Where is that so called Flicker of Light on the Long Journey of Life? Who is in charge of keeping it lit? Hebrews 12:1-2

Hebrews 12:1-2 New Century Version

Follow Jesus’ Example

12 We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back. ² Let us look only unto Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But he accepted the shame as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

For 17 months, I have been praying relentlessly for strength and even just a bit more motivation; to be set free from the chains of discouragement that seemed to be holding me down, zapping my energy, and paralyzing my will and way.

And to my momentary relief and honor this morning, I woke with a slight sort of spring to my step. A tiny touch of hope greeted my heart.

But only for a brief, flickering flash as reminders of previous disappointments began to spring to my mind that since my triple bypass open heart surgery had deflated many of my dreams, led to my self becoming increasingly frustrated.

At the break of day this morning, I temporarily felt something beneath the surface, ready to burst out and up into positive change and progress – perhaps the coming Christmas season. But the force of the enemy keeps coming on so strong my life’s fight felt threatened, and once again, I was tempted to cave.

Do you ever feel desperate for God’s power to push you onward? Dying for 1% more encouragement and hope to take deep root in your soul with persevering patience, joyful expectation, and certain tiny baby steps of confident purpose?

In my heart and in my soul I do know that God can’t be defeated. I know that his all-powerful spirit is alive and well within me. And so he can and will conquer the enemy trying to turn off, extinguish the light in my soul and surroundings.

But how do we shed even 1% of what is weighing us down, what is keeping our feet super glued to the floor, stand strong against the suppression of our souls?

I bet you’ve wondered something similar.

What is it?

Maybe you’re feeling down due to a past season that didn’t go quite as you hoped or planned.

Or in that lonely wilderness place with no spiritual food or drink to be found, depressed by a current situation that feels incredibly stagnant and hopeless.

Or disheartened by an uncertain future clouded with acute, chronic medical issues (for example – cancer, heart, diabetes, and so on) that looks dim, has no cure, will only get worse with time and feels so completely out of your control.

I get it.

Rising to better health following my heart surgery, constantly getting more tired, fighting Diabetes, I’ve been resisting the pull-down of darkness, too.

But when I step back and ask myself how I can resist, I remember how I’ve done it before. And I’m reminded that it’s in these wrestling places and spaces that we need to stand firm on God’s Word. His Word that says, I am with you.

His Word that says, “I will help you.” “I will keep watch over you day and night, “ And his trustworthy Word brightly proclaiming, “With me, we will conquer this.” 

We can and should look up to God, rise and stand up for Jesus, balance ourselves steady our thoughts, look forward, stand sturdy on the solid rock of scripture. 

Isaiah 41:10 and Romans 8:37 are verses worth memorizing and scripting on our hearts to fight and face such fragile moments.

They read, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10) and, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). 

And closing out the Eighth chapter of Romans … we read these powerful words;

Romans 8:37-39 New Century Version

³⁷ But in all these things we are completely victorious through God who showed his love for us. ³⁸ Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, ³⁹ nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We can grow wiser and more mature in God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, trust these words and truths of his presence, help, and victory.

They are his gifts to us and me as children of God.

Yes, in our moments of struggle, we need to listen to the voice of God saying, 

“I am here.”

“I always know exactly where you are and why and how you arrived there!”

We need to receive the subtle nudges of encouragement, strength, and light, he showers on us constantly through his creation, people, and presence, His Word!

And we need to never take our eyes off of him, shed what weighs us down which serves only to threaten the integrity of our connection, let go of his hand, while running with highest perseverance the race of life he has mapped out before us.

I know the race is long.

I know there are very few ultra marathoners capable of going on ahead without being consumed by the thoughts, feelings of physical exhaustion, like a never-ending, vision of the unpredictable, heights of a previously unknown marathon.

You’ll keep yourself looking and seeking taking a step forward, two back, three forward, and lose ground all over again. But keep your eyes open and toward the light. It’s always there. It’s always shining. It’s him. The almighty good God.

Ready to risk it?

Praying to God, pleading to God, crying out to God, that by His intercession, we are looking, moving forward. that if we look back far enough, we can see it.

And he will keep moving you on.

He will keep encouraging you, He always has with his presence, his help, and his victorious good and sovereign hand.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Don’t take your eyes off the light of the Lord today.

And keep looking to him as you journey on.

He is always 100% with you.

He is for you. And he will fortify your fight and perfect your faith as you continue on with him through your life and to the finish line of eternity.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 121 New Century Version

The Lord Guards His People

A song for going up to worship.

121 I look up to the hills,
    but where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not let you be defeated.
    He who guards you never sleeps.
⁴ He who guards Israel
    never rests or sleeps.
⁵ The Lord guards you.
    The Lord is the shade that protects you from the sun.
⁶ The sun cannot hurt you during the day,
    and the moon cannot hurt you at night.
⁷ The Lord will protect you from all dangers;
    he will guard your life.
⁸ The Lord will guard you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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