Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”- Ephesians 1:18-21
Insight: As we begin 2022, we may already be sensing that there is nothing magical that suddenly happens just because the calendar changed it’s last digit from a 1 to a 2 that is going to take away all of our worries and our fears. Most likely, all the same fears and hesitations that you ended 2021 with are still with you in 2022. What I want to talk about today is how we get over these “walls” that can stand in our way and keep us from experiencing all God has for us in 2022. Make no mistake, there will always be walls to climb over, trek around or go through in order to come out the other side stronger and more “free” to pursue those things that are of most importance to you. The walls are very individual in nature- usually they do involve some of our deepest fears, and this is where a firm grasp and application of the Scriptures can help us to overcome even our biggest fears. But make no mistake, we are going to have to make a big decision and agree that we can’t do this on our own or in our own strength. We are going to need to depend on Christ, and willfully surrender control of our life to Him, which on its own may be the biggest fear we need to overcome.
We have been programmed, especially in America, to believe in Self-Lordship and that we are responsible for all aspects of our life and the results we desire happening based upon our own efforts. But this is a big lie, a grand deception, that seeks to deceive us into settling for something that can never satisfy, at least not for very long. It is only when we admit that we need to be under the Lordship of Christ Jesus, and let His power run through our lives, that we can find the peace and joy that we truly crave, but it is not as a result of our efforts, it’s simply as a result of being divinely connected to the One who alone produces the abundant peace and joy we crave. John 15:5 reminds us of this critical fact when it says “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Jesus alone has the power we need to get over, around or through the Walls that stand in the way of reaching our destiny because He is the One who created us! He created the entire Universe, so He knows exactly what you need. 1 Colossians 1:15-17 says so: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
But you have to believe this for it to have any power in your life. If you read the Bible but don’t really learn to apply it in your life and truly believe what it says down to your core, then you will most likely fall back on your own strength and you will most likely continue to get stymied by the Walls that pop up in front of your path. What are the most common types of Walls people must overcome? In most situations, the big 3 would be financial, relational and health related in some manner. In other words, our fears are around not having enough, or having too much debt, being tormented by relationship decisions that have left us in pain or broken our hearts, or fears about death or dying or getting sick. This is just a small sub-set but it is probably one of these 3 that you carried with you into 2022 that you will need to overcome.
So what’s the answer? Turn to scripture and believe what it says. Read it and meditate on it until it permeates deep into your soul and it lifts you to new levels of fearlessness through the strength of Christ. A perfect example is the Scripture of the day above from Ephesians 1:18-21. Look at its promises of power and of a glorious inheritance that awaits us as Christians in Heaven. This about what it means that we will live forever because Christ came to die for us so that we can have eternal life and the same power that “raised Jesus from the dead,” lives in us. Your fears must melt away if you truly believe this. If not, ask yourself why you don’t and ask Christ to help you to believe it and apply it. Then your life will be radically changed and 2022 will be the year when you truly slay all of your fears and scale the Walls that stand before you as if they didn’t even exist.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You that through Your Lordship and strength in our lives that we can overcome all of our fears and triumph over them. Not in our strength but in yours. Amen!
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