Reasons for great gratitude. I flipped backward through my Bible, stopping to re-read and ponder each of the passages where I had inserted a slip of paper, passages densely marked with underlines and arrows, pencil and red pen. They were Malachi 3:16-17, Habakkuk 3:17-19, Lamentations 3:17-28, Jeremiah 15:19, Isaiah 55:6-13, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 32:10, and Psalm 33:18-22. These were my latest chain of personally noteworthy verses, the ones I read over most every morning and whenever I need a fresh breath of God’s truth. I was reading them this afternoon with great gratitude.

Late afternoon sun slanted through the window, spilling over the brown rug where Lily bugs lay, soaking up the sunshine largely absent the previous month of cold, gray days. Last week, with several below freezing mornings and overcast days with afternoons requiring a coat, gloves and scarf, I had felt tucked in, making chicken soup, studying and writing, trying to maintain a steady course in spite of the loss I wrote about on February 6.

Yesterday, though, when another blow came I did not feel like seeing sunshine. I wanted to hide somewhere in the dark and the gloom. I felt like giving up, on a lot of things.

“Oh, Father! You know this feels like 2020, when You first trained me to meditate on Your Word desperately to conquer the negative, depression-causing thoughts.  If I do not do that now, with fervor and desperation, I know I could fall back into depression and despair. You have never, no never, no never failed me in any regard, (Hebrews 13:5) dear Father, and I trust You now. . . “

I closed my eyes, pressed the Bible to my chest and hugged hard.

“Father, in times like this I really wish I could see Your face and hear Your voice and feel Your loving arms around me. Nevertheless, I know You are here, all around me and in me, closer than my very breath. Thank You, Lord, thank You.”

Filled with fury. The enemy “is filled with fury because he knows his time is short.” (Revelations 12:12, NIV). So many good things are happening in the U.S. and the world that it is hard to keep track. We must keep pressing on with prayer and doing all we can to support the righteous leaders God has put in place. We must also be mindful that the enemy is stirred up, overflowing with rage as his plans are being ruined and evil is being exposed, as God promised in Luke 8:17 “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” (NIV)

Romans 8:28 – unfailing comfort. Beloved, we can be sure the enemy is working harder than ever to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). I know that many, many of us are experiencing vicious attacks of the enemy.

In my own recent case, I can by grace alone say that, though nothing is resolved yet, I see how God has already used this hard thing for good. How? (1) It has gouged out (and I use that word on purpose for that is what it has felt like) deeper trust in God. (2) God’s own compassion has gushed out from places hitherto untouched in my heart. (3) Finally, self-focus has shrunk.

Stand still! And stand firm! When I first got the news, I sat in my chair and stared out the window. A long time. Then I went outside, sat on the stairs, and gazed at a tree visible above the rooftops. A solitary bird perched on an outermost branch swaying in the gentle wind. All day I felt numb, trying to talk with God but unable to feel His presence. This morning though, I woke up with two Biblical phrases in mind: stand still and stand firm.

Stand still! “Moses told the people, Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest. (Exodus 14:13-14 AMPC)

Notice that standing still means to be “firm, confident, undismayed.” Read all of Exodus 14 and you will see that Moses said these words to the Israelites when the Egyptian army drew near to them and they sarcastically asked Moses why he had not let them stay in Egypt as slaves rather than die in the wilderness.

When the enemy closes in and seems about to destroy us, God says stand firm, have confidence in Him and do not let your courage be melted down.  When you do that, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. “ (Exodus 14:14, NIV, emphasis added)

This is the same promise God gave to King Jehosaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:15 when he, like Moses and Israel, also faced possible annihilation:  “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (NIV)

This truth we must imprint on our hearts:

“For the Lord your God is He Who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you.” (Deuteronomy 20:4, AMPC)

What happens if I do not stand and face the enemy? I might run right into the enemy’s trap, as the Israelites would have done had they tried to run. Remember they were hemmed in on three sides when the Egyptians caught up with them.

Stand firm! “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13, NIV). That phrase “after you have done everything” includes a lot! In the coming weeks I plan to share about what that has meant for me lately while God has been teaching me about prayer and fasting.

Briefly, what might that everything include?  Asking God to reveal anything in your life in general and anything in this particular matter where you may have sinned and asking for forgiveness; fervent earnest prayer; agreeing with others in prayer; and saying or doing all you can.

Go back now and read all of Ephesians 6. After giving specific instructions for children and parents and slaves and masters (workers and bosses in our modern world), Paul says:

¹⁰ In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

¹¹ Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11, AMPC, emphasis added). 

Photo by Ivan Stern on Unsplash

I can draw  my strength from Him. Paul says that if we draw our strength from God and put on His whole armor (see Ephesians 6:14-17)  we will be able to stand up – successfully! — against all the enemy’s wicked plots and schemes.  And why does Paul say to put on – and use – the spiritual armor of God? Read verse 12.

¹² For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.”

Phew! The believer is engaged in a supernatural, spiritual battle far  greater in scope than we can ever imagine. I can only echo King Jehosaphat:

“O our God, will You not exercise judgment upon them? For we have no might to stand against this great company that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12, AMPC)

But, thanks be to God, we can by His great grace learn to stand still and, like King Jehosaphat’s people, sing out our praises to God as we face the enemy – and God Himself will fight for us.

It may seem like thousands of fearful, discouraging, angry, doubting, resentful, self-pitying, threatening thoughts are attacking our minds and there may be many painful or threatening situations in our life over which we have no control. HOWEVER, God will empower us to sing, like Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:22-25). If we just choose to try, God will empower us to praise Him by recalling the wonderful deeds He has done for us, thinking gratefully on those things and thanking Him for His mercies and faithfulness to us in the past.

And our God will fight for us, just as He did for King Jehosaphat in 2 Chronicles  20 and for King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14 and for the Israelites in Exodus 14.

A few more thoughts.  I sincerely pray that the following thoughts comfort you as much as they comfort me.  Here they are:

[1] The enemy attacks God, through attacking me.

[2]  God longs, far far more than I can understand, that I live in peace.

[3] God will take care of the enemy and He can keep me in peace while He does that.

[4]  But . . .  I must make the decision to trust Him and I must do my part in keeping myself calm. (Isaiah 26:3)

God is right there in the trial with you. What a comfort is the following passage from the prophet Isaiah!

But now [in spite of past judgments for Israel’s sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.

² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.

³ For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; (Isaiah 43:1-3a, AMPC)

I chanced (providentially, of course) to hear those verses last night, after a full day battling fear, anger, frustration, doubt, hurt, self-pity. And I was able to sleep and sleep well.

“The very instant you turn. .”   Our loving God is so kind! Here is part of the April 2 devotion from “Streams in the Desert, Morning and Evening” audiobook I heard this morning. The author, L. B. Cowman, urged readers to form the habit of looking for the silver lining of clouds and to focus on that silver lining, rather than yielding to discouragement. “no matter how severely stressed or surrounded by problems you may be. A discouraged soul is in a helpless state. “ Such a one cannot “stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11) nor pray for others.

The author urged us to find specific promises from God and say them aloud, adding ‘This promise is mine.”  Then, “if you still experience feelings of doubt and discouragement, pour your heart out to God, asking Him to rebuke the Adversary who is so mercilessly harassing you.

The very instant you wholeheartedly turn away from every symptom of discouragement and lack of trust, the blessed Holy Spirit will reawaken your faith and breath God’s divine strength into your soul.” (emphasis added)

I experienced that this morning, dear friend. I pray you will too, the next time the enemy comes against you with a vast host of doubts and fears. Nothing can stand against our God – nothing!  He never, no never, no never fails us in any regard! (Hebrews 13:5)

As I step outside at the close of this day, I look up and see the intricate array of clouds God has stretched out.  “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. (Job 9:8, NIV). And I ponder Psalm 103:11 “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him “ (AMPC)

Only in heaven will we begin to understand the love and the goodness and the mercies and the lovingkindness and the power of our great and awesome God.