In Psalm 26:2 David exhorted the Lord, “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me, try my reins and my heart.” My “reins” are my sub-conscious and only God can plummet my unseen depths of the Adamic nature where fears and anxieties lurk. When I invite Christ into my heart the whole ocean of my being becomes His possession. He goes into the depths of my being where He finds things functioning from “Adam” which He exercises dominion over. The Holy Spirit shines His divine spot-light in these depths to work with me to redeem and transform every anxiety and stress.

Consider the profound words of the old hymn by Fanny Crosby:

“Down in the human heart
Crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore.
Touched by a loving hand,
Wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful,
Jesus will save.”

Paul exhorts us in Philippians 4:6 to be “careful for nothing.” Jesus instructed us in the Sermon on the Mount, “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 In the previous verses He was talking about all the necessities of every day life that can cause anxiety when we give that first place of focus to them, or our lack of them, instead of primarily focusing on the Lord.

The greater includes the lesser. The greater: God focus (seeking first the Kingdom of God,) will take care of the lesser: cares and anxieties…..but not the other way round!

Jesus said,”…for the prince of this world comes and has nothing in me,” John 14:30. The devil, the prince of this world, could find nothing to give him a foothold in the depths of Jesus’ being because Jesus was filled with all the fullness of God. Jesus had implicit trust in His Father. This is the glorious end that our loving Heavenly Father is working with us towards in our everyday lives to bring us to – fullness! The Holy Spirit continues to “try our reins” to deliver us from all that is not of God in our lives, as we journey on to fullness.

Romans 10:17 declares, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Along our earthly pilgrimage, God gives us “living” words of encouragement and direction. Look at the above scripture again, and see how the Holy Spirit has constructed the sentence. We can hear many voices in the world, may hear many words…but the scripture clearly states that the “hearing” we need to hear is the “word of God” to our spiritual ears.

So then…”faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” but fear comes by hearing the word of the devil and accepting it. The devil pays me a visit when I am believing a lie, his child. Both faith and fear are creative: faith goes into the word of God and creates life, fear goes into the lie of the devil and creates death. Fear is the devil’s substitute for faith. Let us choose life!
Faith in God leads us to trust Him more and more.

God is working with us to trust Him implicitly – a place where we surrender our will and trust Him with all, whatever the results. A place where I no longer plead for my own will, but trust God with His. Do I worship God for who He really is?….or do I seek Him just for His blessings? When Oswald Chambers was dying, his wife asked him what he thought God was going to do. Oswald replied that his interest lay more in Who God is, rather than in what God would do! He had discovered what it is really like to dwell in the secret place with the Lord. When I see God as He really is then I am changed.

As I embrace the truth God shows me, God seals my choice and lovingly works with me, fashioning His chosen vessel. He can take us past all earthly horizons into “the Beyond of God,” – fullness! This is a hallowed place to be coveted where FAITH in our Heavenly Father leads us to TRUST, which is a higher realm. No anxiety or earthly care can live there, they are the tattered garments of another realm that cannot survive in the atmosphere of heaven. We have heaven on earth in the form of the Indwelling Christ, “Christ in me, the hope of glory.” Glory be to God!

Ephesians 3:17 – 21

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love,

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height;

And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we may ask or think, according to the power that works in us….

To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, Amen.”