Where Are You Living? By Sharyn Culp I am sure when you read this question you thought of the place where you reside here on the earth and from your perspective in the natural realm your answer would be correct. I would like to ask you to give the question some further attention and thought and ask yourself again but this time from a spiritual perspective, “Where Am I Living?” Every day, day in and day out, we get up out of bed, put our clothes on, eat our breakfast, begin our day and continue to live out yet another day of our lives here on this earth. What I am asking you to think about is where is your heart’s attitude as you go about your daily routine? Are you going from one boring, mundane task to the next without much meaning or excitement? Are you feeling “stressed” and “beat down” by the circumstances of life? Are the pressures of life pushing you far past your ability to cope? If so, do I ever have some good news for you! Jesus came to this earth and has already paid the price for you to live in the power to overcome every difficulty in your life. That’s right Friend, you can live an exciting, energized, victorious life every day because of what Jesus has already done for you. I would like to share some truths with you from God’s Word. 1. God wants you to have a good life. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11 KJV) Friend, that’s right. God thinks about you. You are on His mind. He hasn’t forgotten about you. His thoughts for you are of peace, not evil and He wants to give you an expected end. The definition of the word expected in the Greek is “the thing I long for”. God desires to give you your heart’s desire when what you want is what He wants for you. I know in my life if I haven’t desired what He wanted for me, He would change my desire and what He wanted for me was so far superior to what I could have dreamed of myself. Let’s take a look at how the Amplified Version states Jeremiah 29:11. “ For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare (well-being and prosperity) and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.“ “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy, I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (John 10:10 Amplified) Friend, it most assuredly doesn’t sound like to me God wants anything but His best for your life. 2. God doesn’t want you “stressed out”. He wants you to have the peace that passes all understanding in your life. We all have pressures of life that come against us at one time or another. Sickness, illness or injury, a job difficulty or loss, inability to pay bills, trouble in a relationship, and death of a loved one are life circumstances which can bring pressure into our lives if we allow it. In Jeremiah 29:11 we talked about God thoughts for us are thoughts of peace. Are you wondering how in the middle of trauma and distress you can have peace? God’s Word tells us. “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. “And God’s peace (shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace) which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) Friend, let me encourage you the next time you are faced with a difficult life circumstance to take it to our Father in prayer. Simply release the circumstance to Him and allow Him to work it out for you. Every time the Enemy, Satan, tries to bring the circumstance and thought of disaster to your mind, tell him to get out of your life in the name of Jesus, cast the thoughts down and stay in peace. What the Enemy is after is your peace and you have been given the power to withstand him and keep him from stealing your peace. “So be subject to God. Resist the devil (stand firm against him), and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 Amplified) “For the weapons of our warfare are not physical (weapons of flesh and blood), but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds. “(Inasmuch as we) refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the (true) knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointing One).” (II Corinthians 10:4-5). You have every right to resist the Enemy with a big “R” and tell him to take a flying leap away from you. You also have every right to pull down every thought and evil imagination that he attempts to bring against your mind to torment and harass you. You have been given the power and authority to lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ. In other words, if the thoughts do not align with Jeremiah 29:11 and Philippians 4:8 then you can say, “These thoughts are not for me, I rebuke and reject them in the mighty name of Jesus.” “For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things (fix your minds on them).” (Philippians 4:8) Friend, think of it this way. God has good thoughts about you, shouldn’t you have only good thoughts about yourself and your life? 3. God wants you to walk above the circumstances. Jesus has put all things under His feet and therefore because He has given us all authority and power, we have the power to put all things (pressures and distressing circumstances) under our feet. “Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated him at His (own) right hand in the heavenly places), “Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named (above every title that can be conferred), not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. “And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church (a headship exercised throughout the church), “Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all (for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself.” (Ephesians 1:22-23 Amplified) “Jesus approached and breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” (Matthew 28:18 Amplified) “God disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it (the cross).” (Colossians 2:15 Amplified) Friend, Jesus has arisen from the grave. We serve a resurrected Savior. Let’s live our lives every day in every way walking above the pressures and distressing circumstances in our lives. Jesus made an open display and public example of them, triumphing over them (pressures and distressing circumstances) and in it (the cross.) We can too! Now may I ask you “Where do you live?” Prayerfully, you have boldly answered, “In the supernatural power of my resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ, in peace and fulfilling the good plans He has for my life.” Amen.