I have seen many films and documentaries about war. My Grandads used to tell me stories from WWII. Maybe it glamorised war for me in those days and prompted that question in me; "Could I have stood and fought and endured like they did?". At the age of 7 or 8, my answer was "YES! Of course i could". A gutsy response from a little boy with obviously no real understanding of the realities of war.
Watching the Ukraine war unfold over the last 12 months - is probably the closest thing to a near-reaching war I have experienced in my life and I began to see some scaled down parallels with the emotional upheaval myself and my family have been enduring over the last 3 years.
It has been relentless, COVID has taken friends, taken my business, my health and some of my confidence. Life, during my 53 years on earth, has had ups and downs, but this has been different - no breaks, no respites. A relentless barrage of events and circumstances and with no let-up.
I'm not the only one i know! They always say "There are always those worse off". This is so true, but non-the-less, I have taken a pounding and I need, to recover for my own sake, and for my family.
During this testing time, I have lost perspective, become disorientated, and challenged in my belief in the goodness of God. Faith has been shaken.
I can read the book of Job, read about the persecution of the saints, and have an understanding of sharing in Christ’s sufferings to some degree - but the biggest challenge to me has been unfamiliar nature of it all. I don't perceive any landmarks I can steer by. Old safety nets and security blankets have not been able to sooth me. These trials have been shaking away the idols in my life.
Relief is now upon me. Uncertainty is still prevalent, but In recent weeks, it has been like I'm climbing out from under the rubble.
Daylight is piercing the dust and clarity is coming back. And during this time it has become more clear to me as to what the enemy has been trying to do and what God is saying through all of this.
Just like in those news reels of the initial onslaught on Ukraine by Russian forces - I recognise now that the opening gambit in war, and in brutal spiritual warfare, is intimidation! Unrelenting destruction and the taking away of the familiar isnt indescriminate bombing or collateral dmage - it has purpose in it.
If you change your enemy's own landscape in front of there eyes and take away normality - you start to erode hope. You immobilise your enemy through confusion and shock.
If you raise buildings to the ground, fill the air with dust and block out the sunlight in the day, and the moonlight at night, then you begin to break their will. In the same way our great enemy has been going after the familiar.
But maybe that strategy is fundementally flawed!
If you have watched or read The Lord of the Rings, you will know that the villain, Sauron, took the fight to familiar places - Rohan, Helms Deep, Minas Tirith and even the Shire. He wanted to destroy the heritage and identity of Middle Earth.
There were many casualties and many lost heart because their trust and hope was in monuments to victories past - the familiar.
One thing Sauron did in this, was to unwittingly unite his enemy. It woke men, elves and dwarves, ents and hobbits from their infighting and their slumber - their complacency.
The by-product was the reforging of old alliances who then took the fight to the enemy's front door.
And so I am seeing that our foe, the enemy of our souls, seeks to immobilise Gods people through fear and intimidation and the desecration of familiar patterns. Pandemics, wars and man's controlling responses are changing the landscape and removing the familiar landmarks. Our institutions are falling or morphing into things we dont recognise.
It highlights where we have been looking - the limited old systems of man rather than towards the resourceful, satisfying completeness of our God!
Maybe if we can open our eyes and see, we will discern that this provocation is being allowed by God, to bring us into one accord.
Can I urge you to do a few things for your rescue?
The dust of destruction blocks airways and makes it hard to breath.
Pray for the Spirit of God to give you clean air to breath. Seek Him, seek righteousness, seek clean air and clean water. Cut any lines of communication you have open with the enemy. Trust Father God's ability to renew you.
However thick the fog of war is in your life right now, pray for discernment, ask the Holy Spirit as to where you have yielded to enemy's propoganda and deception. Ask Him to open the eyes of your heart and for a steadfast spirit within you. Dig your heels and stand.
Don't fear the unfamiliar anymore, make Christ your refuge and your home. Jesus said all things will be shaken but His word and His Kingdom will stand.
It may be that you have been struggling to get airborne with God, to see with faith eyes and Heavens perspective. You need to take off again. Offer a sacrifice of praise and worship. Lift up your eyes and stand on God's promises. He can and He will lift you up again.
Support one another, stand side by side. Encourage one another. The enemy loves to try and isolate us through shame and hurt. Sometimes its enough to know that others are going through similar trials. It helps to know you are not alone.
Take courage! Remember that victory is with our God and His people.
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