When the trouble of life finds us, we often want to run. But which way? Because it’s so easy to get lost in our anxiety and our fear of the future. And all we can hear is the thought which screams, “Not Again!”
To run is a normal reaction.
I mean, who wants to wrestle once more with what has worn us out before? But the fact is, this life never promised to be perfect. This side of eternity will often catch us off guard and heap on us trouble we never asked for.
You’d think that once we become Christians, once we accept the saving grace of Jesus sacrifice for us on the cross, we’d also receive some sort of exception. I mean, isn’t God supposed to save us, not only eternally, but here on earth as well?
The answer is a resounding, “YES!”
But the truth is, that our salvation gives us is access to step into, to run headlong toward, and to remain in the presence of God. But it doesn’t wall us off from trouble. As a matter of fact, sometimes we get a whole heap more than we used to, simply because we now know God.
So how does that doesn’t make sense? Like, how can I know God but not sense His protection in the trouble? So the question we must ask ourselves is, “Which way am I running?”
Am I running toward God’s presence, or simply away from my trouble? Am I running toward my gut reaction, my reasonings of human intellect… or toward the TRUTH of what God says?
Because those are opposite directions to run.
For all those things God promises us… the peace, the patience, the security and hope… will never fully be realized in the run toward earthly solutions. For if we could find them there, we wouldn’t need God.
Let’s not fall into the notion that God is hiding His promises from us. He has for centuries done all things possible to reveal Himself and His ways to us. But we either get lost in the distraction of the temporary, or fall prey to the discouragement and doubt of the devil.
Yes, the devil. He is greatest adversary of God, and therefore when we ally ourselves with God, he becomes our adversary as well.
But let’s not run from the devil either.
For this enemy is not going away anytime soon. But we must also know that…
he is not as powerful as God.
he is not able to take away our salvation.
he is not going to stand in victory.
But he’s also not going to just back down. Instead he plans to do whatever necessary to distract us from truth. And he has devoted all his energy to keep us from enjoying our life and fulfilling our purpose.
Crazy isn’t it! But just think of him as a road block… as one of those guys who stands on this side of the road construction, turning the stop sign to face us right when we get to the front of the slowed traffic. He wants to stop our progress as Christians who live a joyful life. He wants us to get discouraged as we wait… all our potential, all our all our gifts, all our courage expended as fumes. Until finally, we get so disgusted with the construction in our life that we make a u-turn and try to find a better route.
When in fact, our purpose is just on the other side.
When we fall prey to the devil’s tactics, we miss the potential God has planned…
on the other side of the construction.
on the other side of the trouble.
on the other side of the detour.
Let us not receive the discouragement that the devil deals out. Let us see the stop sign for what it is, just a chance for us to learn perseverance and strengthen our endurance. Let us look away from the stop sign, even away from the construction ahead, not receiving the push-back.
Instead let us turn our eyes toward the One who can help us most. Let us run into the very presence of God. Because we can do that without moving a muscle. For He is only a whisper away.
Warrior, I long for you to realize your purpose!
For each of us was created to fulfill a specific purpose. And until we do, we will live a life of detours, distractions and discouragement. What this world has to offer will never be enough to satisfy us when the void of our purpose remains.
Step into the life of the Shunemite woman today to learn how she dealt with disaster. Listen to the podcast below to find that she did not run away from her pain. Nor did she let the push-back of the enemy discourage her. Rather she was quickened into the very presence of God and fell humbly before Him, heaping the weight of her burdens on Him.
Realize hope with me as we see this woman on the other side of her pain. Listen as she discovers the right route to peace. This woman is a true Warrior who gained strength in the battle as she stood firm, girded fully by God’s truth.
