Prairie Wind

DELIVERER

“You will look in vain for those who tried to conquer you. Those who attack you will come to nothing. For I hold you by your right hand, I the Lord your God! And I say to you, “Don’t be afraid for I am here to help you.” Isaiah 41:12-13

Right in the midst of his mighty enemies, while fear was twisting his gut, when anxiety caused him to shake, Gideon worshiped his God. Down on his knees, Gideon raised his hands to the dark skies and whispered thanksgiving to his Deliverer.

As Gideon sent praises winging to the Heavens, something happened to this mild mannered, timid farm boy. Anxiety beat a fast retreat, fear fled and strength from the Most High God filled his heart.

I believe it was then that God whispered the battle plan into Gideon’s ear. Or maybe God gave it to him as he went forward in obedience one step at a time. Either way Gideon went back to his camp and called out,

“Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands!” Not will but HAS. Amazing what a little affirmation and a big dose of the Holy Spirit will do.

Once the men were all on their feet with weapons in hand, Gideon then told them to lay their spears and bows aside. Imagine their surprise! But—but you said we were going into battle! Face this massive enemy without our weapons? You must be crazy!

Some may have thought, I’m done! I’m outta here! This is way over the edge. This isn’t even practical. In fact it’s down right stupid!

However, all 300 brave men held firm and Gideon divided them into three companies. Then he placed three unusual weapons in their hands. If you could call them weapons. He gave each man a trumpet, an empty clay jar and a lit torch inside the jug.

I can imagine the thoughts these warriors had. You want us to fight with these?! Gideon, you’ve lost it! How in the world are we supposed to win a battle with weapons like this?!

Yet they held firm. Three hundred men carried these unlikely weapons and stealthily surrounded the camp of 135,000 sleeping, enemy soldiers. What were the odds they would not be annihilated?

Gideon’s company reached the edge of the enemy camp in the middle of the night, right after the change of guards. The one hundred men with Gideon blew their trumpets and broke the jars to reveal the torches. All 300 followed Gideon’s lead, blowing their trumpets and breaking the jars.

Then waving the torches above their heads they all yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

Now imagine a dark night with no moon. You are in a deep sleep in your tent, when all of a sudden the hushed quiet is filled with hundreds of trumpets blasting all around the camp. You rush out of your tent and there is fire dancing on the hills surrounding the camp. The air is filled with what sounds like thousands of voices shouting for Gideon, your dreaded enemy, whom you have heard is mighty and fierce. The enemy is attacking! There are thousands and thousands of them. The horns of Israel are sounding!
What would you do?

Gideon’s men held their positions, blowing their trumpets and waving their torches, as the Midianites, Amelikites and all the other Ites of the land, ran from their tents.

When the measly three hundred men sounded their trumpets, the Lord caused the enemies through out the camp to turn on each other with their swords. They killed each other! Israel didn’t have to raise a sword, in this battle. God was their Deliverer!

The enemy army fled, but Gideon sent out messengers and all of Israel rallied and pursued the hated enemy. There were 120,000 warriors killed that night. Gideon’s small army stayed in pursuit of the kings of Midian and their remaining 15,000 men, circling around and taking them by surprise, he attacked them. The army ran, but Gideon’s 300 men pursued and captured the kings and the remaining men. FIFETEEN THOUSAND of them!

Then taking the kings back to Succoth where he punished the leaders of the town for not obeying him by whipping them with briers and thorns and tearing down their tower to the god Peniel. Then he ran a sword through the two kings of Midian because they had slaughtered his brothers. (from Judges 7 & 8)
Wow Who is this fierce warrior? The mighty man we see now is not the man we first met. Where was Gideon when we met him? Hiding in a wine press, beating out his frustrations on the grain he was threshing. Gideon wasn’t anything special. But God called him a mighty warrior. Gideon ignored this because he knew it was far from the truth. He was a farmer, garnering from the land, year after year, what his family needed to survive. A common man, working with his hands in the soil and with animals, he was a bit reclusive, avoiding conflict and confrontations. Gideon shook in his sandals because of the terrible Midianites.

He was not a soldier, not the leader type, nor was he trained for battle. Yet God got a hold of him. He filled Gideon with His power and before our very eyes, Gideon metamorphosed into a Mighty Warrior.

Am I a mighty warrior?

No! Everything within me cries NO! Like Gideon, I don’t even want to be a warrior. I’m hiding in the wine press. I’ll just go about my life, doing what I’ve always done, taking care of my daily chores and hide from my enemies. I really don’t want to fight them. Its ok, I can manage here in my hideaway. I can make it fine and avoid my enemies.

OH but I can’t. My enemies come against me. They pound against my defenses and steal my resources. My wall is shaken and damaged and about to fall over. Who are these enemies?

Worry sneaks in and steals my peace. Fear swoops down and overcomes my joy. Anxiety attacks and smashes my faith. I wasn’t even aware they were infiltrating. I feel if I trust God, which I do, I should not be anxious. Yet, at times anxiety rears its ugly head and threatens to take over. No arguing, no reasoning, no amount of positive thinking can take it away.

It’s a huge enemy overwhelming and strong. Way in advance, I dread leaving for an extended trip, especially when I go by myself. When I leave home, anxiety attacks and I have an overwhelming desire to run to my house and stay there. The thought of medical tests, procedures and surgery causes such dread and fear, I have to force myself to do them. This anxiety makes me sick, literally, and tired and spiritually weak. So how do I fight it?

This fall I had planned a trip to Idaho for a small retreat with my sisters and a visit in Montana where we used to live. Months ahead, I was excited to see my two sisters, nieces and old friends, yet as the time neared, dread and anxiety snuck in. The night before my departure, I felt sick. John reminded me that I get sick every time I am planning on leaving home for an extended time. He wisely said it was the anxiety. I agreed and knew I had to go anyway.

The next morning I left for Wolfpoint Montana where I was to catch the train to Sandpoint Idaho. From point to point! As I drove to Glendive overwhelming fear came upon me. My heart pounded, tears came and I felt my body shake. I’ve never had an actual anxiety attack, but this came very close. I only wanted to go home and just stay home.

“Jesus!” I cried, “Help me.” I kept saying His name over and over. And I kept driving even though I wanted nothing more than to stop and go back.

In the name of Jesus I rebuked Satan, who I felt was coming against me.

“Sing.” Came to my mind.

So I turned on a CD and I began to sing. Peace stole over my body and mind. The shaking stopped. Anxiety fled. It’s really hard to be afraid when you’re singing with the Statlers! And I actually enjoyed my drive to Wolfpoint.

Praise God! Never again on the trip did I have that overwhelming anxiety threaten to take over my body and mind. Oh, there were a few anxious moments when my sister was not there to meet the train in Sandpoint, in the middle of the night and when I almost missed the train in Whitefish, but Jesus was with me all the way and I made it home, safe and sound. John and Doti even survived. And I had a great time! The reality was a whole lot better than my fears.

I don’t fight, God does! Like Gideon, when I turned my eyes on Jesus and worshiped Him, I was filled with His power and His strength. Like the brave 300, I stood firm and took in my hands the unusual weapons God gave me.

The name of Jesus, there is power in the name! Just the saying of it gives strength.

Rebuking Satan in the name of Jesus, because Satan prowls like a lion seeking whom he may devour.

And singing, because singing to God gives courage and confidence.

He is with me! He holds me in His strong hand! He is my Deliverer!

I have another story to tell, about another battle where God is the conqueror and about singing, but that is for another day. So until then, call on Jesus, stand firm, and sing! God is making you and me into a Mighty Warrior.

“You will be a new threshing machine with many sharp teeth. You will tear your enemies apart, making chaff of mountains! You will toss them in the air and wind will blow them all away! Then you will rejoice in the Lord. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel!” Isaiah 41:15-16 NLT

Burden Bearer
“Trust in the Lord at all times, O people. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 63:8
“Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22

As Gideon crawled into his bedroll that night, the night after God had cut down his army to 300, his gut rolled and his jaw was clenched tight. From the enemy camp in the valley below, he could still hear bursts of laughter, roguish shouts and camel grunts now and then.

There was to be no sleep for Gideon this night. He lay there shaking under his fleece covering, and possibly arguing with God. “What are you doing, God? I mean have you seen how many soldiers are camped below? God, there are thousands and thousands! You want me to go against them with a mere 300? That’s three hundred men, Lord, against thousands!” I can just imagine the anxiety and fear Gideon was experiencing.

Then a voice filled his mind, “Get up Gideon,” it seemed to boom, “tonight is the night you will go against the enemy camp. I am going to give it into your hands.”
Did I hear a whimper from the pallet? Gideon sat straight up, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

“And if you’re afraid,” God said.

If he was afraid! Who wouldn’t be? Believe me, Gideon was sweating under his fleece. Talk about an anxiety attack! I mean Gideon could smell the smoke from thousands of fires! Of course he was afraid! And of course, God knew Gideon was afraid, just like He knows when I’m afraid.

God continued, “If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah.”

“What?” Gideon cried. I mean how ridiculous was God going to get? First He takes away nearly all his soldiers and now He’s telling Gideon to sneak into enemy ranks, go amongst all those armed soldiers, the Midianites, the Amelikites the Ammonites and all the other Ites from the east that were thick as locust down there! Why Gideon could no more count their camels than the sands on the sea shore!

Just waltz right into their midst with a big smile on my face! Sure God!

“And,” God went on, “just listen to what they are saying. You will be encouraged enough to attack the camp.”
And that’s supposed to make me feel better! Oh, I doubt that, I’ll probably be dead!

“Trust Me. I will deliver your enemy into your hands.”

Ok! Gideon did just that. He put his fear aside, stopped his sniveling, ignored his clenched gut and woke up his servant. Or maybe he figured he was dead either way so what was the difference. Might as well go out in a blaze of glory! Right? At least look like he was brave and fierce. Right?

He took Purah; I would’ve liked to have seen the servant’s reaction to the plan, “Do what? What’d you say?” And they quietly, carefully, prayerfully snuck into the enemy camp in the dead of the night. They managed to get past the guards and came upon a tent on the very edge of the camp.

Somehow in the dark of the night, amongst thousands of tents, they managed to find the very tent they were supposed to. As they hunkered down, they heard a man talking inside his tent.

I had a dream,” he said, “a round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp from the hill above. It struck the tent with such force that the tent collapsed and was smashed flat.

“That can only be,” another man responded, “the sword of Gideon, son of Joash, the Israelite! God has given the Midianites and this whole camp into his hands!”

What? Did this foreigner believe in God? Possibly. Or at least he understood the God of the Israelites.

So God led Gideon right to the very place where there was a believer who would understand the dream of his tent-mate. A dream that reaffirmed to Gideon what God had been telling him all along.

“I will deliver your enemy into your hands.”

What do you think Gideon did? He worshiped God. Right there in amongst his sleeping enemies, he praised God. He thanked Him for the victory Israel was soon to have.

Then God gave Gideon the battle plan.

He is my Burden Bearer

Well Gideon couldn’t deny that God was with him that night. Could he? It was too miraculous. Definitely could not be coincidence that he would stumble onto the very thing he needed most. Encouragement, bolstering and affirmation.

How often has that happened to me? I open the Bible and just happen to read a verse that speaks right to my problem. One of my old blogs just happens to come up on Face Book and in it are verses that speak comfort to my heart. A friend just happens to tell me the very health information I need. I just happen to run into the owner of our house in Sentinel Butte when I needed a house and he needed a tenant. And on and on.

NO my friends it didn’t JUST happen. God’s hand prints are all over my life. He is with me. He is my Burden Bearer. However, I must give Him my burdens before He can bear them.

Have you ever tried to pack a backpack with someone else? Each putting an arm through the straps? It might be funny, but it would not work for long. Even carrying something with someone is awkward. Often John tells me, “It’s easier if I just get it myself.”

If I say that to God, “I can get it, no prob.” He lets me get it. He will let me carry my burdens, if I insist. I must give them to Him. I must lay them at His feet. I must put my problem into His capable hands. Then and only then will He bear them. If I take them back, I must lay them down again. And again. AS many times as it takes.

If I am self sufficient and depending on my own strength, God’s power is cut off.

Remember Peter in the boat? When the sea was contrary with high waves and strong winds and the disciples could not row against it. They grew bone weary since they had been rowing much of the night.

Suddenly, they saw a white shimmering light on the water. At first they were afraid. They thought it was a ghost. But who wouldn’t? Who or what would be out in a storm in the middle of the night on top of the sea?

“Do not be afraid!” A familiar voice boomed across the waves, “It is I!”

“Jesus!” Peter shouted, “Is that really you?” Who would’ve thunk it? Jesus coming to them on top of the roiling sea!

“If its really you,” and not a ghost, “tell me to come to you and I will.”

“Well then, come.” Jesus says. Is there a little chuckle in his voice?

Peter doesn’t hesitate, he doesn’t stop to think, he doesn’t confer with his buddies. He climbs over the edge of the boat and steps on to the water. Strange, is it not, stepping ON to water. Peter never takes his eyes off his Lord as he takes a step.

Is his mind filled with wonder of actually stepping on top of the water? Is he amazed at what he is doing? Or is he so intent on getting to the side of Jesus that he doesn’t even think about it?

He takes a step, then another step, as Jesus walks towards him. Water splashes in his face. The boat rises beside him and disappears as a wave carries it away. Suddenly Peter realizes where he is, standing on the rolling water, in the dark night. His eyes go to the rising waves and he sinks.

“Jesus!” he cries, “Help me!”

His head is just above the water when Jesus reaches down and grabs his hand.

“You of little faith,” Jesus says, “why do you doubt?” (from Math. 14:22-32)

Oh Peter, I think, why didn’t you just keep looking at Him? Why didn’t you trust Him? Think of all you could have done. Think of all the fun you could have had walking those waves with Jesus!

But then am I not just like Peter? When a storm comes up, I think I trust Him, I step out of the boat onto the tossing waves, I take a few steps towards my Savior. And then I see the storm. I don’t see my Savior walking on the water. My eyes are on the wild waves and dark waters that are threatening me.

NO way can I do this!

I am not looking at His power, I only see mine. My power, my strength is feeble.

I can’t walk on water!

His power is cut off. And I sink.

Why don’t I keep my eyes on Jesus? Why don’t I walk in His strength? What power do I have? Don’t you see? I have the very power that enabled Peter to walk on that water. I have the power that created the universe! I have the power that raised Jesus from the dead!

Right inside me. In the person of the Holy Spirit. IN me. It’s there at my disposal, if I would but keep my eyes on Him. If I would only depend on Him and not myself. The minute I take my problems out of His hands, the minute I stop trusting Him, the moment I try to do it on my own, His power is cut off and I sink.

Peter in all his young man strength was not strong enough to walk on water. Something God has been telling me lately is: when I was the strongest I could be I was not nearly as strong as when I am weak and depending on His strength. To let go of my strength and rely on the power of the Most High, is not to become weaker but to be stronger. Much stronger!

God wanted Gideon to infiltrate the enemy camp. Sometimes He asks me to go into enemy territory. Like when fear rises up and anxiety comes against me, and God wants me to face that fear head on. To go and do the thing He is leading me to do. When I do, like Gideon, I find that my fear was much worse than the reality.

You see, there is no Jesus in my anxiety. When I am anxious and afraid, I see only the waves and the storm. But when I step out in God’s will, relying on His power, Jesus is by my side. Like Gideon, I see my enemies have diminished. They are not near as powerful as I thought they were.

So I need to trust my God and keep my focus on Him at all times. Give Him my burdens, fears, anxieties, and weaknesses and leave them in His hands. I need to let go of my strength, what little I have, and rely on Him. Instead of being self-sufficient, I need to realize God IS sufficient and draw from the Creator’s strength.

I need to remember He is my Burden Bearer. He bears my burdens. All of them. All the time. If I will give them to Him. And like Gideon, I need to worship my God and give praise and thanks to Him in song.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. The Lord is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one.” (His child) Psalm 28:7-8

ENABLER
My life is in His hands and He keeps my feet from stumbling. You have tested me, O God, You have purified me like silver.  from Psalm 66:9-19

The next morning Gideon and his army of 32,000 men marched to the spring of Herod, just south of where the enemy camped in the valley below. Being on a hill, Gideon could see the vast enemy camp spreading across the plains. How many were there? Many more than he could count, with their camels and iron chariots and foot soldiers. If Gideon was shaking in his sandals before, his knees began knocking now. What was 32,000 men against such an army?

Who am I to go against such an enemy? I’m just a farmer, certainly not a warrior and definitely NOT a war leader! What is God thinking?

However, there were the signs, not just two, but three miraculous signs that affirmed God had chosen Gideon to deliver Israel. “Go in the strength you have,” God had told him. With 32,000 men his army wasn’t too shabby. Not thousands like the enemy, but they could do this and God would be with them. After all it was His plan. Was it not?

Then God said, “Gideon, you have too many soldiers with you. If you fight with all of them, then Israel will boast it was by their own strength that they beat the Midianites. I want you to know it was by My strength, not yours. So tell all the men who are afraid to go home.”

“Go home!” I can just hear Gideon exclaim, “But God I need those men!” But it made some sense, if these men were afraid they would spread their terror among the ranks and weaken their strength, wouldn’t they? So Gideon made the announcement and watched while twenty-two thousand men walked away. Gideon counted every man and when the last one left the camp he knew exactly how many were left. Ten thousand. Against thousands and thousands. What was God thinking?

Yet, God had said, “Go in the strength you have.” Gideon’s strength was dwindling. Fast.

Then God said, “There are still too many men.”

“Too many? What do You mean?” Gideon cried pitifully.

“Take the men down to the stream to drink and I will tell you who goes with you.”

So ten thousand men marched down to the water and began to drink. Some got down on their bellies and drank directly out of the stream. Others knelt and while keeping their eyes on the surroundings, they scooped water with their hands and lapped like a dog.

God said, “Tell the ones who got down on their bellies to leave.”

With sinking heart, Gideon did so, and when he counted the remaining men is heart plummeted to his feet. Now only 300 men remained to fight an army that could not be counted. What was God thinking?

The Lord said, “With these three hundred men, I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.”

Go in the strength you have. Not your strength, not the men’s strength, but My strength.

My Neediness, His Strength
“Come to Me in all your neediness with defenses down and with desire to be blessed. As you spend time in My presence, your deepest desires will be fulfilled. Rejoice in your NEEDINESS, which enables you to find intimate completion in Me.” From Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Does God want me to be self sufficient?

My physical strength is something I’ve always counted on. I’ve always been strong, capable and fearless, or I used to be anyway. Able to do most anything I put my mind to. When I was single, after loosing Jim, I decided I would not depend on a man, that I would do everything, I possibly could do. I soon found, however, that a man is handy when it came to changing the oil, something I didn’t even want to learn, and getting fire wood. And a few other things too. And I must say, my man is a very handy guy to have around. Did I take pride in my strength and self sufficiency? Probably.

I used to be a die-hard hunter when very few women hunted. Men marveled that I ventured out alone with riffle or bow in hand, shot a buck and usually an elk every year and EVEN gutted my own game. Usually my friend and I would even pack out our deer on horses.

I trained Bloodhounds for search and rescue, and spent much time careening down steep mountains, leaping through snow, jumping over logs while running behind them. Although I usually let the strong hound help pull me up the hills, we went at a fast clip most of the time. It was not easy, yet I could keep going, up and down rugged mountains, all day long while on a search or hunting. I was in top condition. Did I revel in that strength?

I definitely relied on my strong body and good health. Now my strength is diminishing, my health is beginning to fail a bit and anxiety threatens to overcome my mind at times. You can say its age, it happens, no matter how we fight it. But is God diminishing my strength, the power that I have relied on all my life, to make His strength most evident?

God cut down Gideon’s army to impossible numbers, so Gideon and Israel would know it was God who won the battle. Not themselves.

Is God doing that with me? Taking away what I relied on most in my life so I will go to Him ONLY for my needs. I say He is the Rock I stand on. And He is, yet I stand. Am I standing in my strength, not God’s?

Like Gideon, am I relying on the wrong thing? Gideon’s enemy was vast. They were thick as locusts in the valley. Their camels could no more be counted than the sands on the sea shore. Gideon’s original army of 32,000 was stretching it, but now he only had 300 men. What was Gideon to do?

If God takes my health and strength away what would I do? Where would I turn? No place but God. I may have to sit on the Rock but the Rock is where I want to be.

God said, “Go in the strength you have.” What strength do I have? The strength of my legs? The strength of my mind? I have nothing apart from my Lord. The strength I have, the strength I go on, the strength I have always gone on is my God’s strength. Not mine.

Am I willing to lay my self sufficiency on the alter? I was taught to be self sufficient, to make it on my own, to be strong. Not bad qualities. To a point. In the wilds of Alaska, or the tough terrain of western Montana, through the harsh weather in North Dakota, we have to be tough and strong. Life calls for us to be capable and self sufficient. Does it not? There are good things in being strong. But not when I’m grasping it like life line. Not when I cling to my good health like a drowning person clings to a sinking boat.

Its time to relinquish my hold. God is taking my fingers and prying them open one by one. Slowly I relax my grip.

God told Gideon, “Those who are more concerned about getting a drink than gaining victory over the enemy must go home.” Am I more concerned about my comfort, my health than having victory in the battle, in marching through the struggles with my head up looking at my Commander? Than gaining endurance and learning to lean on my Savior? Than growing closer to my Lord and relying on Him as my everything?

I can imagine how Gideon felt when he saw all those men laying down to drink. “NO!” He must have cried, “We’re done for now!” God says to me, “Trust me.” Yet when I see my health flying out the door, I panic and cry.

Don’t I believe even without good health that God will sustain me, keep me and even bless me? That He will enable me to endure what He brings my way? Yet not just endure, but have joy and peace through it? Oh yes!

His strength will be made apparent in my weakness.
I have the need, He has the riches.
He takes my weaknesses not my strengths, and works through them in MIGHTY ways.
He will ALWAYS take care of me, even in sickness even in weakness, even in old age.

He is my Enabler

“You are My child, I have chosen you and I will not throw you away!
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:9-10

You lift me up so I can stand on mountains.
You lift me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on Your shoulders!
You lift me up to more than I can be.

Song You Lift Me Up

Let it Grow
“Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through as if something strange was happening to you. Instead be VERY glad, for these trials make you partners with Christ in suffering, so you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to the world.” 1Peter 4:12-13 NLT

“Let us not attach ourselves to his gifts, but to Himself and when He plunges us into the night of pure faith, let us still press on through the agonizing darkness.” Herbert Book, Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

It is in the darkest night where even a candle seems bright. In the deep gloom a lit match will brighten a room. If you are walking in utter blackness of the night, this is when you will most see His Light.

Have you ever been plunged into darkness in a single moment? Or maybe the shadows came slowly until the path you are walking is in dark gloom. Have you ever struggled down a forested mountainside in the dark? I have.

One time my late husband, Jim, and I got lost when hunting (well he got lost and wouldn’t listen to me) and went the opposite way from the truck. We ended up after dark, slipping, sliding and tripping down the mountain, heading into a deep canyon. Deeper into the darkness we went, until I couldn’t see Jim in front of me and had to hang on to his coat to keep from losing him. We ran into tree limbs and fought through brush, and felt our way across a small stream, until finally coming out on an old overgrown road at the bottom of the canyon.

It was a deep darkness that we walked through. There was no moon, no starlight getting through the thick foliage. We literally felt for every step along that old road. Until I could see a little bit of light, what almost seemed like a glowing ahead of me. I surged forward thinking we were coming out of the woods. Suddenly my foot was dangling over nothing. I yelled, as I wobbled and almost lost my footing. Grabbing my arm, Jim jerked me back.

“What is it?” he asked.

“There’s nothing ahead of us, it must be a drop off.”

Yet I could see a faint light, or glowing ahead and below. After considering it, we figured it must be a main Forest Service road we were seeing. With fewer trees the lighter gravel of the road was reflecting any faint light until it almost glowed. We had to get to the light, which meant the way back to our rig, but the drop off was in front of us with no apparent way around it.

Jim said he would lower me down until I could touch ground. So I faithfully climbed over the edge and grabbed his hands as he let me down slowly. It felt as if I was dangling over a great precipice, with nothing but darkness below. My feet scrabbled for footing against the bank, and I held tightly to his hands. There was nothing below my kicking feet.

“Let go.” Jim said. “Its not far.”

“No!” I cried, “I’m going to fall! Pull me back up.”

He tried to pry my hands loose, but I clung desperately, refusing to let go. He pulled me back up.

“There’s gotta be a better way,” I decided.

We found a way, although, maybe not better, fighting through brush and young trees and sliding down the bank. With our feet firmly on the wide, lighter road, we trudged the long, three miles back to our rig. Far below the mountain, we could see the small lights in the valley winking brightly in the dark moonless night. Those tiny lights far below greatly encouraged and strengthened us to keep going.

(By the way-some time later, we were walking on that same gated road and in the light of day we saw the “precipice” Jim was trying to drop me off. He was indeed right, I would have dropped maybe a foot!)

Sometimes there has to be darkness in our world for us to seek the Light, for us to see the Light. Oh we enjoy the day, the sunshine, the joyful times, the happiness, but yet it says in James 1:2 “Consider it PURE joy when ever you face trials of any kind.” (NIV)

Not just be glad or thankful for, but PURE joy. Pure Joy! When bad things happen! Is that possible?

The NLT says, “Consider it an opportunity for great joy.” It doesn’t say feel pure joy but consider it pure joy. Consider a trial a chance for joy, an opportunity to gain joy. Maybe not happiness or enjoyment or comfort, but the kind of joy God gives that flows deep in your heart.

Why should we consider it pure joy? “for you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” (NLT) Or as the NIV says “the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”

Sticktoitness. As Webster says, “Steadiness in seeking a goal, persistent effort. Persevere-to persist in any undertaking.”
Standing firm, not backing down.

NO RETREAT! NO SURRENDER!

Endurance. Tenacity. Strength.

His strength not mine, is how I stand on the Rock.
His endurance, not mine, is how I keep marching.
His joy, not mine, is how I keep praising Him.

Welcome the darkness. Seek the Light! Stand in the Light! Draw strength from the Light!

“For you know that when your faith is tested your endurance has a chance to grow.
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete needing nothing.” James 1:3 NLT
You will need nothing, because everything you have will be from God.
So let it grow.