Hard Pressed But Not defeated

The day had dawned bright and beautiful.  It was a day filled with hope and promises for this is the day the Lord had made.  His mercy was made new as soon as the sun broke through the darkness.  A glorious day had been planned.  It was filled with excursions and activity.  Each had woken just thanking God for revealing how real He was.  All had received specific answers to prayers.  They had attained victory in their separate endeavors of this life.  They had given the Lord their baskets as an offering and had breathed a sigh of relief because certain worries had been eliminated.  The woman had actually offered up her orderly basket and told the LORD, “Look how organized this is.  I give it to you to bless.  Now mind you, I asked you to bless it and not rearrange it, OK LORD!”  In arrogance she left her basket on the alter of the LORD as a sacrifice, but it was the offering of Cain because she had put certain stipulations on the it.  “Just don’t stir it up, please Lord,” she begged.  The woman then went to prepare for her day, as each of the others had, feeling confident, feeling secure, and standing strong in their faith.  Their faith foundation was rock solid; it had no cracks or fissures they were aware of.  There were no foundation tremors they could feel at that time.  No one was aware of the evil lurking just outside their safety net.

The enemy attacked their blindside.  He made an end around then did a reverse tactic move.  No one involved saw him coming.  He hit like a freight train.  This storm had been brewing in the deep dark crevices of the sea.  It was the perfect storm that rose from the bile of that place of great weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Their enemy, the devil, hit each one with the ferociousness of an atomic blast.  They were knocked to their knees by the earthquake, but they weren’t crushed by the blast or the falling debris.  “They were hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; stuck down, but not destroyed.”  2 Corinthians 4:8-9.  Each child of the King rose limping at first, bruised for sure, but not knocked out or defeated.  They had been adopted by the Most High God.  They were His children.  They were royalty.  Abba Father bent down and set them on their feet again.  He whispered to their spirits, “You are my child!  Now stand and watch me fight for you.  I am on your side.”  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28.  “For what, then, shall we say in response to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?  It is God who justifies.  Who then is the one who condemns?  No one.  Christ jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD.”  Romans 8:31-39.  Father Abba spoke these words into each of their hearts as He helped them rise from the ashes of the firestorm.  He dusted off His children faces, wiped the dirt off their knees, and covered each scrape with the balm of His Son’s blood.  “What are these words I just spoke into your being if they do not become your victory anthem?” He asked each of His children.  “Speak these words now before you see victory, speak into the storm, “My Papa is bigger than you!” and watch healing begin to rise in you,” the Lord God commanded each child.  He knew they were bruised and broken.  He also knew He could bind up their wounds, which he did with swads of hope.  He covered their tattered and ripped clothing with a robe of His righteousness.  The children stood regally in the shadow of their Father’s Presence and watched on as He defeated their enemy and refused to listen to the devil’s accusations against them.  The Son of God kept refuting the lies fuming from the serpent’s mouth saying, “They are covered by my righteousness!  They are mine.  They have proclaimed their belief in me.  Now be silent accuser of the brethren, I will hear no more from your lips!”  The children looked on in amazement as the condemning words of the enemy just bounced off their Robe of Righteousness.  With a banner of love, the King escorted his children back to His fortress.

More often than not, the Lord speaks to me in a fictitious manner with words that flow from the Truth of God’s Written Word.  As I write, I can feel a victory shout rising in me, “My God is Bigger and Greater than any firestorm the enemy tries to throw at me.”  This story is dedicated to the great servants of God all over this globe who are being hard pressed on every side by the enemy.  Hard pressed but not defeated.