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This week Dr. Barrett talks about the Lord's sovereignty over your life vs. what the Enemy tries to hold over you.
Creators and Guests
Host
Dr. Barrett Deubert
The founder of The Real Health Co. and the host of The Real Health Co. Podcast, Dr. Barrett is passionate about helping people find true and complete health in any stage of life!
Editor
Grant Crenshaw
Content Producer at the Real Health Co.
What is Manna Monday?
The Team at the Real Health Co. shares a weekly message to help you center yourself and start your week off strong!
Lately, I've been processing this maybe deeper subject matter, but I think it's applicable to the season that we're living in. And that is God's sovereignty, and that is the world we live in, which is a fallen world where there is spiritual forces that are attacking us daily. John 10:10 shares that that God meant for abundant life. Right? But the Enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
Dr. Barrett:How do we process when we're walking through the valley of the shadow of darkness, how do we process that valley? Is it for our good? Is it something that's developing us spiritually? Is it allowing us to be pruned to bear more fruit? Or is it a spiritual attack that we have to wage war against and not give ground to the enemy.
Dr. Barrett:Because the Enemy does roar around like a lion, yet he has no teeth. But the salt to us can a lot of times feel very similar to the pruning of the Lord's. How do we decipher the difference? So here's some biblical thoughts that I have. If you're heading into this week and you've been walking through some hard, how do you process God's sovereignty but yet also living in a world where spiritual attack is a reality?
Dr. Barrett:How do we process? First thing, the most important thing is God is sovereign. That is truth. He is Lord over everything. And nothing happens outside His knowledge or permission.
Dr. Barrett:That is a biblical truth. This is a bedrock, a biblical bedrock that we can claim. But God's sovereignty doesn't mean He actively causes an evil act in the same way. He permits things. He will allow things.
Dr. Barrett:Look at the story, the life of Job, because of human freedom, because of fallen creation, or to bring about good that He can redeem. So loving sovereignty, that's how good loving sovereignty and real human freedom coexist in scripture. There's a reality of pruning that we talked about last week where scripture speaks of hardship that produces growth and holiness. The imagery is a vine that would bear more fruit if it was pruned. Hard things can be God allowed means of sanctification, character building and redirecting us on His straight and narrow path so we can hear well done, good and faithful servant.
Dr. Barrett:How do we know? How do we know we're being pruned? Here are some markers that you can assess in the seasonal life you're in. Does it produce eventual spiritual fruit? So does the pruning produce more fruit?
Dr. Barrett:Which would be greater dependence on God, humility, perseverance. That leads to deeper trust and character building. And it's consistent with God's revealed character, that He's holy, loving, wise. So does the pruning produce more fruit that you are looking to God for the answers and the solution and the intervention? And when you're going through hard, are you running to God?
Dr. Barrett:Or are you being spiritually attacked? Where the opposite is you run away from God. You start questioning your faith. There's lies. There's a sense of anxiety and fear and worry.
Dr. Barrett:Right? The Bible speaks about a real adversary who opposes God's people. And he tempts and accuses and he robs your joy and he sows lies into your mind and inevitably to try to destroy your faith. So the question is, is the mark of your season, is it drawing you closer to Him or is it drawing you away from Him? Is it putting you into community and relationship with Him and others that are faith based, or are you isolating?
Dr. Barrett:The enemy wants to isolate. So if you're in a season where you feel like you need to isolate and have anxiety and fear and worry, That is a spiritual attack of the enemy who's sowing lies and deception to you. If instead you're going through a hard season, but that hard season is drawing you closer to Him, then there is sovereignty happening in that season where God is in control and you just trust in His ways. Inevitably, we'll all walk through hard. We're all right?
Dr. Barrett:Like, we're all gonna go through this pruning process. But there is a distinct difference between being spiritually attacked and being matured by the Lord. If you're being attacked in the season, just claim scripture, is true, that greater is He that is in you than he that's in the world. That He overcame the world. So you overcome the world.
Dr. Barrett:That you could put on the full armor of God and withstand. Right? Psalm 91 is a beautiful scripture to read. And so he has no claim over you. He has no power or authority over you.
Dr. Barrett:If you're under the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ, then you have full authority and power of the enemy. If you're going through a pruning process and you're not you don't understand why and you're going through hard, just remember, you can ask the Lord, teach me your ways. Help me understand what you're trying to teach me in this season. Why? What what are you trying to mature in me, develop in me, and grow in me in this season?
Dr. Barrett:And He'll reveal that to you. So as you go through the valley of shadow of darkness in whatever season of life, whether it's now or later, The most important thing is distinguishing the difference between the enemy attacking you and God's sovereignty maturing you and growing you and pruning you. And so I pray that this was a blessing to you this week and weeks to come.