He is Faithful

The Battle is the Lord’s

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All of us have battles from time to time. Most of us also can testify that some of them we have lost – but be encouraged: the war isn’t over! Before David became king he faced a battle with Goliath. At the beginning of the fight Goliath loudly spouts off about how great his strength is and how weak and puny David seems. Goliath boasted because he had never come face to face with the power of God.

David waited patiently for the giant  to finish his flowery speech. He was completely assured of victory going into his fight because he had walked with God while he took care of his father’s sheep. He didn’t need special training or special equipment to prepare him. His experience of trusting God when nobody was looking had taught him that God always came through in a crisis. So when David replied it was not just a boast. He simply and unashamedly told the truth. His battle belonged to the Lord.

We often think of Jesus entering in our hearts at the time of salvation. Maybe we think of it as a completed transaction. But Jesus is knocking at our heart’s door every day. Our choice is whether we will we invite Him in to take control. If we ask Him to take charge of every detail of our lives, we will discover that our battles also belong to Him.

Whatever you are facing today remember that Jesus is still knocking. When you open your door to Him, He will fight any giant and give the victory and peace to your heart right now!

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

 

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Faces

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Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1

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Back in 2016 the Olympic flame was carried by over 10,000 runners. The torch run which began in the capital city of Brasilia went the distance of 20,000 kilometers throughout the nation to in Rio de Janeiro. Some of the way they passed through city neighborhoods lined with crowds and others over empty farmland and forest. All along the way the torch bearers ran till Vanderlei de Lima lit the flame before a crowd of over 60,000 in Maracanã Stadium.

In that same way as we run the race of our Christian life there are some lonely times. It feels as if the finish line in Heaven’s capital city is impossibly far away. God’s word encourages us to recall that God has a stadium there also filled with the faces of those who have carried their torches before us. We have parents, and pastors, brothers, sisters, wives and children waiting and cheering us on. They weren’t all saintly and perfect people but they carried the torch to the end. They climbed the steps to the throne of God and left everything behind to finish their race. In the light of their flame of faith I can see their faces and reKIMG1137minded to trust that God will help me run my own leg of the journey one more day!

Getting Back in the Boat

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And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Matthew 14:32

This short, seemingly insignificant verse holds a promise I had overlooked till I desperately needed it. I often thought about God challenging me as when Peter walked on water. Other times it was comforting to know that Jesus reached out his hand to save Peter. But it is just as important to know that Jesus wants to restore normalcy and calm to our lives.

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My mother was just 62 when she died of breast cancer and her passing left me feeling like I had been run over by a truck. The years struggling to rebuild our relationship, the prayers and the conversations were suddenly over. I felt as if I were locked in a room with barely enough air to breathe. I sleep walked through months of guilt and regret for what had never been. Then one morning as the light began to shine outside my window it also started shining again in my heart. It wasn’t that I suddenly could understand the reasons behind the hurt, but rather that knowing only God knew was now enough.

Prayer: Father even the hurts that I will never understand and the struggles that no one else knows about are safe with you. Thank you that you are not always challenging or rescuing me, but that some days you simply help me back in the boat. I am grateful and I rest in your care as the wind calms to a hush.