I'm Not Gonna Bow!

About four years ago my husband and I were faced with a situation that didn't go to well in our favor. It was a set-up by the enemy to wreck havoc in our lives. We were confronted with the decision to choose on the side of righteousness or rebellion, there was no way to escape this public escapade. I remember sitting on the couch one night with him as he explained that as much as it hurt to see people behave so ridiculously, we were going to always side with righteousness, regardless the cost. Although we were in complete agreement to obey the Lord that day, we knew we would be risking a lot by doing so.  We grabbed hands and prayed a prayer of protection over our family as we stepped out in faith to proclaim to the enemy that like Daniel, "WE WOULD NOT BOW".

Although this decision took place almost 1,460 days ago the enemy has been relentless in making us pay for our unwillingness to bow.

I hear from friends everyday who have made the choice to side with righteousness and as a result have suffered the same attack. Truth is the enemy has no intentions of bothering those who remain complacent because they're not a threat to him. He attacks those who are moving forward to posses the land, the dream, the call God has predestined them to fulfill. Adversity is the enemies' reaction to your progress. He launches an all out attack when we publicly and fearlessly take a stand. The problem is too many good hearted, God fearing Christians back down at the least level of resistance from a big mouth enemy. Yet no where in the scriptures do I find God giving the land, the dream or the vision to those who passively wait for it to drop in their laps. On the other hand, I see men and women who "fought the good fight", who "waged war against the enemy", who "moved forward to possess the land". In everyone of these testimonies their fulfillment of God's promise was delivered through struggle and often times a fight to survive! (Joseph, Daniel, Jonah, Esther, Ruth, Noah, Paul, John are a few examples and the list goes on.)

God is calling a remnant of believers who have what it takes to possess the land. Like little David the shepherd boy who wasn't intimidated by vocal harassment from a giant size enemy or Esther who knew she had a purpose to fill and so chose to cloth herself in the power of the Holy Spirit to save her people and like Daniel who was provoked publicly to bow before the enemy but instead remained standing in faithfulness to his God and saw the deliverance of His Lord.

Friend, no matter what threats the enemy launches at you today (a pit, a giant, a lions den) make your resolve to NOT BOW to evil, complacency, or rebellion. For you and I can be confident, we have the assurance that God gets the final say and the enemy looses in the end. (Doing my happy dance in the face of the enemy.)

Picture below taken from Canyon Hills.com

Distractions!

Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep him(her) in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he(she)trusts in you!

Just this week my neighbor's daughter, who is new behind the wheel, was backing out of the driveway when a tiny bee flew into her car and began swarming around. The young teenager was so distracted by the bee, she forget she had her foot on the gas and ended up backing into the neighbor's mailbox behind her.  The irritant bee, tiny in size, yet so effortlessly was able to distract her to the point of destruction. Thank goodness it was only the destruction of the mail box and a dent to her car.

Life throws us many distractions, some are tiny as a bee but have the ability to irritate us to the point we see them as an elephant in size. Other distractions sneak up un-noticed, seemingly insignificant at the time but when focused on can detour us down a one way street we wish we had never taken.

The enemy loves to use distractions to keep us focused on the problem rather than the Provider. He is cunning and sly, using desperate measures to detour our attention, savaging our emotions, and depleting us of any physical or spiritual strength to even want to turn around. It's during these times we need to press in closer to our Lord and be determined to stay focused on Him. The scripture says, "He will keep him(her) in PERFECT peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he(she) trusts in you."

The word PERFECT means:

1. Excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement.
2. Exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose. 

Did you hear that? Excellent and complete peace, what more could you ask for?

God can and will keep us at peace and appropriated on the right course if we keep our focus sustained on God and His word. Oh yes He is that faithful, He just desires us to be.

So roll up the window (shut out negative & critical voices), close the door (separate yourself from the enemy), STAY FOCUSED on a God who is omnipotent, all powerful and has a good plan for your life.

Blessings,

Polly