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Idleness & Idolatry – Part 2

Closely related to idleness is idolatry. The common letter that begins both of these words is “I.” If you look up “I” in Vine’s dictionary, you will see that it means “ego,” something we all need to submit to The Great I AM.

Idolatry

All levels of idolatry involve exhorting our selfish ways above Holy Spirit—knowingly or unknowingly. Therefore, this makes the practice of idolatry a sin of pride that results in low-level living.

When people turn away from God and worship false gods (that can include our own mindsets), they become slaves “to the depraved ideas [their] idols represent…and thereby, to divers lusts,” according to Vine’s. It can be “traced to lack of the acknowledgement of God and of gratitude to Him.”

What we especially need to know about idolatry, in a practical sense, is that it’s a bondage that leads to captivity of the soul, where idolaters bear little or no fruit (Is 46:2). We need to know that, in troubled times, idols will not help: They never answer or save. And they are powerless to do so (Is 46:8). 

Isaiah 44:9 TPT says that “Idol-makers amount to nothing, and the things they treasure can do no one any good. They are witnesses with blind eyes who know nothing; they will be disgraced.” In verse 11, God says idol-worshippers will be “terrified” and “put to shame.”

According to Isaiah 45:20 TPT, worshipping idols results in receiving no revelation knowledge. This is the very opposite of what Jesus came to do, which is to open our blind eyes to Him!

Knowing all of this, we can easily see that the enemy tries to use idolatry to make our efforts fruitless and disgraceful (Jn 15:5). Remember that fruitlessness is a definition of idleness (Strong’s #692). And dis-gracefulness is disempowerment, because anything dis-graceful lacks the grace-power of God. 

If you or I have felt bound up, blind, shamed, terrified or powerless, we need to ask Holy Spirit to reveal any idols in our hearts to us so we can renounce them. God tells how to renounce idols in Isaiah 46:9, saying, “Acknowledge that I am God, and there is no other.” 

The Word that came forth for this message is this:

Idolatry will look different forward. As God shifts His people into bigger, we must be especially careful to not make idols out of our pasts. Do not let memories, soul ties, fears or traumas interrupt faith for the future. We will be tested to not look back to ungodly things.

Michal

So, as an example, Holy Spirit highlighted Saul’s daughter, Michal, and how she was triggered when she saw King David’s wild dance (2 Sa 6:16). Her unfaithful action of attacking David’s heart and spirit proved to be the opposite of Queen Esther coming before her king, prepared and in submission to God.

Michal was unsubmitted to both God and King David after they both brought her into promotion. Her reaction, when she saw her king dance for his King, revealed the unfaithfulness in her own heart toward both. As a result, she was not blessed in her household (2 Sa 6:20-23).

Michal still needed to grow in faith for the new things God was doing, even though she was already seated in her promotion. 

So, as in Michal’s story, our faithfulness is key. We are to be captivated by Jesus alone, keeping our eyes on higher, renouncing all ties with lesser behaviors and un-glorified things that aren’t worth our time, energy or entanglement, including our own mindsets.

God, in His rich mercy, has brought His righteousness closer to us all through Jesus. He is about to “break the powers of wickedness” and promote His faithful ones, who cry out to Him (Ps 75:10 TPT). He is about to make them powerful as they praise Him. He will strengthen His faithful ones by His measureless grace—that is those who leave all of their cares and anxieties at His feet (Ps 55:2 TPT). And choose His higher way of joy.

So, pray with me, if you will . . . 

Dear Lord, 

I turn to You and acknowledge that You are God and there is no other.

Thank You for bringing Your righteousness closer to me through Jesus for Your glory (Is 48:11 TPT).

I choose gratitude and invite You to search my heart and reveal to me any areas where I have participated in idleness or idolatry, including stubbornness and covetousness.

I renounce all forms of prideful idleness and idolatry and command these spirits to depart from me now. I break the enemy’s plots against me and choose Your plan today, Lord. 

Thank You for restoring my heart to wholeness and my mind to soundness. Thank You for setting me free, so I can walk in Your blessing to be a blessing.  

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, 

Amen. 

Now, I declare the blessing of Isaiah 45:8 TPT over you, which is to “Shower down righteousness, O heavens above. Let the clouds drip with deliverance! Let earth’s womb open and bear salvation’s fruit, with righteousness rising up beside it!” You, “Yahweh, have created all of them!”

And I declare, according to Isaiah 61:11 TPT, that “In the same way the earth produces its crops and seeds spring up in a garden, so will the Lord Yahweh cause righteousness and praise to blossom before all the nations!”

To Him be all glory, honor and praise!

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

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Idleness & Idolatry – Part 1

For several days in a row, Holy Spirit spoke to me about idols and being idle in this order, giving me a revelation that these two sins are closely related. 

His purpose is twofold: First, to deal with any residual in our lives that may be holding us back and, secondly, to help us guard against these culprits forward. 

Our gracious Lord is setting us up for victory going into the promised land by both forewarning and fortifying us against the enemy’s temptations and captivations.

After highlighting several verses and digging out Biblical definitions, He brought to mind Achan at Ai. If you’re not familiar with his story, you can read it in the Book of Joshua, chapter 7.

Here’s the Word that came forth:

Status quo is over! It’s time to “shift into bigger!”

There’s no room for carnal pleasures of the past. It’s time to rise and do the work God instructed. It’s time to awaken to the new. It’s time to lift our heads and celebrate our new beginnings. It’s time for joyous synergy! 

The destruction of yesterday will be no more for God’s people. It’s time to leap over the ash heap and build anew. It’s time to go and do the will of God.

Miracles of intervention will take place in the middle of working through a mess (Jos 8).

Do not fear, for fears of all types can cause a sense of dread and idleness. Distractions and wrong priorities are also culprits. 

What we think we have to do may not be so, according to God. Do the one thing He instructed (Is 47:17).

He has been growing us in submission to Him and is now reprioritizing and opening doors for what’s most important to produce fruit. He has healed and restored us to do the work at hand and do it diligently. 

Our time is not our own!

Isaiah 47:8 TPT speaks of Babylon as a “pampered lover of pleasure.” But God is righting life for His people. He is tearing down false empires, self-proclaimed dynasties and repositioning His people out of bondage and false systems to do Kingdom work. 

He is actively working Psalm 75:10, which is to empower the uncompromising righteous and disempower the ungodly. He is dealing with idle ideas, the idle maker (enemy) and idle makers (those aligned with devil).

He is setting things right by His grace-power. He is putting an end to bondages suddenly and in a single day (Is 47:9). 

Enough captivity!

It’s time to be captivated by God above all else. He’s cutting ties and tethers to what was. He’s resetting His people for better and far better. 

What have you been bound to? It’s time to realize God sees and knows.

It’s time to be set free. It’s time to get up and go do the work at hand by God’s grace-power. It’s time to expand with the active wisdom and knowledge of Christ. It’s time for truth to pierce the darkness. 

It’s time to be set free, to go and do. To build God’s Kingdom!

Idleness

In 2 Thessalonians 3, we read that Paul instructs the church to imitate him and his team. He points out that they were not idle in relationship with them and that they worked day and night, as to not burden them (vs 7-9).

The Word “idle” (Strong’s #812) here means “to be out of order, be remiss.” To “riot, rebel, behave disorderly,” neglect duty and to be careless in habits. It means to “behave improperly” and “behave self-disorderly.” 

Another commentary defines idleness as “…to be out of proper order (arrangement), i.e., breaking rank (disregarding commands, authority)” (Helps). And a third commentary defines it as to “act in an undisciplined manner” (NAS). A fourth commentary defines it as “of soldiers marching out of order or quitting the ranks, to be neglectful of duty, to be lawless, to lead a disorderly life” (Thayer’s).

Being idle, of course, is the opposite of God’s recipe for success, which is described in Isaiah 47:17 TPT, where He says, “I am the One who teaches you how to succeed and who leads you step by step in the way you should go.”

In this simple, put powerful verse, we can see God’s authority and that He requires order, action and our obedience.

To be sure, we do not want to model the Babylonians, who were confused, rebellious pleasure seekers that met their demise (Is 47).

Proverbs 14:23 TPT reminds us that “If you work hard at what you do, great abundance will come to you. But merely talking about getting rich while living to only pursue your pleasures brings you face-to-face with poverty.”

Thankfully, the apostle Peter shares seven virtues we already have within us that will keep us from being “inactive or fruitless” (Strong’s #692) (2 Pe 1:8). They are goodness, understanding, strength of self-control, patient endurance, godliness, mercy and unending love (2 Pe 1:5-7).

That’s all for this week. Join me next week for Part 2 of Idleness & Idolatry.

To God be the glory. 

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

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Righteous Dedication 

We’re shifting into a place where God is making things in our lives more right (Is 46:13).

Where we have awakened to God’s wisdom and known Him more, where we’ve chosen more true justice above self-justification, more God dependence over self-reliance and more selflessness in general over selfishness, God is bringing His beloved into an abundance of manifest righteousness (Is 61:11).

The verse Holy Spirit highlighted to me is Isaiah 43:7 TPT, which says, “Bring me everyone who is called by my name, the ones I created to experience my glory. I myself formed them to be who they are and made them for my glory.”

Even as I write, I have a sense that this manifest righteousness will touch every area of our lives and some areas in particular more than others.

This is a recompense, yes, a reward for faithful commitment and even more. It’s an expression of God’s faithfulness. A reflection of Him in our inward state of being. A gracious revealing that Holy Spirit has grown His willing ones to receive better. It’s answer to prayer and markers of destiny. It’s gracious blessing of making so many full of His joy to bring Him glory and overflow to others (Is 43:7 TPT).

HELPS Word-studies says of these righteous ones “…they are justified (…”made right, righteous”) by God’s grace each time they receive (obey) faith” (Strong’s #1344).

The Word righteous means what’s just in character and ways, according to God (Vine’s). It’s what’s approved by God and judged as right, just and holy in His eyes. 

Righteousness works in tandem with justice as a governing rule of divine authority. So much so that they’re the foundation of God’s throne (Ps 89:14). Therefore, anything that is truly righteous is supportive of God’s reign.

To be dedicated to this, means one must submit to God’s heart, His nature—His holy character and ways.

By grace through faith, Christ makes us righteousness in spirit. To choose to be dedicated to Him in soul and body requires us to align with His Spirit in character and principles, trusting Him enough to follow His lead and sacrificing whatever is necessary along the way as we grow in Him.

Therefore, a righteous walk requires us to conform to Him and His will consistently. And we can only do this with Holy Spirit’s help. As we know Him and yield to Him increasingly, He lifts us out of dis-grace and builds us in what’s right in His eyes by His grace-power. 

In this way, God restores honor. 

As God does this, He will alert His willing ones to any diversion(s) as attacks against them and their path to get them off-course.

These diversions are efforts of the enemy that oppose God’s righteous direction for His beloved. They often work through a well-meaning, but self-righteous person, full of their own opinions; or through an envious person, who’s under demonic influence, such as Saul toward David.

Holy Spirit especially highlighted this to remind His people to be alert as we build forward with God’s anointing to restore His people (1 Pe 5:8).

This reminds me of Nehemiah and his famous message: “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you” (Ne 6:3 ESV)? In other words, don’t bow to the enemy.

What’s right in God’s eyes often doesn’t make sense to many of us, including loved ones who desire God’s best for us and, yes, especially to those who work against us and God. Therefore, it’s critically important to discern what’s truly of God by listening to His voice above every other, and follow His instructions, even if they seem new to us or unusual.

Remember, too, that a person cannot dedicate themselves to God and evil simultaneously. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:14 TPT, “Don’t continue to team up with unbelievers in mismatched alliances, for what partnership is there between righteousness and rebellion? Who could mingle light with darkness?”

Sadly, this can even mean those close to us, whom we love, even believers who still have unbelief in one or more particular areas.

Therefore, we must make wise choices on the right path in God’s eyes, even if others close to us don’t understand. To do this, we must have a closer relationship with God than anyone else. We must hear from Him for ourselves and study His Word. 

We are coming into a time of Psalm 30:1 and we need to continue to stay on course and be strong in our Lord. 

The TPT version of this verse says, “Lord, I will exalt you and lift you high, for you have lifted me up on high! Over all my boasting, gloating enemies, you made me to triumph.”

So, let’s discern His best for our lives.

Pray with me if you will . . . 

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for your rich mercy, for choosing us and for building us by Your grace-power (2 Ti 3:16). Please continue to help us by expanding our hearts of dedication to You, as our superpower (Ja 1:12).

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, 

Amen. 

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

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Power Walk

One morning, Holy Spirit gave me a revelation that His anointing, which is His power working through His people, is rooted in a cycle of sacrifice. I had never thought of it quite this way. 

The cycle involves Jesus sacrificing His life for us to receive new life. And then us sacrificing our lives to His. This costly cycle of sacrifice can empower an unstoppable overflow into other people’s lives that delivers them from evil in a unique way.

Soon after receiving this revelation, I went to see one of Apostle Kathryn Krick’s Revival Now events. At this event, God’s anointing worked through her to deliver people from demonization.

It was a modern-day Luke 10:17 demonstration of Acts 8:7 (Lk 4:35-36, Is 45:8).

And the enemy hated it because it displaced his grip. 

To be clear, the anointing comes from Holy Spirit through yielding to His holy ways and according to the measure He desires to offer. As we become increasingly selfless and receive more of what’s most precious into our souls, which is Glorious Jesus as our Treasure, He enables us to receive His anointing in order to serve in our divine callings and assignments. 

And anything He offers us from this exchange is pure gold. 

Precious & Costly

Holy Spirit highlighted Isaiah 43:4 TPT, which says, “Since you are cherished and precious in my eyes, and because I love you dearly and want to honor you, I willingly give up nations in exchange for you.”

The Word “precious” in this verse means “dear, costly, of great price” (TPT study note). The Word “honor” here means “glory” (TPT study note). So, knowing Jesus is our glorious Pearl of Great Price, you can see how cyclical this process is.

The anointing invites us to know Him as the God of gracious sacrifice, full of power and overflow of new life. In fact, the way to true abundance is to sacrificially abide in The One, who owns it all.

So, sacrifice is the price—both for Him, when He laid down His life for us, and for us as we die to every form of selfishness for Him to live through us in increasing measure (Jn 14:12).

Pride or Power

The enemy is so afraid of this yoke-breaking power that he works overtime to try to keep people in darkness by his lies and fears that oppose God’s truth, faith and love. 

Knowing all of this, we can see how the enemy is jealous of us and that God is jealous for us.

Where the enemy tries to rob us of God’s fullness by his dis-grace through the pride of self-idolatry Father God ransomed His Son to save us, where we would be otherwise hopeless (Is 42:17, 44:9).

God empowers us to reap a true harvest beyond harassment and holy discernment beyond discouragement.

We do this by making wise decisions based on the wisdom of God and by sticking to a Godly strategy in our missions, like Jesus, no matter what the sacrifice (Ja 4:7).

We can remember that, although suffering comes in the sacrifice, it’s only for a little while to serve a high, holy purpose (1 Pe 5:10-11 AMPC).

Authority

This brings me to another key factor in all this, which is authority—both natural and supernatural. Holy Spirit revealed to me, during quiet time, that He’s now releasing more authority to His tested and tried ones—the ones who proved faithful in their new nature by Him. 

This is not to say they were or are perfect but they have been perfected by Him to walk in greater authority with Him. In this new level, they will walk out what Holy Spirit revealed to them in advance (Is 42:9).

And in His kindness, Holy Spirit has made them well-able. He has been growing them behind the scenes for a long time, causing them to yield to Him little-by-little over many years so they would not be shaken beyond what they can now handle with Him. 

God trained them to behold Him and His promises in greater measure and now they are ready to realize the fruit of what they’ve beheld.

Imperfect Vessels

If you think God doesn’t bless the imperfect to glorify Himself, you can read Isaiah 43 to see a different story (about Jacob and his descendants). Verse 7 TPT says, “Bring me everyone who is called by my name, the ones I created to experience my glory. I myself formed them to be who they are and made them for my glory.”

Therefore, “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men” (1 Co 7:23).

It’s a new day for those who are willing and able to walk authoritatively in the powerful anointing of God. So, put God first, receive what is most precious and powerful and pour out alongside the gracious One of sacrifice. Because, in this season, gone is the unholiness that caused frustration and delayed victory.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, 

Amen.

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

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Burden Bearer

We can hear that we should cast our cares on The Lord so often that it can feel cliché at times. But God is taking us deeper in this area. 

He’s about to send many of His faithful ones out to the nations. And in this light, Holy Spirit highlighted these verses in Isaiah 40 TPT to me:

Verse 17 tells us that “The nations are nothing in his eyes; he regards them as absolutely nothing.”

Verse 15 says, “Even the nations are to him like a drop in a bucket, regarded as nothing more than dust on a scale. He picks up the islands like fine grains of sand.”

“He reduces rulers to nothing and makes the elite of the earth as nothing at all. They barely get planted and barely take root in the position of power when the Lord blows on them and they wither away, carried off like straw in the stormy wind” (Is 40:23-24 TPT).

“He sits enthroned high above the circle of the earth; to him the people of earth are like grasshoppers” (Is 40:22 TPT)!

These passages help us keep “the nations” in God’s perspective. 

If there’s one thing God taught me when I flew to countless destinations over the years—sometimes ten cities a day—is that the world is small. When you go from one place to another in a matter of minutes or hours, especially over a period of years, most places come to feel like your neighborhood.

And all of it was and still is temporary.

Sure, you could find your favorite people and venues, but you knew it would soon come to an end. Soon and very soon, you would go home and so would they. And then you would get ready for another new beginning. 

And isn’t this how life is? A cycle?

There are mainstays and those you will not see again until Jesus comes for you. In the middle are countless transitions that involve the growth of setting boundaries, saying good-bye and relocating. And in the midst of it all, we come to know more than ever how much we need God. 

We seek Him. He develops us. He sends us out. Again. And there we go. And here we are. 

I believe this is what David knew intimately with God and walked out experientially. When we consider where David began and where he ended up, we can see the miraculous hand of God at work on his behalf. His powerful, ruling hand, as well as His outstretched, compassionate arms. 

Oh, Lord, how we need You.

You never wear out. Your intelligence is unlimited (Is 40:28). You infuse us with Your strength (Is 40:29). Only in Your grace upon grace can we run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint (Is 40:31).

You alone, God, are our King.

He says in Exodus 25:8 AMPC, “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. [Heb. 8:1, 2; 10:1.],” It’s in this dwelling place that we realize He’s bigger than all else, where He as Love drives out all our fears to reveal more of Himself.

He is why we can be a beacon to nations. His light in us. 

Isaiah 40:26-28 TPT directs our attention onto Him alone by saying:

Lift up your eyes to the sky and see for yourself. Who do you think created the cosmos? 

He lit every shining star and formed every glowing galaxy, and stationed them all where they belong. 

He has numbered, counted, and given everyone a name. They shine because of God’s incredible power and awesome might; not one fails to appear!

Why, then, O Jacob’s tribes, would you ever complain? And my chosen Israel, why would you say, ‘Yahweh isn’t paying attention to my situation. He has lost all interest in what happens to me.’

Don’t you know? Haven’t you been listening? . . . 

These words are a reminder to not drift away from dwelling with Him intimately. In our overwhelm, our busyness, our awareness of our inadequacy to do anything Kingdom on our own, we can look up and come near to Him again. 

Isaiah 41:10 TPT tells us, “Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God.”

It’s the only way we can go the distance. And His Holiness is the only way that’s acceptable to God. It’s the only way we can be a bridge, a conduit, a voice of Good News to the nations to which He sends us. 

Pray with me if you will . . . 

Dear Lord, 

Thank You that You are God and I am not.

Help us to freely cast our burdens onto You. You, who died to take every one. 

Help us not to hold onto false responsibilities or false pride. Help us to remain within Your divine purposes, trusting that You can handle all that is too big for us.

Help us to continue to lean into Miraculous You as we go forward with You. 

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, 

Amen.

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