and my heart hardened as I chewed on imaginary and discouraging stuff that made me angry and stole my hope and joy. I tried all day to flush-it-all out of my head, but couldn’t. I know how to push through. My results are usually immediate – Not this time; No flash flood of God’s Joy and Hope came rushing in with a cleansing refill.
I felt like I was in a batting-cage. I fought each thought as it came, but they just kept coming, and coming, and coming. I asked God for my joyful heart and hopeful attitude back – Didn’t happen. I was perplexed to say the least. By the time I went to bed I was worn out and still fighting pride-filled, vain imaginations. I continued praying and asking God for relief until I fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning, without planning to, I started chanting: “My hope is in God. My hope is in God. My hope is in God.” I wasn’t feeling it – I was just saying it. I still felt the same as I did the night before.
Then suddenly, while quickly and purposefully repeating: “My hope is in God. My hope is in God,” the dark cloud causing my “growl” went whoosh then poof – It vanished and I remembered the same thing happened to Karah in Warriors of the Light: Terrified Tourist. Karah strives to win a demonic battle for her thoughts until she starts chanting: “I will only focus on God. I will only focus on God. I will only focus on God,” until God causes Satan to go whoosh then poof.
What happened to Karah happened to me. I wrote about her doing it, but had never done it myself until Wednesday morning. (I learn from her, too … just as you can.) It’s the same for all of us. We can’t let Satan drag us down. We don’t even have to say, “No,” to him. (We shouldn’t speak to his tactics or acknowledge or answer him.) We answer to God. All we have to do is choose God and choose to focus on what we know about Him and not stop, no matter how long it takes, until God provides results.
If we know God fills us with His love, peace, hope, and joy, and we are not feeling it then we need to fake it until we make it – Say it until we can feel it – Think it until it happens. God let Satan mess with my happy-place. (I knew all along it HAD to be a test.) I could have swallowed the poison-bait (thoughts) Satan was trying to feed me, but I didn’t. I kept spitting the hooks out. I didn’t know what was going on or why, but there was no choice for me other than to choose to stay focused on getting my joy and hope back from God and I was not going to stop grasping for it until I could feel it again.
Your life can also be filled with the kind of real and lasting “Joy” and “Hope” that only comes from God – When you choose it, fight for it, and want it bad enough to not settle for anything less. God delivers and that’s why my HOPE is ‘in’ God and my JOY is ‘in’ God. Don’t miss the emphasis on ‘IN.’ Joy and Hope is found ‘IN’ God – Not in what God provides – It’s found ‘IN’ him. AMEN – YEA and THANK YOU JESUS. I’m once again overflowing with Your Joy and Hope that I find “IN” You everyday.
Do you want to witness Karah’s breakthrough as I did? Read the following excerpt:
Knowing she’d once again resorted to brat-tactics and that she needed to stop-it Karah lowered her head to her knees and chanted: “I’m only going to focus on God. I’m only going to focus on God. I’m only going to focus on God. He caused the soldiers to freeze. He’ll surely do something to stop Satan.” She instantly felt strangely unafraid. She rose to her feet, straightened her back and her clothes, and bravely turned to face Satan.
“Bravo! Bravo! Take a bow!” Satan said as he clapped for her. “You’re two-inches taller when you stand up straight. You’re also prettier when you look me straight in the eye. I like it,” he said as he walked toward her with a gleam in his eye.
“Get away from me,” Karah said as she fell to her knees, shaking and praying.
“Talk to your Almighty God all you want. Won’t do you any good. He’s not as Great and Powerful as He claims. He couldn’t even keep His hippos safe from my Commander,” Satan said as he lifted her chin with his pointing finger.
Karah closed her eyes and continued chanting, “I’m only going to focus on God,” but silently.
“That’s okay,” he said as he backed away from her. “You don’t have to tell me what you’re thinking. I already know. I know because I’ve watched you respond in every situation you’ve ever been in. I know what makes you squirm and tick and what your fear and worry buttons are.”
“Then you should already know that God is what ‘literally’ makes me tick,” Karah said as she rose to her feet. “He said and it is written that I am a Holy vessel created for His purposes through which He will demonstrate the power of His grace, mercy, and riches before all men, women, and children.”
Satan gasped. He’d never seen a human look into his eyes the way she was. The cold stare he’d received from his prisoner moments before had only been a preview of what he was now experiencing. He received her self-control with caution and closed his eyes to try to get her courageous stare out of his mind for his only source of power was the fear he could instill within her…