Mount Up Above the Storm
Stephen Covey, the author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, coined the phrase, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”(1) There are times when staying focused on what matters most becomes more difficult. This is one of those times. Distractions abound, disagreements seem to rule the day, turmoil appears to be winning over order, and one can almost feel the confusion permeating the atmosphere.
The earth is groaning under:
Two major wars, Ukraine and Israel/Gaza.
The potential for these wars, evil leaders elsewhere, and wrong decisions to lead us into World War 3.
Human trafficking, hunger, poverty, injustice, and violence ravaging much of the world.
America’s stabilizing voice and deterrence having now become ineffective.
Regarding the final statement - America’s ineffectiveness and inability - we are plagued by:
A silenced, weak church that lost her saltiness and light.
A cognitively deficient leader, fraudulently placed in his position to allow the rule of a traitorous, globalist shadow government unencumbered by transparency and accountability,
A Democratic Party that is against biblical principles and morals, our Christian heritage, and has been taken over by woke ideology.
Foolish decisions making us dependent on our enemies for oil and essential products.
A weak economy from overspending (and foolish spending).
An open border allowing millions of illegals to enter the nation, some of them terrorists, others trafficking in humans and drugs. Just yesterday, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the threat of terror attacks in America has escalated to a “whole new level.”(2) No surprise there.
A lying media and an uninformed populace.
A corrupt justice system
An education system that doesn’t educate, but instead indoctrinates, producing Marxism, atheism, amorality, and hatred of America.
A depleted military with weak leaders.
Moral depravity,
. . . and more.
The danger exists for Americans to become overwhelmed by the magnitude of these realities and simply withdraw, hoping others will fix the mess; or, for many Christians, to believe God will sovereignly correct the problems without our involvement. (For some Christians, it is simply to sit back and hope for the rapture, as the church did in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, believing societal problems are simply leading to this.)
How do we remain full of faith and perseverance in times like these? The first answer is to keep first things first, as God counseled Joshua in chapter one of the book bearing his name. You might find it helpful to reread the first nine verses of this chapter; they speak of staying in and obeying God’s Word, resisting fear, and trusting Him. Another great verse on the basics is 2 Corinthians 11:3, which speaks of the purity and simplicity of devotion to Christ. Draw near - and stay near - to the Lord in these troubling times (James 4:8).
Also, when things get overly complicated and complex, I find it helpful to remind myself of the following:
God hasn’t been caught off guard by satan’s or men’s plans. He declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) and ALWAYS has a plan to win.
God can and will do the impossible if we believe and obey.
God uses the desperation of people to prepare for His outpourings and solutions.
God wants and intends to save millions of people, including entire nations, in this hour.
We are God’s methods: His voice, hands, and feet. This is not only a responsibility; it is an incredible privilege.
We don’t have to defeat satan; he has already been defeated by Christ. We enforce the victory of Calvary through the name of Jesus, the guidance of Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and our faith.
Holy Spirit has no problem working through a remnant, and there IS an effective, praying remnant in the world. Also, this remnant is growing!
Do not grow weary in doing what is needed (Galatians 6:9.) A lack of perseverance has caused more loss of God’s provision and blessing than most people would ever dream of. I remind you today that the warrior spirit of Christ is in you (1 Corinthians 6:17), that you are more than a conqueror through Him (Romans 8:37), and that you can do all things through His strength infused into you (Phillippians 4:13; AMP). HE will prevail in this hour, and we will prevail with Him. I leave you with Isaiah 40:22-31 from the Amplified Version:
“It is God Who sits above the circle (the horizon) of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; it is He Who stretches out the heavens like [gauze] curtains and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in, Who brings dignitaries to nothing, Who makes the judges and rulers of the earth as chaos (emptiness, falsity, and futility). Yes, these men are scarcely planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely does their stock take root in the earth, when [the Lord] blows upon them and they wither, and the whirlwind or tempest takes them away like stubble. To whom then will you liken Me, that I should be equal to him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see! Who has created these? He Who brings out their host by number and calls them all by name; through the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing or lacks anything. Why, O Jacob, do you say and declare, O Israel, My way and my lot are hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might, He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted; But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.
Pray with me:
Father, we live in troubling times, but we are not the first generation to face times such as these. And Jesus, when He was walking the Earth in His human body, experienced a troubled soul (John 12:27). He overcame this, plowing through Gethsemane, the Cross, and everything in between. He knows how to give us peace and calm our troubled emotions. He is the prince of peace, Jehovah Shalom.
We ask You to help the praying church in this hour keep all focus on You, not the waves or the storm. Through Your strength, we can walk on any wave and rise above any level of storm. We are like the eagle, using the wind; we do not fear it. We heed the words of the prophet and declare that our ways are not hidden from You, and the justice we need has not escaped Your notice. We are family members of the Godhead, ambassadors of Jesus Christ, led by Holy Spirit, and part of an unshakable, ever-increasing Kingdom. We are commissioned to preach the gospel of this Kingdom, and reap a worldwide harvest; this we shall do.
In the name of Jesus, we bind the attempts of satan’s kingdom to stop the spiritual harvest in the Middle East, causing it to be lost through war and violence. We ask for a miraculous end to the influence of violent principalities, and the destruction of the terrorist organizations that serve him. We ask for salvation to come to the people under this horrible control and influence. We ask You to bring revival throughout the Middle East.
And we ask for a miraculous recovery in America. Even in this time of inept and corrupt leadership, and the bitter fruit we’re experiencing from foolish decisions, work miracles to preserve and restore us. Send the rain, the wind of Your Spirit to save us, and use us in this great harvest. That is Your plan. We ask for it to be manifested. Your Word tells us that You love to save, and our faith is solid that this shall be done! We ask and declare these things in the name of Yeshua. Amen.
Our decree:
We declare that the Ekklesia will rise above the current storm and partner with the victorious Lord, Jesus Christ.
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