Deacon Toni Richardson (MIT)

Psalm 51:6

Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part you will make me know wisdom.

Encourage Yourself 

In order to renovate our souls and break through to the authentic person in each of us, God must break through several hard "outside" barriers.

The good news for us is that God is persistent in this goal and will not leave us in our present conditions. His plan and purpose for our lives will manifest. The choice as to whether we take the 40 years in the wilderness route or early surrender to God's will is up to each of us.

What are some of those resistant barriers and how does God break through to that hidden part?

First... He finds PRIDE. God uses the sandpaper of the Word to remove it a little at a time.
Then He finds us GRIPPED BY FEAR – dread of our past, anxiety over our present, and terror over what may lie ahead, and He uses the passing of time to remove that fear. We learn that things aren't out of hand at all ....THEY'RE IN GOD’S HANDS! (Thank You Lord!).
Next, He takes the barrier of RESENTMENT and BITTERNESS and He breaks down that layer with solitude. In the silence of His presence we gain fresh perspective, learning to gradually release our cherished “rights,” and let go of the expectations that have held us hostage!

Prayer 

Lord God, as we encourage ourselves to embrace the renovation that is taking place in our lives, we thank You for the blessed assurance that You are right there with us. We submit ourselves to be molded into vessels that You can use for Your glory. As painful as it is now, we are excited about the end result! AMEN

Thought for the day 

Sometimes you have to encourage yourself . . . Sometimes you have to speak victory during the test!