40 Days of Challenge – Day 5 Dare to be Different

40 Days of Challenge

Day 5

Dare to be Different

 

The Post-It Challenge

Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).”

Isaiah 55:11-12 (KJV) “So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void (empty, without fruit), but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

Psalm 139:15-17 (KJV) “My substance (frame, bones) was not hid from Thee when I was made in secret, and curiously (skillfully) wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect (unformed); and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned (the days fashioned for me), when as yet there was none of them.”

The Word of the Lord is where His will is found. His entire plan is contained within the pages of His book, the Bible.  Though He directs our individual steps in various ways, they all come together for the purpose of fulfilling His ultimate plan.  Therefore, the only way to faithfully walk in His plan, is to know His plan, and the only way to know His plan, is to know His Word.  In the same concept, the only way to know Him (Jesus), is to know His Word, because we are told in John 1:14, that Jesus is the Word in the flesh.  This being the case, if we do not know His Word, how can we know Him?

In the following, I will describe the steps that I took many years ago, when I first began my conscious walk with the Lord.  I say conscious because I always believed who He was, but never made the committed action of seeking Him for the purpose of knowing Him and being pleasing to Him.  Just as with a new romantic relationship, we are drawn to our partner with an intense desire to fully and completely KNOW them.  We seek to find ways to be pleasing to them, and not to offend them in any way.  Well, our relationship with the Lord should be no different.

When I was 18 years old, I made the commitment to search God’s Word in order to find out who He is and how to please Him.  I decided to read His Word from beginning to end, all the way through.  No matter how long it would take, I was committed to this task.  I began with a prayer every day before ever opening His Word. I would ask for Him to reveal Himself to me through His Word and help me to understand His Word and His Will.  I asked Him to show me what was pleasing to Him and also to reveal to me what displeased Him, and to help me become pleasing to Him.  This was my daily prayer.

As I began to read through His Word, I would come across promises He gave to those who were His.  I made a choice to write these promises on post-it notes and placed them on my wall in my bedroom.  Each day, in the morning and again at night, I would pray these very words of His promises. Soon I began to realize that each of these promises included requirements and / or restrictions (loop holes).  For example, we discussed in an earlier challenge that though Scripture says that we can have whatever we ask for in His name, if we do not receive what we ask, it is because we have asked according to our lusts and not according to His Will.  This is the requirement for the blessing /promise.  In most churches, you will merely hear about the promises, as with most books, and never hear about the required steps to obtain these promises.

With this in mind, I began to add the requirement, coupled with the promise, into a notebook.  I would read these daily, and daily add to them.  Over time I began to remember His Words and could pray accordingly.  I knew that regardless of my past, who I was, etc… He could not deny Himself (His Word), and that He accomplishes His Word – even if just for His name’s sake.

Psalm 79:9 (KJV) “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for Thy name’s sake.”

Isaiah 48:11 (KJV) “For Mine own sake, even for Mine own sake, will I do it: for how should My name be polluted? and I will not give My glory unto another.”

Daniel 9:19 (KJV) “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for Thine own sake, O my God: for Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name.”

Your challenge for this day is to begin seeking the Lord, and learning how to be pleasing to Him.  Commit to reading through His Word from beginning to end, one day at a time.  Do not set a time limit upon this task because it will hinder your purpose.  Read with the purpose of knowing Him.  Some days you may read more than others, some days less… Let Him guide you through this process.  Remain open to His Word and His Spirit.  Be willing to let go of all preconceived notions of who you were taught that He is, and just get to know who He is, as revealed in His Word. Be sure to read at least some, every day.

In addition to reading His Word, and praying, choose to write His promises down in either a journal or something similar to the post-its that I once did.  Read over these at least once a day and commit them to prayer.  This is a powerful tool against all attacks from the enemy, including your own doubts and insecurities.  No matter what you face, keep on – faithfully, and you will grow in Him far more than you can currently imagine.

Allow His Word to conform you, mold you, teach you, correct you, and guide you – in every step.  Remind yourself of what you have read, throughout the day, as you are faced with life.  Remember that true love, as with His Word, lifts you to a higher standard, and is willing to achieve the utmost – beyond any obstacles.  True achievement and growth only comes when you dare to be different.

Psalm 4:3 (KJV) “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for Himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto Him.”

Resources

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**Day 4: Self Control and Thoughtfulness**

** Day 6: Positive Practices and the Danger Zone**