A few days ago I felt God speaking to my spirit. “You were never meant to live among the sepulchers.” I almost called someone thinking it might be an encouragement for them. But now I believe it’s a message God is speaking to each of us.
The flu and bronchitis along with some type of stomach virus has been going around our community. While we all want to stay well, if you move around in town, go to church, visit with friends, eat at a restaurant or go to the store you’re liable to catch something. Unfortunately viruses are everywhere. The only alternative is to stay home, hunker down and don’t let anyone even breathe on you. And who can do that? Who wants to?
If you’re going to have a life you’re going to be exposed to some of the less happy things that go on in your life. Viruses of rejection, animosity, dismissal, humiliation, and more are all over the place. The only way we can remain untouched by any of these things is to stay in our own world, become a hermit and don’t even let one person get close to you.
Christ offers us life and even goes on to say we’ll have life more abundantly. So how do we deal with the viruses of life? How do we react to the hurts and fears and worries and rejections that we are inevitably going to be exposed to? If we live a full life, then we know it’s going to happen. Sometimes we react as though Christ Himself is our virus. We may follow Him with our whole heart, but then something in life goes wrong and we can’t find the way to overcome it. Instead of remaining in Christ and sticking close to Him we can become discouraged and keep our distance, even from our Savior.
God speaks to our hearts: You weren’t meant to live among the sepulchers. The tombs, the graves, the crypts are no place for a believer. The graveyard holds no living thing, but you can’t live there either – not really. That’s not living. Don’t shy away from life. Your life and the abundance of it with Me is not over. I AM with you. I AM your shield and your shade. When the sun of adversity is beating down and you feel sick about it all, I AM there. My promises and My antidote are your only cure. My Word will vaccinate you against the ill effects of things that come your way so that you can live abundantly and victoriously no matter what you are exposed to. Walk with Me and let Me go before you into all you have to face. There are good times and productive days ahead. There will be disappointments, but there will be delights as well. I will give you the power to overcome, to forgive, and to be immune even to things that hurt your heart and mind. I AM your only way through and I AM with you always, even to the end of your life.
Oh beloved, there is a way to overcome the viruses of life! God never means for you to be a recluse and keep your distance from life. He has every remedy for what ails you. Yes, you will hurt, yes, there will be pain. Yes, there will be loss. But Christ is always with you. Even when you are trying to coil up and recuse yourself from life He is making intercession for you at the right hand of the Father. Not only is intercession being made, but a way through the whole encounter is being made. Don’t stop living just because times are hard. Don’t settle for hiding in the cemetery. Don’t stop praising the Lord. Don’t stop walking forward, even when you feel you are in a fog or the fight of your life. God has a handle on everything you’re going through. He intends for you to walk through it all. God loves you and He’s for you and His answers are your answers for the best of your life.
Psalm 106:24 Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe in His word.
Psalm 57:7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
Isaiah 26:3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.
2 Samuel 22:3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.
I John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Psalm 16:11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.
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