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Going Down!
by Shannon Heiden The LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? (Joshua 7:10 NIV) Beautiful One, have you experienced so many losses that it feels next to impossible to think of winning? Unless a person has experienced this particular kind of season, it really is hard to relate or understand the feelings that accompany it. Overwhelmed, depressed, frustrated, angry, and feelings of hopelessness all accompany these seasons. It's not so much the fight, as much as it is the feeling that it may not end in your favor. You gain some ground, then something happens, and not only do you lose what you gained, but your pushed back even further. May I suggest that the battle is not designed to destroy you, as much as it is to wear you out. A tired soldier is not nearly as effective in battle compared to one who just stepped in for the first time. At the beginning of a fight, there is fervor and zeal, a tenacity that is unmatched. When the battle begins, there is an optimism that accompanies the soldiers mentality, this enemy is going down! But, as time goes on, the only thing that seems to be changing is you, your beginning to get tired. All the weapons aren't working, or so it seems. That's when it gets hard. When you're in a fight, and you've been doing your best, and giving it your all, and your enemy is still standing in your face stronger than ever, that's when defeat starts to echo the loudest in your ear-your going down! But, there is one simple advantage a tired soldier has. And, it is the knowledge of what he, or she is truly dealing with. Sometimes, it takes us awhile to understand that it's going to take more than simple prayers. Sometimes we have this mindset when there is a delay, we start to think it is an obvious denial, and that's not true at all. It looks and feels that way, and by all accounts it may be for the time. But God never allows a soldier to go to battle unequipped. Never! Joshua was a fighter, a soldier. Have you ever wondered why God chose a fighter to take the Promised Land? The Promised Land was prepared for Gods people, but, it wasn't Moses who led them there, it was Joshua. The man who had endured the forty years with everyone else, but this tired soldier knew what he was up against. He knew the people, the problems, the giants that awaited him, and most of all, he knew that God said he could have it, and he believed it. Just because we are destined to inherit the great promises of God, doesn't mean we wont have to fight for them. Whatever you are facing, no matter how many times you've been wounded, you are more than a conqueror, don't give up, in fact, get back up, and stand your ground. No one ever entered the Promised Land that didn't believe they had a right to be there. It was, and is only given to those who believe. You're never closest to the battle being over, than when you're tired, and want to give up. So don't! Beautiful One, just believe, and your enemy is going down! http://www.takerootandwrite.com/meet-shannon-heiden.html Shannon Heiden [email protected] changingonelifereachingmany.typepad.com Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |