More About Ups and Downs
After last week’s blog, I had a number of inquiries regarding my welfare. So much so that I had to re-read the post to make sure of what I had said.
Let me say again that in all our difficulties, God is masterfully at work! He does not ever, anywhere say that we should expect our lives to be blissful and unchallenged! Instead, we are promised that in all our trouble He is with us, that tribulation produces treasure, that suffering is indeed the path laid out before us by our loving Father just like it was laid out for Jesus!
Difficult circumstances are not an indicator that we are “out of God’s will.” They can, however, point out places where our change-making Holy Spirit would like to work in us.
This week the pain in my life was connected to a need to do a little “spiritual housekeeping.”
As challenging as it has been to face and begin to deal with my persistent sin of annoyance and irritation, it has been more difficult to deal with an undercurrent that had me feeling like I had to defend with vigor the lifestyle choices that we had been led to by the Spirit and that had their roots in the Bible. It was like being under siege, cut off from peace by the continuous battering of conflict and undercurrents of scorn. Into all this arose a still, small question: Could this be a spiritual assignment brought against me unwittingly through another person?
I searched through my memories of other times when I have experienced this kind of assignment from the enemy. After a couple of days I thought, I am just going to plead the blood and the Name of Jesus against whatever weapon had been fashioned against me. I prayed, not very fervently, but ready to go to battle for it if needed.
Thirty-six hours later, I noticed that the climate was different. Pleasantness where there had been hostility. Respect where there had been derision. Teachability where there had been stubborn ignorance.
The power of the blood of Jesus and His magnificent Name had obliterated the influence of the evil one. Things are not perfect, because I still have my “old man,” but whoa!, what a difference!
So thankful that the Jesus I follow has conquered sin, Satan and death. Extra thankful that He makes His authority available to those who are His own!
That’s the Jesus I follow every day in the everyday.
Christi
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