Making Quiet War
Sometimes I just have to say, “I believe God.” Whether it’s in direct defiance of Satan whispering in my ear or to back myself off the edge. I just have to say it. I’m just gonna believe God.
We can get flighty in our minds. The enemy’s objective is to take us out of our game and the mind is where it starts. We will get anxious about our lives. Where am I headed? What’s the plan? I should probably be there soon, right? We will even obsess over the state of our relationship with Jesus. How we should be farther and shouldn’t be struggling in this area still. We wrestle and writhe and kick up dust ‘til we’re in a nice, little knot. And tired. And weepy. And feeling beaten. I have those days. Recently. Not in the distant past. Not even last week. Today.
Life can look and feel bleak. I’m not going to deny that. But this is when we go to war. The Word has promises and pictures of what he intends for us as believers to have. Light is strewn all along the path of the godly (Psalm 97). Goodness where we live right now (Psalm 27). We may not be able to rejoice about all of our circumstances but we can rejoice in the midst of them.
Choose to believe God. Believe that He is a rewarder of them that seek him (Hebrews 11:6). Believe that his heart is good towards you (Eph. 2:7, Rom. 5:8). Believe that he has sent goodness and mercy on an eternal pursuit of you (Psalm 23). That he is not hurling hardship your way with a furrowed brow (Matt. 11:28-30). His patience is everlasting (2 Peter 3:9) and his word is sure. That he is an anchor that will hold (Hebrews 6:19). That he won’t lose his grip on you or drop you or cast you off (Hebrews 13:5 AMP). He said he wouldn’t. Believe he is utterly trustworthy (1 Thessalonians 5:24). That he isn’t withholding good from you (Psalm 84:11). That he isn’t holding back (Romans 8:32). Believe that he isn’t trying to crush you. Know that any difficulty you endure will bolster your allegiance to and reliance on him (James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-5). Know that he isn’t a twisted father that may use sickness or death or poverty to prove a point (John 10:10). Believe him when he says you are forgiven; you are free; you are loved (Romans 8).
In the face of circumstances, feelings, and forecasts, believe Him. Trust his Blood. Cling to the blood-bought rights of his sacrifice for cleansing, for justification, for redemption- past, present, ongoing, today, and in future. Trust it. It does the job.