Turn a Deaf Ear/A Stronghold

Turn a Deaf Ear
by Max Lucado • August 29

Two kinds of voices vie for our attention.  One says, “God will help you.”  The other says, “God has left you!”

And here’s the great news:  you select the voices you hear.  Why give ear to pea-brains and scoffers when you can, with the same ear, listen to the voice of God?  I had a friend who battled alcohol.  He tried a fresh tactic.  He gave me and a few others permission to slug him in the nose if we ever saw him drinking. If the wall is too tall, try the tunnel!  Try something different… God will help you!

Ephesians 1:19-20 says, “God’s power is very great for those who believe.  That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead and put Him at His right side in the heavenly world.”

Turn to God and he will give you what you need.  Turn a deaf ear to the old voices. Open a wide eye to the new choices!

A Stronghold

What is that one weakness you have, that bad habit, or rotten attitude? Where does Satan have a stronghold within you?

It’s a fitting word—stronghold: a fortress, thick walls, tall gates. It’s as if the devil staked a claim on one weakness and constructed a rampart around it—placing himself squarely between God’s help and your. . .explosive temper;  fragile self-image; freezer-size appetite; or distrust for authority.

Stronghold. Seasons come and go, and this Loch Ness monster still lurks in the water-bottom of your soul.  He won’t go away!  He lives up to both sides of his compound name:  strong enough to grip like a vise and stubborn enough to hold on.

Remember Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “We use mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the devil’s strongholds.”  You and I fight with toothpicks but God comes with battering rams and cannons!  So give your strongholds to God and He will break them down!

From Facing Your Giants
Source: www.maxlucado.com