Dearly beloved saint,
The following are inspired thoughts I found grace to fetch while acknowledging truths that confront my flesh; that disrespect sin and celebrate the word of righteousness
1. Unlike David, almost all men were raised to live in the sight of men; to be more conscious about how they are seen or perceived by men than they are by the Lord; to be men pleasers - not after God’s heart (1Sam. 15:24-30/16:7). We were trained to strive to be accepted and celebrated by (or among) men (Jn. 12:43). It will take the feasts (and trials) of the faith of the Son of God to break that yoke; and to empower us to live in God’s sight - like we never imagined (Gal. 2:20, Isa. 55:2-3, Luk. 16:15. Hos. 6:1-3).
2. One proof of the degree of how separated to Christ we are or the measure of God’s power that has become tangible to us, can be traced to how naturally or gracefully we can repel thoughts that we previously couldn’t; thoughts that previously distracted or made us anxious about tomorrow; thoughts that make most believers to live without God’s power - or unlike Christ Jesus did (2Cor. 6:17/10:3-6). And our growth in Christ can be traced to how irresponsive we are to such thoughts (Matt. 6:34, 1 Cor. 4:20).
3. The reason why a believer would end up not (spiritually) walking in areas where he previously crawled, or run in areas he once walked, and mount upon with wings (like an eagle) where he previously ran is because of thoughts he couldn’t disown or overcome per time; thoughts about a future that doesn’t revolve around the Son and Father or that he should have allowed tomorrow to take care of (Isa. 40:31, Heb. 12:1, Matt. 6:25-34). And freedom from such thoughts come as we allow the Spirit of the Lord lead us like He previously couldn’t do; or like He can’t lead many believers (2Cor. 3:17-18, Ps. 23:1).
4. To limit believers from keeping the faith, all that the enemy had to do in days when we were ignorant of God’s power or in seasons when we lusted after the world and her things, was to put things in our soul and thereby empower us outside faith; things that limit many believers over decades from holding faith with a good conscience (Gen. 3:6, 1 Cor. 2:11, 1Tim. 3:9). Such things would have to be exposed severally before they can be dealt with to their roots because they are things that make us confident in the flesh; that inspires hope outside the gospel (1Cor. 15:19, 2Cor. 4:2).
5. Solomon’s greatest exploit could be traced to the judgment he acquired and declared at the tail end of his life; one that we still ignore at a cost - that says, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9). Truly, things that don’t endure forever isn’t new under the sun in God’s sight - because they are subject to the force of corruption (Ps. 111:3b, 1Jn. 2:17). And nothing makes a thing new and enduring like God’s righteousness (2Cor. 5:17-19, 2Pet. 3:13). Nothing is new under the sun but the word of righteousness - moving into hearts and into nations (Hab. 2:14).
6. One right we would have to surrender to the Lord in seasons when we want to grow in grace like we never have or respond to the Lord like we never did, is the right to choose what experiences He would use to teach us meekness; the right to influence how and who the Lord would use to teach us endurance, love, forgiveness etc (2Pet. 3:18, Matt. 18:23-35). Only then would we be able to see afar off, into what we never really saw about ourselves, about men, about this present life and that which is to come (2Pet. 1:5-9/3:13).
7. The absence of natural life in a body or the departure of the soul and spirit from the human body awakens corruption (or decomposition) in that human body. So also, the absence of spiritual life (Christ) from the soul of man is what awakens the activities of corruption in a soul (Gal. 6:8). The only thing that can drive corruption out of the soul of a believer or that makes it unreachable by sin and death is the indwelling of the word of Christ and of the word of God (i.e. the incorruptible seed) - Ps. 119:11, 1Pet. 1:22-24, 1 John 3:9).
Blessings!
Tayo Fasan