“You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:5-6 NLT)
Every Sunday at the close of his message our Pastor asks us a question: “What is your next step?” He’s a young man, but the Lord has filled him with wisdom beyond his years. Every one of us, whether we began our journey with the Lord in this moment or 100+ years ago, has a next step. It’s obviously going to be different depending on several variables, but not until the Lord calls us home will we complete our last step of obedience. So, the logical question becomes – What’s my next step?
Obedience need not be cumbersome or hard; it simply needs to be consistent and Spirit led. Paul gives us clues as to our next step in the verses above when he quotes the words of Jesus: “Let there be light in the darkness.” As believers our lives should be filled with light, thus demanding we allow the light of Scripture to illuminate and inform every dimension of our life.
If we’re going to be people of light, we must allow the light of the Holy Spirit to exam our heart. The Psalmist invites us to allow the Lord to search us in Psalm 139:23-24 when he writes: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
How does the Lord test us? He asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son. He allowed Job to go through a long bout with suffering, and He allowed Jonah to be swallowed by a whale. Fortunately for us, He typically will test us through temptation. As a rule, each of us have areas of weakness that Satan uses to continually hound us, but the Lord promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13: “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
The words of Scripture empowered and enabled by the Spirit WILL provide everything we need to stand strong and walk faithfully before the Lord. The Lord caught my attention today with a verse I’ve literally read hundreds of times, but it jumped out as I considered this topic of all we need to take the next step in our walk with Him. It’s in Luke 24:45 and says: “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” Do you remember when Jesus said these words? After His resurrection!
The Lord’s resurrection ignited and released a power through the Spirit that is unparalleled and Satan cannot match. When we read the Words of God with an open mind and heart, He will equip us with everything we need to be everything He’s called us to be. Satan would have us crawling around whimpering and complaining because we’re simply weak spiritual worms with no strength and no stamina to stand up to Him, but that’s a lie from hell.
Here’s the truth – we have the same authority that Jesus had when He told Satan in Luke 4:8 to “Get behind Me!” What that meant then and what it means to us now is that Satan is powerless in the face of our Almighty and Holy Savior – the same Savior who has purchased our salvation and delivered us from the authority of the evil one. You and I have everything we need in Jesus! We can take whatever next step He instructs us to take in His power and authority because He’s paved the way through His defeat of our enemy Satan and his emissaries.
Let me close with the powerful words of the Psalmist ringing in your spirit: “Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in Your instructions.” (Psalm 119:18) Instructions that have freed us to walk with the Lord Jesus in absolute power and authority over our enemy!
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 