When the devil has you down, sometimes you throw your hands up in the air and beg the question, “When will this be over? When will things start looking up?”

That’s where I am at right now. When, Lord? We remain faithful, we are trying to follow Your statutes, we pray and seek guidance, we disciple, read, fellowship and grow, but the spirit of defeat keeps knocking at the door.

It’s easy to give up under the pressure of this negative spirit. We could also admit defeat and move on. However I don’t believe that’s what we’re called to do.

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

There are hundreds of verses in the Bible that speak to this. The Lord tells us over and over that we will be held in His hand, that His protection will be over us, and that He will carry us through. Hundreds of times he pours down truth, love, and encouragement no matter the situation that we find ourselves in.

We question over and over why a loving God allows such trials. What we should do instead is recognize that He doesn’t cause these things, but the sin of the world has brought us down. It’s Him that lifts us up and allows for us to lean into His promises. We stand as sinners in a fallen world. We need to linger on the Lord’s words and spend time with Him to truly grab on to the strength that He provides us.

It’s hard to not feel defeated. It’s harder to face the world without Jesus. There’s no meeting in the middle. Going all in is the most important part of our walk. The rest will follow, including the peace it takes to overcome.

Thank you for joining me on this 15th day of the 31 Days of Five Minute Writing Prompts. Today’s theme is: WHEN. Please follow me and see what else I am writing at this link.