As I think back over my life, the Lord has been gathering “angels unaware” to minister to me since the day I said, “Jesus, I give you my life” at the age of 17. There wasn’t much to give, but the surrender was a “full-tilt” moment; one that has dramatically come back to me over and over. I can’t begin to describe the feeling of being enveloped in the grace of the Faithful and True God. Perhaps you have been there: praising Him for answered prayer one day; seeking courage for more strength the next. We are always on that journey, and it is truly a good one.
In this cancer battle, the Lord has fought for me, over and over, especially in the times when I had no strength to fight on my own. He did this through strangers and those dearest to me, through Bible verses and stories of courageous women. Some days I am the fighter in the ring with gloves raised high as I trot about in a dance of victory. Other days, I am in the corner, waiting, waiting, waiting to see when the next punch will come. As you read this, I sense you are with me, saying, “I get that. I have been there. I am there now.”
There is a moment in every challenge, battle, or tough decision when you must call out the command of Joshua 1:9 –
“be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.
For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
In January, before I was aware of what lie ahead, the Lord called me to this verse and to claim the word courage. My mind immediately replied, “Yes Lord! Let’s do this.” I prayed over and over for months for courage, not knowing why I would need it, but sure that He did.
In the various phases of your battles, the Faithful One will lead you moment by moment through His promises. Don’t skip a day of searching for them, asking for them, and believing in them. This is the one I am living in right now:
A Message from the high and towering God Who lives in Eternity, Whose name is Holy:
“I live in the high and holy places, but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed,
And what I do is put new spirit in them, get them up and on their feet again.”
Isaiah 57:15 MSG
Even my thesaurus can’t come up with words adequate enough to describe this Message. Marvelous, magnificent, phenomenal, powerful, and amazing combined are not enough to describe the power of it. As I read this verse, I envision His hand reaching to me right through the heavens as He says, “Diane, take my hand. I will help you up and we will finish this fight together.” Again, I answer, “Yes Lord, let’s do this.”
Don’t let anyone dismiss your pain or struggles-spiritual, emotional or physical. They are real, and they are yours to fight. But more importantly, do not let the enemy of our souls (whose name I will not even write here) tell you that the battle can’t be won. Breathe deep, clear your mind of all else, and implore heaven for the courage you need to stay strong, to stay pure in thought, to believe the promises, and to allow the Spirit of God to fill you.
As Phil Wickham sings, “Oh God, the battle belongs to You.” Let’s promise to sing through the “night” together – “Nothing can stand against the power of our God.”
STILL Expecting Amazing,
Diane Strack