Encouragement
Stand In the Flames!
Robert S. Totman
I’ve heard of testing and tribulation all over the place in recent months, throughout the Body of Christ, “The devil is attacking me. He’s unleashing a new dimension of demonic forces against all of God’s people. The time is near and things are getting worse and worse.”
Please – people of God – the devil can’t do anything apart from God allowing it; unless of course, you are giving the enemy keys to your house!
Might God be trying to tell us something, trying to teach us something through these trials? Of course He is!
Here’s the lesson, “CHRIST – the Victory – IN YOU!”
1 Cor. 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (ESV).
“Temptation” in 1 Cor. 10:13 – a putting to proof…discipline. (G3986, Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries)
Pro. 12:1, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid” (ESV). Proverbs also teaches that discipline is the way to life.
What will it take for you to discover the victory in you? You can’t pray to know God more; you can’t pray for God’s will in your life; you can’t pray for God to be glorified in you – and then whine, doubt, and complain as He moves to make you shine in the Name of Jesus.
I’ve learned that “kicking against the goads” is painful! We must submit to God’s discipline, resist the devil and he will flee.
God put Christ in you and Christ is zealous to be revealed, that others may know Him and be saved. You pray that others might know Christ through you, right? During trials we must surrender to God’s sovereignty and seek the “way of escape.” In the past, I thought that the way out was through a particular circumstance, that God would ease the pressure by providence. Sometimes that’s true; but, more often than not, the way out is clinging to a Scripture. God provides a Word and desires that we earnestly and consistently choose Him (the Word) over anything else. Then, rightly, we will see a pleasing circumstance come – promotion from God as proven by Him. This is not a magic formula; it’s a way of skillfully navigating life.
We must bow to the Word, enthroning Christ in any and every circumstance to make Him our King. Then, He promises to govern our lives in such a way that His Kingdom will come through us and our well-being increases, to “no end” (Isa. 9:6-7).
Our Lord delights in being our only hope. It’s through participating in His Word that we are often led into circumstances where we are utterly reliant upon His presence – His power, not ours. In fact, He teaches us to vacate all of our “power” so that we can inhabit His. So we rejoice in our trials and marvel at the patience He works in us.
I have failed at this too many times to recount! Nevertheless, God is with me. I continue because I know that He is working an unending measure of glory in me, that others might know the Lord through my being.
Rev. 3:18, “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich…”
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