Everything

 "Everything is going against me." Genesis 42:36...."If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31......."He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies." Psalm 23:5

A statement and two promises. That's what we have in the beginning of this writing. The statement is something that has either been spoken or thought by just about all of us. It was spoken first by Jacob upon learning that his sons had been directed to bring their youngest brother with them for their return to Egypt. Jacob had already lost his cherished son Joseph, and now it seemed he would lose young Benjamin. Everything did indeed appear to be against him. Have you been there? Are you there now? If not, you very likely will be. It's a "must stop" on the journey of every true follower of the King. If it weren't, we would never have the chance to discover the power and truth of the two promises, and a multitude of other promises He gives us along the way.

I have been in Jacob's place. I have lived in the place of despair, when it really did appear as if everything, and I mean everything, was working against me. Places where things went from bad to worse, to even worse. The way just kept getting darker and the visible hope lesser. All I had were His promises, the best of which was the promise of His Presence. It was in the place of "everything is against me," that I began to really discover the depths of His promise in Romans 8:31. If God truly was for me, then who was it that could be against me and prevail? My great challenge was to believe this when "everything" screamed at my mind and spirit that I was destroyed.

The first great testing of my faith came in the first year after my wife had left me and my ministry appeared to have ended. Circumstances, problems, needs, just seemed to increase by the day. I truly felt like Job, receiving one bad report after another, and each seemingly worse than the one before. I was in a tunnel, and the tunnel just kept getting longer and darker. Through it all I heard the shouting of the enemy that I really was destroyed, and the whisper of His grace, encouraging me to take one more step, one more moment, hour, day of trust. The whisper that simply said, "I am for you, and I'm greater than all that is against you. That can ever be against you." So, I kept on through the tunnel, believing that what He whispered was true. Still, the enemy kept up his shouting.

Someone said that when Jesus invited Peter to step out upon the water, Peter didn't step out on the waves, but upon Christ's words. That is how we must learn to live. That is how I am still learning to live. The dark tunnel I was journeying through didn't end overnight, but it did end. I did come out. The Bible says that He will bring us out into a broad place. He did so for me, and in the journey, the places continued to get broader and wider. They still do, and maybe the most precious realization I experienced was the fulfillment of Psalm 23:5. He did prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemy and enemies. He restored me. He continues to restore me. He silenced the mockery of the devil and enabled me to partake of the riches of His table. All through the journey, my God was for me. He is still for me, and He is still for you.....if you will believe and receive Him.

Everything may be against you today. Take heart, He is for you, and He brings His everything against the everything of the enemy and the world system he operates through. Take heart and take hold. He's already prepared the table. You will partake of it in the presence of your enemy. Keep walking. One step at a time.

Blessings,

Pastor O