Category Archives: Spiritual Growth

Stay on the Path of Life

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“You will show me the path of life.” Psalms 16:11

God offers us an abundant life.  We just need to be willing to embrace it.

I have learned over the past 50 years that staying on track takes self-control and discipline.   Self-control is actually planted in you by the Spirit and is growing inside of you as a fruit of the Spirit.

Self- control and self -discipline develop as you are obedient to the Still Small Voice of the Lord on a daily basis.  Set the boundaries that He says to set. The little things count! Obedience to the little things is how we learn to be led by God’s Holy Spirit.  What He says no to, do not touch!  He will guide us and give us His counsel.

“ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22

I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me. Psalm 16:7

You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.  For with You is the fountain of life. Psalm 36:8b, 9a

He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.  Psalm 18:33

We drink from the fountain when we are in the presence of God, and this fountain sustains us in seasons of trouble and drought.  You see now why you must stay close to Him as you are traveling along the path of life.  It is not an easy road or a scenic road!  It is narrow and can be very steep and dangerous, so we must not go too close to the edge. That is why we need hind’s feet for the climb.  We need to be living in truth, speaking truth, walking in the way of truth to be safe.

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Mathew 7:14

Since the way is narrow, we must look to God’s Word and gain wisdom on how to set boundaries in our lives and safeguards to keep us on the path. We need to listen, because sometimes we need guidance, but other times we need warnings and correction. We actually gain wisdom from mistakes so we will not repeat them. I know where I can’t go.  I have learned where my boundaries are for my safety.

He who keeps instruction is in the way of life.  But he who refuses correction goes astray. Proverbs 10:17

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. Proverbs 11:30

In the way of righteousness is life. Proverbs 12:28

Do You Know Which Way to Go?

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“You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with your and that you may live long in the land which you shall possess.” Deut. 5:33

Have you ever been lost and didn’t know which way to go?  Recently I was lost in a big city and did not know which way to go.  After completing my business at the court house, I asked the clerk how to get to the interstate. She seemed quiet annoyed at the question but hurriedly gave me directions.  After circling around the city I realized I was very lost.   So I asked a business man at the red light; he too was in a hurry, so his directions were equally as confusing.  After circling around the city for the third time, I stopped and asked a little old man at the gas station.  He wasn’t in a hurry; he had all the time in the world.  He paid attention to my question and carefully gave me directions which were very easy to follow. Within just a few minutes I was on my way.

In our world everyone seems to be in a hurry; we encounter people every day, the lady at the check -out counter or the man at the bank, who are busy doing their jobs and don’t have time for more questions.  So if you need directions, you simply need to find someone who has plenty of time.  You will know you have found the right person because they will pay close attention and listen to your questions and take time to give you the answer.

When you need directions in life, don’t give up after the first person does not have time.  Keep asking until you find someone who does.  God has all the time in the world.  He will listen to your questions, and He will give you clear directions.  Don’t keep circling around and around like the children of Israel; listen to the directions of the Lord and obey His voice.

What Are Your Thoughts About Yourself?

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“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God? How great is the sum total of them! If I should count them they are more in number than the sand; when I awake I am still with thee.” (Psalm 139: 17)

Where are your thoughts about yourself coming from? Are you listening to others’ comments or are you listening to the Lord? Are you measuring your worth by a worldly standard you see on TV or are you using God’s Word as the standard?

If you can believe that God carefully and lovingly molded you in the womb and covered you with His hand (Psalm 139:13), then your ears will be opened to hear what God’s thoughts are about you.

But now says the Lord that created you, and He that formed you… I have redeemed you and called you by your name; and you are mine…since you are precious in my sight, I love you. (Isaiah 43:1-4 paraphrase)

God says you are precious. His thoughts about you are precious, which means you are of great worth and value, a priceless treasure. The Psalmist David said that God’s thoughts about us are so vast that if they could be numbered they are more than the grains of sand. Just think for a moment of the sea shore and that each grain of sand represents a thought that God thinks about you. Just reach down and pick up a handful of sand. When you come into agreement with God’s thoughts about you, then the way you view yourself will change.

Today, line up your thoughts with God’s thoughts and say: “I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works and that my soul knows right well.” (Psalm 139:14)

Are You Spiritually Immature?

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There are many church pews filled with Spiritually Immature people.  They go to Church, but fail to really grow in their Spiritually Maturity.

Fulfilling the call of God on your life will require spiritual maturity.  We can look at Solomon and what he had to go through to prepare to build the house of the Lord.  King David wanted to build the House of the Lord, but God told him that Solomon would be the one who would build the House.  Even though David was probably disappointed, he began helping Solomon prepare himself for the task.  In 1 Chronicles 29:1 David said, “Solomon is yet young and tinder” (inexperienced), in other words he had not matured yet.  King David knew Solomon was inexperience and would need to mature in order to accomplish the call on his life.

We live in a world of immaturity.  We live in a time when the adults have more toys than the children and most people don’t want to grow up.  The first step to spiritual maturity comes as the worldly desires are put aside and the work of the kingdom becomes a priority.

Another part of maturity is learning patience.  We learn patients as we go through difficult situations that give experience.  According to Romans 5:3-4, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope:”

It takes tribulation to work patience in us.  Tribulation develops patience and patience produces experience.

We gain patience as we face times of tribulation.  This strengthens our faith.  So we are to embrace tribulation as a time to grow and mature. You will actually know if you are maturing by how you handle a difficult time.

 Experience also comes as we learn to go through difficult times.  Many people will view hard times or times of tribulation as an attack of the enemy instead of learning from the difficulty.  The experience gives wisdom and the wisdom brings maturity.

Wisdom from Solomon

We will gain wisdom when we receive discipline and correction properly.  Discipline is a major part of the maturing process, so do not avoid or despise it.

Proverbs 3:11-12 says, “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord: neither be weary of His correction.” We get understanding when we go through correction and chastening. We understand the consequences of our bad choices. Understanding gives you the wisdom to be able to make a better choice. The problem is we all want wisdom but no one wants to be reproved and learn from their mistakes. Everyone wants to hear a prophetic word that will encourage them. But without reproof we will stay immature. When we are reproved is when we gain understanding.

Proverbs 29:15 says, “The rod and reproof give wisdom, a child left to him brings a mother to shame.” A child who is not reproved will not grow up, they become selfish and immature.

 Proverbs 13:24 says, “He that spares the rod hateth his son.” A child will actually mature through proper disciplining. All discipline should be accompanied by instruction so there is an opportunity to learn a lesson from the discipline. Proper discipline robes a child in righteousness but harsh discipline robes a child in guilt and shame.

Proverbs 15:32 says, “He that refuses instruction despises his own soul: but he that heareth reproof gets understanding.”

Many people do not understand how important disciplines are in their life. To be a disciple means: you have learned to be disciplined. The lack of spiritual maturity and discipline can hold you back from a calling God has on your life. So learn how to embrace discipline from the Lord as part of your spiritual maturing process.

Find Your Purpose and Stay in Your Seat

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“Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places” Ephesians 1:20

“And He has raised us up together and made us sit together in Christ Jesus”. Ephesians 2:6

Jesus is seated by the right hand of the Father and He doesn’t get up out of His seat. But we get up, just as a little kid has a hard time sitting still in church. They squirm, wiggle and always need to get a drink of water or go to the bathroom. Maturity is all about learning how to sit down, and stay seated in our seat, our place of authority, not distracted and pulled by our fleshly needs and the world around us.

Once you finally find your seat, your position or God’s purpose for your life, you need to stay seated in your seat. God’s power that worked in Christ and raised Him from the dead also raised Him into His final seat of authority. The power of God placed Jesus at His right hand in heavenly places. That same power is working in me to lift me up out of sin and to break behavior patterns that have been learned and embraced due to generational iniquities. As I overcome these sins and the pull of iniquity, I can feel myself getting lighter and lighter, until I am seated in heavenly places, high above my circumstances, high above principalities and powers of darkness

This Is The Way, Walk Ye In It

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Unto you do I cry, O Lord my rock, be not deaf and silent to me… Psalm 28:1

Wait on the LordThe Lord is not silent; He breaks the silence by saying, “this is the way; walk ye in it.”

Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk ye in it” Isaiah 30:21

When we have decisions to make and doubts are flooding our soul, and others suggest courses of action that are conflicting; when caution dictates one approach but faith the other, it is the time to stop and be still.

The scripture says, “Be still and know I am God” (Psalm 46:10).  This gives us the permission that it is “ok” to quiet the intruding opinion of others around us, and then calm ourselves into the stillness of God’s presence and wait to hear His gentle voice.

It takes courage to wait in silence, trusting that He will not be silent.  It takes courage to bypass all the words of well meaning friends.  It takes courage not to be pulled by those who are insisting on an immediate decision or action. It takes courage to wait on, trust in, and rely on the Lord to direct you in those difficult decisions.  God is ever present in times of trouble; when important decisions need to be made, you will hear His voice behind you saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.”  Once you hear clearly and the decision is made, a friend may then be used by the Lord to give support and confirmation.  So be still and wait on the Lord, He is not silent.   ;

Lord, as I still myself before You, help me to block out all intruding thoughts and opinions. I pray as David did that You will not be silent.  I ask You to speak to me and give me direction in each decision I am making today.  I desire to hear You say: “this is the way, walk in it.”

minister to others out of overflow

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living waterWhen you are ministering to others, it is so important to be refilled with God’s Word daily. There are so many reasons: His Word is the lamp to your feet and the light to your path; but, even more importantly, God’s Word is the Living Water that gives life to your spirit.

The reality is that we cannot live without water. That is how God created us.  You can not survive over three days without natural water before your body begins to shut down.  Even a flowering plant requires water to live.  You can see the effects within a few days if the plant is not receiving enough water.  A flower that has not been properly watered will be droopy and limp; whereas, a flower that has been watered is full of life and beauty.  A thirsty Christian is just as noticeable; they’re dry and limp.

As you receive God’s Word, you can actually feel your spirit drinking in, reviving and blooming again.  So, if you are dry and droopy, just stop; drink and be refreshed.  Drink in the Word, and be filled up before you try to minister to others.  Always be sure to minister to others out of your overflow, not out of your substance.

Watch God Work

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PrayerGod’s Word does not return to Him void! His Word will accomplish what He sent it to planet earth to accomplish.

Twenty five years ago I was given a scripture based prayer and encouraged to pray it diligently for each family member. At the time my husband and I only had one daughter, so that seemed do-able. I printed the prayer out, placed it in my Bible and prayed it every day, with my husband and daughter’s name in the prayer.

As I read this prayer today, in the Amplified version, I was amazed at how this simple prayer had been answered. I would like to encourage you to take this scripture prayer that Paul wrote in Colossians and pray it out loud daily, inserting each family member’s name as you pray. You will not be praying your opinion or thoughts for them, but God’s will. Then all you do is stand back and watch God work in their lives.

Twenty five years later, my husband and I have often been asked how we were able to raise three children who love the Lord and have never rebelled. I believe with all my heart this scripture based prayer answers that question.

“Since the day I heard it, I have not ceased to pray for ( husband/ wife/ child’s name) that he/she will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That (husband/wife / child’s name) _will walk worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of Christ” (Colossians 1:9-11 paraphrased).

This is the Amplified version of Paul’s prayer:

Verse 9 – “For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make [special] request for you, [asking] that you may be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things.

Verse 10 – That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition.

Verse 11 – We pray that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, to exercise every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy” (Colossians 1: 9-11).

Written by Denise Boggs.