Today I choose to drive out strongholds.

When I was in high school, I was quite obsessed with the movie Titanic. You can probably ask anybody who knew me back then and they would agree that I was over the edge. I adored the tragic love story and hoped for my own Jack Dawson someday. (Praise the Lord God gave me someone so much better than I could have ever hoped and prayed for!) My Mom even made me a Titanic shaped cake for my 18th birthday. It was pretty awesome. And so was my ability to recite every bit of that movie, line by line. The best, however, was the part in the movie that everyone probably remembers, which is the "never let go" scene. Come on. Now it just makes me giggle. There was plenty of room on that floating piece of furniture for him to get on too. And as silly as my obsession really was there is also some seriousness to that favorite scene which I can apply to my life today. I have a hard time letting go. I always did. I was the girl who cried every time something I loved had to come to an end. I kept track of "every last" high school memory. The last first day of school. The last football game. The last dance. I also have never liked letting go of people. In fact, I think I have a tendency to be pretty needy and clingy. At one point in my life, I was a bit of a people collector. It was always with sincere, loving motives, but having difficulty saying goodbye only added to my other areas of unhealthy living. As I write this blog, Paul is cleaning out a large cabinet in the family room and reorganizing some things. He brought to me an empty box, a large mechanical spit and a machete - all three items that came with the house and that have never been purged since I moved in. I didn't even realize I had a machete. That is my way of mentioning my tendency to dearly hold onto things as well as people. As we look into God's Word today, we will focus on the need to drive out the nations the Israelites would meet as they entered Canaan. Destroying those who had control of the land was hard. But I wonder if it was even harder to completely destroy every bit of evidence that they were even there. Please open your bible to Deuteronomy 7 or just click here.

When I started reading this chapter, I was overwhelmed by the way it begins with the seven nations they are about to conquer being listed out by name. I actually felt the need to speak them aloud. There was such power and confidence in this introduction which was so matter of fact. Moses begins stating that WHEN they are brought into the land they are going to possess and WHEN God delivers them from all the nations they meet along the way, they must destroy them totally. Not just the people but also everything associated with the people. He gives them these rules from the Lord:

1."Make no treaty with them".
2. "Show them no mercy."
3. "Do not intermarry with them."
4. "Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire."

Why did God establish such specific and drastic rules? I think, perhaps, because He was aware of strongholds. What is a stronghold? In my opinion, a stronghold can be a positive or negative thing, depending on what is being defended. The actual definition of a stronghold is a fortified place or a fortress. It is my belief that I have created a fortress around my unhealthy eating habits and have been protecting these sinful behaviors for a very long time. I have built up walls that are now controlling my life in a negative way and standing in the way of my promised land. I can choose to let God breakthrough these strongholds or I can continue to make them stronger by choosing the bad habits I have been choosing most of my life. God knew that if the Israelites allowed these other people to stay in the land with them, they would corrupt His people. They would begin to turn their eyes off of Him  and set their eyes on the other gods and idols they were worshiping. By choosing to destroy these people completely, they were choosing to demolish unholy strongholds that could very easily take root in their own lives and hearts. Let's look at these rules once again and consider them rules God could be giving to us personally:

1."Make no treaty with them". Do not even be open for discussion on that which you know is wrong.

2. "Show them no mercy." Do not begin to waver and consider reasons it may be okay.

3. "Do not intermarry with them." Do not invite them into any other area of your life. 

4. "Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire." Get rid of every bit of evidence so you never have to have the temptation coming back to stir things up again.

God really placed it on my heart to focus on the specifics today. I felt I needed to actually name them out so I am going to confess the negative strongholds I have allowed to invade my life for so long in the area of food addiction. However, I believe that with every word I write, with every choice I make, with every prayer I pray and every day I choose to seek Him in this journey, He is breaking these walls down little by little. I believe I am experiencing more freedom as I lay these chains at His feet. Just as it is important to uproot the bad fruit, I must also plant new seeds to grow good fruit which is why I am also including the verse I will be speaking over this area of my life to combat each stronghold.

Emotional eating: the truth is I think it kind of does make me feel better when I eat but I need to learn other healthier ways of dealing with stress, anxiety, sadness, anger, circumstances, etc. Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35
Bored eating: eating because I am just sitting around not doing much and apparently I trick myself into thinking my hands and mouth want something to do so I eat."So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:13
Overeating: eating because it tastes good and I want more even if I am not hungry. "I discipline my body and I make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:27
Luxury eating: eating just because it looks and sounds good and I want it. "I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods. With singing lips, my mouth will praise You." Psalm 63:5
Convenience eating: too busy to eat the good stuff so I grab for the junk. "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Social eating: I love to host parties and get together with friends but in my mind there always has to be food. "Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2
Mental eating: when I start thinking about the food I am going to eat next, sometimes after I have just finished eating a meal. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:2

It was so important for me to share the stuff I have personally been struggling with letting go of in the area of food addiction. But I think it is even more important to share this incredible fact. In this one chapter alone, where God focuses on driving out the nations (or, potential future strongholds, as I happened to look at it tonight), The Lord Your God was quoted 15 times. 15 times! This was mind blowing to me! This is part of the Shema, the most sacred Jewish prayer to God, and He keeps reminding them over and over that the Lord is your God. He keeps reminding us, The Lord is your God. He keeps reminding me, the Lord is your God. There is no other. He is faithful. There is no one and nothing greater. There is nothing I cannot do because the Lord is my God. It is the most beautiful, poetic pep talk I have gotten so far in this adventure.

What land are you supposed to possess? What is standing in the way? What could potentially hold you back from experiencing your fullness with God? Here are some practical ways you cans tart driving out the strongholds and making way for every good thing that God wants to do in this promised land.
1.Pray and ask God in what area you need to submit to Him.
2.Speak out the names of your strongholds and nations.
3.Destroy them with scripture.
4.Recite these verses daily.
5.Let God fight this battle for you but partner with Him through better choices.
6.Choose to replace the bad things with good things.
7.Make sure to not only destroy the people but the other remnants that might be left over.

Let us also not forget the beauty we find in Psalm 27 "The Lord is my Light and my Salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" The Israelites did not have to fear because the Lord, their God was their Mighty Fortress, or the Stronghold, fighting for them. He is my Stronghold, helping me through my own battles with the flesh. I will choose to drive out the strongholds that have kept me stuck for so long and cling to the One Stronghold that not only protects me but sets me free - Jesus Christ. My Rock. My Fortress. My personal Loving, Stronghold that will never let go.

Father, today I ask for your strength to drive out all of the manmade strongholds of my life. Forgive me for placing anything higher than you. Forgive me for not believing I am more than a conqueror through you. Forgive me for living in a pit for too long. No more. Today, I choose change. Today, I choose to cling to You and trust that You will walk me through this battle. Thank you for believing in me and reminding me of who I am in You. I love you, Amen.

Now Choose Life.