WALKING IN THE NEWNESS

Cue Leaderless and Enlisted by Norma Jean. And cue blog!

"I've been delivered. I've been delivered. The hold the devil had on me, he ain't got no more. I've been delivered. I've been delivered. I've been delivered by the hands of the Lord!"

Not only did that song save me from a spanking when I was little, true story, it's also the story of my life. It's one thing to say that I've been delivered, but to know that you're delivered it's something to be joyful about. About a month ago I wrote a blog titled, Time To Know That You're Free.  I wrote that blog still bound. I'm not going to lie. I guess I was just trying to motivate myself to get better, but I didn't want to let go. Let me say this, I wasn't in a struggle. It's not a struggle when you want to do it. You're not struggling with smoking when you're buying cigarettes. You're not struggling with drinking when you're still buying the drinks. You're not struggling with sex--need I go on?

So what's next? For one, I cannot go back. I can't go back to the way I did it before. Which means if I can't watch the same things I used to watch? If I can't stay subscribed to the same YouTube channels? If I can't stay friends with the same people on FaceBook? If I can't follow the same people on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr? The Bible says, "Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, GNT) So, why can't I go back? Because God has something new for me. Can't expect new in old situations. New way of thinking. Can't think the same way. The Bible says, paraphrasing, that we should not conform to this world's thinking but we got to be transformmed by the renewing of our mind. In other words, we got to change our thinking. "Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God--what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect." (Romans 12:2, GNT)

We got to get past lip service and put some action into it. We keep saying we got to let go and let God. How long is it going to take for us to actually do it? God is waiting. I'm telling you that when you actually let go and let God, that's when deliverence truly comes. That's when freedom actually comes. But it's not going to come until you change your way of thinking. It's not going to come unless you open your heart and let God in to clean you up. When you really learn to praise God outside of the four walls, that's when true deliverence comes in. When you get to the point where you can literally say I don't need an organ, piano, or praise team to get my praise on, I'm telling you, it'll change you.

I'm ready for the new. The old life was not really fun. It was not really satisfying. Can't wait to give back to those who's help mold me to where I'm at right now. Can't wait to travel and meet new people. Can't wait to get out of the oridinary. Can't wait to get my career started. Can't wait to really walk in my calling. Can't wait to connect with that one woman that is just for me. It's a new season for yours truly Big Dusty, D-Rich, Big d...call me what you will. "So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above." (Phillippians 3:14, GNT)

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson
@Big_Dusty
Facebook.com/bigdusty