These times are difficult for most of us. We’ve been isolated, distanced, remoted ( know that is not a word, but it is now for me, Webster take note) from each other. Staying healthy is a challenge, both mentally and physically. Keeping faith in God takes more effort, since we are more alone in our prayers, worship, and songs. Trusting Him is the same act, but we have to encourage ourselves more often, since we need to do more of it, and we have less encouragers. It’s so much easier to get pumped up in your spirit when you are worshiping with many others. It’s great to get out and be among others, but if we are honest, we still fear getting the virus. And what that is, is for another post sometime. But the reality is, the anxiety and fear are felt more often than we admit. And they cripple us, and steal our joy for life. But we cannot let them.
This is war, spiritual war, and we have to fight, we have to win. t may appear physical, but it is also and even more so spiritual. Our faith in Jesus has to be real, or its just words that won’t help us in our battle. If don’t Know Him, or if you think you do, and know you need to be closer, Trust the man, trust Him, talk to Him, as you would like you are sitting on a park bench on a sunny cool day. And if you can’t physically go there, go there in your memory and mind and hopes and dreams. Or choose your favorite place, for me it’s the beach, at sunset. The waves rolling in gently, slight breeze, birds swooping the shoreline, sailboat in the distance, the sun is just about to set, it’s image glistening on the distant horizon, sitting on the now cooling sand, and Jesus sits down next to me. I say to Him, how am I doing? I stare into his eyes and feel that safety, that Love, that eternal certainty. You know, He says, have courage, I am here, I never left and will never leave.
His promises are solid, they never change, and they never will. I may still feel the fear or the pain or the loneliness, but knowing He is with me takes the edge off, and at times when I can truly block out the world, and pray and focus, I know and feel only Faith, Hope and Love. I bind everything that is not of God, and loose and speak each fruit of His Holy Spirit, and I can believe in that moment they are mine, and everything else is gone.
I watch and hear many preachers and encouragers. I see them all struggle to say just the right words to make all the pain and fear go away for you, and let you only know peace and joy. As I write these words, I am trying to find them too. I believe those words are different for each one of us. And we all know, in these days of the virus, we have to find them for ourselves, say them to ourselves, be self-encouragers of Faith. We have to activate our Faith as often as we can, even just walking in it. We need to know we are loved, and we are by Him, so we can love ourselves, and love others. We need to know we are forgiven, and we are by Him. He is our Hope. He is everything when we think we have nothing. If there ever was a time to Trust one thing or person, it is Jesus. On that Day, when we are face to face, it will be His face. It won’t be words, it won’t be a statue, it won’t be a song, it won’t be anything or anyone else but Him. So Trust Him.
Toxic thoughts are just that. They are the enemy. Cast them out, demand it, command it, by the power of Jesus’ name. Do it and keep doing it, confirm it, often. If you have placed your Trust in Him, the man, Jesus, that Faith is rewarded by Him joining your battles and fighting them for you. He will fight Satan for you, and you have only to ask Him to do that. In the asking comes the power. Even now I am weak, yet I am fighting that battle, with Him giving me the strength to write this to you. Why? Because I love you, as He loves me. I want you to be whole, just as I pray that He makes me whole.
When this virus tempts us to shy away from each other, do not, use your faith and smile, and love, and encourage. That is what I wanted to say to you today.
There is so much alternative news out there right now. People talking like whatever they say is the truth. I’ve heard scripture being challenged, and that there are more books out there being discovered. My salvation is based on one thing, that I trusted the Man, Jesus. He never changes, He is always there for me and you and will never leave us nor forsake us. Trust that, Trust Him. And let that Peace that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds and souls, as you continue to Trust Jesus. Keep it simple, keep it Truthful. That is the battle we are all in together. Let’s encourage one another every chance we do get. I love you, Amen.
