
“Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net”
For those who have noticed, I’ve been doing a short series on battles. I must admit, most of the time when I sit down to write, I write about matters of the heart. When I communicate my struggles, trials, and triumphs, they are serious. It comes from a deep place. And sometimes I feel as if those who don’t know me are going to think I never smile, laugh, or giggle with my girlfriends. I do. Yet, when I sit down at this keyboard an unplanned string of words and thought patterns fly.
So here I am, once again, writing about the hard stuff.
I need you to know you WILL survive the battle! Now, let’s be real… this life leads us from one battle to another. Each one has a different level of intensity. Some are made up of life and death, others not so much. But each one marks us. It changes us in some way.
There is purpose in the battle.
I’ve been spending some time reading through the Old Testament. God has lit a flame in my heart for the life of Moses. The lessons in the first five books of the Bible are immeasurable. Last week, I came across a situation in Deuteronomy chapter 2 that opened my eyes to the purpose inside the battle.
Deuteronomy 2:24
‘Rise, take your journey, and cross over the River Arnon. Look, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and engage him in battle. (N.K.J.V.)
At this point in scripture Moses was recounting the desert years. God’s ability to deliver the Israelites into the land had always been questioned by the people. God DID promise the land but it WAS NOT easy to gain. They HAD to battle for it. He told them that Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land was given into their hand, but they still had to fight for it. He didn’t wave a wand. God doesn’t generally work that way. And if we become bitter while trying to understand why He won’t wave the wand and make it better, we risk losing the battle. We aren’t made to understand everything. We can’t. When we try to reason and rationalize too much we can end up in trouble.
Many times in my life I have felt God speak specific dreams and ideas to my heart. Overtime, if the plan didn’t unfold easily, I would think I misunderstood or made the whole thing up. That isn’t necessarily true. I needed to battle for it!
For example, I had to battle for another baby. I fought with medical intervention. I can’t tell you how many times I questioned if I was doing the right thing. I thought that if God was really going to give me another child that He would just do it. (You know, with the wand.) For some, He does allow it to happen that way. For me, nope.
Every day when I look into those two little faces I want to hit my knees in praise and thanksgiving. I battled hard. Christ receives the glory. Medicine or not, HE DID IT! But I had to battle!
Right now my fingers are flying over this keyboard with passion to communicate life-giving power to you. Here it is…
Where He has called you, He will not leave you!
It doesn’t mean you won’t have to battle. But He will be there regardless of where you are on the battlefield. And when it is over, it might be a different outcome than you expected or are willing to accept right away. However, that is where trust takes over. Faith allows you to rest in HIS promises, in HIS truth, in HIS victory.
It comes down to this…
When the battle is over, it is what you do with the knowledge, increase in faith, and deeper love for Christ that counts. USE IT! Let the pain from the battle fuel you. Allow it to carry you to be who He created you to be.
So, in conclusion, my title to this short series is “Will I Ever Feel Mercy Inside the Battle?” My answer is this… Choose to feel it! Choose to see it! Choose to trust Him for the mercy He promised would be brand new every morning that you open your eyes on this earth.
Christ will equip you for battle. He is with you. You are not alone!
Be blessed.
Love,
Jennifer
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Sometimes I wonder if people assume that I’m too serious too. I can’t help it, most of the time what pours from my heart comes from deep within.
Yes, He equips us. And we are immersed in the mercy–more than we can imagine! Thanks for sharing!
Deb Weaver
thewordweaver.com
Thanks for reading, Deb!
Such an encouragement to my heart! I just wrote one of those “this is truly how I feel posts”. There are days like that, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Blessings!
Again, this is just what my heart needed to hear. Thanks for sharing this “series”.