Pam Padgett ... teacher
Recently when dealing with thoughts about not being able to do the
work of a teacher in the body of Christ well, I was reminded of Isaiah
41:10 ... Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed;
for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will
help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my
righteousness. That God would strengthen me especially
stood out to me.
Shortly after this while walking through the house, I was
reminded of ... For if the trumpet give an
uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 9 So
likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be
understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall
speak into the air. ( 1 Corinthians 14:8-9 )
I believed this was from the Holy Spirit and that it is true, but didn't stop and look up this scripture and
consider what God was telling me in it and to be strengthened by God. A
day or so later as Joan and I were talking, this scripture was called
to her attention. Then I remembered it had also been brought to my mind earlier and went back and looked into it.
Another example ... Before Joan shared with me that I had
opened the door to the devil to attack me by not taking thoughts to
God, I had written a message about the attacks. I
planned to add to the message already written about how I had opened the door to the devil. But then a thought
came to just start over. Instead of taking that thought to God and
asking what I should do, I ignored it and continued with my plan. The
message became very confusing and unclear. Then I remembered the
thought to just start over. After praying, I believe this was the Holy
Spirit guiding me in what to do, and a much clearer message came forth.
The Holy Spirit was bringing help to strengthen me, but I was not paying attention. I asked God to help me pay
attention to each word HE speaks to me. A little later a thought came, which I believe was from the Holy Spirit, to start writing down each
word I receive. I've started doing this. When a scripture stands out to me when reading the Bible or
messages on the blog, or a thought comes, or a dream ... I try to write these down and then turn to God asking Him to help me understand and do according to what He is saying to me. When thoughts come from the devil, I try to write
them down, so I remember to turn to God and receive HIS word about that
thought, which I also write down. Writing these has been helping me
remember to turn to God with each of these things and allow Him to work
with me by His Spirit, to do and be conformed to the word.
James warned us about hearing the word of God but not doing it, saying we deceive ourselves ...
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
We are blessed by God when we hear, do, and continue in the word God gives to us.