Not saying it’s easy, but there’s no better test of our love for God than when we choose obedience over temptation. These temptations can range from flagrant egregious acts to subtleties like not spending one-on-one time with the Holy Spirit. However, we’ll never know if our love is absolute or conditional until it triumphs over our self-will.

Our love for God keeps our self-will in check.

Of course, the devil studies our moves; he knows how to tempt us by pressing certain impulse buttons and who to get to pull the triggers. His strongholds are vice-grips; he plays for keeps. But we mustn’t fall for his deceptive tactics as Eve did in the garden; news flash, he’s still serving the same menu—death.

But thank goodness, we don’t have to fight these battles alone. Instead, God has given us an Advocate—the Holy Spirit, to help us resist the enemy’s temptations, giving us the faith to say, “No, not my will, but thou will be done.”

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Does your love for God triumph over your self-will?

© 2023

See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

We’re in God’s purview, wherever we are and in whatever state of being we find ourselves. His range is absolute, which includes the scope of our hurts, cares, and failures. The LORD’s eyes are over the righteous, and His ears are opened unto their prayers (Psalm 34:15). He lifts His children when they fall; He’s there when they humbly seek His help.

Father, I stretch my hands to thee,
No other help I know;
If thou withdraw thyself from me,
Ah! whither shall I go?

                                                    -Charles Wesley

The other morning at about two o’clock, my sleep was interrupted by, you know who—the devil. It took me an hour to obey the Holy Spirit, who prompted me to get a pillow, get on my knees, and reach out to Him.

When I finally rolled out the bed, I started praying, did the ugly cry, and blew my nose profusely when I felt a release; something broke in the spiritual realm. I have no idea about the particulars of the matter; all I know is the heaviness I felt dissipated and was replaced with adulation.

Oh, what needless pain we bear.

However, waiting that hour before I obeyed the Spirit allowed the agony to continue and the joy and praise that comes when God reaches down—to be delayed. Oh, what needless pain we bear; lyrics taken from “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” by Joseph M. Scriven.                                                      

                                                        What a Friend we have in Jesus,
                                                         all our sins and griefs to bear!
                                                         What a privilege to carry
                                                         everything to God in prayer!

                                                          O what peace we often forfeit,
                                                          O what needless pain we bear—
                                                          All because we do not carry
                                                          everything to God in prayer.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

^{Aah, When God Reaches Down!}

¹⁴ The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

¹⁸ The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. (Psalm 145)

© 2023

See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

Go ahead—cast 2022 cares; God can simultaneously handle your problems and everybody else’s multiplied by forever. He promised to sustain His children, so why not release 2022’s burdens and receive a 2023 faith increase?

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (1 Peter 5:7).

Sometimes we forget the Holy Spirit is with us to guide and comfort us through life’s burdensome circumstances. We can place the heaviness of our anxieties on Him; there’s no weight He can’t hoist. Therefore, in 2023, we can lift our eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh our help. Our help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2 paraphrased).

Yes, there are times when the Spirit will allow us to travel down unforeseen dark roads, but those are teachable moments that shine a light on His grace, mercy, and faithfulness; God will always provide us with His divine support. He said to call upon Him, and He will answer; He will be with us in trouble and will deliver us. (Psalm 91:15 paraphrased).

Casting cares take effort.

God has already made arrangements to help us—so why not take Him up on it and cast the troubles? We can’t stop unpleasant impressions from entering our minds, but we can control what to meditate on and mull over. When rogue ideas try to invade our thoughts, think about something else (see Philippians 4:8 for suggestions). Or recite Scriptures contrary to the stronghold, or if one doesn’t come to mind quickly enough, keep calling the name Jesus until you feel the peace of His presence.

Before the world existed, God knew about every aspect of our lives, including the troubles we bore in 2022—He wants us to cast the cares and receive a faith increase in 2023.

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).

© 2022     

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

After you’ve done all God told you to do concerning your prayer request, watch what He will do on your behalf. That’s what the Holy Spirit whispered in my heart the other morning about a prayer I had been laboring over for years; He let me know—you’ve done all; now praise Me and get ready to see a demonstration of My power.

My all wasn’t perfect—but it was my best.

It’s not unusual to become weary and anxious when waiting to see even a glimpse of our long-awaited prayers coming to fruition. But we must know when our prayers are in God’s will, and we’ve done everything He asked us to do, not to find it strange that the validity of our faith will be tested—in the wait.

Prove your faith in God to the devil and yourself.

It’s easy to say we have faith when not being pushed into a corner of adversity. But when the devil takes advantage of our impatience and prods us into going on wild needless pursuits to make things happen on our own, we must stay the course, complete what the Lord instructed us to do concerning the matter, and continue to stand on His Word. Whenever we don’t respond to the enemy’s ploys, it strengthens our faith and brings our relationship with God closer.

Sure we get tired, but after done all—be still and let God take it from there.

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him (1 John 5:14-15).

© 2022     

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

God’s complex plans could be mistaken as faith failures when prayers aren’t answered in a “timely” manner or if the answers come in some obscure unrecognizable form. But, then, some prayers involve circumstances with deep entanglements, which must be addressed before we see any results.

For instance, a whole chapter in our lives or another person’s life might have to be completed before the answer comes, including lessons to be learned and experiences to be experienced.

God is concerned with our souls maturing in Him, so He will allow us to travel through the wilderness, “off-beat” paths to grow our trust in Him. And that—Might Take a Minute!

Trust God; He has His reasons for doing what He does.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. ⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

If we only think linearly, A______Z, we miss God’s best.

Joseph’s remarkable life illustrates a perfect example of one of God’s complex plans in action. Read his life story in Genesis 37—50. Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him to slave traders. But what’s so beautiful is that even though he endured hardships—twists and turns, ups and downs, God blessed Joesph through the whole complicated plan to make him ruler of Egypt.

What you’re facing might not be a faith failure—you could be involved in one of God’s multifaceted plans to get you where you need to be.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).

©  2022

See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

I’m sure you’ve heard, “it’s a small world,” although the population is almost eight billion, I wouldn’t call that a teeny gathering. But here’s what’s so incredible, as many people as there are, we are all connected somehow; our actions affect each other like falling dominos. So, therefore, it’s foolish to think we live in isolation—me, mine, and no more.

God knowing our self-absorbed nature is probably why He mystically joined us. The sooner we realize our favorable and unfavorable actions affect one another and that what we sow, we will reap—the better we’ll be; perhaps a few boomerangs delivered to our front door could clarify the point. With that in mind, Luke 6:31 could be interpreted as a cautionary notice—treat people how you want them to treat you.

And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them (ESV).

How often have we triggered distress in another person’s life by making decisions without thinking beyond our desires that our choices could adversely impact someone else’s well-being? That usually happens when we don’t adhere to God’s command to love one another. It doesn’t matter if people live on the other side of the ocean or next door; we are all linked together.

… thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

³¹ And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31).

Am I my brother’s keeper?

In Genesis 4:1-9, after Cain murdered his brother Abel, God asked him where his brother was? Cain arrogantly responded, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

If the LORD asked us about our fellow man, would we give the same flippant answer?

©  2022

See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

A tsunami of hatred has unapologetically overshadowed earth; sticking our heads in the sand and hoping it will dissipate isn’t the solution. This evil is bold and will undoubtedly continue and strengthen if gone unchallenged.

Don’t wait on your heart; love intentionally.

One of the main reasons for this upsurge of hate is partly due to the mistreatment and injustice we have bestowed on each other. People are talking about how bad things have gotten; they’re praying for God to intervene. But He has empowered the church with His Holy Spirit to combat wickedness.

Unfortunately, the world doesn’t have a clue what to do; the good news is that the church does. She knows God is the only answer and that her job is to LOVE purposefully and indiscriminately.

… thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

³¹ And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31).

Goosebumps don’t have a monopoly on love.

But to be honest, loving everybody, including our enemies, seems unrealistic, even for some believers. However, we’re making this harder if we only define love through warm affections. Don’t wait on your heart to tell you who to love; just do good by people.

Do acts of kindness deliberately until your heart catches up.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. ³⁵ By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:34-35).

© 2022     

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

The truth spoken from a hateful heart is unlikely to be heard; the venom whipped up eclipses the message causing the listener’s defense mechanism to kick in—their attention is focused more on dodging the fiery darts headed their way.

Pardon me—your hate is showing.

People think their deep-seated prejudices, jealousy, and other malicious works are hidden by speaking the truth, but their evil, ungodly motives manage to ooze through. So, if hurting is their intent and the truth is the weapon of choice, they’re shooting themselves in the foot.

But for now, I’ll focus on the unsuspecting perpetrator who innocently isn’t aware that their heart houses so much wickedness and is causing so much harm.

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man (Colossians 4:6).

Deep cleanse daily!

Like our sink pipes, our heartstrings become corroded when neglected. However, unlike the pipelines in our homes, the heart must be flushed out daily by the Holy Spirit. Only He can thoroughly search and locate deep-seated rot. We must do as David, who prayed for God to search his heart.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

(Psalm 139:23-24)

Our ongoing personal time with the Holy Spirit keeps the love flowing as He transforms us into His image. It’s a foolish mistake to think we can maintain our hearts clear of contamination in this polluted-corrupt world without the Spirit pointing out our shortcomings and for us, to do daily maintenance. As a result, the truth is digested better when spoken from a loving heart.

© 2023     

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

What can the world offer in exchange for an intimate personal relationship with God? Our first response is probably a resounding—NOTHING! But not so fast; think about it for a minute; this bartering occurs more often than most realize. For instance, do we deprive ourselves of getting closer to God for the things and pleasures of this world? Judas did—for thirty pieces of silver.

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-15, NIV).

For us today, thirty pieces of silver can be interpreted as:

• The time we aren’t willing to sacrifice to learn and know God better. (Phil. 3:7-8,10)
• The wants we aren’t willing to forgo to be obedient to the Word. (Galatians 5:19-21)
• The vengeance we aren’t willing to release for God to handle. (Romans 12:19)
• The people we aren’t willing to love. (Matthew 5:43-45)
• The pride we aren’t willing to surrender for humility. (Proverbs 29:23)
• The faithfulness we aren’t willing to abide by during difficult times. (2 Timothy 4:7)
• The lies we aren’t willing to disclose for truth. (Proverbs 12:22)

When Judas realized what he had done to Jesus, he gave the silver coins back to the chief priest and elders, saying: I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. Then, Judas cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, departed, and hanged himself. (See Matthew 27:3-5.)

Thirty pieces of silver enticed Judas—what amount will tempt us?

© 2022     

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

I know it seems like evil is taking over, but fret not because of evildoers—for they shall be cut down like grass. Put your faith in God, knowing that He has people around the world who are not bowing to wickedness—but are standing uncompromisingly strong for Him. (Ref. Psalm 37:1-3)

Evils like, but not limited to:

• Extortion
• Falsehoods
• Immorality
• Cruelty

Has God ever come up shorthanded?

Elijah made the mistake of thinking he was the only one who had not replaced God with false gods. But God revealed to Elijah that He had 7000 who had not bowed to Baal. That same revelation applies today. Each believer is just one of a multitude of warriors.

Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him (1 Kings 19:18, NKJV).

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

Some of the wicked think they can circumvent God’s commands by referencing His name and citing a few Scriptures, unaware the Lord laughs at those who plot against the righteous, for He sees the day of justice coming. Even though the wicked have drawn out their swords, their bows will be broken, and their swords will enter their evil hearts (ref. Psalm 37:12-15). In other words, the wicked will fall prey to their own schemes.

Therefore, Satan and his minions are deceived if they think they can be victorious against God’s army. So, don’t lose heart in well-doing—stay encouraged, and by faith, wait expectantly on the LORD to set wrongs right.

Are you one of many not bowing?

© 2022     

   See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.