Cindy Powell

Sometimes you need to keep things simple–really simple.  Really, sometimes you just need to go back to basics. 

I’ve been in that place lately. On one hand, it is a ridiculously exciting time to be alive. I feel a shift in the spiritual atmosphere that I’ve never felt before. I’ve heard amazing testimonies on a larger scale than ever before. I can literally feel breakthrough right around the corner in a multitude of personal areas.

But I’ve also been feeling the ongoing harassment of hell’s legions with increased persistence. We know that “the devil (always) prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour,” but there are times when you feel him breathing down your neck in a particularly intense way. This has been one of those seasons.

I know I’m not alone. I know lots of folks are going through lots of “stuff” right now. But even through all the “stuff” of life, Jesus made a way for us to resist the schemes of hell and cling to the promises and plans of heaven. And what better way to stand firm in the purposes of God than by clinging to His own word?

When it comes to Scripture, I’m a “selah” kind of girl. While I have a high value for reading through the entire Bible (and have many times), God most often speaks to me when I chew on a particular passage for an extended period of time–sometimes for days or weeks, other times for  months or even years! The passage I’ve been chewing on lately is Psalm 103:1-5:

Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

In these short verses, I’ve found I’ve found myself returning to three basic but profoundly important principles again and again:

1. Praise. Always. At all times. In all things. God is ALWAYS worthy of praise. Yep, this is Christianity 101 (and 201 and 301 and 401 and … ). His worth is NEVER dependent upon my circumstances or my mood. He always is who He is–and He is always glorious and good. Lifting my voice to acknowledge that fact regardless of what I do or do not see and regardless of how I do or do not feel in any given moment, is simply aligning my heart and will with the truth–and that is always a good move.

2. Remember. Never–ever–forget the good things He does and has done. Focus on what He’s done and is doing – NOT on what He hasn’t yet done. Meditate on all the ways He has come through in the past. Recall those particularly impactful instances of His faithfulness. Remind yourself of all the promises He’s already kept. You can even feast on the ways you see Him moving in someone else’s life. He is no respecter of persons–if He has done it for one, He can do it for you!

3. Cling to His promises. What are His specific promises to you in your situation? If you don’t know, ask Him!  Ask until you have His specific word to you for that situation. He is the One who fills our lives with GOOD things. Cling to the specific good things He has promised you–faith “calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Rom.4:17). Against all hope, in hope, continue to believe!

That’s it. Simple stuff. Basic stuff. Because sometimes the simplest and most basic stuff is the also the most powerful.

What about you? Is it time to go back to basics?