Don’t Be Dust-Conscious

Don’t Be Dust-Conscious

Luke 13:11    
                   
¹¹And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.

Imagine being bowed over for 18 years. All you would see is the dust on the ground. That was the predicament of the woman in Luke 13. Dust was all her eyes fell on, all the time, everywhere she went, until she became dust-conscious. Thank God she finally saw the beautiful feet of Jesus, who brought her good news and raised her up. 

Now, dust is the devil’s food. The Bible tells us that God cursed the devil to eat dust all the days of his life. (Genesis 3:14) Dust represents death. (Genesis 3:19) The devil wants you to be like him — to fall flat on your belly, crawl and eat dust. To eat dust is to feed on your shortcomings and lack, until you constantly feel that there is so much in your life that you need to clean up. You may not be bowed over, but like the woman, you become dust-conscious and life every day is a struggle.

Having a dust consciousness also affects the way you see others. You look at people’s faults all the time. You point out their shortcomings and rake up their past failures. When you are dust-conscious, you find your relationships robbed of peace and joy.

And if you, like the woman, keep looking at the dust, before long, that inward position of dust-consciousness becomes so entrenched that you become the devil’s food because dust is what he eats. God’s Word describes him as being like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

If you don’t want to be devoured, lift your head above the dust! Instead of looking at your failures, look to Christ who has delivered you from every defeat. See yourself the way God sees you — righteous and holy in Christ. (Colossians 3:12, 2 Corinthians 5:21) You are not dust because you are not in and of the flesh — you are in and of the Spirit. (Romans 8:9)

The more you realise who you are in Christ, the more you will straighten up and walk the way God sees you — a new creation with His authority, power and overcoming Spirit!

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Asking In Jesus’ Name

Asking In Jesus’ Name

John 16:23
²³… Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

Do you always end your prayers with “in Jesus’ name. Amen!”? Maybe your Sunday school teacher taught you to do this, or maybe you have heard church leaders and other believers utter it at the end of their prayers. 

I used to say, “In Jesus’ name. Amen!” very quickly as if those were magic words that would get my prayers answered. Then, one day, I heard the Lord asking me why I was doing that.

God wanted me to realise that whenever I pray and say, “In Jesus’ name,” I am putting my entire faith for my prayer to be answered not in who I am, nor in what I have done, but on the person and name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and what He has done at the cross! 

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