Overcomer’s Grace
When obstacles or problems come up, sometimes we tend to make the mistake of looking at the negative or irritating things happening and start saying, “I have so many blockages, look at these blockages, I have so much witchcraft, I’m so wicked, it’s because I’m such a sinner all these bad things are happening to me.”
The problems and difficulties in life that come up are actually to help us press into God and praise Him for using them for our good and making us perfect through the things that we suffer. This is how the Apostles, even though imprisoned in chains because they were living for the Lord, were able to sing, praise, extol, and magnify the name of the Lord in the midst of terrible circumstances and bad things happening in their natural lives.
It is not written that Paul and Barnabas began to accuse each other of witchcraft for ending up in jail. They glorified the Living God and praised Him with childlike faith that shut the mouth of the accuser and broke the chains.
When bad things happen– the car breaks down, you get fired from your job, the family is falling apart, the money isn’t coming in, friends and loved ones slander and accuse you, when it looks as if in the natural dimension the enemy is winning and putting you behind bars, and everything is falling apart–that, my friend, is the precious moment of powerful praise. If you listen to the still, small voice, you can hear Him whisper: “…because you love me, I am working all these things out for your good. I will make you perfect through the things you suffer in the natural realm. I will comfort and guide you through the whole process and bring you out on the other side as gold purified through the fire and flame.”
I had a measure of this fruit before diving into the world of online Christianity and ministry. By the fruit of His word, by believing this particular truth, He provided me miraculously with a new car when the old one broke down, completely removed the throat obstruction in me that was a medical emergency (the award-winning ENT told me they were going to have to cut open my throat ASAP to remove the tissue obstruction), this very truth of God’s goodness allowed my oxygen levels to be at peak even when I had to go to the urgent care. This very truth gave me divine favor and forgiveness in my workplaces and favor with my bosses, coworkers, and clientele as I grew in believing in His Goodness. His glory is His goodness, His Love, despite our darkness. As we lean into Him and diligently seek Him with whatever level of revelation, maturity, or love that we currently have at THIS MOMENT–not 5 or 10 years from now, but what you do and believe with what you have right now, at this moment, moment by moment.
Once I started to get into ministry, one of the pitfalls and traps of Satan was to get me to start looking at my circumstances and performance in the natural realm. Even though I had seen God use negative things caused by my own sin to work for my own good, correct me, purify and grow me, and always bring me up higher, I started seeing negative things as just my witchcraft. Instead of allowing His goodness to flood in like so many times before, I focused on my darkness. I began to accuse myself daily and beat myself up for even the smallest things in my life going wrong. This was just last year. It even got so bad that at one point I would be in FEAR of the ROBOT VACUUM NOT MAKING IT BACK TO THE CHARGER because that would mean my “witchcraft was really bad that day.” See what kind of hell you come into when you start analyzing everything with your brain instead of trusting in your heart and spirit that God is working out everything for your good. Someone needs to hear this today. I lost a lot of peace and almost shipwrecked my faith by doing this.
When you begin to think and move like this, analyzing every bad thing that happens, from minor irritations to big problems, CONGRATULATIONS you are now doing Satan’s job for him. Daily accusing and condemning yourself for even the smallest things really makes the devil’s job easy for him. Now you work for Satan. You now have learned to magnify the enemy with your soul, thoughts, mind, and emotions and block yourself off from the increases, blessings, and changes God wants to bring into your life.
Even though I had experienced the fruit of this grace before, I didn’t treasure that seed or hold on to it. This is why it is written, “Hold tightly to what you have,” and “Do not lose your confidence, for it will be richly rewarded.” Keep growing glory to glory, and always hold on tightly to the good fruit and seed developed in your life. Don’t throw away that precious treasure developed in intimacy; you’ll need it for your next season of life and growth.
It took time and healing, but I’m finally getting back into that place of rest and peace. It’s all by trusting in His goodness and not focusing on your sin when the accuser comes. When bad things happen, just acknowledge it and then turn to the Lord Jesus within you and give it to Him to transform it into light and work things out for your good. As Andrew Murray wrote in “Humility”:
“It is necessary to understand that it is not sin that humbles most, but grace.” “God desired to reveal Himself in and through His creatures by communicating to them as much of His own goodness and glory as they were capable of receiving.”
The difference is when you accuse yourself and beat yourself up, thinking it will make you humble, you cut yourself off from a greater grace. Open your heart today to the overwhelming goodness of the grace of God, to receive true humility that will lead to the lasting fruit of repentance as you dive into His river of goodness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Be blessed with a fresh new start today.
