Front End Alignment

Philippians 4:6-8 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.

It was only a few days ago, while sorting through a backlog of 400 emails early one morning, that God spoke to me about how far I had strayed from him. He showed me how the world had taken away my focus, exhausted me physically and mentally, and even hidden in the financial blessing was the curse of a heart focused on the world and not eternity. It was a slow fade into where I have found myself; trying to solve worldly problems, setting worldly goals, and full of worldly disappointments. I was blessed to glimpse the level of spiritual warfare in these things, the timing of many things, but I tried to not let Satan take me down the paths of depression and defeat that he desired in the spiritual realm of this realization. Satan will gladly use that tug of God’s blessing of discernment, to tug your heart into the pit of depression. When you feel the convictions of sin, a humble heart of agreement that leads into repentance, is the wheel that changes the direction of focus of one’s mind. I cannot imagine the level of a heart of pride that does not understand the cleansing of repentance before our Lord; it is not the pride of life that believes we can fix it, but the humility that realizes we can’t without Jesus. The level of your relationship with Jesus is clearly evident in the gauge of your humble spirit in life.

I had seen parts of this passage above in a daily scripture this morning. In prayer the word “align” came to me, and I began to look it up, but to no avail. I remembered this passage, and it clearly spoke of one’s heart aligned to God. As I read at the beginning of chapter four, I saw of the struggles of anxiety and depression the world brings; I saw the peace of the heart that truly seeks God, and the blessing of God found in that heart that seeks him. I have many times quoted Philippians 4:7, the peace of God that the world desires, yet pursues by worldly means, never finding peace or happiness without Jesus as their focus in life. Paul is writing of this focus, writing of our hearts desires, writing of the blessings of God found in the hearts desire of one’s focus on the things of life found in prayer and his Word. The time spent in both directly relate to the peace found in life; the time in both allow you to see the good in things, to see the sovereign hand of God in situations that the world condemns; to know that everything in life has passed through his permission. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

This world is falling away from God, but at the same time in that tragedy, is that many are returning to God. God is raising up people like you to speak the truth, to prophesy to the world of their need for repentance just like in the Old Testament. This nation is about to suffer the hand of God’s judgement, and God is likely stirring many of you to come to him. The decisions you make when you feel the tug of God on your heart have eternal consequences. Do not let this crazy messed up world take your eyes off the next. Do not let your alignment with God, be off so much you can’t remain in the center of the road of life with him.