Today, I want to share a quick encouragement for anyone is who is going through a difficult time or believing for something specific from the Lord. The more I get to know the Father, the more I see Jesus revealed to me, the more I realize that the surefire way to walk in victory is to get to a place of rest in Christ. I'm not talking about sitting around and taking a nap, I'm talking about Biblical rest. Where your mind is at ease as you have cast your worries and cares onto the Lord. Where you have a knowing that you are depending on the Father's goodness and kindness. That no matter how hard the storm is raging in your life, you have a peace that surpasses all understanding actively protecting your heart and mind as you walk down the path God has prepared for you, fully aware that the battle belongs to the Lord.
Several years ago, I heard Pastor Joseph Prince ministering on Abraham. He specifically pointed out Romans 4:20,
"He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."
Abraham stood steadfast in his faith by giving glory to God. When we think of glory, thoughts of grandeur, splendor and honor come to mind. However, the Greek word used for "glory" in this verse is actually "Doxa." When you look this one up in Strong's Concordance, you'll find it at #1391. Doxa: Opinion (always good in the New Testament), hence praise, honor, glory. Abraham stood steadfast in his faith by keeping a good opinion of the Lord.
If you think through Abraham's life, he had so many reasons to throw in the towel while waiting for the earthly manifestation of God's promises to him. For starters, just the length of time from when God told him that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky until Isaac's birth was 25 years. That's a long time to wait for a baby! Not to mention the fact that Abraham was 100, yes you read that right, ONE HUNDRED years old by the time Isaac was born and Sarah was 90! To add to the list of potential disqualifications, Abraham lied, he and Sarah tried to take matters into their own hands and produce an heir by Sarah's maid. As you can see, there were lots of reasons that Abraham could have shifted his focus away from God and onto himself and his own shortcomings, but he didn't. Abraham kept his focus on God, on His goodness and faithfulness. He stood steadfast in the faith giving glory to God, judging Him willing, able, capable and faithful to fulfill His Word.
So how can we take this lesson from Abraham and apply to our own lives? Ever since I saw this truth revealed in the Word, any time my husband and I have been facing a difficult situation, I make the decision to have a good opinion of the Lord. While we have walked through times of hardship, frustration or uncertainty, I've realized my mind can be very noisy. Noisy with thoughts, concerns, worries and questions. Each and every time one of those noises starts playing in my mind, I stop and say out loud, "Lord, I choose to have a good opinion of You!" Those words are so etched into my heart, because when I speak them, I am speaking words of faith. I am reminding myself that God is willing, able, capable and faithful to fulfill His Word and His promises to me. When I say, "Lord, I choose to have a good opinion of You," it brings my soul (my mind, will and emotions) into alignment with the TRUTH my born-again spirit already knows-- that God is for me and HE is fighting this battle for me! Jesus Himself is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for me. When I speak out, "Lord, I choose to have a good opinion of You," it brings my whole being- body, soul and spirit- into a place of rest in Christ. And I'll tell you what-- when we have walked through hard situations putting this revelation into practice, we have seen swift and supernatural manifestations of God's promises to us. This is the result of being at rest in Christ. When you stop working and trying to figure it all out and rest in Him, then you will find Him fighting your battle for you at full force.
There were days when I would find myself stopping and speaking this out 500 times. Other days it might just be a thought here or there, but today I encourage you to call every thought contrary to the Word of God captive to the obedience of Christ. Remember what Jesus did on the cross for you. He took your place, He gave you His perfect righteousness and made you a co-heir and beneficiary with Him of every blessing and promise contained in the Word. So go out today with a good opinion of the Lord, resting in Christ and see God's promises fulfilled in your life.