“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 English Standard Version)
At every step on the ascending staircase of life, we will face “The Big Thing” during that particular phase of our upward journey. By now, you know you can do it, of course, with the help of the Lord.
Look at you! You have faced the challenges of formal, informal, and frequent continuing education, and you came out victorious, defeating the difficulty of various disciplines and the distinct and numerous demonic temptations you encounter, all because you learned to trust in God. On top of that, you defeated disappointment, and you also defeated the delays of waiting for the Lord to show up right on time. And when you came out as the winner, you rejoiced, celebrated the fact that faith in God is rewarded in the time that He determines as “right on time.”
Defeating “The Big Thing” that pulled you down at times, or “The Big Thing” that pumped you up too much, inflated your ego too much has been accomplished in your life, many times before! It is a good thing that we don’t have to go through our years alone, keeping in mind that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us.
Defeating “The Big Thing,” well, you have done it, with the help of the Lord who is a very present help. Think about it! You defeated many attempts to disrupt the distinct peace in your house and destroy your desired peace of mind. Thank God that you kept your mind stayed on Jesus. You defeated the negativity that comes with that necessary change called aging. Once again you depended on the Lord. and you are determined to stay in the universal congregation of the righteous. I can hear you now, speaking your testimony, “I have been young and now I am older, but I have never seen the righteous forsaken.”
You have faced “The Big Thing” in many forms, but you were able to defeat it because you kept walking by faith. Good for you! Yet, I must tell you, “The Big Thing” will show up as long as we are blessed to see another day. Nevertheless, with that being said, let me add the recommendation that you adopt the attitude of the Apostle Paul in the opening verse, and the approach that young David displays in the closing verses.
Have a super Saturday! Stay God-conscious and Christ-centered! Remember what the songwriter said when you face “The Big Thing.” “The battle is not ours; it’s the Lord’s!” Amen! Be blessed!
” As the Philistine paced back and forth, his shield bearer in front of him, he noticed David. He took one look down on him and sneered—a mere boy, apple-cheeked and peach-fuzzed. The Philistine ridiculed David. ‘Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?’ And he cursed him by his gods. ‘Come on,’ said the Philistine. ‘I’ll make roadkill of you for the buzzards. I’ll turn you into a tasty morsel for the field mice.’ David answered, ‘You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I’m about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—he’s handing you to us on a platter!’” (I Samuel 41-47 The Message Bible)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King