Dear Readers,

How my heart has been weighed down with the weight of trials in my life. I am not sure if the trials are bigger or I am just smaller. When I look at the turmoil of the world, all the suffering and pain, I am ashamed that I feel overwhelmed by my small things. Yet, they are still there stressing me. This morning as I sought the Lord, He faithfully ministered. I would like to open my heart and share with you His precious gift.

We are challenged in the area of finances. It is an area we are meant to prosper in, because we are called to help equip the body of Christ to go forth. So, every time we step out and give, we are attacked. The attack came in the form of our water being shut off. In order to have it turned back on we had to use the little money we had set aside for our rent. Our rent being the giant we have to slay every month. This giant has been tormenting and taunting me. All my efforts to steward our finances to slay that giant have come to naught……until God spoke. He has given me three things to navigate this trial. I wish to share them with you.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

⁷For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

This scripture is one I have known for a very long time. Usually when I read it, I focus on what God has not given me, ‘Fear.’ But this time, my heart was inspired to look at what God has given me, POWER, LOVE and SOUND MIND. Why did God chose to give me these three things? What is it about these three things that overcome fear?

SPIRIT OF POWER:

This gift is amazing. I looked up that word power in the greek. It is translated ‘dunamis’ which means “ability to perform” and for the believer, power to achieve by applying the Lord’s inherent abilities. “Power through God’s ability.’

God has given me all that He is for all that I need. I have His dunamis power to navigate this trial. So, He has gifted my Spirit with His. This is so vital because I get so weary. I feel so overwhelmed but His power is never overwhelmed. His strength is perfect!

His power is the vehicle that transports me through the trial.

SPIRIT OF LOVE:

This gift, deals with my soul. I know from scripture that perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:8). The only way I can have perfect love, is to have His. That is, to receive His and allow it to flow through me. I also know that love never fails (1 Cor. 13:8). God’s love in me, causes me to realize that His love for me will never fail and is absolute. He always provides for me lovingly. His love ministers to my soul, filling all those places of mistrust and doubt that I have. He never fails because God is love. This kind of love frees me to walk in faith, totally trusting in Him. It is totally empowering.

Also, I always feel so much turmoil in my soul as I navigate trials. Even this God has a plan for. I love what Psalm 32:8 says ‘ I (the Lord) will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.’ I believe that God counsels me as I am dealing with all the emotions I face during trials. In His love He has provided for my emotions. I set my heart to depend on Him to help me process those emotions with a Holiness that honors Him and honors me.

His Love is the power that motives me, propels me to victory.

SOUND MIND:

This gift is vital to navigating trials to victory. In the Greek this word is translated to mean ‘self-control, self-discipline properly, safe-minded, issuing in prudent (“sensible”) behavior that “fits” a situation, i.e. aptly acting out God’s will by doing what He calls sound reasoning. God knew I would need to be able to control my thoughts to navigate my trials to victory. What good is having power and feeling good in my soul if the thoughts of my mind only lead to death? My mind is the ground the enemy attacks. I often don’t know what to do but God always does. He has given me a mind fit for the moment of the situation I am in. So no matter what the devil sends me, tormenting thoughts about how God is not going to provide, or that I missed it and haven’t done my part, God has given me the ability to take those thoughts captive and to have dominion in my mind. God’s idea of a sound mind is having my thoughts disciplined to God’s word about my trial. By allowing my mind to constantly be renewed to His word, it transforms me into the victor that He has purposed for me.

My thoughts are the compass which I navigate the trial with. If my bearings are off, my destination will not be reached.

He has given me His power, His ability, all that He is for this moment. His love for me provides perfectly for me, all the needs of my heart. Lastly, He has given me dominion over my thoughts. As I renew my thoughts It focuses my heart and gives me clear path through the hardship.

These three things are vitally important to making progress in my trial. Yes, progress. God’s heart for us is to move through the trial, not get stuck there .

Habakkuk 3:19 (AMP)

¹⁹The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk]and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!

Today, as I seek the Lord concerning this trial of finances I am facing, my heart takes courage. He is making my feet like hinds feet….He is teaching me how to navigate this trial to victory. No rent giant is going to take my focus off of what God gives me.

Whatever tormenting giant you are facing, I pray that as you read this, God would give you a revelation of what He has given you for your trial.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We give you this trial we are facing. I thank you that you have not given us a spirit of fear. Fear concerning our health, our finances, our relationships. You have given us power to do our parts, to trust Him with all our hearts and not to lean to our own understanding. You have given us your love, which never fails and perfectly casts out all our fears. You have given us sound minds, self controlled and focused on You. You teach us in the way we should go and counsel us every step of the way. Our hearts may feel confused and doubtful, but your word is how we will navigate this trial. We give you dominion in our hearts and in our minds. In Jesus Name, Amen