Temptation
Testing
Struggles
Crisis
Death
Pain
Suffering
Confusion
We all face them. We all experience them. Why? We are in a world broken by sin and we have an enemy actively working to destroy us. Satan has a wonderful plan for your life. His plan is to kill you, to steal from you, and to destroy you (John 10:10). What he cannot take from you he will lie to you to get you to give it up. After all, he is a liar and he is the father of lies (John 8:44). How do you know Satan is lying? His lips are moving.
How do we stand strong in difficult times? Follow the example of Jesus. In Matthew 4 and Luke 4 Jesus demonstrates the first thing about standing strong when being tested to one’s limits: Know who you are. Prior to Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit into the desert where he is tempted by Satan to abandon his divine mission Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. As he is coming out of the water the heavens open and we hear a voice say, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus’ knowledge of himself as God’s son, the assurance of his father’s love and pleasure provide the foundation on which Jesus stands in his times of testing. It is our foundation as well. Do you know who you are?
- You are Christ’s friend. (John 15:15)
- You are a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him. (Romans 8:17)
- You are God’s workmanship – His handiwork – born anew in Christ to do His work. (Ephesians 2:10)
- You are chosen of God, holy and dearly loved. (Colossians 3:12 / 1 Thessalonians 1:4)
- You are an enemy of the devil. (1 Peter 5:8)
- You are a child of God (John 1:12)
- You have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to find mercy and grace in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
- You are the recipient of eternal life. (John 3:16)
- You have been redeemed and forgiven of all your sins. The debt against you has been canceled. (Colossians 1:13-14)
And so much more!
One of Satan’s greatest lies is to cause us to doubt the love of God and our identity as children of God during times of suffering and testing. We stand firm in these times by remembering who we are and who God is and never letting go.
Do you know who you are?
Blessings,
Stephen
footprints. Footprints that run into each other and cross each other. Footprints that stand alone and even. Some tell the stories of rabbits. Others of squirrels. Of a chocolate lab. Of people. I could go on and on. A couple weeks ago, I noticed a very telling and interesting set of footprints. Rabbits tracks started and then ended. Where they ended, I noticed an interesting set of tracks. Four wide marks on the snow and then nothing. Wing marks perhaps? I can see it now. A rabbit was moving along, making its way up the hill, when swoop! Down came a hawk and the rabbit went poof!