In the wake of events that are shaking, dividing, and in danger of destroying our country, all in an effort for justice and peace, it is easy to despair. Protests, while motivated by real grievances, have too often descended into riots, looting and even terrorism. It’s not uncommon to be deeply affected by grief, fear, anger, anxiety, sadness and depression. As I’ve tried to process it, like I’m fairly certain we all are, it’s been a battle with my emotions. The Lord disciplined me this week and I’m so grateful that He did.
He reminded me that the night He would begin the final stretch of enduring slander, false accusations, being unfairly judged, beaten, whipped, and it appeared that satan had won when He surrendered His last breath. Knowing that He would feel the weight of not only mine and your sin, but the sin of billions and billions of people in the world, Jesus experienced deep grief and was overwhelmed with the emotions of anxiety, depression, and deep pain when He was in the garden of Gethsemane (aka Oil Press). Experiencing such an incredible amount of stress that He sweat blood, He showed us the key to overcoming such anguish is to get into the presence of God where there is peace, freedom, even joy. He used the scriptures to remind me that one of the most powerful things we can do as believers is to pray.
In order for change, reconciliation, and revival to happen, it has to start with us humbling ourselves before our All Powerful Abba Father, who is sovereign, merciful, loving, and grace filled. It is as we humble ourselves, repenting for our sin and others, that He will heal our country. That’s a promise and God keeps His promises when we do our part. So even though things look dark and as if evil is prevailing, we need to keep our focus on God & His Word, who He is and who we are in Christ, and be in prayer like never before in order to keep our hearts soft, that we be protected from temptation, and that we not get distracted by the worries of the world right now.
Matter of fact, none of what’s happening is taking Him by surprise and it’s a part of His perfect plan to bring people to Him, to open their eyes and ears, and soften hearts to receive what He has to say, who He is and who we are in Christ. We are His children, spiritual descendants of Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, and all the promises to them are ours when we choose to trust and obey Him. He’s calling us to go deeper with Him so that He can equip and prepare us to be His ambassadors and representatives in a country that appears to be taken over by darkness. He’s reminding us that we are the light of the world and that the world is watching us and how we respond and behave towards those who hate us, our enemies, our neighbors, to see if we are really loving them or whether the pressure is causing dross to come to the surface of our lives in the form of behavior and reactions that aren’t biblical.
He’s wanting us to love unconditionally, to extend grace to those who don’t agree with us, even to those who offend us and are being used by demonic forces to distract, divide, abuse, and steal from us our peace, joy, unity, harmony, being of one accord IN CHRIST, and to ultimately kill us emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically.
It’s time we wake up, not lose sight of the truth that sets us free and recognize that we are not battling with flesh or blood, but with spirits and principalities that hate us, want to divide us, shame us, get us to fighting amongst ourselves to discredit our testimonies. If we are not carefully listening for His voice, it is far too easy to be misled by other voices that are speaking the world’s views, beliefs and desires that only lead to confusion and division. It’s time to spend more time in prayer, meditation, and studying the Word in order to strengthen our spirit man and to weaken our flesh. It’s time to spend more time pursuing God, being still and resting in His presence, listening more than talking, and surrender everything to Him.
It’s time to forgive those who unintentionally or intentionally harmed, hurt, or offended us. It’s time that we come together as the body of Christ and declare and decree that no weapon formed against us will prosper and praise God that the battle is His and it’s a fixed fight; we win in Christ.
It’s time that we see ourselves as God sees us through Christ. That we are spotless, sinless, righteous, perfect and lacking nothing. It’s time we focus who God says we are and to be and stop focusing on our skin color and differences. It’s time we focus on what we have in common. We all bleed red and were created by God to be His children. It’s time we …
Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let joy overflow, for you are united with the Anointed One! Let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near.
Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.
So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always. Follow the example of all that we have imparted to you and the God of peace will be with you in all things. (Phillippians 4:4-9 TPT, emphasis added)
It’s time to recognize that we’ve entered into a season when, in order for us to have peace and to be joyful, we need God more than ever, that we are desperate for Him and need to spend more time than ever in His presence. We thank Him that we have more time than ever to pursue Him and to be still and rest in His presence like never before in our lifetime.
Anyone who has read and studied the Bible can affirm that with all the events happening around the world, that we are in the last days before Christ returns. With all the prophecies also having come to pass, we are surely in the last days before our Savior comes to take us to spend eternity with Him forever more. However before that happens, the Bible talks about a great falling away of believers before it happens and I think that what’s happening is setting people up to fall away, evidenced by the fruit of our behavior, words, actions, reactions, and responses.
Now, more than ever we need to be spending more time in the presence of God, putting down and silencing our phones, turning off our televisions, putting up boundaries to protect our hearts and peace, and increased discernment to the spirits behind what we are allowing to enter our hearts through our ears and eyes. We need a heightened awareness of the conviction of the Holy Spirit and softened hearts versus pride rooted in not trusting God evidenced by hate, unkindness, rudeness, division, arguing, slandering, breaking of laws and guidelines, violence, blame shifting, victim mentality, and taking matters into our hands, sinning against God.