Dear WoW follower/visitor,
Dear fellow-believer,
Dear woman of God,
How are you?
Now this is not a flippant question, politely asked yet not genuinely concerned about or expectant of an answer.
This is a genuine desire to come alongside you, to discover what your dreams or problems are, what your achievements or struggles have been. This is a question asked from a genuine desire to know you, to encourage you, to weep or rejoice with you, to be your friend.
| …there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother – Proverbs 18:24 |
And so I ask again, how are you?
As 2017 moves to a close, are you satisfied about where you are in life, in your relationship with God? Are you content?
I decided to look back in my writing journal to see where I was at around this time last year. I found an entry which I’d written on the last day of 2016. As a part of this post‘s message, I include an edited version of the journal extract below:
It’s been a while dear diary. It’s been a while. And what brings me back to this journal? Well, War Room. The movie. Wow! I watched it last night. And I also started reading the book Fervent by Priscilla Shirer (a main character in War Room).
Am I glad that I purchased these items! Am I glad that God (or the Holy Spirit) prompted me to do so! Am I glad for the inspirational contribution to my life from the author and writers/producers of these works.
Wow! I feel challenged. Stirred up. I feel a new sense of determination to pray and intercede like never before. I feel challenged and able to take on the task that God gave me years ago, to pray for my family, for my loved ones… to intercede for those issues he lays upon my heart.
Mum did it faithfully for so many years. However, there came a time when she was not able to carry on because of the Alzheimer’s disease. How I wish I was as consistent and faithful in prayer as dear mum had been. Don’t get me wrong I pray. And if there are serious things happening, I’d most certainly tackle the situation with prayer. But I’ve not been as persistent as I believe I should and need to be.
But I want that to change. I want to be a doer of God’s Word, an executor of his will. I want to please him. I want to glorify him. I want to emulate Christ. Be a faithful follower. Disciple. He deserves that. He so, so, so, deserves it. Deserves my loyalty. My faithfulness. My 100 per cent commitment. My instant and total obedience.
After all he has done for me. After all he has done for the entire world. After all that he has made available to me, so that I can walk victoriously in life, so that I can use the power of attorney with which he has entrusted me, to help make the lives of my near and dear ones divinely protected, safe, secure.
He is worthy. So very worthy. And I have spent too much time wallowing in self-pity. Sulking because I didn’t get the life I desired and thought I deserved. What could be more precious, of higher quality than the Zoe life, the God-ordained destiny, the glorious future of a blood-bought child of God, who has been redeemed from the hand of the Enemy? Redeemed from the curse of the law? A life where I’ve been made an heir of God and joint-heir (i.e. equal heir) with Christ?
What could be better than knowing WHATEVER happens to me, God is able to cause all things to work together for my good? That has to mean for my utmost welfare, my personal development, and my eventual success—right?
So why, would I act as if there is no hope? Why would I live on a low spiritual plane—as if I’m in the same boat as those who do not know God, who do not revere God, who do not acknowledge or believe in him? Why?
The only reason is because of deception. Deception by the Enemy and even of myself. Because if you are a hearer of God’s Word and not a doer you are deceiving yourself! It says so quite plainly in the Bible! (See James 1:22)
And… because of immaturity. Yes! Despite being a woman with several decades clocked up, I’m still acting as if life owes me a gold-plated, everything-in-the-garden-rosy, pain-free and problem-free life—especially since I became a child of God and consider myself to be a prayer warrior!
But Jesus didn’t have life easy. Even God does not have things easy.
Don’t believe me?
What about that time when Satan tried to overthrow him in heaven? What about the two-thirds of angels that mounted an insurrection? And now that they’ve all been thrown out of heaven, what about the havoc they wreak on this earth, defiling hearts and motives, causing people (God’s created masterpieces), to blaspheme and blame him for demonic atrocities?
So if Christ did not have it easy, and if God doesn’t have it easy why on earth should I be any different?
I blame the children’s fairy tales. I blame Hollywood. Make-belief fantasies which make us feel that there’s an unadulterated and perpetual happy-ever-after that we deserve. And if we don’t have it, if we aren’t living it, then we feel cheated.
Get real Carol! Go LIVE the life that God has blessed you with when you gave your heart to Christ. Go LIVE the life he ordained for you to enjoy—the abundant, victorious life he has graciously and generously made provision for you to freely partake and enjoy.
Go LIVE that life with the realisation that an abundant, God-glorifying life does not guarantee you a problem-free, or pain-free future.
*****
Does the above resonate with you in any way?
It’s amazing how quickly one can forget your vows and intentions.
It can also be discouraging to realise that once again another year has passed and those cherished dreams have not materialised, those troubling situations remain virtually unchanged.
So, where are you dear friend in terms of being a victorious overcomer?
Have you taken stock? Have you evaluated? Or have you given up?
Whilst writing the last sentence, a verse of scripture came to mind. It’s from Philippians 4:13 and says:
| I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. |
Perhaps this verse is a pertinent message from God for someone who is reading this post right now.
If so, then to God’s Word let me add the following encouragement:
- You can do it!
- You can move from a place of defeat, despair or disappointment to a position of personal strength and empowerment.
- You can walk in life with your head held high and with God-confidence.
- You can change your status from victim to victor!
I don’t have to know your circumstances. I don’t have to know what negative and overwhelming odds you’ve faced or what difficult situations are currently challenging you.
I don’t have to know the specifics of your life, yet whatever you may have experienced, I believe you can move forward into the New Year with faith, determination and purpose. In fact, I’m absolutely convinced that you can emerge a conqueror.
And what makes me so sure?
- Because I know and believe God’s Word
- Because I’ve experienced the integrity of God’s Word for myself
- Because, before I released this post for publication, I’ve prayed for you.
Granted I don’t know who you are and of course I don’t know what you’ve been going through, or what lies ahead of you BUT I know a man who does. I know a God (a living, breathing, AWESOME God), who cares enough for you and me to number the hairs of our heads—not just count them but number them!
So stop and consider that for a moment. Can you imagine such incredible depth of detail regarding someone’s love for you? Do you know anyone who cares about you that much?
God loves you dear reader and the above detail mentioned is only ONE of many ways in which God has revealed his unconditional love, concern and commitment for you.
Now sometimes Satan, or circumstances, succeed in distracting us from acknowledging this fact. And sometimes Satan and/or situations rob us of our faith and seeks to displace our trust in God and stir up irrational fears.
FEAR!
False Evidence Appearing Real.
Dear reader, dear precious woman of God, we’ve just celebrated the fact that God sent his only Son (Jesus Christ) into the world to make a difference in our lives. Are you utilising the strength of Christ, the power of prayer, the anointing of the Holy Spirit to enforce and enjoy that difference?
As we pass from this year into the next, I pray that you and I will go into it with the strength and confidence of Christ. I pray you and I will go into the New Year with a hope that acts as a stabilising anchor for our souls. I pray that you and I will pass over into the New Year with a peace that surpasses normal understanding.
Dear reader, my prayer is that God blesses us with true heart-felt and immeasurable joy. Furthermore, I pray that we will experience an unshakeable inner knowing that God is in control and is able to do exceedingly abundantly above our highest hopes, thoughts, desires and dreams.
Women of Warfare followers and visitors – have a great, God-glorifying New Year in 2018!
CREDIT: The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com
Women of Warfare! (WOW!) 