Will You Throw The First Stone?
All destructive, judgmental, unkind words, thoughts, or actions are like an arsenal of stones, with the power to rob life and virtue. They are tools the enemy wishes to be used by the brethren against each other. Do not fall prey to the Adam syndrome of faultfinding and blame in the failings of others. You do not contend with flesh and blood but with the enemy of your soul (Ephesians 3:12). Understand this and you will be free from the tendency to take part in the casting of stones all the while forgetting your own weaknesses. If I, who am without sin, am not willing to cast stones, why would you (John 8:7)?
Stony words release judgments, bringing about the law of sowing and reaping in your own life in a negative way (Galatians 6:7). You are judged in the way you judge. Forgiveness and humility prevents judgment. Awareness of the log in your own eye makes way for mercy and grace. I am here in your midst today to apply the oils of healing to your heart where you have been hurt and judged. In doing this for you I enable you to do it for others. Let Me put salve on your eyes that you may see.
The time has come to empty your pouch, your arsenal of all stony words collected over the years. These words consist of all thoughts you have had about certain people in your life that have birthed words which to not release life. I want you to look back and think on those you have relegated to a certain behavior and deemed them unchangeable. All things are possible with Me. Be the best advocate against the enemy they have. Join with Me on their behalf and see Me move valiantly on your behalf and theirs.
Let The Word Settle Down In Your Heart
When it all comes down, the enemies chief desire above all else is to kill, steal and destroy?to divide and conquer?to cause dissension which separates you from Me and those I love (John 10:10). He does this in any way he can. How he loves reckless and harmful words.
To be reckless is to be irresponsible, thoughtless, inattentive, hasty, careless and rash in any way. These are all his characteristics and he wants you to embrace them, to join him in the defeat of others.
The enemy knows if you consciously believed you were walking in any of the above definitions of reckless you would be heartbroken. Therefore, he goes about his offensive behavior in more subtle ways, convincing you that little seemingly innocuous words don’t matter…but they do.
Not only do they matter but they release death and build a foundation in your own thinking which, and your thought life produces more spoken word. What are you thinking…what are you saying?
The more you say it the more you believe it and faith is decimated in reference to those you are praying for. Yes, this applies to what you say about your own self as well. Don?t be your own worst enemy. It is not pride to agree with Me about who you are. It is false pride not too.
These cycles, in reference to yourself and others, left unchallenged, hardens your heart brings about callousness, guilt, and shame, causing you to elevate yourself above another in order to preserve your own sense of well-being. This is called self-justification at the expense of another. This is pride, the enemy of humility, and the foe of forgiveness and disparager of grace. It is a vicious cycle of the enemy aimed at getting your focus off of Me, causing you to judge one another…to judge yourself. Judgment, resentment and bitterness render your faith impotent. Mercy triumphs over judgment. I have not judged you so take courage in all things.
In a sense, you cut off your nose to spite your face. Beloved, I say all these things for your own good because I love you too much. I love them too much. Let My Word settle down in the depths of your heart and be made new in all respects (Colossians 3:16). I am here right now to deposit new measures of grace and to build up your overcoming spirit.
Every Good And Perfect Gift
As My Word settles down in your heart you will find yourself in position to teach and admonish others in the way they should go. Love will have its way and overcome sin. Songs will burst forth from your heart and release songs of deliverance over your life, over those you love and yes, even your enemies. Wisdom and insight will flow from newly formed streams of grace. This is what you desire. I can see it and for the most part this is what you do. Those desires you have to defend yourself at times are not uncommon to man. I know. I lived as a man, too. Why do you think I did it? For you, of course. Selah
Your freedom is of the utmost importance to Me. And you will walk in it completely if you remember this: just as stones thrown in the physical have the ability to hurt…to take life, so stones thrown in the form of words have power to do the same.
Pride makes one think more highly of one?s own self than they should. Consider repentance and humility to be your very best friends and constant companions. True humility comes from the awareness of one?s own lack of superiority and acknowledgment of apparent weaknesses, leading to the submission of one?s own self to the service of God and others…without judgment.
Goodness and Mercy follow you, longing to flow through you. Repent and forgive yourself and others. I do. Every good and perfect gift flows down from Me, My light, and My glory, free of charge (James 1:17). All is freely given. Now it is your turn to give in the same manner as I have given to you—become first fruits among those around you (James 1:18).
Stronghold In The Day Of Trouble
In light of who I am in You…and in light who you are in Me, release every stone, every unkind thought or deed. Let them fall to the ground and lift your hands in complete surrender to the heavens above you. I am your defender ? your strong tower in each and every circumstance. My armor covers you and fiery darts are expelled by a heart of love.
I enable you to stand in any given day or situation. I am your ever-present help in times of trouble whether it is physical, emotional, personal or otherwise (Psalms 37:39). Trouble is trouble no matter the connotation or size. Remember this and you will not classify things according to what you think I might be willing to do or not do according to your own level of importance.
Every little aspect of your life is important according to My standards and desire to work on your behalf. When you come to the light of this revelation, everything will change and you will live, move and have your being in Me (Acts 17:28). You see, I even care about the littlest inflections of a face given over to express unkind intentions or thoughts toward you. Likewise, I care about any thoughts the inflections of your face might portray to another. If every sparrow that falls is of importance to Me—if every hair on your head is numbered, why shouldn’t each thought, desire or inflection be of as much or greater importance?
Your Surrendered And Fragrant Heart Of Transforming Life
Beloved, as the chains of wrong words given or received melt like wax in a flame, barriers dissipate in your heart and the hearts of others. As smoke is driven away and the wicked perish so do your troubles when surrendered to Me.
Like a beautiful bloom unfolding at the height of a stunning spring day, your life will present itself for all to see with like grandeur. Beauty displayed softens hearts and disperses distasteful thoughts like fog at the rising of the sun. All unprofitable things fall to the wayside and intoxicating fragrances arise from your surrendered heart of love.
My armor worn in love puts you in the offensive position, not a defensive one. It is a position of great strength. I made you a victor, giving you the sword of the spirit to cut asunder the schemes and devices of the enemy. Put off destructive words and habits; regain your standing and faint not. Walk with Me in the garden of My Word and discover secret places hidden to you until now.
Beloved, please remember you cannot hold a bag of stones and the sword of the Spirit at the same time, or like a divided house, you will fall. They are contrary one to another. Remove the log from your eye that you might have a clear vision to see the garden I have placed you in.
I am your defender and contend with those who contend with you. You are a loved overcomer, therefore, direct all your energies toward the destruction of the true enemy. Clothe yourself in the armor I have provided. Array yourself in the garments of purple and fine linen I have already given you. See yourself seated in heavenly places with ears attuned to the conversations of heaven. Listen; I am speaking.
There are thoughts about you and others I wish to express verbally, creating order out of chaos. I hover over you with a greenhouse-like effect to bring forth the oasis, the watered garden I have called you to be and to enable you to speak these transforming Words (Isaiah 58:11). Faint not. Do not grow weary, My beloved. I am here to once again make all things new. I am here to walk among the garden you are in, in the cool of the day. Selah
Prayer of Supplication and Declaration
Father please forgive me for not being a conduit of life to those around me, especially my family. I will ask them for forgiveness and I release them from the words I have spoken. Sometimes those words have confessed the very opposite of the things You have declared about them. When I disagree with You about one of Your children I am on the side of the enemy of their soul. This breaks my heart. How can my house stand if it is divided? I repent. Put a guard over my lips. I choose to release only words of encouragement, provoking those in my life to good works. I choose to bless and curse not, allowing my fountain to put forth only sweet water. Thank you, Holy Spirit for revealing these truths to me. I am Your child and a giver of life in everything I do. Cleanse me, heal me and fill Me with Your great mercy. Amen
Reflect and Journal
“However, when they persisted with their question, He raised Himself up and said, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her? (John 8:7 NKJV).? For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV).
- In what ways have you been judged by others for anything? Take the hurt, the wounding, resulting from the judgment, and release it today. Ask Him to pour His oil all over you like it flowed down the beard of Aaron.
- Let go of anything?no matter how small?you have held on to just in case the day might come in which you need to defend yourself. Humility is better than sacrifice. He will defend you, for the battle is His.
- Is there anyone you know who you have viewed as unchangeable? Repent, release and speak words of life over them.
- Are there any areas of your heart hardened by circumstances? Reject the hardness and invite Him to make them places of malleable soft clay fully submitted to the Potter?s Wheel.
- Is there anything you have been saying so long, even though it might be just a small thing, you have come to believe it in full measure?
- In what areas do you need new measures of grace?
- He is releasing wisdom from newly formed streams grace just for you. Take advantage and ask Him, tell Him what you need and then receive.
- Contemplate how repentance can be your best friend and how it defeats pride at every angle.
- What does this statement meant to you? True humility comes from the awareness of one?s own lack of superiority and acknowledgment of apparent weaknesses, leading to the submission of one?s own self to the service of God and others?without judgment.
- Pause a moment and reflect on the Lord?s face. Find scriptures which expound on what He looks like.
- Reflect on how beautiful the laugh lines are around His eyes as He smiles at and with you.
- What things in your life have you relegated either too small to be of importance or too large to be overcome? If your inflections are precious to Him so is everything else. Selah
- Take a few moments to close your eyes and make some faces?a smile, a frown, a raised eyebrow. He sees them, every one, and when you smile, He smiles. When you laugh, He laughs. Can you see His laugh lines? Lighten up and enjoy Him. Letting go becomes easier when you are having fun.
- Today is the day to regain a complete standing of victory and walk in an overcoming attitude. What does this mean to you and what destructive thought processes or habits do you have to let go of, even if it is just giving up on negative ways of thinking about yourself or someone else?
- What does ?clothing yourself in purple and fine linen? mean to you personally?
- He calls you a beautiful garden and is there, present to walk among the pathways of your heart? Reflect on this and write what He says to you as He strolls through the cool of your day.