Its narrowing and a little uncomfortable being at the end of two weeks unemployment and a secure income. Yesterday, for example, my family and I finished up the last of the food in our house and had no means of providing more for the future. I half-heartedly joked with my wife that wed have to be like George Mueller and depend on Gods provision for each meal. We were both ready and willing to go there, if that was what our Lord desired, because we trusted His kind faithfulness to care for our needs. We were completely in His mercy. Fortunately God had better plans. That morning He led me to speak with a certain person regarding food sources in the community. That person informed me that no food was currently available, but she would refer me to sources in other cities nearby. I told her we didnt have enough gas to travel round for that. She said she couldnt be of more help. Then God told me to check my bank account, which I did, and discovered that a surprise blessing had been deposited therein! We were able to get fuel in the van and pay some bills, thanks to His grace. After that, we were able to visit another community food source and God blessed my family with a weeks worth of nutritious staples as well as a chance to pump some much-needed encouragement into my soul. See, during the going-to and coming-from process, the Accuser (Satan) was whispering into my ear, What a failure you are as a man and father! Cant you see that youre just not good enough to provide adequately for your family? Your parents would be so disappointed in you! Youll never amount to anything, never be good enough to succeed or, if you do succeed, itll be so short-lived and temporary that it wont even matter! Despair, depression, deception, inadequacy and insecurity were all ganging up on me, trying to sink their hooks into and inject me with their poisons. It was like fighting off a swarm of hungry, stinging insects! Then I remembered Gods promises through David: You will not be afraid of the night-riding terror, of the ambushes laying in wait in the daylight, the pestilence that stalks under cover of the night, or of the destroyer who lays waste in the middle of the day (Psalm 91:5-6). I thought, okay then, devil: So you want to perpetuate fear and paralyzing terror in my thoughts? Im not afraid of you! So you want to try and surprise-attack me in broad daylight? Bring it on! Go ahead, swarm round about my head with insecurity and uncertainty--my God is more than enough to swat you away! So you want to send demonic destroyers to steal, kill and lay waste to the life of confidence and trust I have in Jesus? Come on, do your worst! Me and Jesus will be waiting, along with all of the angels in heaven, and well show you the extreme folly of your schemes! Someone shouts from the cloud of darkness, How can you say such things when surrounded by eminent failure? Give up now! Dont be a fool! Trust in your own arm to save you! My response: open the eyes of my understanding, Lord Jesus, if it seems like such horrifying things surround me. Open my eyes and show me just how many tens of thousands upon thousands of battle-ready warrior angels are arrayed above, behind and round about me in hostile defiance of those devilish charges. Show my enemies that what really surrounds this child of God is not certain and coming defeat, depression, despair and failure but certain and coming VICTORY--overcoming joy, mountain-shattering hope and faith, and eternal success! How can such outrageous confidence exist, such illogical declarations? It is as the Scripture proclaims: For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. Therefore no evil will fall upon you and no plague of any design, origin or sort will come near to your life. God will personally assign His angels authority and commands concerning you, to preserve and protect you in all of your coming, doing and going (Ps. 91:9-11). In the presence of my snarling enemies, God throws a celebration banquet in my honor and declares with finality, Because this one has loved Me, I will deliver him; because he has understood My name, I will establish him in a high place with bedrock security. Hell call on Me and I will respond to him, be on his side in the midst of distressing situations, and will rescue him. Ill honor him because he honors Me; Ill give him a long and prosperous life, one that is fully satisfying, and one which allows him to experience personally My salvation (91:14-16). In addition, as I was loading groceries into the van, He whispered into my soul, Im proud of you, boy. Youre not being lazy or expecting too much from Me. Youre doing exactly what I want you to do in this season and youre doing it in the faith and joy that delights Me. Be encouraged and be strong, knowing that I am for you. Thank you, Jesus, and so be it for Your glory alone.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 12:23:03 +0000
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