Fortunately, I was able to remind them about
how it is one of the devices of the devil to weaken Christians, as we touched
on in our last post. As the bible says in II Cor. 2:11 (NLT), “we are familiar
with his evil schemes”, and this is one of them. The devotional reminds us that
grace is on our side, and it is sufficient (II. Cor. 12:9)! So, I present the
devotional for that day to you in full below, you can also access it here- Yes I will, a devotional by Vertical Worship.
As children of God, we learn the importance of
praying; a common acronym we hear is PUSH- pray until something happens. But I recently
found myself soliloquizing not too long ago about what we do next when that
something we prayed for has happened. We often hear about how adversity draws people
closer to God, and I’m one of such. Back in my teenage years going into my
twenties (I’m still in my twenties! 😊), I had a
grand plan to enjoy all life had to offer before getting serious with God
sometime in my forties. It didn’t take long for the folly of my plans to be
revealed as I learnt in my early 20’s the meaning of adversity and had to run
to God (Prov. 18:10). Thankfully, God is a merciful God who is more than
willing to welcome everyone, even if it’s because they’re in trouble (Ps. 46:1,
Heb. 4:16, Matt. 11:28-29).
Hence, I found myself asking myself this
question: what happens when ‘the something’ we have prayed and fasted for
finally happens? I realised that there would be a temptation to relax and, in
some cases, revert to our old ways of life. Which is exactly what the devil wants,
for us to be relaxed. The Bible tells us about the story of Samson, one of the
strongest men to ever live until he relaxed. In Judges 16, we are told of how
he lost it all and eventually died. Another example can be seen in the story of
David and how the moment he relaxed cost him so much (II Sam. 12:11-12).
Now, you may be thinking I’m saying we are not
allowed to rest; you will be mistaken. What I’m referring to is the point where
we as Christians fall for the trap of the devil by no longer being battle ready.
To be battle ready entails us regularly praying, fasting, spending time in God’s
presence and never losing sight of the ultimate goal. I Peter 5:8 (NKJV) tells
us to be vigilant for one simple reason: our adversary, the devil, walks around
seeking whom to devour. Eph. 6:10-18 admonishes us on the importance of being
battle ready by advising us to put on the whole armour of God, as this is the
only way we can stand against the enemy’s plans. If you remember the story of
Troy (or watched the movie), it was when the Trojans relaxed that the Greeks
were able to penetrate their city walls and defeat them!
The cost of relaxing is too great for any of
God’s children to relax. Paul understood this importance and made sure to warn
the Ephesians (Acts. 20:29-31). David and Samson learnt this the hard way. So
just as I am asking myself, I’m also asking you: are you battle ready? This is
the only way to not be ignorant of the devices of the enemy (II Cor. 2:11 (NKJV))! For
2023, I leave you with this charge from I Cor. 16:13 (NIV): Be on your guard;
stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. It is only when we do this
that the enemy will not be able to take advantage of us. Have a blessed and prosperous
2023 in Jesus’ name.
P.S Enjoy one of my favourite hymns: Onward Christian Soldiers!
