When It Just Won’t End!
What else? How long?
Have you asked that once or twice in the last couple of years, the last couple of weeks, as I have? Jut about the time things seem to be healing or changing, a variant COVID pops up. Then world events just take our breath away. Add to that personal crises, several friends who are in a health fight for their lives, on and on.
Seriously? What’s next?…I guess the same thing that I wrote about so recently in He Speaks, before the last couple of “issues” mentioned above popped up. So this is how that morning a couple of days ago played out as I did what I knew to do, sit with Jesus and ask Him to speak. And, of course He did.
I am reminded over and over, the spiritual warfare is real! The enemy is seeking to steal our joy, our hope, our loved ones! But God!
That morning, after hearing about a huge family prayer need, I read a devo before I headed to the deck for more time with the Lord. This is what I read first thing that day in Renew, from a LifeWay online devotional app. Here is what it said:
“Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident” (Ps. 27:3, ESV). On the other side of our fear, we’ll find our greatest strength. Fear is a weapon meant to keep us from the very thing God designed us to excel in. It’s one of the most powerful weapons against the people of God because it keeps us stationary. Satan by himself holds no power against us, for we have the Spirit of the living God inside of us. The only power he has is the power we give to him. When we let fear hold us back, we give in to Satan’s devious plan, which empowers him to hold us captive. Fear has absolutely devastating effects on one’s ability to grow and mature in the call of God, especially if he or she doesn’t choose to conquer it. Our giving in to fear is the enemy’s end goal. He knows full well that if we can step beyond it, his grip on us is lost, and we can move into what God has for us. In order to conquer fear, we have to know who we are in Christ. We must understand that God is far bigger than any fear we face. Today, decide that you will step beyond your fears and into all that God has for you.
Renew, LifeWay
In my scripture writing plan, the passage was from Hebrews:
For yet in a very little while,
Hebrews 10:37-39
the Coming One will come and not delay.
But my righteous one will live by faith;
and if he draws back,
I have no pleasure in him.
But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.
Next my chronological study took me to the book of Esther. So here I was reminded of God’s sovereignty and even the fact that he uses unbelievers as a part of His plan. The Persian king did not serve the one true God, yet the one true God used King Ahasuerus, along with the godly Jews Mordecai and Esther, to bring about the continuation of His chosen people. This leads all of us to ask ourselves, “for what reason has God planted me where I am for such a time as this?”
Finally I concluded my time that day with the Lisa Harper study, How Much More.
I was reminded again, to keep praying, serving and trusting His faithfulness. Jesus humbly served and washed dirty feet. We are to do the same, until He returns! I am SO grateful for His presence, His sovereignty, His plan that I don’t have to understand to trust His heart!
I was weary and fighting mad at the devil when I started my morning, but the Lord moved me to being “fighting praying mad” as I trust Him and follow Him faithfully, seeking how I can humbly serve Him and others.
Watch next week for my post on what voices we listen to most often.
Banner photo by Mehrnaz Taghavishavazi on Unsplash
