This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deut. 30:19
Just the other night, as I was trying to sleep, the Lord kept waking me up and saying ‘choose.’ Numerous times during that night, I woke up to the Lord requiring me to ‘choose.’ The third time I heard this request from God I said, ‘okay God, what do you mean choose?’
I was reminded of a scripture found in Deuteronomy 30:19, in this particular scripture God said, ‘I have set before you life and death, choose life.’ What God was telling me was to choose the way of the spirit or the way of the flesh in a situation that was currently going on in my life. Choose.
You see I had found myself in a situation for several weeks with someone dear to my heart. Every time we had a discussion, I would get in the flesh after a period of time. It was a situation that pierced my heart and my emotions kept flaring up and when they flared up, my mouth took over. Try as I might, this situation continued to upset me.
That morning and on through that night, God was saying to me: Choose. You will either go My way in this, the way of the spirit, or you continue to go the way of the flesh and it will produce death.
I felt God was telling me that if I got in the flesh again, I would be in the no warning zone with Him. Later that day the same conversation took place again, but I stayed in the spirit, I refused to get angry. I refused to be hurt. I refused to do anything but pray under my breath and stay in peace and remain in God. So, what happened?
As I chose the way of the spirit, God quickly turned everything around. And I do mean everything. It was awesome to watch. God is so faithful. As I was reminded of that day, most of the time what gets us in trouble is our mouth. I am living proof that if we stay in the spirit and refuse to get in the flesh, God will work it out and make an utter end to it.
Between the time the Lord told me to choose and the actual event took place, there was a lot of praying going on. I sought the Lord all day that day and prayed that I would not sin with my tongue and God would cause me to stay in the spirit and not get in the flesh. As I was praying, I remembered a prophecy I had read and went back to re-read it, it talked about not getting in the flesh. And it talks about rising up in the realm of the spirit. It said we are to be led by God and if I am indeed led by God, it will result in my spiritual emancipation.
Emancipation means to be set free from slavery, servitude, subjection and deliverance from bondage and controlling influences.
The Lord had me to write out a confession, which I did and I quoted it all day, and I am certain this was a key to my turnaround. I want to share it with you. It would be awesome to confess over your life each day.
I am free from the devil, the world and from carnal nature. Nothing and no one hinders my spiritual growth. I am free from the effects of selfish desire, and control and manipulation that would interfere with the liberty I have in the spirit. I position myself to walk in freedom. I rise up in the spirit and allow You, God, to direct me in ways that will result in my spiritual emancipation, my being set free from slavery, servitude, subjection and my deliverance from bondage and every controlling influence.
You see, the effects of selfish desire is that you have to have your way. God’s way gives. It always gives and it always believes the best in the other person. And love which is God, never fails.
There is a way of the spirit, it is God’s way. There is a way of the flesh, man’s way, and it always leads to death.
One thing I know for sure, if you go the way of the spirit, it will lead to life, always. God has given us a choice and we have that choice in every situation we encounter. In every conversation we have the opportunity to choose life or death. In every day of our life we have the chance to choose life or death. The way of the spirit or the way of the flesh.
Choose the way of the spirit and live. Allow God to lead you and direct you in ways that will result in spiritual freedom every time, it is so much better than bondage. Jesus has set us free and the only way we go back into bondage is by going the way of the flesh, don’t do it. If that means you have to keep your mouth shut, keep it shut. If you have to walk away and pray for a few minutes do that. If you have to give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Do that.
You can trust God to take care of it. He will not fail you. You don’t have to get the victory yourself, He already purchased it for you; your part is to be led by the spirit of God and walk in that victory.
It is my prayer for you that you will be spirit-led all the days of your life and you will enjoy life and life more abundantly. The way of the Lord is so much better than the way of the flesh, every time. Choose life – choose the way of the spirit.
