From Pity to Praise

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” -1 John 6-7

Life in dark cannot coexist, we must leave from the darkness of this world and clean to the light of Jesus. Light and darkness have nothing in common. 2 Corinthians. 6:14 tells us, “Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light and darkness.” This is light and darkness cannot exist together, righteousness, and unrighteousness cannot have a true fellowship, this refers to spiritual, moral, and deep relationAl alliances.

Light represents goodness, divine truth, and wisdom, while darkness represents evil, ignorance, and immorality. In physics, darkness is not a forced by itself, but is simply the absence of light. Therefore, they are not equal that can mingle. The opposites were one identifies the absence of the other..

Righteousness and wickedness cannot exist in harmony, and believers of Jesus are called to stand apart from darkness.

God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. Walking in the light involves a commitment to truth, holiness, and community with fellow believers, reflecting the transformative power of God’s presence in our lives..

My head is so full of knowledge about God and His Word, I sometimes think I’m on overload. Yet, I know at some point that knowledge will come in handy in matters of the heart or someone else’s.

Head knowledge is a personal study or pastoral teaching. And had to do with what we know about God and His Word. It is the truth I have learned, studied, and retained. Heart knowledge had to do with feeling and experiencing the truth of God’s Word. Head knowledge should always result in heart knowledge. It’s important not only to know what God’s Word says in our minds, but we should also believe what God’s Word says in our hearts.

When head knowledge becomes heart knowledge, we can know and experience the beauty of God’s Word and the gift of the gospel.

Yet, moving from the head to the heart can prove to be difficult. In my own life, I struggle to allow what I talk to God about in my mind to sink into my heart. I may know that God is in control but I hesitate to allow the truth to calm my fears.

I know a lot of us know about what the Word of God says, but feel as if our hearts aren’t always moved or captivated by what scripture says. We struggle as believers to allow head knowledge to become heart knowledge. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can move from the head to the heart by meditating on God’s Word, and connecting God’s Word to our lives.

I just pray I’m ready when it’s time to put the knowledge of God’s Word into practice.

Head knowledge becomes heart knowledge when we not only know God’s Word but also do what’s in God’s Word. Head knowledge becomes heart knowledge when we seek to apply what Scripture says, in obedience, and allow the Holy Spirit to do His sanctifying work.

Faith is like a muscle because it grows stronger through resistance, exercise, and constant use, but will atrophy if neglected.

Like physical training, spiritual faith is developed by enduring challenges, applying trust in difficult times, and relying on God, ensuring it becomes stronger under pressure.

Like our muscles it needs resistance to grow. When faith is stretched, strained, and tested, it strengthens, much like lifting weights tears muscle tissue to rebuild it stronger.

There’s a common saying, “use it or lose it.” This applies to our faith too. Faith requires daily exercise, if not used it becomes weak and can fade.

Just as muscles develop, regular exercise of faith prepares us to handle larger challenges and trials.

Faith is a conscious choice and discipline, especially during difficult times.

We can exercise our faith by engaging in consistent prayer. This strengthens us particularly in challenging times.

Obedience is key. Acting on God’s Word, even when it’s difficult, builds spiritual strength.

Moving towards fear rather than away, allows our faith to mature.

Relying on God’s promises rather than just our human strength is what builds spiritual muscle.

There are moments in life when friends let us down, doors close, and circumstances feel overwhelming. It’s in those moments that we realize the world isn’t reliable. But this is also when God shows up.

When the world walks out God walks in. His presence fills the emptiness left behind by disappointment. His strength carries us when we feel weak. His love reassures us when hearts are broken.

What ever season you’re going through, we should take a moment everyday to rest in His presence. Release the hurt, the fear, and the unmet expectations into His hands. Let His peace replace the chaos. Remember: God’s timing is perfect, and His plans are unshakable-even when the world turns away.

If you ever have one of those days where it feels like the world forgets about you, pray this prayer from your heart:

Lord, when the world walks out, walk in. Be my strength, my comfort, and my guide. Help me trust You above all else and rest in Your everlasting love. Amen

Obedience is hearing. The word that Hebrew for obedient is the word “Shema.” This word carry with the meaning of hearing, and obeying. Beadiant is not our only share measure of successful listening. There is a relationship between hearing and obeying.

Obedience in Hebrew means to hear, listen, to give attention to, to understand, to submit to and to obey.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said “One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons.“

The word Shema for obey is a direct correlation between hearing and obeying. This is where we usually run into difficulty. We hear but don’t obey. Modern culture stresses mental activity in terms of relationship with God, but in order to have a deep relationship with God, we need to not only listen, but give attention, understand, submit, and obey.

To know, God and His voice, we need to first have an intention to do what it is we hear Him say. We must have the willingness of spiritual intent, and practice to prepare the soil of our minds and hearts who directly experience oneness with Him as we hear and obey.

“If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land“ -Isaiah 1:19

Willingness yoking yourselves to the will and Word of God. When we do, this, we will obey as we hear. As a result, just as in Isaiah 1:19, we will eat the good of the land, the rich produce that comes from yoking ourselves to Him. The produce is to shema (obey) what we hear from God. Unless we have harnessed our willingness to yolk ourselves with Him, and His instruction, we will no shema (obey) or hear the voice of God and obey, and subsequently, will not eat the good of the land.

In most cultures, listening is a passive mental activity, and hearing just means that our ears registered sound waves. In Hebrew, the word shema describes hearing and also its outward effects of taking heed, being obedient, and doing what is asked.

“But if you carefully obey His voice and do what I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries” -Exodus 23:22

For those of us who are parents already understand this biblical truth by the way we speak to our children and give them instruction. The fact that our children simply heard our instruction is not enough. Usually there is a physical, concrete action that they take as a result of their hearing us. When there isn’t, we often repeat it, even louder, until they hear and obey. It is only then that we consider that they in fact heard us. The same is true in scripture. Almost every place is used in the Bible it is translated to obey, rather than hearing, listening give attention, understand, and submit.

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” -Romans 10:17

It is fruitless for us to read God’s Word without committing ourselves to do what it requires of us. Actually, I think it’s worse than fruitless really because it dulls our hearing all together, and this is disobedience. How can we call ourselves followers of God, and ignore the transformative changes in our lives that He demands.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear” – Matthew 11:15

Jesus says, “He who had ears to hear let him hear!” he is calling us to put His words into action, not just listen. He wants us to be doers of the word, not hearers only. Our culture puts all our stress on what is it our minds, and tend to consider it action, this is just “dead works.” However, the biblical way of thinking is that we have not yet truly understood, until we put what we have heard into our hearts and allow it to transform the way we live.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” -James 1:22

When we approach to God and His Word, it isn’t simply about an academic study so we can recite truth, it’s about having our lives changed and transformed. If my life isn’t changing because of His Words, then I haven’t learned anything, and biblical definition, I haven’t heard. The action of obedience is our only sure measure of successful living.