I faced my terror by night. It
was afraid of me. And the arrow that flies by day. It missed me. You may wonder
what my terror and arrow was. Just terror and an arrow. That's all it was. (Psalm
91:5)
Jesus' birth takes place at
night. (Silent Night, Holy Night) The darkest night in history, filled with
terror. It moved Satan to kill every two year old boy and younger in Bethlehem.
He dreads heaven coming to earth. But the Father whispers, "Can't touch
Him!" As believers Satan targets us also. If it's the darkest time in your
life, be encouraged. Jesus is about to show up. I find Him in my darkest
moments. That's when I've gotten to know Him and the power of His resurrection
and the fellowship of His sufferings. Fear not, He will come and save you.
In a recent movie the lead actor
battled untold suffering and terror. The
end was a bloody finish. Her youthful, battered body laid lifeless, turning the
theatre into a morgue. After what seemed an eternity, her eyes popped open and
she lived. I found out later she was favored to live through her ordeals so she
could star in the next movie series. Looking back over my life, I can relate to
this. Yes, I have survived everything so far and am an overcomer. God has
favored me to live through the hardest times. You too. He has another series of
our life to be lived. Our times are in His hands. (Psalm 31:15)
Walking on Giants
In Charleston, South Carolina, a
little boy about four years old walked over, looked up at me and said,
"You are little!" I said to the pastor standing beside me, "What
did he say?" The pastor said, "It sounds like he said, "You are
little!" It made the boy feel good since he was so short. But it humbled
me. It made me think. We should look at our biggest giant or mountain and say,
"You are little! You are little compared to the God inside of me!" It
will humble any mountain or giant to fall. What mountain or giant will the Lord
raise you up to stand on top of this coming year? What stormy seas will He
cause you to walk on?
On the sea of Galilee, famous for
storms, I asked the Lord a question. "Lord, are we near the place where
Peter got out of the boat and walked on the raging sea before he fell?"
The Lord answered me. "What do you mean Peter fell? This is the sea where
Peter walked!" As though He didn't remember Peter falling. Peter sank but
he walked on water. The eleven sat in
the boat living in regret. The terror of
that storm paralyzed them. They missed that once in a lifetime opportunity.
Sinking is better than sitting. When life is over we won't regret taking a risk
for God and sinking. We will regret sitting. And God won't remember us sinking.
The Stage is Being Set
When it looks like it's
impossible for me to win, God is setting the stage for something greater. For
many the stage is just being set. The curtains have not yet been cracked open.
God is still moving behind the scenes to place us front and center. That's why
we haven't been heard from yet. Isn't it the stories in the Bible of the people
who looked like they would never make it, that builds our faith the most? The
Lord writes their heroic exploits beginning with them knowing the agony of defeat.
Silent nights of terror with trouble becoming their friend. No hope of ever
fulfilling their purpose. Be encouraged. God is not through writing your story.
Bill Yount
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