Tag: way maker

Trials

When We Can’t See

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Photo by Meghan E. White

What if we saw every trial, trouble, triumph, and tragedy in detail laid out in front of us, that covered the span of our lives? Would it change the decisions we made? Would we even be able to handle it? Would it change our faith? Would we have faith in God? 

There is a very good reason that God is God, and that I am not. I would like nothing more than to look ahead in my current situation and see something, anything. When I attempt to look ahead I either look with eyes of faith, and know it’s all going to work out, or I look with fear and see a lot of potentially bad things. I can’t see beyond right now, not that I could before Tom’s kidney failure, dialysis, and possible transplant. I made a false assumption that I could see clearly ahead, though this was not a conscious decision, that’s what I was doing. That is not reality.

I like to tell God my plans and then say, “OK Lord, get to work on that.” His patience and mercy are such a gift and blessing. His love for me is astounding. God is teaching me in a whole new way, I don’t need to know what’s ahead, because He does. God not only knows what is ahead for me and Tom, He has ordained it. He is faithful and will get us through whatever we need to deal with. We are not facing anything alone, especially the unknown, yet this is still very difficult for me.

You’d think I would have this down by now, trust God and surrender everything to Jesus, obviously not. My faith is being tested. This is all part of the journey of following Christ. I am grateful for this trial, though I would never choose it. I hate seeing my husband suffer. When he hurts, I hurt. We are learning so many things, including perseverance. 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4, NIV 

As I was driving home from the hospital one night, after Tom’s most recent stay, God gave me revelation. He told me not knowing and having no answers is exactly how He wants me to live. God reminded me to trust Him fully, especially in the unknown. It’s all going to be O.K. The road may be rough, but He will get us exactly where we need to be. It gave me total peace. We both have peace. Praise God for that. It’s all still hard, and can be scary and overwhelming, but He’s got us.

With so many encouraging passages of scripture that I am clinging to, Psalm 55 has brought a lot of solace. Here are a few of the sections that I go back to, often. May they encourage you as well.

Listen to my prayer, O God,
    do not ignore my plea;
2     hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

4 My heart is in anguish within me;
    the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling have beset me;
    horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
    and stay in the desert;
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
    far from the tempest and storm.”

16 As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening, morning and noon
    I cry out in distress,
    and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
    from the battle waged against me,
    even though many oppose me.

22 Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.

Whatever your unknowns are today, know that He is with you. Even if you can’t see a thing in front of you, and you wish you could, He is already there in those unknown places. God will take care of you. He is faithful.

Love you all,

Meghan

Spiritual Warfare, Trials

My Battle Plan

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ancient antique armor armour

When life begins to unravel, as it is guaranteed to do from time to time, what is your response? We have options. We can panic. We can get angry. We can feel sorry for ourselves. We can worry. These are all normal human reactions. We have another choice. We can fight back.

The hard days and tough warfare will come to each of us. What do you do when you are in the trenches, deep in spiritual battle? Our instinct is to give up. Or, fight the wrong battle. Don’t let the physical stuff distract you from the actual battle. Our battles are ultimately spiritual. That’s the real battle.

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. Ephesians 6:12, 

Many years ago, I learned how to fight spiritually. The weapons of this type of warfare are not physical, yet they are more powerful than a nuclear bomb. Here is a basic breakdown of what I do when I’m fighting back.

My Battle Plan

The best way to utilize this strategy is to silence your phone. Stay off social media, t.v., and the internet. Shut everything off. Put all your energy into God. You must press in to Him. There are four weapons that I apply simultaneously in the fight.

Worship

It’s time to put on your favorite worship music. If you don’t have any, it’s easy to look some up online and let it play. You may not feel like worshipping God, but in no time you will be uplifted. You will begin to focus on God, and not on your problem. 

Sing a new song to the Lord;

sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to Yahweh, praise His name;

proclaim His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonderful works among all peoples. Psalm 96:1-3

Prayer 

Pour out your heart to God. No half hearted prayers. Tell Him everything. He already knows anyway. Just be honest and respectful. We can come to God freely because of Jesus. So come. Pray like you have never prayed before. If you can’t find the words then write out a simple prayer. Ask at least one person to intercede for you if possible. Also, be quiet before the Lord in your prayer time, and ask Him what He wants to tell you. 

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4: 6-7 

The Word 

God’s Word is a lamp, a treasure, the truth, and it’s alive. The word of God is a sword. It’s our ultimate weapon. The Word is how you are going to cut through the lies. Keep your Bible open, and bookmark verses that speak to your situation. If you’re lacking faith, then look up every verse on faith. If you need healing, look up verses on healing. If you’re worrying, look up those verses. You get the idea. Say those verses out loud. Read them 100 times if necessary. You can also write them on note cards and place them all around your home. 

Take the helmet of salvation,

and the sword of the Spirit,

which is God’s word. 

Ephesians 6:17

Fast

I know it is difficult to go without food. Only fast if you are healthy, and please ask your doctor if you have any concerns. Fasting is throughout the Old and New Testament. 

There are all kinds of views on what to fast. Some will just skip one meal a day, others will go without food the entire day or a few days. Some “fast” from social media, or other non-food types of enjoyment. I go without food. I still drink coffee in the morning and then just water the rest of the day. That may not work for everyone. I’m not an expert on fasting. 

What’s the point of a fast? It focuses our minds and bodies on Jesus. Fasting and praying go together. When I feel hungry I use that as a reminder to pray. I can honestly say that the spiritual results from fasting are incredible. I hear God’s voice much more clear. I get a new, Godly perspective. I feel closer to Him.

So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and He granted our request. 

Ezra 8:23

That’s the very basic breakdown of how I fight my battles. God is the thread through all four components. Worship, prayer, the word, and fasting point to God. It takes the focus off of our trial, and on to God. When we place our problems into God’s mighty hands, He can do what we cannot. That is powerful. My battle plan is not to just get what I want. It changes my heart, and my mind. It strengthens my faith. I begin to ask God what He wants, and I plead for His will not my own. 

If you are battling today, please leave me your prayer request. We are to bear one another’s burdens.  

Love you all,

Meghan

All scripture is from the Holman Christian Standard Bible © 2009

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