Remember…
You can do this hard thing that opposes you! You can persevere! So, stand a little taller. Hold your sword a little higher, and fight! Fight to win!
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31
The story of Beniah, son of Jehoida, that is found in 2 Samuel, is always a challenging one for me. It’s not like he went looking for that pit, and it doesn’t appear he was expecting to find a lion when he fell in. Yet, when the adversity came against him, he was ready. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t back up, and he didn’t cower in despair. He fought, and he fought valiantly, and only onlybecause of this response, he won!
This is really how we should approach life and adversity that comes our way. We are built internally with a natural “fight or flight” mentality; yet, if we approach every situation with a flight response, we will never learn how to persevere under pressure. We will never learn to excel despite the odds. We will never learn the depth of our strength and ability, because true character is produced through our perseverance in trials.
If Beniah had run in fear that day while in the pit, he would be dead, and his story could never be an inspiration to us today.
Something to think about… š
As this year draws to a close, I wonder, what fears are you battling tonight? What fears have you overcome this year? Maybe there is a fear you are seriously trying to overcome, but you don’t know exactly how to “squash it?” There is Hope, and there is an answer…
Trusting in God doesn’t instantaneously wipe away all fear simply because we believe… yeah, I said that. Now, those of you who believe in Him, please, don’t pick up your rocks to throw, just hear me out…
He is a good God. He is a BIG God, and He is a God who loves us so very much that He sent His son to die for us to save us. He is a God who, when He says in His Word He will do something, you can be 100% sure He will follow through. He’s a God of absolute Truth. He IS Truth; therefore, He simply cannot lie.
So, when He says to fear not, because He is with you, He means it. He’s right there with you. Yet, sometimes, even when we pray, believe and trust in Him, that fear can linger, not because He’s not God anymore but more because, sometimes, our heart has to grow stronger in our belief…because sometimes, we are fighting a fear that has deep roots in our lives, and we have to slay that giant on the battlefield of our faith just as David went out on the battlefield with Goliath and struck him down…because sometimes, we’ve got to lay down that fear with which we’ve walked in agreement since our childhood and stand firm in our faith and believe in His sovereignty and grace regardless of what our feelings might be screaming at us…because sometimes, our faith has been weakened by our lack of preparation, or because our consistency of feeding the flesh rather than the spirit, or because our faith has been beaten and worn due to previous battles, and we just need to rely on Him more than our own strength and ability.
That’s what it all really boils down to: total reliance on Him rather than ourselves. That’s where He wants us. That’s where He does His best work, because that’s where our testimony isn’t how we did some great thing to conquer the fear, it becomes how our Great God did an amazing thing and conquered the fear in us and through us!
So, next time you’re battling a new fear, or you’re trying to conquer an old one, and it just seems that demon is gaining ground, just call on His Name, trust Him and believe; them, watch Him do what He does best! š
This life will have it’s ups and downs. We will have our good days and our bad days. We will have our moments when we feel on top of the world and then the very next moment, we can feel as if our world has come crashing down around us. This is the journey called LIFE. It is what it is.
Sometimes,Ā the lowsĀ will beĀ in physical form, maybe a ridicule from a friend, a sickness/diseaseĀ or an actual assault from an enemy. Other times, it will be an emotional conflict or a spiritual confrontation that we must face. However, the times I have found to be the most difficult are those mental battles the devil will try to wage.
He knows our weak spots, our vulnerabilities, our tender places we try to hide. You know, the onesĀ weĀ so eloquently maintain and cover upĀ that they seem to no longer exist. Yes, when we are allowing Christ to be strong through us, theseĀ sensitive areasĀ are shielded by His strength. These liabilities are covered by our shield of faith. However,Ā sometimes, we can start listening to the enemy’s lies, accusations and doubts of our identity in Christ. This is whenĀ we lower our shield, and he takes a shot to wound us.
Just because we serve God, and just because we have been Christians for a long time doesn’t mean tough seasons in life never come. The truth of our faith and Christian maturity is what we do when these hard times come. When we’ve been knocked down on the canvas again, the referee is starting the count, and the crowd believes it’s over, THIS is when it all comes down to truth: Ā THE TRUTH OF OUR CHARACTER.
These are the moments that matter the most. Will we fight the GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH and lay hold on eternal life, or will we lay down our weapons and quit? Will we finish what we’ve started when we made the confession of our faith in the beginning, or will we walk away and give it all up? It is up to us to decide.
What we decide will not only effect OUR outcome, but it can leave a legacy behind that affects many generations to come…
Sometimes, when you’ve done all to stand, you’ve just got to retain your ground and fight once more. Dig in and pay the retribution upon the enemy’s head. Don’t give up now. Don’t give in. You’ve come too far to quit!
Turn the tables on him. Be the whirlwind. Become the storm he thinks he has brought into your life. Bow up and don’t turn back until he is defeated!
Trust me. He won’t give up till he thinks he has won…or knows you have instead. So, pick up that sword of the Spirit and that shield of Faith one more time. Square your shoulders and hold your head up high. Fight like there’s no tomorrow.
You can do this thing! Now, WIN!
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Gal. 5:1
This Scripture came up today in my Youverse app, and even though, I’ve read it many times before, it seemed to settle in a little deeper this time. Have you ever had that happen? You’re re-reading a scripture that you’ve read for years, but that next time, it’s like reading it for the very first time all over again, because God seems to speak to your heart in that very moment.
That’s how it was today. I’ve been doing this bible study on the power of our words, and it has really been strengthening my faith, challenging my flesh and transforming my words. This past week, we were studying the lesson on gentle words and memorizing the Scripture in Provers 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” …You would know, the one week when the stress loads of life are heavy on our boys and me, schedules are tight, tension is heightened, and words are short and snappy every day, that this is our memory verse and the lesson I’ve got to study and share with the class! …geez! Talk about feeling like a hypocrite! š
Regardless of the feelings, I kept studying, and God kept convicting my heart, reshaping my responses and working the repentance out of my mouth. By the day class time rolled around, I had made my mistakes and my confesssions and worked out a plan for us all to do things better this coming week. Amazing how, sometimes, we have learn how to “adult better” alongside our children. š… I guess, if we were perfect, we’d be in heaven already; so, I’m all for the learning.
What struck me about this verse in Galatians is how, too often, we realize those sins of which we need to repent, we ask for forgiveness, and we think we’ve move beyond them; yet, somewhere along the way, we find ourselves trapped again by the very things that tripped us up in the beginning! How does that even happen?
Thinking over this, I was led to another well known scripture in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The devil is always seeking to destroy us. His search for our weak spots, and his schemes to bring us down never stop! He is relentless in His strategy to take us out!
However, I believe, our daily struggle to crucify our flesh (or die to selfishness) and feed our spirit (or live more like Christ) isn’t always so relentless. We get distracted by the cares of this world. We become negligent in the studying of His Word and in the seeking of His face. We allow “the little foxes to spoil the vine,” so to speak, and the battle (for our freedom from sin) becomes lost as we stop being vigilant in our fight. We start lowering our shield of faith and raising our selfish ambitions and outlooks. We start laying down our sword of the spirit to rather pick up those things from which we have been freed, as we become more “me” focused and so much less “Christ” focused. Before too long, we find ourselves ensnared with the very things He freed us from years before.
This is not what Jesus plans for us! This is not what He desires. Let us fight this good fight of faith. Let us not return to those sins for which He died. Let us live freely in the freedom (from sin) He has given us, and let us finish this race well! … There is a generation, of both young people and young Christians, coming behind us. They need for us to remain free and to finish well. Then, we might be able to share our story with them on how it’s done and allow our legacy of faith to be passed on. Live free today!
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I can assure you, you will have trials. You will have troubles. You will have tribulations. While Jesus was on this earth, He told us we would. He doesn’t lie, and His Word is always true: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.ā John 16:33 Yet, the first part of that Scripture is on what we must focus: in Him, we will have peace. With His peace that surpasses all understanding, we will be able to stand at all cost.
When we rely on Him, His strength, His power and His might, we will be able to withstand no matter what assails us. Too often, we grow disheartened, either because we have forgotten the proclamation of hard times, we have forgotten His promise of peace, or we simply get tired of fighting and walk away from the destiny that is just across the battlefield. He called us to finish this fight, and He has destined us to win! …and I can assure you, when you stand through the fire, you will come through stronger and wiser for it! š
All we must do is keep standing until the end. Will you stand with Him and fight?!
*Personal note to the reader: if you find yourself in the middle of a battle in this life, fighting the enemy, no matter what that enemy may be: drugs, alcohol, lust, pride, vanity, rage, depression, loneliness, abuse, rebellion, lying, cheating, stealing…the list could go on and on… If you find yourself battling, and you want to win, but you don’t know how, just call on His Name! He will answer!! Once you call on His Name, “call out” to someone you know who is stronger than you who can help you, too. Sometimes, God delivers instantaneously, and sometimes, God decides the best deliverance will not be instantaneous but rather a process. Sometimes, you will have to walk a road of recovery. Sometimes, you will have to rely on the Body of Christ to help you through. Trust God to show you. He will guide and direct you as He uses His people to reach to you and help you carry the load… “Bear one anotherās burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Gal. 6:2
Too often, as Christians, we allow the enemy of our soul to defeat us, because we forget the promises we have been given. Too often, we lie down in the muck and mire of our lives and allow our circumstances to overwhelm us to the point of suffocation. We lay down our weapons, and we back away from our destiny, because the way seems too long and the fight appears too hard. We read the Scripture that the enemy is like a lion looking to devour us and we believe it, forgetting the rest of the verse that tells us to “resist him, standing firm in the faith!”
We have been given the weaponry to defeat what comes against us! We are not meant to be wimpy, noodle-spined children of God. We are children of a risen KING! We are destined to win this thing, not because we are so strong nor because we are able to be perfect. We are destined to win, because HE HAS ALREADY WON the victory! The Book has already been written. The end has already been determined!
All we have to do is stand firm in His Word. Ephesians 6:13-14 reminds us, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore…” So, if you are feeling weary today, be encouraged! Take up your sword of the Spirit and your shield faith one more time and slay that giant before you. God is with you, and with Him, you cannot fail!
Do you ever feel unworthy? Like you don’t quite measure up? Like you’ll never be good enough for anything or anybody?
Can I tell you these are all lies from the PIT OF HELL? Don’t ever allow the devil to convince you these statements are even remotely true! Honestly, I know exactly how you feel. I have been there. I have battled those thoughts, and sometimes, it can be a daily battle that I still fight.The Bible says, “…your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) He is a sworn enemy of God and of everyone who serves God. He is constantly seeking ways to devour God’s people. He knows your weaknesses. He knows your struggles, feelings of inferiority, rejection, failure and shame. He works strategies to pull you down, to hinder you from your purpose, and to ultimately destroy you. Don’t let him have his way with your heart and mind. Fight back!
When we humble ourselves before God, cast all our cares on Him, remain sober and alert, looking for the devil’s schemes, and we resist him when he comes around, we are better able to fight those thoughts and feelings of unworthiness and worthlessness. No, we’re never worthy in our own righteousness, but when we are a child of the King, He makes us worthy. No, we are not worthless, because through Christ we are made joint heirs with Him, which means we are full of worth!
So, if you’re struggling with feelings of inferiority, insecurity or rejection today, I encourage you to look up! Look to Jesus. If you don’t know Him yet, just say His name. Pull out a Bible and see what He has to say about you. (Try Psalm 139 for starters.š) Trust Him and simply believe. If you do know Him; then, pick up that Word, find you a Scripture and stand on it! Fight those thoughts and feelings with the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith which He has given you! You can do this! He is on Your side, and if God be for you, then who can be against you (Romans 8:31) š WIN!!
No? Well, God doesn’t expect you to move the goal post either. We started this walk of Christianity to finish. We got in this to win the good fight of faith. If He told you to do something; then, it’s in your best interest to do it. When He said to finish the race, He wasn’t kidding. He will help us to finish well.
Sometimes, we step into this Christian walk, passionate, all consumed with faith and exuberant obedience, and then, all of a sudden, life happens. Things get a little harder than expected, or maybe a lot harder, and we slow down. We question. We doubt. We might even argue with God that this was not what we bargained for. We begin to wonder if it’s worth the struggle, and we’re tempted to lay it all down for a moment of sinful pleasure and for, what seems like, a breath of relief.
Yet, just because life didn’t unfold in the the easy way we expected, doesn’t change what God has told us. It doesn’t alter His plans or His direction in which He first told us to go. We can’t change the goal posts in the middle of the game, simply, because our opponent is gaining ground. No, we are commissioned to carry on. We are commanded to persevere, to endure till the end, and to take as many with us as we can!
Remember, the Book is already written. The end is already confirmed. WE WIN! Don’t move the goal posts when you’re this close to scoring the winning point!
Romans 5:3-5, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
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