Good morning!
Greetings in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Faith is our confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
Having faith is transcending everything that we know, and what we see and touch on earth. Through faith, those who have faith in Christ are directly tied to God, and the tie cannot be broken by any means: hardship, persecution, distress, tribulation, danger, or sword on earth (Romans 8:35). Through faith, God make us more than conquerors by His power and love that transcend all things that we know. Thus, the world is any longer worthy of us as long as we are in the love of Jesus Christ. Why? Through faith, we are being mold and perfected day by day according to God’s will in His Love. Apostle Paul explains the nature of this relationship:
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
What a comforting message to us! To reveal His love, Jesus gave a parable about the prodigal son, who his father after squandering father’s inheritance for earthly pleasures, but his father opened his arms and embraced the returning son with his love. Peter, who was one of His disciples, and cowardly denied Jesus before a slave girl because of fear, was forgiven and loved by the resurrected Jesus. Jesus amended Peter’s shame and healed the deep wound in his heart by lovingly asking “Do you love me?” A woman in John 8 was terrified of being stoned because she was caught in the act of adultery. Initially, Jesus did not say to her till all people who tried stoning her moved away from her one by one. Then Jesus gently said with a loving voice “Neither do I condemn you: go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:11) Surely, no sin is bigger than the Love of Jesus Christ. Saul persecuted Jesus and those who believed Jesus by capturing them and handing over to the authorities, but Jesus came to Saul and forgave him. Then with His love, He transformed the old Saul to Apostle Paul, His faithful servant. The power of the love of Jesus Christ is greater than anything on earth. Jesus melted Saul’s heart, and molded into Apostle Paul.
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
In Him, we are like a baby in a mother’s bosom – loved, accepted, forgiven, protected, and cared for. Nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from His love, because Jesus tightly holds us in His bosom. Give thanks to Jesus, how is full of love, compassion and mercy!
However, on earth, we are constantly bombarded by the satanic power. It is not unusual that we often realize that we are completely surrounded by the evil power as described in the book of 2nd Kings Chapter 6. One servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (2 King 6:15) “What shall we do?” This is the first utterance from the servant’s mouth because the fear was great and the enemy’s army was numerous. He saw the city was completely surrounded the enemy, and there was no single way to escape from the city. However, Elisha, his master, was calm. Elisha comforted his servant, and explained the reality that his servant could not see – “those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then he prayed to God.
He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 King 6:16-17)
Yes, God is greater than the world. The Syrian army was huge, but the God’s army was even greater. The Syrian army surrounded the city, but the God’s army filled the entire mountain with full of horse and chariots of fire. What a comforting scene! Elisha prayed, and God opened the servant’s eyes. The servant was, then, able to see the reality that he was not able to see: the God’s army was much greater than the enemy.
How much are we different form the servant, when we meet a situation that we are totally overwhelmed and even there is no way to get out? “What shall we do?” is our first utterance from our mouth? This is a telltale sign that we are searching for our own solution to the problem that we confront at. Yes, we prone to fail because we see what is visible by our own eyes. What can be seen easily puts us in terror. This is the time that we need to listen to Jesus, who finds us when we are in distress, and gently tells us “Do not fear. I am with you” because Jesus knows our struggle and our weakness. Jesus experienced the same fear, anxiety, terror and pain that we are experiencing when He was on earth.
On the night of his capture, Jesus asked his disciples praying not to fall in to temptation, but the disciples were sleeping. Then He gently said, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38) Our struggle is not unique. Even Apostle Paul lamented on himself who were struggling in the spiritual battle, “But I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Romans 7:23-24)
Then Apostle Paul shared the greatest secret in the later chapter of the book of Romans:
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26)
God is gracious and full of mercy and love. He knows our weakness. When we are really weak, He is with us. Although we are weak, the Holy Spirit in our heart is strong. When we are in great distress, danger, the Spirit who is interceding us with groanings too deep for word. Just listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. He will teach you how and what to pray, and we will experience the peace of God that transcends all understanding.
Please feel free to share with me your prayer.
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