I was reading a book about the US Navy Seals when I ran across one of the many sayings they use to motivate each other. Keeping in mind that we are to process all sources of information, I became intrigued with this statement: the only easy day was yesterday. I had to admit it had me stumped. I went to their website to discover its meaning.
This phrase talks about what the weeks of grueling training teaches each potential Seal. It’s not only physical and mental strength, but it’s also about having the heart to continue on with the determination to do whatever they’re doing to the best of their ability. It’s the ability to dig deep and keep going despite how much they hurt physically or want to quit mentally.
The idea is that you keep pressing on toward the goal. Yesterday was easy compared to the changes needed to be made today. This is one of things Philippians 3:13-14 talks about. We forget yesterday with its victories and defeats and keep pressing forward to be like Jesus in the situations we face today. We can’t let yesterday hinder us in choosing to listen to and do what Jesus says to do today (i.e. a Biblical worldview).
This is further exemplified by the principle Exercise the truth. When it comes to life change, we won’t always feel like doing what Jesus says to do. We will not always think what He’s told us to do will work; but we take that step of faith anyway. As we do, we will become more like Jesus and with it, experience the joy and peace He has for each day, not just yesterday.

Set Fre“E” Nowww

There are a couple of hills behind my house that I usually walk around when I take my daily prayer walks. This time I sensed the Lord telling me to go up and over one of them. When I got down the other side, He showed me something. Yes, many times it’s faster and easier to go around the hills or challenges in our lives, but it is not always best.
When it comes to retraining our brains to process our daily decisions through the Word of God, we often want to take the easy route. This is not the meaning behind the principle Exercising the truth. We are to take the truths that result from our filtering process and practice them by faith, which has nothing to do with changing our circumstances.
Biblical faith is not about removing or finding a path around our challenges, the hills in our lives. No, biblical faith is about changing us. It’s about allowing the Spirit in the midst of our challenges to use them to make us like Jesus (Heb. 12:4-13). At times this will mean going over the hills not around them.
Will exercising the truth cause you to get a little winded? Yes. I was at I got the top. As I came down the backside of it, though, my breathing quickly returned to a normal rhythm. As you practice the truths at the point of the lie, rather than running around or away from your challenges, your faith will be much stronger and healthier. One worth having and passing on.

Set Fre“E” Nowww

Yesterday I mentioned that the Park Service at Yosemite National Park was reconstructing a meadow where new pines were growing that would take quite a few years to grow to maturity.
Another lesson we can draw from this illustration is that just as it takes time to grow a tree, it takes time to retrain your brain to biblically process daily life. You’ve been used to thinking the way you think for many years. What makes you think you can reverse this method of processing life overnight? The Bible calls overnight success a miracle. God can replace your drug of choice with Christ-like character in any area of your life right now.
What if, on the other hand, He chooses to use the other life change process He laid out in Scripture – the Set Free Nowww principles? If He chooses to have you walk with Him through the later, the “N” principle is very important to grasp. Never give up on yourself, Jesus won’t. The biblical process of changing your thinking, thus changing your behavior, takes time.
I heard a very successful author once say that it takes 10 years to make an overnight success. The Park Rangers know it takes time to grow a tree. And your Heavenly Father knows it takes time to change your life. This is why He not only loves despite your drugs of choice, but He also gives you His grace and mercy to grow through His change process as He removes them. So keep practicing the SFN principles each day. Christ-like character is on it’s way!
Set Free “N”owww

My wife, Jan, and I were working our way to the Soda Springs in Yosemite National Park when we came across a meadow that was under reconstruction. The Park Service wasn’t allowing anyone to walk in this particular area in order to allow the plants to mature without interference. In this same meadow were young pine trees, which you see in the picture. What’s interesting about this process is that it will take quite a few years for them to match the size of the trees in the background.
A lesson we can learn from this is that if you want a pine tree you’ve got to plant the seed and you’ve got to plant it sometime. Full grown pine trees just don’t appear out of nowhere!
It’s the same if you want to become more like Jesus and experience all that He has for you. You’ve got to plant the seeds sometime. If you want to be able to filter out the garbage thoughts already in your head or screen out the incoming lie-based messages that rob you of your peace and joy, you must plant the seeds of God’s Word – truths at the point of the lies – into your brain today.
If the Park Rangers hadn’t decided to protect this meadow today, there would be no future shade and beauty for humans to enjoy or homes and food for animals later. They had to start sometime.
Yes, it will take to experience total victory over your drug of choice. This victory starts, however, with admitting your way of living doesn’t work (barren meadows) and seek the shade of Jesus (the full grown pine trees) by planting seeds of truth into your brain. Make the decision to plant those seeds today. Open your Bible. As you read it (you’ll find a yearly reading schedule under the Resources tab) ask Jesus to show you what seeds you need to plant (i.e. memorize and mediate) into your brain. Get starting today in planting the seeds for future growth.
S“E”t Free Nowww

Can you picture yourself free of your drug of choice (i.e. repeated sinful behavior) and in the presence of Jesus experiencing the “good stuff?”
When it came to entering the Promised Land only Joshua and Caleb could imagine the grapes they would eat, the homes they would live in, and the figs they would pick and devour while resting in the care of their great and awesome God. Keep in mind this is not mere positive thinking on their part. God said He would give them this land (Num. 14:5-9). They simply allowed their minds to explore and believe what God was saying. In other words, they took God at His word and believed it! I call this positive believing. God said it and that was good enough for them.
As children of God, we are asked to be positive believers in Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Are you focusing on the challenges of life or what could be if you let God help you deal with those challenges? Do you trust in your way of thinking or in truths at the point of the lies given by One who can “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine”? If you want to experience victory, will you allow yourself to believe what God is saying He can do?
What truths about what your God can do are you focusing on in the midst of the challenges you’re facing? Can you see yourself tasting the fruit of being closer to and more like Jesus? It’s time to taste the sweetness of victory in your life. Begin to imagine all that Jesus can do in and through you.

S“E”t Free Nowww