When you are in the middle of a battle it is easy to forget the victories you‘ve already been through. And when the fight seems to be lingering and dragging on forever it can seem like we are already defeated and are just fighting for nothing. Then out of the blue sometimes we are reminded of the strength and power that we have just because we have prayer and faith on our side.
Tonight, my husband and my sister aren’t here. They left to drive three hours north to go and be with my brother who is in the middle of his own battle. And as I was sitting here thinking and worrying about how things were going up there, in my head I kept hearing the kids at church singing the song The Battle Belongs to the Lord. Then I looked up on our bookshelf and saw this picture and it hit me just how much overcoming has been done.
Tonight, my husband and my sister aren’t here. They left to drive three hours north to go and be with my brother who is in the middle of his own battle. And as I was sitting here thinking and worrying about how things were going up there, in my head I kept hearing the kids at church singing the song The Battle Belongs to the Lord. Then I looked up on our bookshelf and saw this picture and it hit me just how much overcoming has been done.
You could look at this picture and see one of two things. You could see people who are beaten down from issues like:
Having an absentee dad.
Having an abusive dad.
Not even knowing who dad is.
Being raised in a dysfunctional family.
Being the victim of sexual abuse.
Going through extreme poverty.
Drug addictions.
Alcoholism.
Being racist
Having Cerebral Palsy.
Being born addicted to drugs and on life support for months.
Sexual immorality.
Severe medical problems.
Marriage problems.
And even being pronounced clinically dead from being buried in a snow bank (that one is random!)
Or you could look at it and see what I see tonight - Victory after victory. I see:
Dads who didn’t have good examples to follow who are raising Godly children.
Moms who are trying to fight the enemy away from their husbands and kids at all costs.
Kids, who despite not having perfect parents, are persevering and making the most of life with positive attitudes.
People who have had their physical sicknesses healed.
Drug and alcohol free people.
People who have denounced their ignorant prejudices and embraced people of other races.
People who don’t let their sin define who they are.
People who don’t let the sins of others define who they are.
People who have overcome poverty and people who are thriving despite their poverty.
Husbands and wives who are working hard to love each other.
And I see a girl who was supposedly dead that is finishing up her first semester in college.
So yes, we are going through another battle. And it is a tough one. But like the kids keep singing at church, “When your enemy presses in hard do not fear - the battle belongs to the Lord! Take courage my friend, your redemption is near - the battle belongs to the Lord!”
Psalm 18
1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;[a]
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
7 Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,[b]
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
Having an absentee dad.
Having an abusive dad.
Not even knowing who dad is.
Being raised in a dysfunctional family.
Being the victim of sexual abuse.
Going through extreme poverty.
Drug addictions.
Alcoholism.
Being racist
Having Cerebral Palsy.
Being born addicted to drugs and on life support for months.
Sexual immorality.
Severe medical problems.
Marriage problems.
And even being pronounced clinically dead from being buried in a snow bank (that one is random!)
Or you could look at it and see what I see tonight - Victory after victory. I see:
Dads who didn’t have good examples to follow who are raising Godly children.
Moms who are trying to fight the enemy away from their husbands and kids at all costs.
Kids, who despite not having perfect parents, are persevering and making the most of life with positive attitudes.
People who have had their physical sicknesses healed.
Drug and alcohol free people.
People who have denounced their ignorant prejudices and embraced people of other races.
People who don’t let their sin define who they are.
People who don’t let the sins of others define who they are.
People who have overcome poverty and people who are thriving despite their poverty.
Husbands and wives who are working hard to love each other.
And I see a girl who was supposedly dead that is finishing up her first semester in college.
So yes, we are going through another battle. And it is a tough one. But like the kids keep singing at church, “When your enemy presses in hard do not fear - the battle belongs to the Lord! Take courage my friend, your redemption is near - the battle belongs to the Lord!”
Psalm 18
1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;[a]
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
7 Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,[b]
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
RSS Feed
