It's been a little over a week since my last blog, and so many things have transpired (both in the natural and in the spirit). I have been in prayer about when and what to blog about...and it seems as though The Remnant is still in need of encouragement. Our warfare has truly heightened since last week, but we must not quit. The thing about being set apart is that we are set a-p-a-r-t! There is not a whole host of people cheering us on, but allow me (through God) to be your Corner (Wo)Man on today.
First, let's take a look at what a Corner Man is...in Boxing Terminology, a Corner Man is located at the junction of the ropes (a corner of the ring) where a boxer rests between rounds, the corner man advises him, gives him water, tries to reduce swelling and stop bleeding.
Psalm 42:10-11 (NASB)
As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Again, with spiritual warfare seeming to have reached record heights in this past week, despair is knocking on our doors again. Remember from the last blog "Discouraging Discourage" that despair is coming in forms of messages from the enemy for us to give up, to lose all hope, and for us to be overcome with a sense of defeat. Not only has our opponent been hitting us with blows of discouragement and despair...now he is throwing in exhaustion and anxiety/fear!
Isaiah 35:3-4 (NASB)
Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart,
“Take courage, fear not.
Behold, your God will come with vengeance;
The recompense of God will come,
But He will save you.”
Our opponent's desire is to wear us out completely and to get us to where we are lacking strength (weak). Once we are in this position of wallowing in our weakness, that's when we allow ourselves to get overcome with anxiety/worry. Our opponent's desire is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Do not get discouraged and take your focus off of God who is your source of strength. My brother or My Sister, please get back to your corner!!! I have come to tell YOU on TODAY, that we are in the last round of this fight. That's why it seems so hard, that's why we are becoming anxious, that's why we are exhausted! THE Corner Man (God) is waiting on you right there at the junction (a place where two things meet) of the ropes. He is right there, ready and waiting to meet you - to advise you, to give you water (which represents the refreshing flow of The Holy Spirit), and to bind up your wounds. This is not the time to throw in the towel, this is the last round of the fight! Get your strength back up in your corner with God for His Recompense is surely going to come once you've prevailed. Don't miss your award, Remnant. Don't turn back, you are right there!
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NASB)
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Therefore, it is okay when the enemy has shattered our bones (which represents our strength) for it's in our weakness that God stands up strong in us! You are not a failure because of your weaknesses! We all have weaknesses...if we were all perfect in our own strength, then why would we need a Savior?
So today, Remnant, I pray that you would give God your weaknesses in your corner time with Him. I pray that your soul is watered and refreshed, that your mind finds peace/rest, and that you are strengthened in His Presence like never before so you can get back in the fight and come out not only Victorious but with Your Reward in Jesus' Name!
This morning when I woke up I heard three words:
Lonely, Despair, and Discourage
Once I heard these words I immediately knew that these were not the words of God, so I grabbed my weapon...I began to research these three words in The Word of God.
Many of us have started off this year with a bang for The Kingdom! Many have experienced great confidence in the work that God has called them to do and with that there is much spiritual warfare that is coming against this. The enemy's desire is to divide us, to have us feel like we are the only one (lonely). Serving The Lord can indeed 'feel' lonely at times, but these are vital times when we are to be in much prayer. Luke 5:16 states that Jesus would go away to lonely places, where He prayed. Also, we should note that it was during times when Jesus was fasting & praying by himself that the devil would try to tempt Jesus with his words.
Now let's look at the word despair. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. SN: Notice verse 9 says 'but never abandoned by God', take that loneliness and despair! Despair means to lose all hope or to be overcome by a sense of defeat. All it takes is for us to start looking at our situations, circumstances, or our troubles with our natural eyes and we lose focus on what God is doing.
Which brings me to our last word discourage. In Nehemiah Chapter 6, the first verse opens up to show us that the word was out to Nehemiah's enemies that he had rebuilt the wall. Verse 1 states that he had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, although at that time he had not set up the doors in the gates. It was at that point, when his enemies began sending messages for him to come down and meet with them so they could talk him out of completing his task from God. And this is the point, as I stated before, where we are right now in the spirit...We have rebuilt the wall (which is our foundation and our protection from God through prayer & intercession) and so far, we have not allowed any breaches or gaps for our enemies to penetrate. However, the messages are still being sent to us. We all know that Nehemiah would not come down from doing the 'good work' of The Lord (vs.3) The bible states that his enemies sent messengers to him 4 times, and on the 5th time Nehemiah responded to his enemy in verse 8. Nehemiah 6:9 says For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, "they will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands. The number 5 represents God's Grace, He recognized that these voices were not the voice of God and he was given the 'Grace to Speak' to his enemies. Discouragement means to deprive of confidence, hope, or spirit or to try to prevent by expressing disapproval or objections. Nehemiah did not lose his confidence or hope in God.
It is very important for us in this season to be able to discern not only the voices but also to be able to discern when He is giving us the grace to use ours. This is imperative for us even if it means pressing through the messages of loneliness, despair, and discouragement. The enemy's plan is to cause division and to take away our confidence and hope in God. Now is the time for us to recognize our authority through Christ, and to speak to our enemies once and for all to set up the doors in the gates of our temples which will complete the work.
Praying that our God will continue to strengthen our hands for the work in Jesus' Name.
