Winning the War, episode 105 (rebroadcast)

0:00 If you love a prodigal, you can discover help and hope for your wilderness journey right here at the When You Love a Prodigal podcast and also help and hope for your own life journey. I'm talking about some really important things today. So please, as your mind and heart really hear something that speaks to you, be sure to jot it down so you can put it into practice. I have a young grand girl who is full of energy. She seems to be in endless motion, running from one activity to the next.

0:43 She'll start on the trampoline, which is probably her favorite, then go climb in the jungle gym. She loves to play princess in my car. I'm her chauffeur. She loves to pretend to shop or she likes to take care of baby puppies or she loves to swim in the big blow up pool that they have. She loves to go visit the farm piglets and always I'm following her around for all of this joy just bubbles out of her. When this Gidoo, that's my grandmother name, gets tired and requires a pause, she's usually wise enough to grant it if she wants me to keep playing.

1:31 But sometimes if I or even her mom or dad choose not to cooperate with her desired activity, she can become very unhappy. Her happy face and all the joy she usually has just disappear. Most of us can be like that some of the time. Most of us like me want our own way and when life is going our way, we are happy, even joyful. But when circumstances or our prodigal or even God interferes with our way, our joy can disappear.

2:13 And we also have an enemy who is enticing our prodigal and loving to steal our joy. So some perspective on our enemy. Much of the strife, tension, warfare, and violence we see around the world is more than just conflicting ideologies, warring tribes, people demanding freedom, nations seeking to dominate. It is because powerful forces will use any conflict, any misunderstanding or power grab to increase turmoil, animosity, fear, and more.

2:56 These evil forces are not taking sides, they are playing one side against another. Our God on the other hand is a God of love and peace. These angelic forces are engaged in this battle to protect the earth and all its inhabitants from the destructive intentions of Satan. There are many of God's children who are actively involved for the kingdom of God, where battles are won on their knees, worshiping God, speaking his truth, living out his love.

3:37 Jesus said of the devil, our enemy, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that you may have life and have it to the full. So he is even acknowledging that the evil one is all about destruction, killing, and stealing our joy. Peter warns us in one of his books, Be alert and of sober mind, your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

4:19 So if the devil, the world, our own desires, and our prodigals are all conspiring against us, how do we find and hold on to joy because we have someone more powerful than all those joy dealers? The Holy Spirit of God lives in us and fights for us and gives us all we need, including joy. In Zechariah 5.6, we are admonished and encouraged to understand it is not by might nor by power but by my spirit that you are going to make it through all of this battle.

5:04 In Romans 15.13, we read, Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. So you see, the first key we're doing to today, the first key for us to have joy, no matter what's surrounding us, what the circumstances are, what our prodigal is doing is the Holy Spirit, who Jesus sent to live in us. He said it was better that he leaves so that the Spirit could come and live in each of us. He provides so much for us.

5:45 Just listen, he fights for us in the battle. He is our advocate. He comforts and encourages. He is our help and deliverer. He is a warrior on our behalf and on behalf of our wonderful, loved prodigals. As we admit our own inadequacies and sins and ask the Spirit of Jesus to fill us and direct us and empower us, he will do it. He will do all of these and much more for us. He's there on our behalf for every need that we have.

6:27 He will be with us in all the battles and then there's a bonus. We read that the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of having the Spirit live in us, what He will produce in us. Love, sometimes we need that extra love for our prodigals. Joy will come back to that peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Are those amazing things that the Spirit of God is working to make true of us? He provides some, but He's growing it into our lives.

7:11 Notice the second one is joy. He's so good to give us joy in the midst of everything that we might be experiencing. It becomes ours as we surrender to the Lord, as we choose to walk in His will and wisdom and power. So we can have joy as a way of life, even life with a prodigal. I said last week I would share two secrets for consistent joy, and that's the first one, live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, let Him fill you and guide you and give you everything that you need.

7:56 So now let me tell you one more practice that I found essential and helpful for a joyful life. As I told the story of my grand girl and my natural desires, both of us one in our own way, I noted that when she or I get what we want, we can be happy and even joyful. But as we have discovered, life doesn't give us all that we want. Rarely does it mean we get our own way on a consistent basis. You may have heard this saying, it is not joy that makes us grateful, it's gratitude that makes us joyful.

8:40 When my husband died, which I talked about in the previous podcast, I and my family who were there made a tight circle just as he passed, and we prayed together. All the words that came out of my mouth were, thank you, Lord. How could that be? How could I be saying thank you, as I said goodbye to my husband? I believe it's because a lot of years ago, I made a decision to act on God's command that he gave through Paul. He says these things in 1 Thessalonians 5.

9:21 Rejoice always, that's joy, you know, rejoice. Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances. Now most of us think that's one of the hardest things God's asked us to do. Give thanks when things are good, when we get our own way, when we have a happy surprise. But this is give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God's will for you and Christ Jesus. And then he expands on that through Paul in Philippians chapter 4. He says, rejoice in the Lord always, there it is again.

10:03 Rejoice. In fact, he says, I will say it again, rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all, the Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything. That's a lot of what steals our joy, isn't it? Anxiety. But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So you see, God's serious about giving thanks, not just because he wants to be thanked, and not even just so that you began to get thankful, but that you learned that giving thanks is a pathway to joy, even when circumstances are challenging.

11:02 And this has become my second way of life practice, to give thanks in everything. I seek to make sure I'm walking in the power of the Spirit of God, and then to give thanks in everything. Really? Everything? What if I don't get my way? When my prodigal once again breaks my heart, yes, it has transformed my life. Giving thanks has given me an amazing life filled with joy, even in the loss of my husband, even through tears. God is the one who gives us joy.

11:45 So we have looked at two practices that we can live out and find great joy in return, be filled with and walk in the Spirit, and give thanks in everything. My prayer for you is that you will be honest with God. Tell him of all your pain and fears and loss. We talked about that last week. And thank him, thank him, that he is with you in it all, that his Spirit lives in you and will give you joy, even in the midst of pain. Then thank him for what you like and even for what you wouldn't have chosen for your life today or longer term.

12:34 Give thanks, walk in the Spirit, and joy is an outcome. So next week, because you're going to practice those things all week and you're going to come to the podcast next week and you're going to have overflowing joy in your life, it's possible, I promise. So what should we do with all this joy, even in the midst of our hard journey? Will you do it? Will you walk in the Spirit? Will you give thanks? Remember next week, we're going to talk about what to do with all that joy. It has amazing possibilities. God bless you.