As a Christian, we know our walk with God never promises freedom from trouble. In fact, Jesus taught just the opposite. "In this world, you will have tribulation." (John 16:33). Fortunately, Jesus immediately followed these words with a message of hope. "But take heart! I have overcome the world!"
If we have trials come our way whether it be a financial problem, a health issue or something else, we have truths in God's Word that we can stand on to help us through. Choose to stand on His Word about your situation! You have to remember that if you choose to take a stand for him, He is with you. During these times, let me tell you just as Jesus told me, “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1) Though trials may come and remain a lot longer than we like, we can still be set free by abiding in the One who has overcome!
The first thing that the devil likes to throw at us when we choose to take a stand for God is fear. Fear of loss. Fear of failure. Fear of the unknown, and even fear of death. He tries his best to steal God's Word from our heart. The antidote for fear is faith. When we are operating in fear, we are actually operating in unbelief, not believing or trusting in God. I know personally that when you make a decision to stand, fear will try to creep into your thoughts, but we know enough of the Word of God to know exactly where those thoughts come from and must take them captive immediately, casting them down! (2 Corinthians 10:5)
When you make a decision of faith to stand on God's Word concerning your situation, it has nothing to do with anyone's faith but yours. God meets each one of us where we are. You know how we are always told that the way that we can know we are making the right decision is because we feel a peace about it? Well, sometimes you'll find that peace in a decision you've chosen to make that others will not be in agreement with and it makes it more difficult to stand, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! (Philippians 4:13) Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world! (1 John 4:4)
A decision that I made and the stand that I took once was based on the Word of God. In a health situation, I KNOW that He bore my sickness and carried my diseases and that by His stripes I WAS healed and that He sent His Word and healed me! I confess that the Word abides in me and it is life and medicine to my flesh! And while praying in the Spirit, God gave me many revelations to my situation and I do not take lightly what God begins to download into my spirit. I know the things that He has shown me are for a reason and I just can't brush them aside.
I know that when making a decision to stand, we may be walking into a furnace of affliction but just like in the book of Daniel, with the three Hebrew children, you can believe that God will be with you through the fire just as He was with them! They went through the fire, was liberated from their shackles and untouched by the flames! The furnace may be frightening for some, but God will assure you that you are not being brought to it for destruction, but for growth. Have faith in the fire! Be prepared because there may be furnaces of criticism, intimidation, disappointment, hatred, etc. because of the stand you take but just as the Lord used the fire to loosen those men from the ropes that held them bound, He will free you from the things that may be keeping you bound. God teaches good judgment and knowledge through affliction. Oh, you could go ahead and do what others think you should do to make THEM happy but how is that going to affect YOUR walk with God, knowing that you did it based on the happiness of everyone elses but your own, and knowing that you did not do what you felt God wanted you to do?
Don't you ever just get tired of living the wishy-washy life? That is where it got for me. There are so many Christians today that have chosen just the life of mediocrity, settling for less than God's best for them because of fear of leaving their comfort zone. I SO DESIRE a life that will make a difference in people's lives but how can I ever do that when I settle for less? How can I ever do that when I can't even live what I (preach) write when God shows me great truths from His Word to encourage others, and I can't seem to apply them to my own life? I have been bound by many things for years that have kept me from doing what I want and need to do for God and I'm tired of it! I needed to find freedom. No one but God knows the struggles that you have been bound with inside and He is the only one that knows the answers to your situation.
We never know what God will do with the afflictions in our life and as we pass through the furnaces of life, leaning on the grace of God to sustain us, it may be that God is using those moments in our life, those moments that hurt so much, to show a lost world that He is God and He can help them. That is why we need to submit to the furnaces of life, trusting God's grace to be sufficient.
As I said earlier, the first thing that the devil will throw at someone who is taking a stand for God is fear, especially the fear of death. But God has shown me even how to fight that fear. You see, when standing on God's Word for a situation, the devil tries to make us think that failure is such a bad thing so people tend to not even make a decision at all. Also when a person stands on God's Word for healing, the devil tries to make us think that dying is a bad and scary thing, but you see, for a Christian, it's a win..win situation. See what I'm saying? For example, if a person has a health issue that may be a life and death situation and they choose to stand on God's Word for healing, whether God chooses to heal or whether the Christian dies, they still win either way!
It's just like the three Hebrew Children: Even when threatened with a horrible death, these men refused to bend or to bow to the King Nebuchanezzar. They took their stand in spite of the personal cost. But look at what they said, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
They didn't say this because they didn't believe God to deliver them. They DID believe! But they said, 'if he didn't deliver them, they still would not serve his gods or worship the golden image. They still would stand'. They weren't afraid to die. Because they win either way. This shows the devil that he cannot use the weapon of the fear of death to throw at us to keep us from standing on God's Word.
Do not let the devil use fear to keep you from taking a stand for God in your situation! God will preserve you even in your fire of affliction! Many are the afflictions of the righteous but God delivers us out of them all! (Psalm 34:18-19)
Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. (Isaiah 48:10)
Connie J. Schmoll
No comments:
Post a Comment