FIGHT TO THE FINISH

Good Morning,

This morning I found myself in Ephesians 6 where God tells us to put on His armor, His protection, in order that we can be successful against the enemy and stand strong (incidentally the theme of a VBS I am involved with next week :)

So how do we stand strong?  What are some of the things we need to be strong?

Truth
Integrity
Preparedness
Peace
Faith
Salvation
The WORD of God
and Prayer (and lots of it ... the Message version says "pray long and hard"!

We must be alert and watchful with a strong purpose in mind and remember to pray for others so they don't get discouraged or even killed in the battle.  This is one reason I choose to write this post today ... to hopefully watch out for and encourage others, you, who are fighting the good fight along with me.  If I run ahead of my fellow warriors and leave a path of destruction and fallen warriors behind me, what good am I??  (Forgive me fellow warriors if I have said or done things that the enemy allowed to wound you in this fight.)

The above list contains the things that help us to stand up under everything the enemy tries to throw your way.  God always equips us with everything we need for this life.  The things above are what our Daddy gave us to fight a good fight, to fight to the finish (heaven)! 

In thinking about this passage I thought about the life of Joseph and what he told his brothers when they were reunited:  What you meant for evil, God used for good.

What is it the enemy is using in your life right now to potentially discourage you?  What are you feeling defeated by?  What keeps coming against you?  Perhaps these are things God can turn around and use for good and for an eternal purpose in your life and in the life of others.  Joseph was sold as a slave and put in jail for a long period of time, but at the right time, at God's time, he was elevated to a high position to save a people from dying, his family and ultimately the whole nation of Israel.  O how the enemy would have wanted to destroy the people then and there so our Messiah, our Savior, would have never been born.  Time and time again the enemy has tried this tactic!

So I am writing to encourage you today to be a dependable servant of the Master.

Jennie Allen in her book Anything says this:  "We have to obey because he is God.  He will take care of us.  He'll take care of our kids and us.  We know this is going to be hard.  But we are trusting that he's going to help us navigate whatever is ahead ... no matter what challenges lay ahead, this could be the most beautiful story of [our] lives ... We doubt because of the risk, the cost, the abandonment of rights and comforts, the disapproval of people you really love, and then on top of it all ... you have now officially picked a fight with the devil ... [but] we were made for this bigger story ... [because of that we can] be more able to forgive when [we realize] we never are really fighting people ... the devil knows if I feel alone, unsafe with people in our church, unsafe at home with my husband, I quickly unravel ... forgiveness [then] becomes easier when I realize people are not my enemies ... Empty yourself [and] be filled ... Prayers like anything place us in the midst of stories.  These stories have an author who writes characters, places, and parts.  He develops story lines that are actually quite epic, even if they feel momentarily insignificant."



Be bold & courageous friends.  Be encouraged & strengthened and STAND STRONG ...

Peace, Love, Faith and Grace to you.

Love Him with an undying & incorruptible love always and forever ~ Blessings Abundant

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