Dear brothers and sisters, we are living in times where people hold more and more weightage on how they feel and think. Many easily let what their hearts feel become their truth and reality. However, a lot of times, the voices that come from our hearts can be emotional, baseless or may not be entirely objective. And especially when a lot of information comes to us through various channels, our phones, the media and people’s influence, we can be quick to react, and in turn, receive different kinds of insinuations. So in what circumstances do we become easy prey to insinuations? Now, the word of God is the foundation of all truth. So when men do not look at things and make choices based on His word, believing only in what our feeling and experiences tell us, then we will unconsciously fall into deception.
Insinuations looks to take control of our hearts.
The source of insinuations comes from the influences of our spiritual enemy, Satan. He gives insinuations such that it robs us off our faith in the Lord’s word and love. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” The verse here shows us the promise of God that He will strengthen, uplift and support us. But the work of insinuations, on the hand, works in the opposite way of making us doubt and be unable to receive God’s love for us. Insinuations challenges our faith in how real God’s word is. It warps our trust in God’s reliability, and may even lead us to believe in things that the Lord has not promised us. Over time, with our nature to dwell on possibilities that our fears and worries will become our reality, we will form strongholds within us, causing our thoughts to be wired away from turning to the Lord, and not being able to find rest in His presence, provision and love. In other words, insinuations have taken control over our hearts.
To keep our hearts from being preys to insinuations.
Therefore, how can we keep our hearts from being easy prey to daily insinuations? Whenever we are challenged or troubled in hard times, let us:
- Not be too quick to assume. Let us not be too quick to believe our immediate emotions and thoughts. Jeremiah 17:9 already tells us that our hearts are deceitful above all things. Yes, many times our own thoughts and emotions can be so strong. My daughter was just sharing with me 2 days ago as I was asking her why she is sulking away. Then, she told me that “I don’t like to be like that, but sometimes I am just so angry with what my brother do that I cannot control myself.” And I get that. Even for myself, I can find my emotions of fatigue or frustration overwhelming as well. But we have to ask ourselves, when we look through the bible, where does all human troubles begin? When we choose to trust our own ways than the Lord’s. It leads us to act out in ways we either regret, have only a short term fulfilment or leave our hearts empty all over again. We have to see that our insinuations only lead us to unfulfilling lies.
- Next, we need to go through prayerful reflection. This means, we need to take time to mull over our issues or troubles with God, and let Him fill us up with the right guidance and leading first, instead of letting insinuations fill our hearts quickly. Isaiah 55: 8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” When problems come to us, seeking solutions ourselves seem like the reflex thing to do. But it is times like these that we should all the more quiet down and go into prayers. In our prayers, instead of asking for the bad things to do away, we should search our hearts and in the Lord’s truth, what is the reason God allowed this? In times of despair, let us not forget God’s past faithfulness that sustains us all the way through even now. Let us not forget how all-knowing and all-seeing and all-loving our God is to us. So instead of turning to other sources of answers, come to the Lord first instead.
- Even if so, keep following the Lord’s way. This is especially when we are met with strong insinuations. Do not stop coming to church, do not stop any channel that our hearts may receive the blessed word of God. It is as we keep immersing ourselves in the messages of sermons, of spiritual fellowship, of praising and worshipping the Lord and being faithful in our areas of servings, doing what the Lord has called us into, that we will slowly but surely receive revelations and healing beyond our expected ways and timing.
Becoming better discerners of what comes to us.
As we do so, our hearts will build up more strongly in truth and more unshaken in troubling times. We become better discerners of all things that comes to us. Let us not continue being easy preys to our insinuations. Surely, it is a battle process for a lifetime as we face challenges in different seasons of life. So even if we are able to quiet down, do not just stop there, but keep coming back to God’s truth and promises. Seek out areas we are still doubtful about or unable to see God’s love at. 1 John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” May the Lord help us not be easily manipulated by insinuations of our hearts but be strengthened in our hearts, according to God’s word. God bless.
