pressure Pressure Pressure
Have you ever had a time
or been in a season where you felt something must be done…anything, just something!
We probably all have been there. A place where we hear the echoing resounds of
impulse and dread.
This is a tough place for
the believer. Why does God allow such places for us? I think He not only allows
them, He plans them. He draws up the blueprints, and then executes the building
phase: The Perfect Storm.
Jesus met the perfect
storm on many occasions. Notably when He met Satan and when He met the crowd—stones
in hand—ready to hurl at the adulteress woman.
Often Satan’s interest
isn’t to get us to commit excessive sins like murder or robbing a bank. For
those of us who have walked with the Lord for years and have some maturity, his
intent is more subtle, more elusive. More about the impulsiveness of the flesh.
See the flesh and the Spirit are against each other. The flesh is impulsive.
The Holy Spirit is patient. The flesh wants to avoid that painful situation.
The Holy Spirit leads us to trust Him in those situations.
Why did Jesus write in
the ground while confronting the stone hurlers? I think He was waiting for the
Father to give Him the perfect wisdom to handle this intense situation. Can you
imagine the rage confronting Jesus? The Law was at stake, His leading by the
Father, the protection of the woman, and also His heart for those who held the
stones. It was indeed a perfect storm.
But Jesus wasn’t moved by
the storm, because there wasn’t a storm in Him. He was quiet. His inner trust
and reliance upon the Father was manifested outwardly. Our emotions rage—they demand
an action. But the Spirit of God is quietly voicing trust. Not non-action. Jesus
did act. But it wasn’t impulsively.
I have been through a tough
season the last 11 months. Which I will write about soon. (God is to be
trusted!) I had a few mountains tops and a few valleys, but mostly I had
choices. Choices! I learned that faith is a choice. And that trust is a choice.
I knew it, but I learned it. I would hit a valley where I knew if I lingered
there I would find many adversaries. Valleys are like that you know. Fear and
dread hang out in valleys. I made a choice that if God is God and His word is
true then He is to be trusted. NO MATTER WHAT! I would tell myself, “I will not
give in to my emotions.” I will trust the Lord just like the people in the Bible
did. Just like those in Hebrews 11 did. If He is God He sees me too. Consequently
my valleys usually didn’t even make it a full hour.
I must admit that I owe a
ton to my prayer partner, Holly. We have been in weekly prayer together since
2006. We journey together even though we live in different states. We pray. We
pray for our families mostly; our situations and sometimes tread out to the communities
and nations. She and I walked together through this last year and we prayed. So
when I talk as I do it is coming from someone who prays and who lives for the
Lord. Many people’s faith is shipwrecked in season such as this. Usually
they don’t give up on God totally, but their faith has run aground. If that is
you, no worries, get back on track. God will use even that shipwreck for good. Just next time win.
I’m not light-hearted
about failure, if it sounds like I am. I am not. I just know God. He is able to
make everything work out for good—even our failures. After all, who does
everything right anyways? But, hear me now… you must win the fight of faith.
King Saul didn’t win and it cost him the kingdom. King Saul was impatient and
impulsive. He didn’t wait for God to show up through His anointed prophet,
Samuel. Saul lost everything. Don’t end like Saul.
Faith is a choice. Trust
is a choice. Sometimes it’s a choice we must make repeatedly over and over in the
same day. Win the seemingly small battles, they prepare you for the bigger
ones. God is to be trusted. He is present. He just doesn’t operate from the same
timeline we do. Possibly, not just possibly—definitely. Definitely there is more going on than you can
see. I want to be someone with great faith. That boils down to choice. Simply trusting and believing God. Simply making that choice.
