Change, Discipline, Encouragement, Goals, Guidance, Obedience, Prayer, Priorities, Relationship to Christ, Struggles, Temptation

Led by the Spirit

I want to continue the topic of being led by the Holy Spirit. When we want to make changes in our lives, do we try to do this in our own strength, or do we allow God to guide us? Jesus was led into the wilderness for a period of testing. Our verse today says, “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness  for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.” (Luke 4:1-2 ESV) Did you notice? The verse says Jesus was LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT into the wilderness to be tested.  

At the beginning of a new year, many people make resolutions to change something in their lives. This can be a time of testing, just as Jesus was tested by Satan. Many try to make changes in their own strength or rely on their own willpower to overcome whatever it is they want changed in their lives. That doesn’t always bring satisfying results. For me, I have tried to lose weight most of my life. I would try the latest weight loss fad, usually with dismal results. One night, I was thoroughly disgusted with myself, and just prayed aloud, “Lord, I can’t do this unless YOU help me.” He answered my prayer a couple of weeks later when a friend of mine from our church announced she was starting a new weight loss class that was Bible-based. God heard my cry for help! I signed up for the class. I was brought face to face with my problem. I wasn’t going to God for help with my problem. In fact, in a way I had put Him on the back burner, trying to do this myself. The program had us in the Bible for every lesson, showing us that we were replacing food with our relationship with God. I was able to lose fifty pounds through that program. However, soon after that, I became disillusioned with the program when the founder of the program our friend had introduced to us, started teaching that true Christians were only slender people who followed her program. She believed this so much that she began her own church, began preaching her doctrine, and divorced her husband. My faith was rocked just a little bit, and I quit the program. She was obviously not allowing the Holy Spirit to lead her as she said she was.  

Off and on, I have tried to get back into the good principles of the program, but mostly because I didn’t have a group of people who could hold me accountable, I haven’t been able to get back to that weight. I have kept some principles that help me recognize when I am truly hungry and when I’m eating because I’m bored or whatever. I have begun to recognize when I am truly full and stop eating. My main issue is snacking! So, I must admit, that I need help in conquering that issue, and that help can only come from the leading of the Holy Spirit to stop myself. But I must be listening to His voice for direction and success.

Bible Journaling has helped me a little in that, I’m in God’s Word more, and it is Scripture such as this one, that reminds me to allow God to do for me what I can’t do for myself. If you read the entire section on Jesus’ temptation,(Luke 4:1-13) you will notice that Jesus overcomes the temptations of Satan by quoting Scripture. He could overcome because He KNEW the Scriptures and how to use them to defeat Satan. I can also overcome temptation by knowing God’s Word and using it to fight against Satan’s attempts to derail me in my quest to change my life in different areas so that I can be more like Jesus. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16 NASB 1995) Even though it can be hard, we can overcome anything in our lives that needs to line up with God’s Word if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. The beginning of a new year is a suitable time to take a good look at our lives and ask for help from God to change what we want changed. You can be assured; that He will answer you and send the Holy Spirit to help you.

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Donna Knuth Rice

I am trying a blog for the first time in my life, and frankly, I feel like I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing! But, here goes. I work at a Christian Television network in the Correspondence Department, where I write letters and emails to our viewers, pray with them for their needs, and send materials they request. I am a Christian. I was saved at the age of 11 during a youth meeting at my church. My pastor led me to the Lord, and to say the least, my life has been an adventure. I am a widow. My late husband, Allen, passed away after 34 1/2 years of marriage. He had been sick the last seven years of his life, and it was a struggle, for him and for me. We met as part of a singing group that was affiliated with a Christian Radio station, and we sang together all through our lives together. We both worked in television and radio all through our married life, mostly for Christian stations. Besides singing I also play flute. I had the luxury of having parents who started out as music teachers...so music was in our house constantly. Some people describe me as being a loud-mouthed lime type...can't disagree with that. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count! I also have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind...which is why I get myself in so much trouble! LOL! Trust me, that's something me and God have been working on for a very long time. I have no children here on earth, although I have a baby in heaven. My baby here is my dog Jack. He's a black lab/ chow mix. He's a big boy....thinks he's a lap dog! Can't think of much else to say. The reason I started this blog is because a few months ago in church, a guest pastor came and delivered a message, and when he asked for those of us who wanted prayer to come forward, I did. When he came to me he asked me if I did any journaling. I told him no 'cause I wasn't very good at it. He told me to start, and prophesied over me that my journal thoughts would impact other people. I wasn't sure just how I was to go about doing this. In fact, I was a little hesitant at first. I started journaling at home, and our assistant pastor's wife asked me to submit something for our Senior newsletter. I didn't the first edition, but something I had heard on Christian radio a long time ago and has stuck with me all these years, came to mind so I submitted an article. That article will be my first post. I don't claim to have all the answers, and my thoughts may seem a little "out there", but I feel God has been prodding me to do this, and so here I am. I hope what I post will bring encouragement, and "Something to Think About".

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