As is often the case when we feel blessed it is easy to count our blessings, but when things aren't going as smoothly the adversary seems to expand our hardship until we can't see anything else, our view and perspective is so overwhelmed with all that seems wrong or unfair that we miss the tender mercies that make the darkness almost bearable. And I say that sentence very thoughtfully, because sometimes even recognizing the tender mercies doesn't take us away from the cliff we feel we're on, we still feel overwhelmed, we still feel as if the prayers we pray the most still go unanswered and we still feel un-met in our need. We don't feel unloved, those tender mercies show that we are loved and we are grateful for that love, it just doesn't feel enough to meet us in our extremity. The darkness feels like it is closing in, the fear of the unknown overwhelms all hope for the future and the forces of darkness pounce as your faith, valiantly striving to press forward, stumbles for a moment.
The battle for the souls of man is so very real, the forces of darkness are arrayed against us, they seek to crumble faith, stamp out hope and overwhelm us away from the very things that give us the backbone to stand. They fight with weapons of doubt, fear, worry, hopelessness, feelings of unworthiness and lack of worth, guilt, frustration, hatred and sadness. They don't play honorably, if they see weakness they will capitalize on it. Yet however big the darkness may be there is even greater light available to God's children, He has arrayed His forces of light, hope, joy, and very real warrior angels to defend us. Just as when we have a desire to believe that desire can work in us to create hope and faith, even if we just have a desire to leave the darkness behind, to force that darkness away, our loving Father in Heaven will send His angels to surround us, protect us and send that darkness packing. You call those powers of heaven down into your hope and you (with the power of Christ) send the adversary and his darkness packing. Stand forth as a son or daughter of the Most High, even the Supreme Ruler of the Universe and you call on that divine power and you send that darkness away, because once that darkness leaves you can then see God's plan, purposes, power and gifts and then you can see the tender mercies for what they are.
After three days of darkness and very real battles for light in my home, not knowing what each new day would bring (and often bringing feelings of sadness and isolation) I looked upon a full plate of food at a family reunion and realized that it didn't matter what I didn't have, it mattered that I had a yard full of people supporting, encouraging and loving me, sending platefuls of food home with me so I won't have to cook for a few days (which really saves on groceries and is a beautiful gift in this heat). When we call on the powers of heaven for assistance we have a moment to take a breath and see what we do have. We have time to see the tender mercies for what they are, moments when we know God does love us and He still is arranging our good.
Once years ago I was promised faith to move mountains and to split seas and I always wondered what faith like that would be, what would it be like to move the elements? Then I realized, moving elements might be really cool, but it wasn't the point. You move mountains and split seas because the Lords tells you to, you do it because you have faith in Him and trust He'll help you do what He asked. The exact same faith applies in everyday life, it comes in heeding the Spirit, in not praying for that healing your heart craves and instead pray for hope and faith that things will one day be okay (because that is what the Lord needs for you now, for now), it comes in finding a bright spot even if it is just one bright spot, one brief flash of light in a sea of darkness, it comes in waking up every morning and trying even when the forces of hell feel stacked against you, it comes in uttering a prayer when the millions of minions of Satan whisper God won't hear you and He won't answer your prayer, it comes when the Spirit whispers you do have the faith to be healed, but it isn't time to pray that prayer yet because the Lord will answer it, but you have more growth to come first. It comes when in your tears you thank Father for letting you breath another day, it comes when you thank Heavenly Father for a plate full of food, even not knowing where the money for your next trip to the grocery store will come.
Faith to move mountains and split seas is the faith we use everyday and though it may look mundane today, it really will move mountains in a coming day and we will realize that the Lord has been preparing a people to do His amazing work, to fight off armies and build a city fit for Him to live in, even if today it is just saying thank you for one plateful of food.
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