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See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. Isaiah 12:2
Throughout history Satan has tried to destroy us. I’m quite sure as he watched Adam and Eve eat of the fruit of the tree he smiled with glee. He’d done it. He’d destroyed the relationship God had with His hallmark creation. But he didn’t.
When he gradually took away Job’s wealth, family/friends and health, I’m guessing he giggled. Now Job, God’s poster child would surely reject God. But he didn’t.
When Jesus breathed his last breath on the cross I can imagine him leaping for joy! Victory was his! But it wasn’t.
His tactics haven’t changed. Give the guy some credit. He doesn’t give up easily. His intent is still to defeat those who insist on believing, worshipping and following Jehovah God, the creator of the universe.
He uses a variety of tools from his tool box to try to keep us from enjoying the peace, joy and fulfillment of following Jesus.
He’ll use rejection, which often comes from people who claim to love us but turn away from us.
He slips in doubt by taking away what keeps us comfortable.
He uses fear by reminding us that the future is uncertain.
He instills in us desires that drive us towards things that don’t really satisfy.
These are just a few tools he uses to keep you from experiencing the victory only available through trusting our Heavenly Father in every circumstance. What’s his favorite tool to use on you?
People will fail you. Situations will cause you to want to doubt and fear. Remember, our Sovereign God is loving and our one and only source of true victory in the midst of attack. On the basis of His strength we can sing a song of victory when the enemy attacks.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
Growing old physically is somewhat natural. We don’t have to think about it. It just happens. We can help it along of course with healthy habits, but we can’t stop the aging process.
Spiritual and emotional growth is different. Spiritual and emotional growth is often a matter of choice. We all know the stories of those who have gone through adversity, rejection, and disaster. Some have lived the rest of their lives as victims. Their bodies may have healed. Their situation may have improved, but they remain a slave to the effects of the situation that wounded them.
Others seem to take the negative and turn it into a positive; to take the problem and see the possibilities. Their attitude isn’t affected by the attacks. The hardest attacks to endure are the attacks others level against you. The words they speak echo in our minds even though facts prove them wrong. The expectations they have of you are unrealistic and perhaps not even verbalized until it’s too late.
What’s the difference in being a victim and being victorious? For the believer in Jesus it’s a matter of choice. We choose to listen to what God says about us, not the critical voices. We choose to evaluate our actions according to what the Holy Spirit tells us about ourselves.
While our bodies may grow weary, with Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit, our outlook on life is constantly refreshed. It’s his Spirit within us that gives us the strength to move forward when our bodies and mind say to stop.
Never give up. Compare the accusations you may be going through to what the word of God says. Be open to the need to improve, but close your mind to human fickleness. Remember, every day is a new day. Every ‘problem’ is a possibility. Every attack is an opportunity to validate who you are in Jesus. Be refreshed. It’s a new day!
Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Psalms 55:22
One of the things I’ve always struggled with is asking for help. Asking for help is a sign of weakness. Asking for help can be placing a burden on someone else. Asking for help implies I don’t know what to do next.
All of those things aren’t necessarily true but that is how my brain works if I let it. The truth is, God created us for relationship. God created us for community. God created us to help each other bear the burdens of our lives.
That’s why, from the very beginning he states, ‘It isn’t good for mankind to go through life without a helper.’ (Genesis 2:18) We normally think of that in relation to the creation of woman, which is true, but in the broader sense, God knew we needed community.
We need to love on one another. We need to bear the burden’s of one another. We need to pray for one another. We need to encourage one another.
While all that’s true, there are some burdens others have that, in reality we can’t bear. We can pray for each other. We can do all sorts of other things to lift each other up, but the reality is some burdens can only be placed on the shoulders of Jesus, who is more than willing to take them on.
The burden of rejection from people you thought loved you. The burden of misunderstanding when you have done your best. The burden of unmet expectations. the burden of blame. The burden of criticism. I think you get the picture. Add your own burden to that list.
The reality is, even the most well-meaning people will reject you. But Jesus never will. NEVER. He doesn’t ask us to cast our burdens on him, it’s a command! You will be misunderstood, attacked and abandoned by some, but never by Jesus.
Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Psalms 36:5
What we believe about God and how we live in the presence of God can be two dramatically different things. The old pictures of an angel and a demon sitting on your shoulder whispering in your ear is much more than an artists creativity. Often times, it’s a fact of life. As followers of Jesus we know the promises he gave us.
‘In this world you will have trouble but I’ve overcome the world.’
‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’
‘My peace I give you, not the fickle peace of the world, but a peace you can’t understand.’
‘I will fight the enemies of your soul.’
‘Even in the dark times you can count on my love.’
These are just a few of the many, many promises we base our faith on. But if you are like me, there is a dichotomy between faith and reality. What we know in ‘theory’ doesn’t always transfer to what we feel in our hearts. Fear, worry, confusion, hurt, discouragement can attack in an instant, and often its source is places and situations we’d never expect to happen.
For me, I find three things that can help going from faith to reality. First of all, retreat. Step back to evaluate the situation. I like to get to a quiet place where I can just be with my thoughts for a time.
Secondly, regroup. My retreat time varies by situation, but is temporary and with purpose. Once I’ve had some time to refocus, I regroup. Regrouping often leads me to God’s word and he promises, sometimes it includes close friends who share my faith.
Thirdly, resume. Don’t allow the attacks of your faith keep you from moving forward. It’s the process, not the winning that gives us strength. Our strength doesn’t rest in our activities and our acceptance. Our strength comes from the Holy Spirit that indwells us.
Retreat (temporarily); regroup (with God’s word); Resume (with God’s power). God’s love is far greater than anything we can gain from the world.
The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! Song of Songs 2:13
Each spring I notice a rather interesting activity in the north country where I live. People are out walking! Now, you may say, what’s interesting about that? Just this. As spring turns into summer the numbers dwindle, there may be a slight uptick in the fall, but most of the time the number of walkers in spring is more than any other time of year?
Why, you may ask? Because winters are long, cold and dark. But when spring comes we can smell the freshness of new life. The air is full of the aroma of flowers. The birds sing in each morning with gusto. The winter is over. The time of new life and warmth is here!
As the year wears on, the heat increases and schedules get busier, somehow we fail to find time to walk, to enjoy the season we are in, to bask in the warmth of the sun.
Song of Songs is thought to be a love poem written between two lovers, but with pictures of our relationship with Jesus. In Song of Songs 2:13 the writer implores his lover to join him in a walk of sorts. To get up and smell the roses. To enjoy the new season before them.
Each new season is filled with challenges. Each new season is filled with the unknown. But this verse urges us to see the positive in each situation. We don’t know what lies ahead, but we walk with someone who loves us, protects us and longs to see us succeed.
Enjoy the ‘walk’ of this new year. Bask in the warmth of the SON. Enjoy the intimate fellowship of one who loves you more than you can imagine.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 