If you told me two years ago where I would be today, I would not have believed you. I went from being a stay at home mom living in the city to a being a single working mom living in a small town. A lot changed, but God remained faithful.
This year, the Lord has been teaching me about battles. Of all the different parts of the Bible, the battles are usually the parts I skim over. I enjoy the genealogies, the geography, the stories, the connections. Read to me a battle scene, and I will fall asleep. It means nothing to me. I have never actually fought in a real battle, praise God! Nor have I witnessed one. To which I again say, praise God!
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
While I may never have been in physical combat, I have been called to fight various spiritual battles with the Lord. In the fight, flight, or freeze comparison, I always come out as a fighter. Not because I enjoy a fight, but because I have trouble sitting by and watching things happen that I disagree with. While this can have its benefits, it also has its downfalls. The Lord is showing me, like an overly energetic teenager, to sit still and let the Lord fight my battles for me.
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
But it’s not always easy. That verse reminds us that God fights our battles. It also instructs us to sit back and wait on His timing. But what if it does not always look like God is winning? In fact, on this Earth, it more often than not looks like He is losing! What then?
Unfortunately, we do not always win the battles He calls us to fight, even if we do everything right. Christ lived a perfect life, and yet, was killed on a cross. It looked as if all hope was lost. And yet, He rose again three days later (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
The disciples thought the Messiah would conquer Rome, and free them from their oppression. Instead, His coming actually led to more persecution of Christians (Acts 7:54-8:3).
I am not sure what battle you are fighting now or how your life may have changed lately. Maybe it’s a cancer battle, a legal one, an internal one, or a battle of the mind. But know this. While we are not guaranteed to win the battles God calls us to fight, He always walks with us through the storm (Matthew 28:20). Even though we cannot always see the victory, ultimately, “the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47). Our victory comes through placing our trust in Him to fight the battle.
I am praying this holiday season strengthens you in the battles the Lord is calling you to fight this year and the next!
Book recommendations:
Beth Moore’s All My Knotted Up Life
John Delony’s Own your Past, Change your Future
Bill Thrasher’s How to Resurrect a Dead Prayer Life
Heather Holdsworth’s Landscapes of Hope
Kids Update
N really enjoys her friends and gymnastics
P loves being big enough to be in Pre-K
H loves superheros and is still as sweet as ever
