I've been raging a spiritual warfare with Satan every night since the robbery in our house.
Yes! You read correctly... Satan. If you do not know who you are battling, the enemy is winning.
My warfare goes a little like this.
12 a.m. in my bed.
"What was that noise? Was it inside the apartment? Is it coming from outside? Is it in the girls' bedroom or is it the upstairs neighbor? Should I go check the girls? I should go see if the door is closed and also check all the windows while you are at it."
"No! Who is your trust, Linda? Are you willing to trust God with your girls?"
"But checking doesn't mean I don't trust Him, does it? Would it be better if I slept with the girls tonight?"
"Again, isn't that not trusting God? If you want to control it, you don't trust Him."
"But other people pray for His protection and still get into danger. It doesn't guarantee anything to pray for protection!"
"So, you are not going to let Him bring you peace? This is just what Satan wants, to keep you worried. Didn't Jesus order you not to be anxious about anything, but to present your request to God in thanksgiving?"
"Yeah, I know that, but I cannot just do nothing, can I? What was that? I heard something this time. I better go check."
This can go on to very early morning, where one of the girls wakes up and asks me to sleep with them and I gladly yield.
It's understandable. (It's what I tell myself to ease myself)
One night I was reading the girls' Bible story of the day, and it was the story of the disciples fishing when Jesus first meets them. The girls' Bible summed it up like this: "The disciples had spent the whole day fishing and hadn't caught a single fish. It was almost dark and time to head back. They had already pulled up their nets in disappointment and were rowing back. Then Jesus came to them and told them to throw the nets again. The disciples were exhausted and had already tried where Jesus told them to throw the nets. But they complied because Jesus had told them to. They threw their nets once more and had to ask for help to pull out all the fishes they caught. It was a miracle just because they did what Jesus said."
I pondered on the story alone. It had hit home really hard.
They obeyed because Jesus had said so.
It is Jesus Who we are talking about, Linda.
Yes! Bad things do happen. Bad things will happen.
Jesus said this to you personally.
But He personally promised to be with me every day of my life as well.
I have to trust Him that whatever happens, He looks after us.
This world is crazy and sometime this life on this earth feels vain and meaningless.
We had worked so hard to have two robbers just take it all in a few minutes.
And they shattered all our comfort of living in a "safer" country.
There is no safe place on this planet.
But we can trust God loves us, and He is strong, and He is able.
So, tonight, I will try not to have that internal battle.
And tonight I'll simply tell Satan: Can I trust God? YES! Yes, I can, because Jesus said so.
Yes! You read correctly... Satan. If you do not know who you are battling, the enemy is winning.
My warfare goes a little like this.
12 a.m. in my bed.
"What was that noise? Was it inside the apartment? Is it coming from outside? Is it in the girls' bedroom or is it the upstairs neighbor? Should I go check the girls? I should go see if the door is closed and also check all the windows while you are at it."
"No! Who is your trust, Linda? Are you willing to trust God with your girls?"
"But checking doesn't mean I don't trust Him, does it? Would it be better if I slept with the girls tonight?"
"Again, isn't that not trusting God? If you want to control it, you don't trust Him."
"But other people pray for His protection and still get into danger. It doesn't guarantee anything to pray for protection!"
"So, you are not going to let Him bring you peace? This is just what Satan wants, to keep you worried. Didn't Jesus order you not to be anxious about anything, but to present your request to God in thanksgiving?"
"Yeah, I know that, but I cannot just do nothing, can I? What was that? I heard something this time. I better go check."
This can go on to very early morning, where one of the girls wakes up and asks me to sleep with them and I gladly yield.
It's understandable. (It's what I tell myself to ease myself)
One night I was reading the girls' Bible story of the day, and it was the story of the disciples fishing when Jesus first meets them. The girls' Bible summed it up like this: "The disciples had spent the whole day fishing and hadn't caught a single fish. It was almost dark and time to head back. They had already pulled up their nets in disappointment and were rowing back. Then Jesus came to them and told them to throw the nets again. The disciples were exhausted and had already tried where Jesus told them to throw the nets. But they complied because Jesus had told them to. They threw their nets once more and had to ask for help to pull out all the fishes they caught. It was a miracle just because they did what Jesus said."
I pondered on the story alone. It had hit home really hard.
They obeyed because Jesus had said so.
It is Jesus Who we are talking about, Linda.
Yes! Bad things do happen. Bad things will happen.
Jesus said this to you personally.
But He personally promised to be with me every day of my life as well.
I have to trust Him that whatever happens, He looks after us.
This world is crazy and sometime this life on this earth feels vain and meaningless.
We had worked so hard to have two robbers just take it all in a few minutes.
And they shattered all our comfort of living in a "safer" country.
There is no safe place on this planet.
But we can trust God loves us, and He is strong, and He is able.
So, tonight, I will try not to have that internal battle.
And tonight I'll simply tell Satan: Can I trust God? YES! Yes, I can, because Jesus said so.
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| What have I to fear? The Lord Almighty looks over them. |
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