Casting Your Cares

 

 

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

 

 

Are your worries leading you to despair? When circumstances overwhelm you, is fear taking control of your life? Where is the peace that Jesus says belongs to you?   

 

Peace is the result of casting your cares—your fears—your stress—your uncertainties—your worry and anxiety all upon God through prayer and thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6-7). 

 

Instead of casting their cares on the Lord, many Christians ask God to take their fears and anxieties and give them peace. However, that does not work. The Word says we are to give our anxieties to Him. We must hand Him our fears, stemming from our worries and uncertainty about the future. He wants us to trust in Him because He cares for us. Casting our cares on Him occurs when we place our faith in Him and His promises. Christians who lack God's peace have not taken their cares to the Lord and truly left them with Him. 

 

As a Christian, you have received Christ’s peace. It is a fruit of the Spirit that resides in your born-again spirit. However, your cares and anxieties can blind you to His peace. When you release the cares of this world to Him, peace will flow in your life. 

 

When your worries and fears consume you, you are carnally minded. You are obsessed with your needs instead of trusting the Lord. Paul says, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).

 

When you are carnally minded, you are not just “prone” to death; the Word says it “is” death. Similarly, being spiritually minded does not merely dispose you to life and peace; it is life and peace. When someone claims to be spiritually minded yet is consumed by fear, he has deceived himself. He is carnally minded and experiences death instead of life. If we continually renew our minds with the spiritual truths of God’s Word and allow them to guide our lives, we will receive life and peace.

 

Your righteousness with God in Christ is your peace. No one who seeks to gain peace with God through their own efforts will ever attain God's peace. His peace is granted by grace through faith and is experienced regardless of your circumstances or what you lack or possess. Human peace is only felt in the absence of problems. Those familiar only with human peace do not experience it frequently, and it certainly does not last. God's peace is independent of our circumstances and has an endless supply for any problem we face. 

 

God has given us the gift of His supernatural peace to experience. Cast away those fears and surrender them to Him! Don’t cling to the oppression of fear. Offer Him your worries with thanksgiving. Eliminate the blockages that hinder the freedom of His blessing, and peace will flow like rivers of living water.

 

You experience God’s perfect peace when you trust in Him. You rest in the truth of His love and the promise of His Word. You find peace when your mind is focused on Him, not your problems. You are casting your cares on Him—never forgetting that when you do, your cares belong to Him, not you. Casting your cares on Him is a spiritual truth with the supernatural power to change your life.

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/04/casting-your-cares.html

 

 

Walk in the Spirit

 

Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

—Galatians 5:16

 

How can we avoid sin?  By walking in the Spirit. So, how do we walk in the Spirit? 

 

We walk in the Spirit by living according to the Word of God, controlling ourselves based on its principles, and following the Word’s guidance as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God agree perfectly because the Word is of the Spirit. 

 

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

 

Only the Holy Spirit gives us life. Our flesh gains us nothing. Our efforts—the things we do—achieve no lasting results without the Spirit breathing life into them. We do not walk in the Spirit because we have overcome the flesh; rather, overcoming the flesh is the consequence of walking in the Spirit.

 

Some Christians believe that as we overcome our flesh, the power of God in our lives increases. This idea was essentially taught by the Pharisees of Jesus' day and the legalistic Jews of Paul's time. In contrast, the opposite is true: as we experience more of the presence and power of the Spirit of God, the influence of the flesh diminishes. Victory comes through experiencing more of God and less of ourselves. 

 

How do you fill a dark room with light? You don’t eliminate the darkness for the light to appear; instead, you turn on the light, and then the darkness disperses. Similarly, the Holy Spirit shines His light into your life, causing the darkness to disperse. We cannot overcome the power of the flesh on our own, just as we cannot rid ourselves of the power of darkness without light. When we surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, our relationship with Him overcomes the lust of the flesh. 

 

Through faith, we experience the power of the Holy Spirit overcoming the flesh's influence. We urgently need the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself when the flesh causes problems. Those who wait for the Spirit to reveal Himself after being tempted by the flesh will wait as long as someone trying to dispel darkness waits for the light to appear.

 

 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-6)

 

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 

 

Jesus is the light of the world (John 1:14). His light shines into the world’s darkness, but those in darkness cannot perceive Him. The things of God cannot be received until they are understood spiritually. Jesus’ light shines into the darkness of our lives, and when it is perceived, it disperses the darkness of sin and unbelief. If you do not surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit, you cannot discern the truths of the new life you have received in Christ. Your flesh has no power to understand. Your flesh can never overcome. Your efforts will always fail. 

 

But praise God!  The power of darkness has no hold over us!  

 

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). 

 

Christ has delivered us from the power of darkness! His light shone into the world over two thousand years ago when He overcame sin, hell, and the grave. His work was finished, and His light shone forth, never to diminish. The Christian life is a walk of faith according to God’s grace, which is freely given. However, the gift that is freely given must be spiritually discerned to genuinely make a difference in us. 

 

Romans 6:11 states, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We don’t consider ourselves as becoming dead to sin; instead, we acknowledge that we are already dead, because we are dead to sin through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are not heading toward victory; we are coming from His victory—the victory of Christ over sin, hell, and the grave, which has already happened. Since we have already been delivered “from the power of darkness,” Satan does not have any real power over us. His only weapons are deception and intimidation. Those who understand the truth this verse presents have nothing to fear.

 

“Watch and pray,” Jesus told his disciples in the Garden, “lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38).

 

Be watchful and pray. Make good choices in your life. Don’t place yourself in situations that tempt you. Even though you do not want to sin, always understand that your flesh is weak. Your efforts to overcome the flesh without the Holy Spirit will fail. Only Jesus living within you—your righteousness in Christ—overcomes. 

 

John 1:9 says that Jesus “was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”

 

Before you were ever born into this world, Jesus defeated your sin. His righteousness overcame your flesh. Holiness is the fruit of your righteousness in Christ, which you received when you were born again. However, if you don’t spiritually discern the truths of your salvation, Christ’s sacrifice will make little difference in your physical life, and you will struggle to overcome your flesh and live a holy life. 

 

Quit fighting temptation with your flesh! That is self-defeating! Jesus Christ overcomes the flesh! Submit to the work of the Holy Spirit! Follow the guidance of the Word as revealed to you by the Holy Spirit, and, through faith, He will empower your efforts to live a holy life. You are under grace. If the Spirit leads you, the law is no longer your master. (Galatians 5:18, Romans 6:14). Walk in the Spirit, and your flesh will not master you; Jesus will. 

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/04/walk-in-the-spirit.html

Is His Word Manifesting in You?

 

My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.

—Proverbs 4:20-23

 

 

It is tough when it seems you are hanging on by a thread. It is a relief to let go and trust in God’s Word. God sent His Word to heal and deliver you from destruction (Psalm 107:20). His Word is His truth for your life. It is His will and His best for you. Don’t weaken its power to work in your life because there is no physical evidence to believe it. Faith is the substance of what you hope for. It is the evidence of what you can’t see (Hebrews 11:1). Nothing is impossible when you believe (Mark 9:23).

 

God’s Word is true. It is supernaturally powerful to produce life and heal you from the inside out—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. However, His Word is not true in you until it becomes your Word. You must give His Word full attention and keep it continually before you. Don’t allow doubts about God’s truth to hinder what the Word says is true for you. Doubt prevents you from receiving God’s promises (James 1:7-8). Faith pleases God. Needing to see God’s Word in action to believe does not constitute faith or please Him (Hebrews 11:6). His Word is His life yearning to manifest itself in you. And faith is the way you receive it.

 

Faith comes alive when you spiritually hear God’s Word (Romans 10:17). If you want the promise God has given you to be true, listen to His Word, pay attention to it, and keep sowing it in the midst of your heart. Your heart is where you conceive what you believe, and it comes to life. You are always sowing something in your heart—either what is true or what is not true. God’s truth will either come to life or the fruit of your unbelief. It is your choice to believe in God. Quiet the other voices. Quiet your doubt. Continually trust that God, the Word, is faithful to accomplish who He is in your life. Hold fast to the confession of your hope without wavering, for God who promised you is faithful (Hebrews 10:23). Out of the abundance of your heart, keep speaking the good treasure He has promised (Luke 6:45). Don’t give in to doubt or give up. God is faithful to you. He seeks your faithfulness. Are you fully convinced that God will perform what He has promised you (Romans 4:21)?

 

God’s Word is for you, not against you (Romans 8:31). Give God’s Word your full attention. Continually renew your mind with its truth. Exercise the measure of faith God has given you and believe His Word. Don’t allow thoughts that contradict its truth. Keep His Word at the center of your heart. Guard it with all diligence, for out of your heart comes what you have allowed to be conceived. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). 

 

The mind is where doubt arises. It is when doubt is conceived in the heart that it becomes unbelief. And when there is unbelief in the heart, the issues of life that spring forth are not of God. When the Holy Spirit reveals the truth of God’s Word, sow it in your heart, hold on to it, and protect it from doubt and unbelief. Continue to deny your flesh or anyone else who comes to tell you it is not true or impossible, simply because you don’t already see it in your life. Reject doubt and believe. His Word is spirit, life, and health to all who find it. 

 

“It is the Spirit who gives life; your flesh profits nothing,” Jesus said. “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe” (John 6:63-64).

 

Do you believe the words He speaks to you? Is His Word manifesting in you?

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/04/is-his-word-manifesting-in-you.html

 

 

 

 

Receiving the Word of God

 

 

We also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

—1 Thessalonians 2:13

 

 

Receiving God’s Word into our hearts is the foundation of our faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible uses the expression “the Word of God” forty-six times. This expression not only refers to God’s written and spoken words but also to Jesus Christ, who was the Word of God personified (John 1:14).

 

The Word is God’s living, breathing, miraculous power that works effectively in those who believe (Hebrews 4:12). God reveals Himself and unleashes His power through His Word. Through the revelation of God’s Word, we understand who He is in our lives (1 Samuel 3:21, John 8:31-32).

 

God’s Word is unchanging and settled forever (Psalms 119:89). It remains always relevant. The Word of God is the standard by which all will be judged (John 12:48). It consistently fulfills God's purpose (Isaiah 55:11). 

 

Cleansing of sin comes through God’s Word (Ephesians 5:26) and all that relates to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We become partakers of God’s divine nature through His Word. We also escape the corruption of this world through His Word (2 Peter 1:4). When we try to live the Christian life without being strongly grounded in God’s Word, we will fail (Mark 4:14-20).

 

A vast difference exists between the words of man and the Word of God. God’s Word is above all our human knowledge and effort. It is excellent and perfect in every way. His Word is Truth (John 17:17). His Word is Spirit and life. The words and opinions of men profit us nothing (John 6:63). Any attempt to make man’s words as important as God’s Word always results in diminishing the value of God’s Word. Jesus told the religious leaders of His time that they were making the Word of God of no effect through their tradition (Mark 7:13). The traditions and teachings of man are not worth comparison to the Word of God.

 

In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul expressed gratitude that the Thessalonians embraced the message of the Gospel and lived holy lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul continually thanked God because the Thessalonians accepted his message not as a human word he preached but as the truth it truly was—the spoken word of God. 

 

When we receive God’s life-changing Word in our hearts, His Word produces righteousness as a fruit of our relationship with Jesus Christ (Romans 10:10). “You will know the truth,” John wrote, “and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). God’s Word is truth. It liberates us from our own efforts to live holy lives and, instead, releases the power of God’s righteousness within us that we received by faith in Jesus.

 

Paul preached God’s Word. He delivered the same Gospel message wherever he went, but that message didn’t always yield the same results among his listeners. His message remained consistent. The difference lay in how the people received the Gospel message. 

 

The Thessalonians received Paul’s message as the true Word of God. Because they received the message, it produced life in them. Even though a preacher is responsible for how he preaches God’s Word, we are also responsible for how we hear it. Jesus was the perfect preacher. However, most who heard Him rejected Him and His message. They didn’t have ears to hear or hearts to receive. We must maintain sensitive hearts towards God so that when we hear the Word, we will accept it as God’s true and faithful Word. 

 

"For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it" (Hebrews 4:2).

 

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). The Word bears fruit in you and profits you when you mix it with faith. His Word releases life-giving power when you take it as your truth and believe in what it says.

 

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

 

When you believe the Word with faith in your heart, you receive the unchanging and complete truth of God’s Word—that never-diminishing mighty sword of the Spirit that divides between soul and spirit, discerning your heart. When you allow His Word to work in you, you exercise and obey the faith He has given you. You receive His life-giving power that manifests His truth and brings forth His life in you.

 

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

 

Are you receiving God’s Word?

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/04/receiving-word-of-god.html

 

 

 

 

Focus is Crucial

 

Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

—Luke 10:20

 

Jesus instructed His disciples not to rejoice in demons being subject to them, but rather in what God has done for them, specifically, having their names written in heaven. However, some Christians focus excessively on Satan and his undertakings. This fixation can actually increase demonic activity and serve as a tool that Satan can use against them. Those who frequently engage in excessive spiritual warfare often spend more time conversing with the devil than with God.

 

As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:11, we must not be "ignorant" of Satan's tactics. It is essential to acknowledge the existence of the devil and demons and to discern when we encounter demonic activity. However, our emphasis should remain on the Lord.

 

The most effective way to defend against evil is to be entirely "God-centered," leaving no room for Satan. Frequently, individuals who are highly discerning of the devil's influence overlook the Lord's presence. David remarked, "If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there" (Psalm 139:8). The Lord never leaves or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5). Whenever Satan's torment is felt, God's presence is also there. Where we direct our attention is crucial. Focusing on the devil is simply a tactic of the devil.

 

Our true strength in the Christian life is found in Jesus Christ. It is not our abilities that empower us, but our willingness to be available to Christ that enables us.

 

Paul remarked, "For when I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10). By acknowledging his limitations and relying on the Lord, Paul experienced the Lord's power working through him. With Christ, we can accomplish anything. Demonic influence is overcome when we are filled with Jesus. We should focus on the One who gives eternal life, not on the one who steals, kills, and destroys.

 

Please don't give any power to the enemy by continually concentrating on his devices. Certainly, don't play into his hands by excessively focusing on him. Instead, focus consistently on the Lord. By knowing the love of Christ in your heart, you will be so filled with all the fullness of God that Satan will find no welcome (Ephesians 3:19).

 

 

https://www.lynnlacher.com/2025/04/focus-is-crucial.html 

 

 

 

Free to Love

 

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.

—Matthew 5:44

 

 

All of Jesus’ messages in Matthew 5:38-48 emphasize that we should neither seek revenge nor defend ourselves. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30). 

 

Struggling to justify yourself to someone reveals a lack of trust in God’s promise. It also reflects spiritual shortsightedness by focusing on the present rather than considering eternity. 

 

One of the best examples of this is David in 1 Samuel 24 and 26. David had many opportunities to avenge himself against King Saul but refused to do so. He trusted God to avenge and promote him (Psalms 75:6-7). As a result, all of God’s promises to David came to pass, and in his old age, God showed David mercy (2 Samuel 15-18), just as David had shown mercy to Saul. 

 

Just as Christ did not come to condemn the world (John 3:17) and was not holding people’s sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19), we, also, have been given the same ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). For those who do not receive the love we extend to them but rather take advantage of us because of our “turning the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39), God will repay them (Revelation 13:10; 14:9-12).

 

Whoever has taken advantage of you, your battle is not with them. Matthew 5:39 makes this clear: “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”

 

James 4:7 and 1 Peter 5:9 both instruct us to resist evil.  What is the difference in Matthew 5:39, where we are told not to resist an evil person? The key must lie in the distinction between resisting the devil and resisting the individual he is using. Both the Amplified Bible and the New International Version specify that the Lord is saying you shouldn’t resist an evil person. David extended mercy toward his enemy, Saul, but fought against other foes. Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple twice (John 2:13-17, Mark 11:15-17). Certainly, Jesus didn’t violate His own instructions. We resist the devil, but not the individual the devil is using against us.

 

When you trust that your battle is with the enemy, you know you have nothing to prove to the one who has offended you. You have no need to defend yourself or seek revenge. You can forgive as Christ has forgiven you. You are free in Jesus without needing to justify yourself or prove your beliefs. You trust Jesus to take care of it for you. This trust leaves you free to love with Jesus’ love and allow the Holy Spirit to work in another’s life. You become a living witness to the grace of Jesus by extending His grace to them.

 

Jesus Christ never condemned you or held your sins against you. He died for you and reconciled you to God.  Let Him work through you. Trust that your Father will overturn what you cannot. He will fix what you were not designed to fix. He is the judge, not you. Resist the devil, not the person. Love this person, do good, and pray for them. Live in the freedom of Jesus’ grace. 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/04/free-to-love.html

 

Let Not Your Heart

 

Few experiences are more disturbing than navigating life with a troubled heart. Such feelings can lead to overwhelming worry or a sense of inadequacy, undermining your emotional well-being and robbing you of joy. When fear intensifies these emotions, anxiety escalates significantly. It is crucial to embrace Jesus' teaching: "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

 

The word "troubled" in John 14:27 comes from the Greek term "tarasso," which means "to agitate, disquiet, make restless, stir up" (Thayer's Greek Lexicon). This word depicts someone who is shaken and uneasy. If these feelings are not quenched, they can lead you into fear. This is why Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

 

The word "afraid" comes from the Greek word "deilos," which describes an overpowering fear that leaves you spineless. Fear robs you of the ability to confront problems head-on and forces you into survival mode, where you lack the courage to face what lies before you.

 

Paul used the Greek word "deilos" in 2 Timothy 1:7 when he told Timothy, "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 

 

When Paul wrote this verse to Timothy, Timothy's problems were real and not just from his troubled feelings. Paul didn't want Timothy's emotions dominated by a spirit of fear that would make him a coward. Shrinking back from facing his problems would not help Timothy or anyone else. So, Paul told Timothy that allowing fear was not the will of God; the Lord had fortified him with a completely different kind of spirit—one of power, love, and a sound mind.

 

Jesus understands what we face! God did not design us to be overcome by our emotions! He designed us for peace in the storm! That is why we must quickly learn to take control of our feelings and speak aloud to ourselves: "I will not let fear control me! Jesus is Lord over every problem I give Him, including this one right now!" 

 

Many years ago, when I allowed troubled feelings to grow into a paralyzing fear, I wish I had spiritually understood the power of the Word. I could have avoided many terrible issues. Had I understood that nothing stands against its power, I could have turned to John 14:27 and repeatedly recited these words of Jesus to myself. Now, I do. Now, I meditate on all of His Word. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for revealing the power of the Word to overcome anything in my life! Jesus has known me from the beginning. He understood what I would encounter in life, so He prepared me in advance on how to handle it. I will not let problems that upset me tear me apart or allow fear to take over and cause me to shrink back cowardly from any challenge. 

 

Allowing yourself to remain emotionally troubled, distressed, and fearful will never benefit you! It will obstruct your progress in the race God has set before you! So take Jesus' words seriously and refuse to let your heart be troubled. Jesus would never instruct you to do something you are unable to do. Trust that you are fully capable of confronting your problem head-on.

 

Your soul consists of your will, mind, and emotions. For your heart to not be troubled or afraid, your mind must be renewed by God's Word until His truth becomes the foundation of who you are (Romans 12:2). Renew your mind with His Word repeatedly. Meditate on it. Speak it. Capture those thoughts! Quench those feelings! Refuse to receive fear! Instead, give your worrisome feelings to Him. Let Him be Lord over them, and receive His peace, power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7, Philippians 4:6-7). The enemy may hit your mind with troublesome thoughts, but your heart will be at peace.

 

God created you to reign in life (Romans 5:17). You possess the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind within you. You can realign negative emotions with God's Word even in deeply challenging situations. Decide today that you are not someone who shrinks back (Hebrews 10:39). Instead, you belong to those who align their souls with God's Word and rise as overcomers in this life! 

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/04/let-not-your-heart.html

 

 

 

 

 

Faith Has Come

 

We all begin life differently. None of us chose our families, economic statuses, education, or the opportunities available to us. It often seems that life is unfair. Despite the circumstances that have shaped us, God offers the same equality to all in His Kingdom. While not everyone receives His provision, everyone has the opportunity. Regardless of how we started in life, we all have access to God’s grace through faith. Faith makes us all equal. 

 

“According to your faith, be it to you,” Jesus told two blind men (Matthew 9:29).

 

Faith does not rely on our upbringing, education, social status, gender, or failures. Faith transcends what we observe in this life and reveals to the believer the abundant provisions of God’s Kingdom.

 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

 

Faith comes to life through hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17). We can all hear God, and God’s kind of faith can be born in anyone, whether weak or strong. Your life situation does not affect your ability to have faith; it is nurtured in a heart that listens attentively to God.  

 

During Jesus’ time, desperate individuals and society’s outcasts received His help due to their faith. Jesus didn’t ask about their suffering, the mistakes or sins they had committed, or their worthiness to receive His healing; He acknowledged their faith. God consistently responds to faith regardless of a believer's past or life situation. Faith serves as the great equalizer in His Kingdom.

 

The promises of God through faith in Jesus Christ are extended to those who believe. Before faith came, we were held accountable by the law, which guided us until Jesus was revealed. But now that faith in Jesus Christ has been made known, the law is rendered obsolete and is no longer our teacher (Galatians 3:22-24). The Holy Spirit uncovers the truth of Jesus, which existed before the foundation of the world. Jesus is the Word sent by God to heal and deliver us (Psalm 107:20). Are we listening and allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus?

 

God has a wonderful plan for your life. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal the truths Jesus has fulfilled?  Don’t let your past or current situation steal God’s future from you. Your illness or lack no longer holds significance when faith takes root in your heart. You “know” your illness is gone. You “know” your need is met. Faith has come, and it is in you.

 

Believe in God’s Word, and allow Him to lift you up, bringing you into His presence, providing, sustaining, healing, protecting, and blessing you with His abundant life.

 

“All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

 

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I Believe in You

That it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”

—Matthew 8:17

  

Jesus suffered painfully and horribly for me. He took my infirmities and sicknesses, carrying them to the brutality of the cross for my sake. He bore my sin, pain, sorrow, grief, and sickness so that I would not have to bear them. Everything evil and nasty in my life Jesus took to the cross. He carried my sins so that I could be forgiven and my sicknesses so that I could be healed. 

 

If Jesus bore all these burdens on the cross for my sake, I will submit to His grace and allow Him to bear them for me. I never want to diminish His precious grace. I fight the good fight of faith. I oppose the evil that Jesus confronted on my behalf. Sin, sickness, shame, and anguish do not honor Jesus. They all cost Him His life. I want to give Jesus glory and not glorify anything He paid for with His life’s blood. I wish to stand confidently and humbly to receive the blessings for which Jesus gave everything for me. 

 

Lord, I don’t want to embrace anything You died for so I might live. I don’t want to accept the ugliness of sin, sickness, and depression. I refuse to give any evil room in my life. I fight the good fight of faith. I choose to see what my natural eyes can’t see. Each day, I will speak Your healing. I will bring forth the good treasure from the life You have invested in me. 

 

Thank You, Jesus, that my burden is light because of Your undeserved grace. You carried to the cross what I cannot bear. Your love for me is complete. It is finished. You have paid my debt in full.  Those curses have been nailed to the cross, and the curses You carried and crucified are not for me to bear now. You shed Your priceless blood for my sins and all their consequences. You died so that I may have abundant life now. You want me to see myself healed and whole, making a difference for eternity. 

 

I am forgiven and healed because of You, Jesus!  I love You!  Thank You for restoring all that the devil stole! Thank You, Jesus, for carrying my ugliness, unforgiveness, sickness, pain, grief, fears, and all the deadly curses the enemy attempts! Your perfect love overcomes all the enemy’s torment!  Your perfect love sets me free! You, who had no sin, redeemed me with Your righteousness. I empty myself to be so full and overflowing with You that there is no room for sin, sickness, or any other evil in my life. Oh, sweet Jesus, You said “Yes” and gave everything for me! I am overcome with Your passionate love! I will honor You by believing that Your most extraordinary gift was not given to me in vain. I believe, Lord Jesus. I believe in You.

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/04/i-believe-in-you.html

 

 

Belief or Unbelief?

                                             

 

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

—Mark 9:24

 

Just as faith can arise from hearing God's Word, unbelief can gradually seep into the heart, obstructing the flow of God's grace. Jesus' miraculous works were limited in Nazareth due to the people's unbelief (Matthew 13:58). 

 

Faith can be a sensitive subject for many. It is easy to mix our understanding of faith with actually experiencing faith. While knowledge lives in our minds, faith truly comes from the heart. Doubt may start in our thoughts, but unbelief puts down roots in our hearts.

 

We often see faith as a constant, powerful force within us, allowing us to pray at a moment's notice. But do we pray in faith or merely out of habit? Genuine faith is a response nurtured through fellowship with God and hearing His Word (Romans 10:17, John 5:19). Merely knowing about faith, understanding it, and believing we possess it does not guarantee a fresh quickening from the Spirit. Yesterday's faith will not sustain us today. 

 

Unbelief often arises from our senses, reasoning, and emotions. It tends to focus on what is visible, waiting for tangible evidence before accepting belief. For example, the disciples were given the important task of healing the sick and succeeded in many instances. However, there was one occasion when they could not assist a father with his son, and Jesus rebuked them for their unbelief. Perhaps they had begun to rely on their past healing experiences instead of remaining closely connected to the one true Author of faith.

 

Belief is powerful, but so is unbelief. Unbelief is the only force preventing God's truth from manifesting. Our senses often cannot distinguish unbelief. For instance, some individuals who believe in healing and declare their faith may wrestle with unbelief. The father of the son whom the disciples could not heal admitted this. I have experienced this myself. Sometimes, we cannot fully see what is happening in our hearts and need the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. Guilt, condemnation, bitterness, unforgiveness, and fear can all corrupt the heart and hinder genuine faith. The mind can be convinced, but the heart may be in turmoil.

 

Faith, like electricity, can only flow when the switch is turned on. In this context, the switch represents fellowship with God and listening to His voice. The faith that originates from God requires His life to dwell within the believer's heart and be expressed by speaking what God has quickened within their heart. We must cultivate our relationship with God by praying His Word and meditating on it until it comes alive within us. Then, we speak from the good treasure of our hearts and bring forth good things.  

 

Unbelief often waits for outcomes, but God's kind of faith confidently expects results even before they arrive. God is not limited; however, we frequently restrict Him through our unbelief. We appeal to Him based on our senses rather than by putting our faith in the reality of what our senses have yet to experience. 

 

Jesus speaks to us as He spoke to the father who sought deliverance for his son: "All things are possible to him who believes." The father heard Jesus' words, and they quickened his heart. "Lord, I believe!" the father cried out. "Help my unbelief!" The father listened to the words Jesus spoke, and his faith was ignited.

 

The disciples later came to Jesus and asked him why they could not cast the demon from the boy. 

 

"Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20).

 

Do I believe in Jesus? Does He lack honor in my life as He did in Nazareth?

 

I can't muster the faith to believe. Jesus helps me overcome my unbelief. I must sow the Word, that mustard seed of faith, in my heart, cultivate it, and protect it until it comes alive within me, and I "believe." Then I can speak to my mountain. That mountain may move quickly or take longer. But it shall move. Nothing is impossible when I "believe." 

 

Quit struggling. Surrender to the divine. Let the Word work.

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/04/belief-or-unbelief.html