I Am Grateful That His Mercies Are New Every Morning

Yesterday was one of those days I find as best described in the phrase “from the pit of hell!” Or a more biblical phrase might be from “the gates of hell”….such as Jesus’ words “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!”

But yesterday the gates seemed….they would prevail against me and at some level did, at least yesterday.  The Accuser was at me all day, continually accusing me of something I had left undone.

Just a couple of days before the Holy Spirit had reminded me of a need I had seen in our congregation and had felt the desire to take on and fulfill. I had taken it on several weeks before and had completed a good portion of it, but with life as it is, other things had come up that were urgent and needed attention. It seems now that those ‘urgent’ issues have been addressed, this issue has come to the forefront. That morning I ran across the passage in 2 Corinthians 8 that says “Last year you were the first not only to give, but also have the desire to do so, now, finish the work so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it!” (NIV)

What I find so ironic is that for several days —no weeks, I have been looking at the armor God provides talked about in Ephesians 6 that I have studied and memorized. The problem for me is: study and memorizing did not do the job when I faced yesterday’s onslaught.  The Word clearly states where the battle is; “not with flesh and blood but with “rulers, authorities, the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,” and clearly I experienced that yesterday.  

Somehow the defeating forces of evil were so strong that it seemed and I stress “seemed” to be overpowering. And indeed, I did feel overpowered and completely depleted and decided the best thing to do was get some sleep. Perhaps I was in the same place of Elijah, depleted, exhausted from the battle, wandering in a cacophony of thinking and accusations. I just wanted to sleep it off. Elijah sat under the broom brush and prayed to die, he said he’d had enough, just take my life, I am no better than my ancestors. Well, I wasn’t quite there, but I did fall asleep.

It is almost laughable that Elijah had faced down all of the prophets of Baal in a mighty show of personal stamina with God and his strength undergirding it all. What brought him to this place? 

Jezebel a woman who threatened him. That story could lead down many a trail and many stories….but, for this story what seems true is even the smallest things can seem insurmountable when we are exhausted, depleted and fresh off of some battle or other.  Which I think is the picture of where I was yesterday.

The thing I need to finish up is in all reality, quite a small thing in comparison to the huge battles I have been involved in over the last few months. So, today perhaps the Lord’s words to Elijah can encourage me and maybe you as well; “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazel King over Aram,” and he goes on to name several others that will help. 

This clearly is a road map for me today. I have already contacted the one I made the commitment to and am waiting for some answers from him and then will use the Lord’s advise to Elijah to contact those he has brought to my mind that can help bring this job to completion.

The overall lesson that I have gained from yesterday ordeal is: In order to be able to take a stand against such an onslaught from the evil one, it is not enough to have known or memorized scriptures about the armor God has provided. It is imperative to ‘take them up’ and ‘pray with ALL kinds of prayers!’ The simple prayer of help! would have even been sufficient if I would have thought to have said it to the Lord and meant it.

With all of this in mind, I gratefully walk into this day knowing when I am in that place of exhaustion, our compassionate God wants us to fully give me rest! That he sees me with so much compassion and wants to give me what is needed whatever that may be.

And so I do! Today I feel rested enough to walk into this day renewed in body, mind and spirit girded with the lessons learned from yesterday’s battle.

Scriptures referenced:

Lamentations 3:22-23

Ephesians 6:10-20

I Kings 18 & 19

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