From Defeat to Victory!

  Tonight was one of those services that gives hope to the broken heart.  The past month I have found myself stuck in a bit of rut.  I have felt overwhelmed with everything in life.  I have allowed doubt, frustration, and so much more to consume my daily life.  Tonight after my workout in rehab for my knee I found myself extremely frustrated.  Just when I think I am starting to make progress I have a small set back.  Part of rehab involves a lot of upper body work outs.  My elbow over the last few weeks has progressively gotten to a point where the pain was more than I could handle.  Tonight I found myself full of anger, frustration, defeat and fear.  Fear that the one goal I am working towards might not happen.  That is to not just walk in the Autism walk, but to run it for Hunter.  Many might not understand why that is so important.  The importance is I want to show him that I didn't give up when it was tough.  I want him to see me run for him, so he knows that no matter what obstacles he faces if he works hard enough, he can run his race in life and cross the finish line as long as he doesn't give up.  Tonight I was reminded that the devil attacks when we have become weak in our faith.  When Pastor John opened the alter after sharing Ephesians 3:10-19 I found myself in a crowd of people on my knees asking God to give me faith that will move mountains.  To remove the weight I have been carrying on my shoulders that as a mother I want to switch places with Hunter and take away all the obstacles that he faces everyday.  After leaving it at the alter, I found a dear friend I met many years ago at James River Kids camp.  I met Cindy at my first Kids camp.  She has faith that moves mountains.  She has prayed with me through my journey to recovery in rehab for my knee.  And tonight all I had to do was stand next to her and ask her to pray.  As she prayed I finally felt freedom.  I quickly was reminded that God places people in our lives for reasons that we may not realize until the perfect timing of God.  As she prayed with me tonight during worship, I let it all out, I let it all go.  It has been 9 years since I first experienced the true love of God, and Godly friendships.  So many times in life before that day in September 2006 I looked at Christians as hypocrites.  Time and time again I have been shown that a true follower, a true believer is anything but a hypocrite.  I have been blessed time and time again with friendships I never dreamed of having.  I have been blessed with people who despite my failures and mistakes are still by my side.  

We don't have to do life alone.  We don't have to carry our daily burdens by ourselves.  If we will reach out and just ask for help, ask for prayer and accept the help, the prayers and the friendships, we to can have faith that will move mountains.  So a day that I thought was ending in defeat ended in victory.  

When I walked through the church doors tonight I did so not realizing how much I was struggling with my life.  When I left through those same doors it was with victory.  

God uses the attacks of the enemy to give us opportunities for our faith to grow. Some times God allows it, as He did with Job, for our growth and His glory. Other time sin or past events in our lives have given Satan’s forces an opening to attack us. In either case we must move ahead in faith, depending on His power for victory.

Where do we get this kind of strength to withstand whatever we face in life? We can only be strong in Jesus’ strength and power (Ephesians 6:10-18). We are strong “IN” Jesus (Ephesians 6:10-18), not just “from” Jesus. Strength only comes from a close personal relationship and dependence on Him. This is because Jesus has defeated Satan (Eph. 1:20-22; Philippians 2:9-11; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14; I John 3:8; Luke 4:18).

We, too, will face much resistance and continuing opposition. When we fight against Satan’s kingdom of darkness by being true to God’s kingdom, we must realize the enemy will fight back. Darkness hates the light. But God’s power within us is greater than the enemy’s power against us! Trust Him!

 

Ephesians 3:10-19The Message (MSG)

^8-10 And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!
^11-13 All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don’t let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud!

^14-19 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.