Pray and Obey
Have you ever been blindsided by life?
Sometimes life hits hard, doesn’t it? Unexpected … shocking … painful.
When you are blindsided, something comes at you from outside of your field of vision:
A diagnosis
A betrayal
Abuse disguised as love
A phone call
A goodbye you never prepared for
A shock that sends waves through every cell of your body
You may step into a season imagining it will go one way, and it takes a hard left turn with a solid right hook to the chin, and the next thing you know, you are spinning and twirling and trying with all of your might not to fall … or God forbid, die.
And this “dance” is not the fun kind.
The spinning and twirling are disorienting. Your equilibrium is off, and it is the kind of imbalance that shakes you to your core. It is the kind of pain and disruption that make you firmly aware of your humanity. You THOUGHT you had it all together and could handle anything that came your way … but THIS? You didn’t see it coming in a million years … and now, you have no choice but to face it head on, deal with it, and walk it out. Because YOU still have breath in your lungs … so GOD is not finished with YOU yet.
As I think about this today, I look back and remember a time when I was almost down for the count. That assignment was sent straight from the pit of hell and was NOT playing. It had ONE goal … ONE mission … ONE intention … TKO in the first round.
And to be honest …
I swirled.
I twirled.
I spun.
I wobbled.
And I swayed.
But …
BUT …
→ → → BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD …
I did not fall!
I stood.
Bloody? Yes.
Bruised? Definitely.
Hurting? Without a doubt.
But I stood.
By His glorious grace … I stood.
I wanted to die a few times.
I occasionally asked God to take me.
I couldn’t see how I would survive.
I didn’t know how I could make it through.
But I stood.
Through the tears.
Through the heartache.
Through the grief.
Through the anger.
Through the heartbreak.
I stood.
I prayed.
I believed.
I hoped.
I trusted.
I worshiped.
I obeyed.
And I stood … on His Everlasting Promises.
Because one thing I know …
With all of my might …
And every fiber of my being.
→ → → GOD. IS. GOOD. ← ← ←
He never changes.
His Word is eternal.
He is the Alpha and the Omega.
He is my Defender and my King.
And if He said it, that settles it.
So I want to encourage you, as you consider a season where you were blindsided, or perhaps you are in that season now …
There is a light at the end of that tunnel.
You are still standing, Beloved.
You have not given up the fight.
You are still in the game.
And God is not finished writing YOUR story. ←←←
So get ready, get ready, get ready …
You don’t have to understand everything.
You don’t have to know all the answers.
You just have to PRAY and OBEY.
Trust Him in the midst of the unknown.
Take every single step with Him.
→ You and I cannot afford to miss it. Life is too short.
We WILL get blindsided … but whatever you do, don’t let it STOP you!
Don’t fall for the lie that you are finished.
And never EVER give up - not on God and not on yourself.
Do ALL you are called and created to do. Be ALL God says you are.
Your hardest seasons will become your Glory Story.
Pray and obey.
Let Him use you!
And always … always … Keep Going.
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.