AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN, SAYING, ‘OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN YOU MAY FREELY EAT; BUT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL YOU SHALL NOT EAT, FOR IN THE DAY THAT YOU EAT OF IT YOU SHALL SURELY DIE’
(Genesis 2:16-17).

 Have you noticed that God’s relationship with man in the beginning of time was based on obedience? But, man chose to obey the father-of-lies…and became naked.

 SO WHEN THE WOMAN SAW THAT THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR FOOD, THAT IT WAS PLEASANT TO THE EYES, AND A TREE DESIRABLE TO MAKE ONE WISE, SHE TOOK OF ITS FRUIT AND ATE. SHE ALSO GAVE TO HER HUSBAND WITH HER, AND HE ATE. THEN THE EYES OF BOTH OF THEM WERE OPENED, AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE NAKED
(Genesis 3:6-7).

There was a time in my life when I followed the father-of-lies…and became naked. My disobedience delivered me to the government of the father-of-lies, who used his deception to render me abandoned, rejected, shamed, and condemned. All I had to cover myself were my own defense mechanisms. But, the covering my habits and patterns of defense offered was hard and brittle. Since I was always on the look-out to attack or to be attacked, it rendered me irritable, sensitive, and belligerent. Like the hard shell of a little seed, the outer covering of my defense mechanisms kept my heart from falling into fertile soil to yield a crop of Righteousness.

MOST ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, UNLESS A GRAIN OF WHEAT FALLS INTO THE GROUND AND DIES, IT REMAINS ALONE; BUT IF IT DIES, IT PRODUCES MUCH GRAIN
(John 12:24).

 Then, God called me to come under the reign of a new government. But first, I had to let go of my covering—my own defense mechanisms that rendered me naked. Thus, I allowed Him to strip me of my outer shell that was always ready to attack or be attacked, so I may fall into the soft, fertile soil of his Presence…and grow.

BUT OTHER SEED FELL ON GOOD GROUND AND YIELDED A CROP THAT SPRANG UP, INCREASED AND PRODUCED: SOME THIRTYFOLD, SOME SIXTY, AND SOME A HUNDRED
(Mark 4:8).

 What about you? Under which government do you live, day-by-day? How do your defense mechanisms serve you? Do they render you naked? What is keeping you from giving up your hard, outer covering, so you may fall into the fertile soil of God’s Presence…and grow?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I am tired of living a naked life—always ready to attack and be attacked. Strip me of my hard, brittle defense covering, so I may fall into the fertile soil of Your Presence and yield a crop of Righteousness.

Did you know that your Perfect Father loves you even as He loves His Son, Jesus?  There is no other Love in existence like that of your Everlasting Father’s.  There is no other Love with which you can compare your Perfect Father’s Love for you. Why not? Because He made you! He delights in you, because YOU ARE HIS CREATION!

 I HAVE GIVEN THEM THE GLORY THAT YOU GAVE ME, THAT THEY MAY BE ONE AS WE ARE ONE: I IN THEM AND YOU IN ME. MAY THEY BE BROUGHT TO COMPLETE UNITY TO LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT YOU SENT ME AND HAVE LOVED THEM EVEN AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME
(John 17:22-23).

 Precious Child, understand that it is when you do not feel loved that you are prone to fall into sinful behavior patterns, especially if you do not feel loved by Me, your Perfect Father.  It is when you feel abandoned by Me that you fall into hopelessness.  It is when you feel rejected by Me that you fall into bitterness.  It is when you feel that you are not good enough for Me that you fall into shame.  It is My Love you crave the most: My personal attention…My reassuring confirmation…My healing affirmation.

Child, you need to understand that I made you. I formed you in your mother’s womb. I created you. You were not created by your father, or your mother, but by Me, the Perfect Father, the Creator of Heaven and earth. Why would I abandon My own creation? How could I reject what I have made? How could I be ashamed of My own Workmanship? Therefore, become rooted and established in My Love, filled to the measure of all My Fullness, as you grasp how wide and long and high and deep My Love is for you.

AND I PRAY THAT YOU, BEING ROOTED AND ESTABLISHED IN LOVE, MAY HAVE POWER, TOGETHER WITH ALL THE SAINTS, TO GRASP HOW WIDE AND LONG AND HIGH AND DEEP IS THE LOVE OF CHRIST, AND TO KNOW THIS LOVE THAT SURPASSES KNOWLEDGE—THAT YOU MAY BE FILLED TO THE MEASURE OF ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD
(Ephesians 3:17-19).

Do you feel you are not good enough or worthy to be loved?

Engage in an intimate relationship with your Everlasting Father. Get to know Him. Get to know His personal Love for you that surpasses your understanding. That is all you really need, for the cares of this world—the rejection…the abandonment…the shame…the condemnation—will all fade in the Light of your Perfect Father’s Love for you.

PRAYER: Most High, how good it is to hear about Your everlasting Love for me. How encouraged I am to know that Your Love surpasses all my knowledge. Perfect Father, I long to be filled to the measure of Fullness with Your Love, so that my soul might be satisfied, and my pain of abandonment, rejection, condemnation, and shame might be healed.

BE SELF-CONTROLLED AND ALERT. YOUR ENEMY THE DEVIL PROWLS AROUND LIKE A ROARING LION LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO DEVOUR
(1 Peter 5:8).

Be reminded that you have an enemy—the father of lies. His weapon is deception—the practice of filling your mind with negative, destructive beliefs that are not true. This is the cause of your affliction. This is why you feel so abandoned, ashamed, rejected, and condemned.

Know that the father-of-lies always makes sure he stays hidden, while he lives in your childhood conclusions…your illogical interpretations…your perturbing perceptions. He hates the Truth and will try to keep it from you with every tool at his disposal, his favorite gimmick being…blaming others. This way, the focus is taken away from him, the cause of your affliction.

Nobody suspects him of the misinterpretations “I am a mistake…I don’t have what it takes…I am defenseless,” because he always makes sure the blame falls on someone or something else.  “It is your mother who does not love you.  It is your friend who does not care about you.  It is your dad who thinks you are a failure.”  Thus, while the father of lies remains hidden in our conclusions, he devours everybody with his deceit.

YOU WILL TREAD UPON THE LION AND THE COBRA; YOU WILL TRAMPLE THE GREAT LION AND THE SERPENT.  ‘BECAUSE HE LOVES ME,’ SAYS THE LORD, ‘I WILL RESCUE HIM; I WILL PROTECT HIM, FOR HE ACKNOWLEDGES MY NAME’
(Psalm 91:13, 14).

Whom do YOU blame for your failures, your imperfect personality, and your feelings of shame, condemnation, and abandonment?

Accept that it is not what a person said or did to you that is causing your pain; it is what you came to believe about yourself. The father-of-lies lives in your conclusions.

Are you tired of being the victim of the father-of-lies? Do you desire a better life, filled with Peace, Love, and Joy? Then, stop living according to the conclusions in your mind. Instead, trample the great lion by EMBRACING these perturbing perception, EXPOSING them to the Lord Jesus, and allowing Him to EXCHANGE them for the Truth. Because you acknowledge His Name, He will rescue you from the father-of-lies. He will protect you from the roaring lion.

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, help me to see the hidden enemy for who he is: the father-of-lies…the cunning serpent…the roaring lion. Remind me, daily, to stop blaming my family, my friends, and my enemies for the illogical interpretations that live in my mind, but instead, to trample the roaring lion with Your Truth. I love You, Perfect Father, I acknowledge Your Name, Lord Jesus, and I accept You, Holy Spirit of Truth. Be my God. Be my Savior. Be my Truth.