Immovable

This morning, I awoke in the likeness of the sunshine beaming through the blinds and onto my face: warm, chipper, and happy. The joy of the Lord was plenty, and I was loving it.

But just as quickly as praise escaped my lips this morning, I was shaken by a five second situation that truly wasn't of any real significance anyway. I went from joyful to devastated; warm to cold; steadfast to shaken. My circumstances dictated my demeanor, and I allowed my feelings to have a greater impact on my day than God.

All too often, we allow our circumstances to wound us, rule us, and change our disposition. One snide comment, harsh tone, bad grade, or the thoughtlessness of another: these things can definitely hurt, but they are entirely insignificant in comparison to the character and stability of our God. We are so quick to break our gaze with the Lord when something comes along to challenge our growth. We walk in contrast to the character of the One who is called Faithful and True.

It would be foolish and naive to expect every challenge, struggle, and threat to remain safely at bay. While our lives are in the hands of our Almighty Lord and His love is ours for the keeping, we live in a world who is under the power of one who is true to his name: father of lies, destroyer of unity, disruptor of peace. Satan hates the character of God, and he seeks to uproot it in the lives of God's surrendered. We are told in John that though we will have trouble in this world, Jesus has overcome the world! This is our hope!

Despite any especially challenging struggle or circumstance, we can walk in the victory of our Valiant Warrior who is Jesus Christ! We do not have to be battered by the pressures of social culture, bruised by the thoughtless comments of others, or fall victim to the ways of the enemy! We can take heart and walk in the peace that passes all understanding because our Beloved has overcome the world! A righteous [wo]man falls and rises again. She stands firm on the Word of God and allows her Lord to impart His might and His strength and His courage to her to stand blameless, humble, gentle, and joyful despite the elements set out to destroy the work of God in her life. The woman of God is being made ever immovable--able to bear the character of her stable God despite anyone's actions or any terrible circumstance. She is moved only to her knees by the Word of God; only to compassion in the face of injustice; only to love as she listens to the cries of her Lord's children; only to action; only to service; only to surrender. She is numb to the influence of media, the pressures of society, mockery of those who have yet to allow the love of God to restore them. These things only move her to pray, to love, and to serve. The woman of God is being made immovable.

And so I need the grace of my ever patient Jesus to restore me to His side and to brush me off and to help me stand again in His strength. For a few moments, I have succumbed to the threat upon my life today, but now I stand. I see the desire of God over my life, and I see the weakness and brittle power of the enemy. I take heart, because my Jesus has overcome the world.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand! All other ground is sinking sand!