Sing aloud, children! sing to the glorious King of Redemption, who sits on the throne, for the seraphim high veil their faces, and cry, and the angels are praising the Son. With His raiment blood-dyed, and with wounds in His side, He returns like a chief from the war, when His champion blow hath laid death and hell low, and hath driven destruction afar.
~A. R. Thompson
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
~ paul, The Least of The Apostles, in 2 Corinthians 2
Oh beloved, it is true. Fear is a liar. For the things that prompt us to fear are prompted only by the one who is the father of all the that is untrue. And there are two lies that are worse than any others that he tries to get us to believe.
Also, there are conflicts in life. Relationship implies conflict. Things are going to go wrong. There will be hurt. And all of this seems to add fuel to the fire of the lies, to which we begin to listen.
The first lie: The devil can beat you.
The second lie: Everything else, including you, can beat you.
Even as believers, we hear the lies and almost listen… “Give up.” “Give in.” “Nobody likes you anyway.” “Its not worth it.” “All the Love you are pouring out is draining you dry.”
Stop beloved.
Just stop.
The only value in listening to a lie is to identify it as untrue. And then, instead of fighting the darkness, all that is required is to allow The Light to shine. You dear reader, you, who have cast your hope on the only One who can give Hope, have entered into a relationship with One who does not lose. Ever.
And this same Jesus has brought about a victory that even eternity will have trouble containing. For the One who spoke eternity and infinity into being, that He Himself might have a dwelling place, has said something very clearly.
The discussions around His table, the utter absence of fear and doubt and wondering – along with the astoundingly real sense of peace and power and purpose and completeness as we finish off a bite of real angel food cake…. Words fail, for none in a fallen human tongue could ever suffice to describe the reality of the victory we do now, and forevermore will, experience in Him.
