“I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”(Philippians 4:13 NIV) Take a moment and think about this verse. This is a powerful passage of Scripture that depicts God’s love and strength; His compassion, majesty, and might. For it is God’s heart that each and every person would come to know Him, lean upon Him, and trust in Him with complete surrender. Many people do not want to give their hearts to Jesus and do not want to lean upon Him because of the pride in their hearts and the belief that to trust in God is weakness. When this heart condition takes hold of a person they begin to believe that they can do it alone and that they do not need to trust in anyone but themselves. This belief is often rooted in pride and can cause even the greatest men and women to fail and fall.
An example of this is displayed in the Scriptures. In Genesis there is the story of Adam and Eve. After God created Adam and Eve the Lord gave the Garden of Eden for them to live. He told them to eat of the fruit freely from any tree they desired, but that they could not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was forbidden.
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman You put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:1-13 NIV)
When Adam and Eve partook in this disobedience, sin was birthed and evil entered the hearts of men and women. It is only through Christ’s death and resurrection that we can be forgiven of our sins and be reconciled to God. Each and every person must make the choice to serve God and to receive Him into their hearts. It is in this that we find safety and refuge from the devil and his evil devices. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8 NIV; “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” That day in the Garden of Eden the devil came to Adam and Eve in the form of a serpent. He was looking for an opportunity to deceive them and to get them to fall because of pride. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12 NAS)
Deception and pride are tools that the devil has used throughout time. It was through this same pride and deception that the devil himself fell from being Lucifer (the light-bearer) an Arc Angel created perfect by God, to become Satan “the father of all lies” and “adversary of our souls.” This took place when he decided that his throne should be higher than the Lord’s throne, and a third of the angels followed and fell with him. He has tricked many by perverting the true meaning of God’s Word; and turning the hearts of people away from trusting in God, and on to trusting in man as being enough without God or as being gods themselves. No one can do it alone. It does not matter how strong you are. It does not matter what you own or what you do for a living. It does not matter your stature or positioning in this life, how great or how small it might be. It is only in Christ Jesus that we can achieve all things; for He is the Lord of Lord’s and the King of Kings; the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
God loves you and has a plan and a purpose for your life. He is there to strengthen you, to give you new life, and to place you on the path that leads to His Kingdom and righteousness. If He is touching your heart in this moment and moving in your life, don’t turn Him away. Don’t wait until tomorrow. Receive Him now and in this moment. “Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6 NAS)
You can start by praying this prayer aloud to Him;
Dear Lord Jesus,
I ask that You would forgive me of my sins and wash me clean with Your blood. I ask You to be the Lord of my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. I ask that You would touch my life and my heart. I choose to lean upon You and Your strength and I know that in You Lord I can do all things. I thank You for this Lord.
In Jesus Mighty Name I Pray,
Amen
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