Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test he will receive
the crown of life that God promises to those who love him. James 1:12
You approach the bar nervous about what your going to attempt. You get under the bar setting it in that familiar spot on your shoulders that has long since calloused over from consistent abuse. Still nervous you unrack the bar and step out. You slow your breathing and heart rate. You inhale a big breath and brace your core and back as hard as you can. Breaking at the hip, you descend lowering your body farther and farther down, the weight getting heavier by the second. As soon as your hips get below your knees, you grit your teeth and drive your heels into the floor for all your worth as you slowly begin to rise. Everything in you wants to quit, but it’s too late to turn back now. You grind your way back up until your standing straight up again. Only now your different. Your more confident. Proud to have overcome an obstacle you were unsure was beatable. You are Stronger…..Ok so that was a little overdramatic, but I enjoy inspirational movie moments where the hero or soldier overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds or sacrifices himself for someone else.
Our spiritual lives can sometimes be like attempting a really heavy squat. The enemy will come to try and crush us with our past failures, telling us that we are unworthy, unacceptable, damned to live in the shadow of our past. But Jesus came to set us free from our past and give us the chance to exchange our old, busted up life for His perfect, sinless, righteous life. What a deal! This way in Christ, when the enemy comes to accuse us of past mistakes, we have the power and authority to tell the enemy to “shove it” because in Christ, we have been set free!
The other day while I was on my way to work, the enemy was trying to bust my chops about recent mistakes and trying to get me to doubt my freedom. So I began quoting Scripture like, “he whom the Son sets free is free indeed”, “No weapon formed against me will prosper” etc. When I stopped at the next red light, I looked down at my hand, half-curiously half-hoping/expecting. I didn’t see anything at first, but then my ever-present, loving Father gave me a faith boost and lit up about half of my palm with gold glory dust. It was a cool dry morning too, so it definitely wasn’t sweat haha. Then I tuned back into the song that was playing on the radio and the chorus lyrics were repeating “He is with us He is with us Always. Always.” Thank you God for meeting us where we are and giving us the hope and encouragement to raise us and our faith up stronger than before!
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16
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