Have plenty of courage. God is stronger than the devil. We are on the winning side.
~John Jay Chapman (1862-1933)
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account. Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
~ from Hebrews 4
Oh beloved, it is true.
The Power at work within us is the very same power which brought about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. And this is the Living and Active Power of the universe. G_d Himself brought about the resurrection of His Son as a finished work that we might simply rest in the fact that this truth is, in fact, true.
This Power at work within us impels and compels us forward to the finish line of this part of our lives. For we know beyond doubt that this sprint in our shells of fading grass will give way to inheriting further clothing that will swallow up our frailty with an unending victory in Him forever.
So, courage is not me screwing up the energy to keep going. Courage is me sitting still and waiting on Him is such a way that allows Him to fill my heart with His hope and joy and strength and peace. We, when we sense any sort of spiritual leak or emptiness within us can, should, and must draw again near to Him and allow Him to do the filling and healing and sealing of the breaches.
And so, as we go through the inevitable ups and downs of the circumstances along the path He has set before us, we really do not have to worry about them. In fact, worry is antithetical to the answer to the problem. For, when we focus on the problem, we take our eyes of the Solution. And the Solution is a holistic Solution. He Himself is the Fix, the Fill, the Enabler, and the One who can and will enable us to keep going.
And may this fool of a writer preach for a moment? When we are the most tired, the most worn out, the most discouraged, and the most ready to quit, G_d will (and does) come to us and pour out copious portions of His very self (read Grace) on, in and through the entire situation.
Said simply: The harder things get, the more G_d shows up.
Can we see it?
The bigger question, then, is not whether G_d is going to help us in a pinch; the question is whether we will look to Him when we feel the pinch of the problem. Will we quit trying to slog our way home to Him in our own strength? Or will we turn to Him as our sole Provider of help?
We have spoken of trying and trusting, and the difference between the two. Believe me, it is the difference between heaven and hell.
~ Watchman Nee
