Troubles Raging? You Will Be Victorious Through God

There’s been a stomach bug raging through the family.  It’s been a real kicker.  It started before Christmas with one daughter. As it went to the next daughter’s family, her kids all got it, one after another.  One day right in the middle of the worst of it, 2 year old Caleb exclaimed, “I don’t like this!” This virus picked people off at random, even hitting in-laws who had happened by to visit.  No ordinary 24 hour bug, this one has been quite lengthy for some.  Between the cold weather, gray skies and this – we’re all ready for spring. We’d just as soon skip the rest of winter!

If we could see viruses with our eyes, we’d avoid them for sure.  We would not purposely enter into the virus’s territory. In the midst of the illness, we find ourselves asking if it will ever end. Being in the throes of these viral events keeps us focused on the sickness and any thought of it being over and a healthier day is hard to believe.

In life’s throes, we often have extreme times of worry, fatigue, fear, sorrow, exclusion or more. In the middle of our troubles, trials and situations often all we can see is what we’re feeling.  We may not have intentionally walked into any of it. It just happens. We look to place the blame so we can avoid it in the future, but life happens. Not everything we go through is sweetness and light. The only way to live a life that might bring us little sorrow is to become a hermit who doesn’t work, doesn’t play, doesn’t travel, doesn’t go outside of our own homes. And, that’s not living.  Besides, trouble doesn’t see the fencepost, the door locks or the boundaries.

You may be in the midst of an extreme battle this day. You’ve tried everything. You may be worn out, done in, played out. Once you knew you would get through this, but now you’re not sure.  You’ve prayed, you’ve sought, you’ve medicated yourself and you’re still in the onslaught. What may have started out as a little problem has turned into a big situation and you’re in the middle of it.  Without a cure, without some respite, you are not sure you’ll make it. 

Oh beloved, don’t give in! You may be on your last leg, but there is one who is able to pick you up right where you are! The Lord is with you! You have not been fighting this battle alone. You may have no strength, but the Lord is the Host of Heaven’s Armies. You may not have seen God with you, but His Word is True and He tells you that He is with you! He tells you that He has His angels encamping around you! He also tells you you have a great cloud of witnesses! This battle is not yours, beloved, this battle belongs to the Lord! Lay your burdens, your hurts, your trials, your battle on the altar of His loving care and let Him finish off the trouble on your behalf. He is able to walk you through the valley, He is able to get you through the sea, and He will not let this flood overtake you! You may feel worn out, but you are an overcomer! You may feel the answer won’t come, but you are not living by sight but by faith. And when this trial is over, you will see yourself as the Lord sees you! You are loved! You are taken care of! You are invincible! You are victorious! Your King is in residence in your heart today and He says the battle belongs to Him!

1 Chronicles 5:20  They cried out to God during the battle, and He answered their prayer because they trusted in Him…

Psalm 18:39  You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued my enemies under my feet.

Psalm 55:18  He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, though many still oppose me.

2 Chronicles 20:15 He said, "Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's.

Ephesians 6:13  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Psalm 46:7  The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.

Isaiah 8:13  Make the LORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble.

Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.

Psalm 24:8  Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty; the LORD, invincible in battle.

Joshua 1:9  This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Ordinary to Extraordinary When God is Worshipped!

“There were shepherds abiding in the fields.” These words from the Scriptures give me such comfort and peace.  Notice that the Scriptures didn’t say that the shepherds were worrying, troubled, downcast, forlorn or troubled. They were out in the elements in the dark and yet they were not afraid. They were abiding. These shepherds knew their jobs well, knew their surroundings completely and knew their sheep as well as their predators. They weren’t looking for somewhere else to be or a better job or to outdo one another. They were abiding.

Now when the Angel of the Lord appeared they became “afraid”. They had been raised, probably by shepherds, to be shepherds. Yet on this particular night the unusual happened. Something out of the ordinary happened and it rocked their world.  But they listened and the angel was joined by a heavenly host and they had a worship service right there in the field! Not only did they worship, they left what they knew and went to experience what they had never known before. They left the safety of their everyday world for the unknown.  Because they were willing to leave behind the status quo they were able to go and worship Christ, the newborn king.  They went from abiding in the fields to abiding in Him.

Oh beloved, are you experiencing the ordinary in your life? Are you abiding and resting in the everyday occurrences that you know so well? Have you been wondering if there could be more than this?  Maybe you’re afraid that if you let go of the well-known you’ll be all alone.  Fear not! For God Himself wants to visit your world! He wants to take what you know and give you revelation knowledge of Him! He wants you to visit the Christ fresh and new and worship Him with your whole heart! You may remain in your same life, but it will be oh so changed as Christ puts His seal on your life. His greatest desire is that your worship will lead to new horizons for He has such wonderful, extraordinary plans for you!

Let Him guide you beyond yourself and into His realm. Let Him love you like you’ve never been loved before and let Him take care of you as you follow Him with all your heart. There’s no safer place than following the Lord of Heaven and Earth! It is beyond your wildest imagination.

Luke 2:20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

1 Peter 3:15  Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

Psalm 29:2  Honor the LORD for the glory of His name. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.

Colossians 2:6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.

Psalm 34:7  For the angel of the LORD is a guard; He surrounds and defends all who fear Him.

Psalm 84:1-2,10 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.  I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord.  With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!