What Are You Considering?

Have you ever gone to bed with your mind racing? Hundreds of thoughts bounce around inside your head. It’s a traffic jam. Sleep evades you. You try to quiet yourself, and it almost seems hopeless. Will I ever fall asleep? Such is worry and anxiety late at night. So much is on your mind. No wonder God gives us the promise in 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)-⁷ Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. This is a beautiful scripture that the Holy Spirit reminds us of. I also think about Psalm 4:7-8 (NKJV)-⁷ You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. ⁸ I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. ( Prov 3:24).

What have you been considering lately?

God’s Word tells us to consider many things such as: ( I know -it’s a lot of scriptures below but so good). The Greek Word consider is logizomai (Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.). It means to take an inventory, i.e. estimate (literal or figurative):- conclude, count (of), esteem, impute, reason, reckon, suppose, think (on).

Matthew 6:28 (NKJV)-²⁸ So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
Luke 12:24 (NKJV)-²⁴ Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?
Romans 11:22 (NKJV)-²² Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
2 Corinthians 10:7 (NKJV)-⁷ Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s.
Romans 8:18 (NKJV)-¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Hebrews 3:1 (NKJV)-¹ Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,
Hebrews 10:24 (NKJV)-²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
Hebrews 12:3 (NKJV)-³ For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
2 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)-¹⁵ and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation–as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
Galatians 6:1 (NKJV)-¹ Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
Hebrews 13:7 (NKJV)-⁷ Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.

To summarize some of these scriptures: We need to consider, think on, reckon, take account of, and esteem the faithfulness of God in providing for our necessities. We need to consider the goodness of God. We need to consider Christ as an example of endurance lest we get weary. We need to consider one another to encourage. We need to consider ourselves so we are not lifted in pride when restoring someone. We need to consider our leaders in following their example of faith. We need to consider and focus on eternal things rather than the temporal. There is power in focusing on and considering the right things. Such as God’s character, His goodness, and His promises!

In Abraham and Sarah’s life, God promised they would have an heir. Yet they were beyond the ability to have children. There was a lot to consider. You have to imagine that they experienced worry and anxiety at times. They were wondering how the promise would come to pass. On one hand, God made a promise and on the other, it was physically impossible in the natural. Isn’t that the challenge in life? What will we choose or consider to believe? So goes the struggle at times in the late night when no one is looking. It is just you and your thoughts. It always seems the darkest then. Hope seems so far away.

What will you consider?

In the book of Romans, we read of Abraham’s journey of faith. Romans 4:17-22 (NKJV)-¹⁷ (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed–God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;¹⁸ who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”¹⁹ And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. ²² And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Abraham was seventy-five when He received the promise. He was a hundred years old when Isaac was born. He and Sarah waited twenty-five years for the fulfillment of that promise. We know that they were not perfect in their faith journey. The Bible tells us they took matters into their own hands. Sarah told Abraham to be with her maidservant Hagar to have a child and she bore Ishmael. Unfortunately, he was not the promised seed. Sometimes I think we have this idea that only perfect faith will get the ideal results we long for. We forget the grace of God. It is not faith in our faith but faith in God( Mark 11:22). It is faith in God’s ability, not ours. I don’t think God looks for perfect faith. What he does look for is unrelenting and enduring faith. A faith that doesn’t stop trusting even though there are some hiccups along the way. Mark 9:24 (NKJV)-²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” With God, there is mercy and love. Trying to have perfect faith is us trusting in our performance rather than trusting what Christ has done already for us! This can eliminate a performance mentality, condemnation, self-righteousness, worry, and anxiety.

This keeps us from entering a faith rest.

Let’s look at some attributes that Abraham worked through. Against hope and expectation in the natural, he continues to hope and expect based on the promise of God. The Bible said he did not consider the facts concerning himself and Sarah. Another translation says he considered the facts but was not moved by them. Just two different ways to look at things. What he considered was faith in the promise over facts or truth over facts. In God’s mind, it was a done deal. What looked impossible, God saw it was already accomplished. He spoke it and promised that Abraham would be a Father of a multitude. It says that Abraham did not waver through unbelief. Yet we know he did in the incident with Hagar. Yet here the Holy Spirit doesn’t mention that in Romans. Interesting. The mercy and grace of God. It’s like God overlooked their lapse of faith. He didn’t hold it against them. Oh! The goodness of God. Genesis 18:14 (NKJV)-¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” We have a better covenant as New Testament Saints in Christ.

The Bible tells us through faith and patience we inherit the promises of God(Heb. 6:12). Patience is faith over the long haul. It doesn’t give up, even in times when we falter, when unbelief tries to usurp our faith. Abraham grew strong in faith. How? By giving glory to God. Praise is powerful. Thanksgiving in times of unsureness is greatly needed to fuel our faith. Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV)-⁶ As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Finally, Abraham was fully convinced that what God had promised he was able to perform. He was fully persuaded. He resisted any double-mindedness. He did not vacillate between two opinions over a long period. He wasn’t back and forth through the twenty-five years. For Abraham to be unwavering is amazing! I think the time factor gets us messed up. “Why is it taking so long”? Time is not an issue with God. He sees the end from the beginning. Faith sees it already done regardless of time issue. Let us not focus on time but on Christ. Let us focus and consider the promise giver.

What are you considering daily?

The promises of God or having perfect faith? Trying to do all the right things? Abraham’s faith was accredited to him as righteous before God. It was righteous because it was faith in God, he believed and it was not faith in his faith or faith in himself or his performance. Faith is not a crowbar to get God to move on our behalf. Faith does not move God. He has already moved on our behalf through Christ. Faith is agreeing with God. Faith is our positive response to His grace. Sometimes we think our self-effort prevails and brings the promise to pass. There is a difference between abiding in self and abiding in Christ. Faith and grace are a gift from God and they allow us to participate in the promises of God. Our faith, trust, and belief are in a perfect Christ. Faith is not about doing all the right things a hundred percent of the time but resting in what Christ has already done for us. This can bring freedom and liberate us from a performance mentality. What are you considering? The doctor’s report, the lab test? The lies of the enemy or what God is saying. Are you considering and worrying about doing all the right things spiritually or what Christ has already done for you? Are you focusing on healing or the healer? Are you focusing on the provision or the provider? Are we focusing on our performance or the one who performed for us?