"The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows, yet they turned back in the day of battle." Psalm 78:9
Are you facing a battle?
I battle daily with keeping my time with the Lord sacred, my affection for my husband alive, my teaching to my children consistent, my home in order, myself showered, and my own sin nature in check (by God's grace).
Life is tough. Persevering through it and not giving up is even tougher.
It is so easy to give up, to try and escape. We escape in many ways-the Internet, books, TV, friends, etc. We don't know how to push through our emotions, our tiredness, or our failures. We get stuck. We feel lost...abandoned. Our marriages lack real intimacy. We are scared to death that if we try again, we'll just fail again, so why bother. We give in.
The thing is, I think we often forget that we are archers equipped with bows. We (believers) have the power of the Holy Spirit, the strength of the Lord, and the grace of the cross to keep us going. The enemy wants to destroy us, and sometimes we are wide open for destruction.
We are equipped with everything we need to fulfill all that God has given to our care!
Do this:
"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12
Get this:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day..." 2 Timothy 4:7,8
Now get those priorities in order, make a schedule, and keep persevering! Reclaim your life! I can't wait to see your lists on Monday!
"When a personal dream or goal in life is met with hurdles and hardship-both goal and dream are soon forgotten. Before long we begin to resemble Rome in its last days-a magnificent mask of outward, impressive stature...devoid of inner strength...soft and mushy at the core, desperately lacking in discipline and determination. There is not an achievement worth remembering that isn't stained with the blood of diligence and etched with the scars of disappointment. To run, to quit, to escape, even to hide solves nothing...it only postpones a reckoning with reality...Are you facing some difficult battle today? Don't run! Stand still...and refuse to retreat. Look at it as God looks at it and draw upon His power to hold up under the blast. Sure, it's tough. Nobody ever said the Christian life was easy. God never promised you a Disneyland. He offers something better-His own sustaining presence through any trouble we may encounter." Chuck Swindoll, Come Before Winter
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21 comments:
Life has been really tough this past couple weeks and I've been struggling to fight. This is just what I needed to hear and am encouraged to stay in the battle! We are victorious if we fight the good fight! Thanks for the word ~ Blessings, Katy
You have a way with words! Thanks for admonishing up to press in and press on. Keep it comin', girl!: )
I meant 'us' not up. Oops. :/
This was the perfect thing for me to hear today. I have been struggeling to fight these past few days and that was just the lift I needed. Isn't it amazing how God works through others?! Thank you so much for your committment to this blog. I enjoy it (and You!) everyday!! :-)
I just love reading your posts. I love how to connect every thing from the bible to our daily life...
I've been going through something similar. I posted a bout it http://buildethherhousewithlove.blogspot.com/2009/05/get-on-with-real-life_05.html I have been limiting my time online to put my family first. Can't wait for Monday.
The past months have been a battle and sometimes I find it hard to fight. I do turn my back. Thank you for the wonderful words and scripture that I needed to continue in the battle.
Have a blessed weekend!
It can be easy to forget that God equips us for each task he calls us too...I know I sometimes lose sight of that fact when I feel overwhelmed!
Love the encouragement of this post!
We do have bows! How often we forget. Thank you, Sarah Mae.
Thank you for the encouragement. We've all got to keep pressing on!
Blessings to your family this Mother's Day!
Beth
This was perfect today!
I can see how this resonates with your readers - and can't even express how it bolstered me in the face of some pretty awful stuff. Awesome! Just what we warriors needed to hear!
I have to stop forgetting that I am armed with the bows.
smooches,
Larie
What a breath of fresh air. You are such an encouragement in the fight for right-ness and righteousness. Blessings to you, beautiful lady. May He bolster and strengthen you in your fight today.
Lovingly ~Sara
I'm so glad I read your blog, Sarah Mae. I have been strongly considering my priorities, and reflecting on yours as an example.
Tonight my husband & I were discussing my desire to go back to graduate school again, and I said I wasn't sure if I could handle school plus work, house, kids, managing my small business... and he said, "and what about me? I'm not even on that list!"
He was kidding, but to me it was like a swift kick in the you-know-what. He was right. And I was surprised to discover that I have somehow managed to allow him & our marriage to slip down my list of priorities until it apparently fell right off. I'm not sure I would have realized the significance of this had I not been reading your blog.
Thank you!
It feels like this post was just meant for me today, so thank you. I'm getting to business and thanking God for this call to action.
I feel like you are looking through my window when you come up with your topics. lol Thank you for such great advice. Hearing what the Word says is what I need to hear and you always seem to remind us of it.
I often feel like escaping when things get a little difficult. If I feel overwhelmed with lots to do, I cope by "burying my head in the sand" and accomplishing nothing. I need to look to the Lord because He WILL give me the strength to persevere and succeed!
I just thought I'd let you know that I put a link to this post on my 'Blogoversary Afterparty!' post on Living Water!
Awesome post! I think it resonates with any mother "in the trenches" of everyday homemaking and mothering.
Thank you for the reminder that we can do this, with the help of the Lord!
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