Corporate Fast Encouragement- DAY NINE

Good Morning Team,

Let us begin by meditating on our scripture this morning, found in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16. Holy Spirit, give us wisdom, discernment, and grace as we read. 

I love how this section begins; our wisdom is not of this age. How many times have I found myself trusting in the “wisdom” or knowledge of the age? Of the internet? Of the government, the doctors, the ______? Our wisdom doesn’t come from earthly sources - both our citizenship (Philippians 3:20) and our wisdom are from heaven. I often forget that I am but a passing shadow in this world. That this is not my forever home. That I am a citizen of a different place. Let that thought penetrate your hearts and minds today: you don’t actually belong here, so why do we work so hard to achieve on this earth what will eventually pass away? Let us access the wisdom from heaven and act accordingly. 

Our scripture goes on to say that it is the Spirit of God that brings us to understand what was freely given to us. And this we need - as humans, we have a hard time accepting that which is free. We seem to want to earn our way. But the Spirit of God gives us understanding as to all that is free and available to us through our salvation in Jesus Christ. What a beautiful thought. Thank you Father, for your Spirit and for the wisdom I have access to. Show me your ways.

The last line of our section is a big one: “But we have the mind of Christ” (verse 16b). It is here that I want to land, because the battlefield of the mind is a tricky one. I recently went through a personal situation in which I had no control over the outcome and simply had to wait for what I hoped would be a good report. I found my mind wandering, cycling through situation after situation and outcome after outcome. What if this happened, how would I respond? What about this, what would I do then? I had to literally stop myself on several occasions and recall: I have the mind of Christ. I will not allow my thoughts to provoke fear in me. Perfect love casts out fear. I invite the perfect love of God to invade my thoughts and settle my mind. I will set my mind on things above. I will think of what is true, what is honourable, what is pure, what is lovely, etc (Philippians 4:8). My friends, this battlefield is not easy. I found myself sliding into old patterns of thinking more than I would like to admit. But friends. We DO have the mind of Christ. We DO have Holy Spirit, who always comes when we ask and always moves, even when we cannot see it. He is good, He is kind, and He is for us. These truths are profoundly impactful when we settle beforehand that we will not allow the thoughts of the enemy to take hold and we will fight - and win, because He has won it all. 

My friends, may the Spirit of wisdom and revelation guide you as you continue to press forward in our fast. May your wisdom increase in Jesus’ name. May your discernment increase. May your thoughts be His thoughts and your ways be His ways. Amen. Bless you as you represent Christ today.