I think you should start off reading this in Optimus Primes’ voice, just sayin. . .
There is an ancient war that is still being fought… the battle occurs is EVERY heart, EVERY mind, always and everywhere. It’s not against flesh and blood, but the spiritual battle against our enemy. The good news is that the winner has already been declared with the words “It is finished.” We win in the end. But that doesn’t mean we get to stop fighting. . .
See what did I tell you? … Okay back to business …
The devil is the greatest and smartest war general of all time. He has studied his opponent, you, since you were born. He knows your greatest weaknesses, he knows how to use your brothers against you, he knows how to use you against your brothers. He schemes, and plans, and prowls around like a lion waiting to pounce. And what happens when a lion’s prey is caught unawares? Well I’ve seen a pack of lions devouring it’s meal in Africa and let me tell you it ain’t pretty.
So how do we fight? Only by the power God has given us, the gift of His Spirit that lives inside of us.
In God we must Trust.
Here in Nicaragua, this spiritual war I’m talking about is actually pretty obvious. I felt it as soon as we pulled into the driveway. We’ve experienced nightmares, and heard about the witch doctor that lives down the road, and discovered about what these grounds used to be used for- a military base where children were corralled after being taken from their homes and trained to fight in a physical war of this world only a few decades ago. (How amazing is it that God has turned this place into a sanctuary for children… WOW!)
Here in Nicaragua it’s actually easy to depend on God because I know if I don’t the enemy is right here to attack- to attack me and my team and the children and staff who live here. We pray everyday, we fight everyday.
In God we Trust.
The Lord has brought to my attention the interesting juxtaposition between Nicaragua and home. Home. Wow I miss ice cream and my bed and air conditioning and my friends and church and English music and my family and waffles and my hair dryer. I miss those comfortable things, but that is just it- it’s comfortable. 2016 was a comfortable year. I was making good money at a job I loved, I was finally moving away from dependence on my parents. I experienced my first romantic relationship that I felt loved and cared for. My church was fulfilling and I felt like I had found my place there. I was thankful for all of it, God had brought me to that place, but then … I kind of forgot about Him.
In myself I trusted…
Comment below if you’d like, what do you think are the enemy’s biggest schemes in America?
I think it’s self-sufficiency. We don’t need God in America because we are our own god. We worship ourselves. In us we trust.
I think it’s comparison. We put up the highlights of our life on social media to make us feel superior, to make us look like we have it all together. Or we look at everyone else’s highlight reel and compare it to our behind-the-scenes life and we feel inferior. We’re too busy trying to be somebody else that we forget who we are.
Stop trying to run this race with your head turned looking at other people in their lanes. Stay in your lane, look forward towards the finish line. Nobody can beat you at being you. -Adapted from Craig Groeschel
We’re blind to this war, almost as if it doesn’t exist. It took God removing me from my comfortable place to open my eyes again.
Are your eyes open? What is the biggest battle plan the enemy wages against you?
In whom do you trust?
Father thank you for bringing me back to dependence on you. You are my captain, my compass, the stars that guide me. In God I trust. Thank you for allowing me to participate in this battle, for the beautiful things that are born from ashes-tested through the fire and made new- the things that died with your death and were made new with your resurrection. God I pray I’m never comfortable again (Oh Lord why am I praying for that)… Life with you is the best life, not easy but good. I choose you today and everyday for the rest of my life.
God open our eyes as believers. Help us not fall trap to the American dream but give us Kingdom dreams. Help us remember that everything good in our lives is a gift from you and not because of anything we did. Help us remember that when we are blessed we can be a blessing. In God may we trust again. Amen.
