Boast In The Lord January 15th, 2023
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One of the advantages of growing older as a believer is that you have the privilege of being able to look back over your life and see how God has always been at work. One thing that is especially clear to me after 36 years of walking with the Lord is that He has increasingly become the strength of my life.
I became a believer when I was 28. I had lived a selfish and self-reliant life, oblivious to God until He graciously opened my eyes to my need for a Savior and His provision of one in Jesus. “At last!” I thought, “All my troubles are behind me and I will now live a fairy tale life with blissful relationships and perfect outcomes!” (Admittedly a pretty self-centered understanding of the gospel!) Much to my surprise, it wasn’t long before there were serious difficulties and challenges – financial struggles, illnesses, wayward children. At the time, some of these problems seemed like they would destroy me and everything around me. But for God – He was always there as my strength, carrying me through, making good on His promise: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Ps. 46:1)
Space does not allow boasting about the countless times in many different situations that the Lord was my strength, but I can give one example that was so often repeated that it sometimes left us shaking our heads in disbelief. Through the years that one of our children battled addiction, my husband George and I have seen literally hundreds of rainbows – in the sky of course, a magnificent double rainbow once when we came out of Morristown Memorial Hospital, an enormous rainbow over a highway that we drove right under after a visit to a halfway house – but also other small rainbows, in the kitchen, in the car, everywhere. And always showing up in those times when we would be tempted to believe the enemy’s lie that there was no hope for our child. I know it sounds kind of corny, but please stick with me.
Can you see how a rainbow is shaped like a bow, which is an offensive weapon? Jesus, the living Word, is the Arrow the Father sent into the world to save us and to defeat our enemy and destroy his works:
“…so is My Word that goes out from My mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Is. 55:11)
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” (1 Jn. 3:8b)
Rainbows are glorious, just as Jesus’ mission to destroy Satan’s works on behalf of His people is glorious. Every time we saw a rainbow, we heard the Spirit whisper, “I AM fighting for you.” A couple of the many precious, strengthening verses in this battle have been:
“I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.” (Is. 49:25b)
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Ex. 14:14)
And the great thing is, not only is the Lord my strength from the outside in, but also from the inside out. Consider this phrase from Romans 8:1: “…there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” “Condemnation” has been translated “being without strength” in the sense that a condemned man is without the strength needed to do anything about his situation. But when we become God’s through faith in Jesus and His Spirit comes to dwell within us, He becomes our strength: “…there is now no being without strength for those who are in Christ Jesus…”
Truly I can say in increasing measure, “My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Ps. 73:26)
I became a believer when I was 28. I had lived a selfish and self-reliant life, oblivious to God until He graciously opened my eyes to my need for a Savior and His provision of one in Jesus. “At last!” I thought, “All my troubles are behind me and I will now live a fairy tale life with blissful relationships and perfect outcomes!” (Admittedly a pretty self-centered understanding of the gospel!) Much to my surprise, it wasn’t long before there were serious difficulties and challenges – financial struggles, illnesses, wayward children. At the time, some of these problems seemed like they would destroy me and everything around me. But for God – He was always there as my strength, carrying me through, making good on His promise: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Ps. 46:1)
Space does not allow boasting about the countless times in many different situations that the Lord was my strength, but I can give one example that was so often repeated that it sometimes left us shaking our heads in disbelief. Through the years that one of our children battled addiction, my husband George and I have seen literally hundreds of rainbows – in the sky of course, a magnificent double rainbow once when we came out of Morristown Memorial Hospital, an enormous rainbow over a highway that we drove right under after a visit to a halfway house – but also other small rainbows, in the kitchen, in the car, everywhere. And always showing up in those times when we would be tempted to believe the enemy’s lie that there was no hope for our child. I know it sounds kind of corny, but please stick with me.
Can you see how a rainbow is shaped like a bow, which is an offensive weapon? Jesus, the living Word, is the Arrow the Father sent into the world to save us and to defeat our enemy and destroy his works:
“…so is My Word that goes out from My mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Is. 55:11)
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” (1 Jn. 3:8b)
Rainbows are glorious, just as Jesus’ mission to destroy Satan’s works on behalf of His people is glorious. Every time we saw a rainbow, we heard the Spirit whisper, “I AM fighting for you.” A couple of the many precious, strengthening verses in this battle have been:
“I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.” (Is. 49:25b)
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Ex. 14:14)
And the great thing is, not only is the Lord my strength from the outside in, but also from the inside out. Consider this phrase from Romans 8:1: “…there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” “Condemnation” has been translated “being without strength” in the sense that a condemned man is without the strength needed to do anything about his situation. But when we become God’s through faith in Jesus and His Spirit comes to dwell within us, He becomes our strength: “…there is now no being without strength for those who are in Christ Jesus…”
Truly I can say in increasing measure, “My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Ps. 73:26)
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Posted in Boast In The Lord
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