Fightig A Losing Battle?

Are you fighting a losing battle today? Is there a situation that seems impossible right now in your life? Is there an adversary whether in the spirit or in the flesh lurking in the shadows to cause harm to you or your family?

• No matter how hard you try to get ahead in your job, to get that promotion, be recognized as a valued employee, get a raise...someone or something keeps knocking you back down or holding you back from advancement?
• Is there someone (co-worker, friend, church member, family member) who "plays" nicey nice to your face but buries the knife in your back the first opportunity they can
• Is there a neighbor who is envious of what they "think" you have or the life they "assume" you live and bad mouths you to others?
• Does it seem the harder you try to get out of debt, the more unexpected and costly things keep happening in your life?
• Have the doctors have said "there is no cure, we've done all we can, we can't change what is happening to you"?
• Is there a family member who is constantly stirring up strife in your family, calling you out and putting you down?
• Do you have a "friend" who has betrayed your trust and confidence that you put in them and told your deepest secrets to others?
• Have you or are you are being unfairly sued for something that you didn't do?
• Is your spouse is unwilling to put your marriage and your family first?
• Are your children are under attack by others at school and they are saying mean, vindictive things to and about your child?
• Have you finally begun to see the light at the end of the financial tunnel when the pipes burst due to cold weather, the furnace went out, the car's engine messed up, your hours got cut at work, you or your spouse lost your job, there was an medical emergency or something that attacked your finances again?
• Is your teenager(s) are rebelling, refusing to comply with the rules of your home, acting out, being verbally abusive to you as a parent?
• Is your child is starting to hang around undesirable crowds, their grades are dropping and you can't seem to get through to them?
• Do you feel like you are sinking into a black hole of depression and there is no life line to grab on to ?
• Do you have adult children who are not living for the Lord and refuse to heed your warnings, refuse to go to church but instead say they love the life that they are living?

These are just some of the things that have either happened in my own personal life, in a friend's life, family member's life or worse case scenero situations.

In my Bible reading yesterday, I read Psalm 35. I posted a couple of scriptures on my Facebook but I couldn't get away from the impact those verses had on me.

I began to think about all the situations that I listed above and there are so many more and when I thought of these...I felt like I was drowning...fighting a losing battle.

This is exactly the position that the enemy wants us to be in...feeling vunerable, weak, helpless, lost, defeated. BUT, that is not what the Word of God says.

Can you picture this? As a Child of God...when someone comes against you with our cause and attacks you or your family...God immediately goes to battle for you.

Psalms 35:1-2
Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. (2) Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.

vs. 4-6
May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. (5) May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away; (6) may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

vs. 7-8 (These scriptures we stood on during a lawsuit & God delivered the victory)
Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, (8) may ruin overtake them by surprise - may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

Isaiah 54:17 (Message)
but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what GOD's servants can expect. I'll see to it that everything works out for the best." GOD's Decree.

2 Corninthians 10:3-5 NIV)
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

I've always heard it said..."it is the darkest before the dawn" and I know for a fact that in those very dark hours, days, weeks, months and even, years...you want to give up, quit, throw in the towel BUT, all God ask us to do is to give it to Him and let Him fight our battles for us.

The sun will shine again and only because we allow the Son to shine into our darkest hours...the enemy has to flee because he can't handle the light...God's light, His Son will shine brightly so that we can see the right path to take and He will guide us every step of the way out of the dark and into the light.

Today, it is my choice to allow God to fight my battles, the unjust attacks made on me and my family, the ugly things that are said behind my back to others (whether I ever know of them or not), my financial situations, my marriage, my children and every attack that the enemy brings in whatever form he chooses to use...God has a counter attack already in place and waiting for me to relinquish the control, turn it all over to Him and FIGHT THE ENEMY FOR ME. I am no longer fighting a losing battle but I AM WINNING THE WAR, IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

The Journey To Fulfilled Promises

It might be cold outside in Arkansas today, but it is warm in my home and in my heart.

This is my favorite time of the year. It is the CHRISTmas season and there is a bit of a nip in the air...ok, a lot of nip in the air today. I've been thinking about how much I love CHRISTmas, the decorations and the music but with so many people and businesses taking CHRIST out of CHRISTmas...I refuse to let Him be forgotten in my home and in my heart.

As I was doing my Bible reading one morning, my heart was drawn back to the times in my life that God has given me a promise about something I had been praying about or longing for.

When we trust Him, there is a peace that comes along with His promises even in the midst of the storm. God has given me promises through His Word and He has spoken other promises into my spirit. Many of those promises have already come to pass and God honored the promises that He made. But, there are a few others that I am still clinging to His promises when the circumstances say it is impossible.

Has God ever done that for you? Have you ever questioned yourself as to whether that was really God speaking peace and promises into your spirit and heart?

I know that I have. I have always been afraid that I would "miss" God, not really "hear" Him or not be walking close enough to Him to "know" when He was trying to get my attention. Ever been there?

I am so thankful today that when I "listen", God "speaks" and I can "hear" Him when He "calls".

As I was reading in Matthew about the birth of Jesus, God spoke very loudly into my spirit that what He says, He will do, what He promises, He will bring to pass because He cannot lie.

Hebrews 6:18
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.

Matthew 1:20-22
But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (21) "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (22) Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet

Matthew 2:13-14
Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." (14) So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON."

Matthew 2: 19-23
But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, (20) "Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead." (21) So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. (22) But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, (23) and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

God prompts us, leads us and guides us every step of the way through our life's journey. Through the valleys, mountains, rough terrain, peaceful meadows and storms...God is there with us. He leads us and if we follow Him...His promises will be fulfilled in our lives.

Just think what would have happened to Baby Jesus if Joseph hadn't heeded God's warning each time. Joseph listened and God provided.

God didn't promise Joseph that it would be easy, that he would never have his sleep disturbed, that he wouldn't have enemies who wanted to harm his family but what God promised was that he would watch over them, lead, guide and protect them regardless of the circumstances that surrounded his family.

Everything is done according to God's timing. If Joseph had been a day early or a day late...the outcome might not have been the same.

God has a plan and a purpose for everything that He allows to happen in our lives. If we lean on Him, trust in Him...He will take what was intended to harm us and use it for His good.

Genesis 50:20
Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now--life for many people. (Message)

Hold tight to whatever promise that God has given you...He will fulfill all that He has promised you.

Merry CHRISTmas and Happy New Year!