Still Discouraged???
Joshua 1:9 (NIV) "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
So today, God has spoken that this will be the last post on Discouragement per Ephesians 6:10's usage of the word Finally (the end). Praise God for putting an end to discouragement! We are moving forward! With that said, I urge you to settle your heart and find rest in Him. Rest assured knowing that He is going to bring you out of this, just as He has time and time before. Quiet your soul today just like a sleeping baby with its mother, and do not allow any distractions to awaken that baby.
Last week we were reminded in "Down But Not Out", that we have the victory through Christ who is Our Corner Man. Also, that we will not win this final round in our strength - but through His. Well, He never said that the enemy was going to give up in this last round of the fight. On the contrary, he seems to be throwing even more punches than before! Because, he is also aware that there is not much time left on the clock for the final round of this match.
Psalm 37:7 (NIV) Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Psalm 37:12-13 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.
I encourage you to read Psalm 37 in it's entirety for you to gain even more understanding on the plight of our enemy. But for the sake of blog space, I am only going to notate the verses above.
We are to be still and wait patiently for The Lord, even though it seems as though the enemy is winning this round. It says that the wicked plot against the righteous and that they gnash their teeth....sounds like someone is blowing a bunch of smoke to me. (Side Note: the weapon may form, but it WILL NOT prosper ~ Isaiah 54:17). Look at The Lord's reaction in verse 13, it says He laughs!!! He laughs at our enemy, because He knows that we are in a 'fixed fight'! He has already gone before us to give us the VICTORY!
But don't start praising just yet...
We are to be still and wait patiently for The Lord, even though it seems as though the enemy is winning this round. It says that the wicked plot against the righteous and that they gnash their teeth....sounds like someone is blowing a bunch of smoke to me. (Side Note: the weapon may form, but it WILL NOT prosper ~ Isaiah 54:17). Look at The Lord's reaction in verse 13, it says He laughs!!! He laughs at our enemy, because He knows that we are in a 'fixed fight'! He has already gone before us to give us the VICTORY!
But don't start praising just yet...
Let me take a minute to say that having the knowledge that we are fighting a fixed fight can mess us up if we let it. We can easily get puffed up, and start making some showboat moves in the ring without Godly Wisdom and Proper Balance. Showboating means to have a visibly exaggerated idea of ones own skills, talents, or abilities. Not so, don't lose focus! Moves like that will get you knocked out in the ring every time. Remember, we are to STAND against the devil's schemes (Ephesians 6). It is not about us...we are only able to stand through the strength that is found in The Lord.
Psalm 131 (NIV) My heart is not proud, LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.
In a fight like this, it's easy for our emotions to be going crazy. One minute - up, next minute - down! That's why it is essential for The Lord to be our Corner Man. We must allow Him to sit on the seat of our emotions/heart/soul. We must calm and quiet ourselves just like David did. David came to a place where he was no longer trying to figure things out. He said that his soul was as calm and quiet as a baby resting against its mother. That is the kind of rest that is found in The Lord, no matter what is going on around you. We must come to the understanding that our ways and thoughts are not like His (Isaiah 55:8). We must rest in His Omniscience (the capacity to know everything infinitely). It is okay for us to not know it all, because He does!
So today, God has spoken that this will be the last post on Discouragement per Ephesians 6:10's usage of the word Finally (the end). Praise God for putting an end to discouragement! We are moving forward! With that said, I urge you to settle your heart and find rest in Him. Rest assured knowing that He is going to bring you out of this, just as He has time and time before. Quiet your soul today just like a sleeping baby with its mother, and do not allow any distractions to awaken that baby.
Today, I pray that we find our proper balance in God just like David. That we REST in Him like never before, and that we put our Hope in The Lord from this day forward knowing that He is going to see us through. May His Grace and Peace be with you in Jesus' Name - Amen.
