HE THAT IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD…

Ever have one of those weeks, where it just feels like nothing is going the way it should?  This is how my week began.  It started off with our trip home to pack up the house on the acreage and make the move back into the City.

It is hard leaving this beautiful place but we have been feeling the winds of change coming for quite some time… and we are so incredibly thankful for the healing time that we had while here. God has been preparing us and teaching me to listen for him in the silence.

On this particular day, I had gone for lunch with one of my special Sisters in Christ, we had a wonderful time together, but one I sadly had to cut short, I was well aware of the extent of packing I needed to get done in just a couple days to make the move.

As I was saying my goodby’s and getting into my vehicle, I went to pull my truck door closed but before I could do that, I felt the instant and searing pain as my shoulder popped out of its socket… This was NOT good…not good at all!!

I’ve now dislocated this same shoulder 4 times, and 3 of those times this year alone.  I knew exactly what I was in for and how detrimentally it would affect my ability to pack and lift during the move.  It didn’t take long for the discouragement to set in.  Those old familiar lies of the enemy rose soundly to the occasion.

“Well wasn’t that great, now look how useless you are going to be“… “how could you be so stupid?  You really should have known better” and his favourite one to me, “look how many people you are letting down… again!!”  He is nothing, if not persistent by kicking me when I’m down.

Thankfully in the last 18 months, I have learned to discern his lies verses Gods truth, so albeit still frustrated at myself, I chose to plug ahead doing what I could to get things done, knowing that I also needed to spend time with God, to be thankful for ALL things.

So as I sat down today to write, I read through my prayer journal entry where I had left off, (from about 18 months ago), as this was when this  Journey for Jesus was just starting out.  I was totally blown away with the similarities of the timing, of the enemies attack, but even more important the faithfulness of Almighty God.

Then:  I was out with migraines, feeling frustrated… enemy attack.  Now:  dislocated shoulder, feeling frustrated…enemy attack.  That old adage about kicking you when you’re down definitely rings true to his character.  Thankfully, I didn’t get stuck there this time,  I could see a new picture in my rear-view mirror: Then: Despair to the depth of my soul.  Now: one of an answered prayer request for Gods plan and path for our life, for unity in our marriage and the ability to serve God together.

Now as I sit here writing, I am filled with awe, gratitude and thanksgiving for this answered prayer,  For over a year, we waited in Gods waiting room, for God to open a door in our lives… we trusted even when we couldn’t see an answer, today we are packing up our home, and travelling up North, for the fulfillment of that request.

God has granted us a new beginning, a new hope and a new purpose and we get to do it together.  Our Church has given us a new label “Foothills Family Missionaries” and we get to be part of kingdom work through a Godly Organization.

God also provided a beautiful miraculous answer to the prayer requests, that went out from many of our friends and family when they heard about my shoulder.  I amazingly, have fairly full mobility and very little pain.  We are keeping it taped up for safely, but typically I would be in a sling for 3+ weeks, Thank You Jesus!! Glory to God… now to pack!!

 

Journal Entry: #26

Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour. / Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith. For you know that your believing brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure. / And then, after your brief suffering, the God of all loving grace, who has called you to share in his eternal glory in Christ, will personally and powerfully restore you and make you stronger than ever. Yes, he will set you firmly in place and build you up.  / And he has all the power needed to do this—forever! Amen.   1 Peter 5:8-11 TPT

 

Heavenly Father,

Forgive me for I feel weighed down and oppressed.  I started my Day praying thankfulness and gratitude to You, but then this cloud of defeat and frustration descended on me and I have been tormented to the depths of my soul.  

Lord God, I know your Word and trust your promises: “if You are for me, what can be against me”& “I will never leave you nor forsake you“.  I hold theses promises tightly to my heart Lord, yet the voices of torment come at me even harder.  

Is it because I am suffering with migraines, that I’m more vulnerable to the attack?  Because I am weaker and do not have strength for the battle? 

I try to focus on the new labels or names You have given me… “Redeemed” and “Chosen”… but their image is blurry and hardly recognizable.  Instead, I am filled with dread and guilt… how can I possibly feel guilty about migraines, something I have absolutely no control over??  Yet here it is… all I hear is condemnation and attack.  

My heart knows that it is not coming from You Jesus, yet my mind so easily falls back to that terrible place in the rear-view mirror, staring once again at ALL of my sins and failures in the past. 

Just this morning Lord, I shared that I’ve been feeling closer than ever to You and BAMM out of left field the attack begins.  Everything I hear gets twisted in my head, and everything I want to say, gets twisted in my mouth.  If it were not for pen in hand Father, I fear the enemy would prevent me from even talking to You. 

Lord Jesus, pull me out of this pit I pray, give my feet a firm foundation and keep me from sinking,  Allow me to feel Your presence Lord, fill me anew with Your Spirit, and send Your angels to strengthen me and guard me from the attacks of the enemy.  I trust in You Lord.  In Your plan and purpose for my life.  

Forgive me Father for trying to push You into my purpose, instead I pray that You would change the desires of my heart to line up with your desires.  This Lord, it why I believe the enemy is attacking so hard.  He knows you’ve been showing me and teaching me Your truth, rather than buying into his lies as I have for so many years.  

Lord God, I don’t know if he has the power to make me physically ill with these migraines, but he definitely has the power to throw ALL his ugliness and lies at me.  Open my eyes to only see You Lord, and my ears to only hear Your words and Your voice. Help me to fill my ears and soul with your Word and the songs of Worship when the torment comes towards me.  

Help me Father, to love better, to love as You love, to see those around me in need of Your love, and show me how to act on that love towards them.  I don’t want to be a “hearer”of your Word Lord, I want to be a “doer” of it. 

I thank you Lord for the difficult times, not because I enjoy going through them, but because they continue to remove layers of my self-sufficiency, pride, selfishness and desires of the things of this world.  

Lord, Your Word says “that before we were formed in our Mothers womb, You knew us and created us for a particular purpose for this particular time in history”.  Create in me the desires You would have me serve You in the way I was designed to.  

I pray Lord for a special bond and unity within my marriage, so that we may serve You, united as one.  Protect us Lord, and guide us towards Your paths for us.  I know You must have something very special planned if the enemy is fighting this hard to keep us down.

Teach us the hard lessons, so that we will be prepared for what is to come against us.  As You have already warned us in your Word, service to You, comes with a price.  Prepare us Lord, teach us and mold us.  

Thank you Jesus, for your indescribable Love for us, as well as your vast grace and forgiveness.  Help me Lord to forgive myself, to hold tightly to Your hand and remain constantly in Your presence, as there, in Your Light the darkness can not hurt me. 

In Jesus name ❤️ Amen

 

My Final Thoughts & Encouragement: 

Are you in Gods waiting room right now?  Trying to be faithful and trust even when you can’t see a glimmer of Hope coming your way.  Stick at it… it may seem hopeless but I guarantee you that nothing is hopeless with God.

Maybe like me, you are feeling the nasty barbs of the enemy, remind yourself that he is the Father of lies…there is no truth in him.  Take your focus off the rear-view mirror and look upward towards Jesus…what does He say about you?

It is hard work to rewire your brain to not buy into the old lies, oftentimes they become comfortable even if they are self-defeating.  But I promise you, if you bring Jesus into the equation He will definitely win.  “He that is IN you is greater that he that is in the world”

He wants to give you a new name, to remove the old labels with how He sees you:  Worthy, Free, Redeemed, Restored, Chosen, Predestined, Loved…the list goes on and on.  Take a moment, click on each word and read the verses that go with these words,  if you focus on these labels and names, rather than the lies that the enemy throws at you, you will RISE ABOVE and you will start to become who God created you to be…and how beautiful that will be.

Blessings, Janet ❤️  Journey4Jesus

Do you know Jesus ? He’s waiting for you… ( click the link to learn more) 

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