All I can think about today is how life is a battlefield. And, I wonder, will I win. I'm not talking about winning in a way many of us do. Many times we consider victory when it's personal, like winning a race, getting promoted or seeing a situation rectified. I'm talking about winning for Jesus.
Whenever I'm struggling and feel lost, I think of the Israelites. I can tell you that I've been in that mode a lot in my life. I find comfort in their lack of understanding, complaining and overall sense of defeat. I know that sounds weird but if you look at their story and the promise God made to Abraham, the battle was long but the victory came.
I think we love to grumble in the battle. We stomp our feet and say, "why me." We forget the provisions that God has brought us and we only look at today. Our faith waves like wheat in the wind and still, He delivers us. I wonder how many out there are just like that. You're going along, everything is going your way and bam, you hit a wall and forget about every provision, every gift, every victory through Jesus. I'm sure there are many but I want us to begin to look at provision in a different way. I want us to realize that daily we have manna but often, we just don't use it.
The difference between us and the Israelites are two things: they only had Moses and Jesus wasn't even born yet. Why does that matter? Because their promise was delivered by a man and most of the time they wanted to stone him. And through Jesus, we received the Holy Spirit and the living word. All those poor Israelites had was the 10 commandments and you know how often we all break those. So, I guess when you sit still and really think about it, God could have chosen to let those wandering sheep despair forever. Was that His choice? No. At the end of the journey, when He believed they were ready, He delivered them into Israel.
That took 40 years. Now, for many of us our tribulation might last a week, a month or a year. Depending on our choices, it might last for many years. I can think about several people I know where they fought cancer over years and then were finally delivered to Him. I love to say that life just isn't fair but Jesus is. Sometimes we must wander in the desert to understand the power of the victory. For me, wandering in the desert has always heightened my faith. Why? Because I look back and even though I don't understand what God is doing; I know He's doing it for His glory.
I want to challenge us to face our fears and instead of asking "why," let's have faith that He is in the middle of our situation and sit still. Not easy, I know. I have worked on sitting still all week and I can say, I've failed many times. But today, I'm sitting still asking God to go before me. I hope that every day, even if I do win a personal victory, I stay in the race for Jesus. Really nothing in this life is worth it, if Jesus is not on the battlefield with me.
So, release your fears, quit asking why and start asking Christ, "where do you want me today?" We do have the tools to win a victory for Him. He laid it all out. It won't be easy and we won't understand but we can grow our faith and see His hand. As I continue to say, read your Bible, pray for forgiveness and pray that women all over the world will unite for one cause, Jesus!
1 Peter 5:8-11 NKJV:
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
Psalm 46: 10 NKJV:
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
John 6:31 NKJV:
Our fathers ate manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Even the Israelites knew the grace of God. They were angry complainers but God always provided. He provides many of the same things to us today that He gave them. Before we can experience His grace, we must be still. God calls us to be vigilant. Evil does roam this earth and only when we have faith enough to believe, will we really understand the grace we are under. I hope today, you see the grace of God and have faith, through being still. I don't think any of us wants to wander for 40 years, do you?
My prayer today:
O, mighty Lord, grant us the wisdom to be wiser and smarter than the Israelites. Like them, we are human and our flesh gets in front of our Spirit. However, we have a desire to know You in all circumstances. Life isn't fair and we will have trials. All we ask is that when we do face them, You will help lift us up and give us a great faith. You are the King of our hearts and the power behind the cross. We worship You, not just in the good times, but in the bad. None of us want to wander for 40 years, our prayer is that Your will be done and that we complete the race. Thank You for Your grace, Your wisdom, Your power and Your word. We would be nothing in this life without You. Help us be determined to sit before You daily, so that when we do face a bump in the road, we know who to turn too. You are our manna in the morning, our sun at dawn and our moon in the evening. Please help us to become mighty women of You and provide us with the strength to fight whatever comes our way, with our Spirits, instead of our flesh. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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