Benescke Janse van Rensburg

Earlier in the week, a reader wrote to me: “I feel tired; too tired to fight back or to resist the devil. It feels as if I am lying face down on the ground with no strength to stand up!”

A boxing match and quick sand. What do these things have in common?

From the sidelines, an untrained eye will think that the two boxers in the ring are just grateful if they manage to land a punch on their opponent. An expert however will tell you that through the pre-match analysis each boxer knows the opponent’s weak points and every punch is strategically planned to weaken the opponent. This is how the enemy attacks. He analises us and knows exactly how to steal our joy. In Nehemiah 8:10 we read, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Without joy we lose our strength to stand firm in our faith.

Have you ever watched someone desperately trying to get out of quick sand? The more that person anxiously struggles, the deeper he or she falls into the sand. It’s the same with difficult times in our lives. In those moments we need to calm ourselves down and wait for someone to pull us out. The Psalmist was there too. In Psalm 40: 1-3 we read: “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.”

What is stealing your joy? An impatient spouse? Debt that overwhelms you? An illness? A bad working environment? Slow drivers in traffic? Unemployment? Rumors of retrenchments at work? Fear of the future? Broken relationships? Let's identify it so that we can talk to God about it. He can help us to strategically fight back so we can protect our joy.

Let us pause for a moment and look up to God. He can lift us out of the slimy pit, and set our feet on a firm place to stand. He is able to calm a storm and fill us with strength and joy. Let’s start praising Him in the storm and feel the joy return to our souls! God bless. 

Father God, thank you for being in control of my life. Help me to surrender completely to You. Fill me with strength and joy and help me to look at the future through Your eyes. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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