STAND AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD

STAND AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD

Patricia Love, one of my Facebook friends, told a story about a neighbor’s tree that was leaning over the fence into her backyard. Several times it caught on fire and Patricia and her daughter prayed for the fire to go out and it did. Had the fire not been stopped by God, it would have destroyed their house. The weird thing about this tree being on fire is that there was never any evidence, no scorching, no evidence at all of a burn. The final fire was the most ferocious, and once again Patricia and her daughter took a spiritual stand against it. The neighbors called the fire department each time, but after this last fire, the neighbors cut down the tree.  That ended Satan’s plot to destroy the house. Patricia has moved, but the old house remains.  

 

When I read Patricia’s story yesterday, I was reminded of how important it is for us to take a stand on what is right. Patricia and her daughter would not allow that demon fire to take them down. They stood against it every time and the devil had to back down.

 

That’s how we need to be. The Lord tells us in Ephesians 6:4: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.” When we know the truth, we stand boldly for what is right, without wavering.

 

I can tell when I’m standing in faith for the right thing to happen; there’s a sense of deeply-rooted peace in my insides. It’s unnatural, considering the circumstances, but it’s become one of those Biblically normal feelings for me. Philippians 4:7 calls it peace that passes understanding. The context of this verse is prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving for things that are true, just, and right.  

 

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

 

We feel a very strong sense of peace, but it seems like it doesn’t make sense because in the natural we feel like we should be very worried. But when we recognize this supernatural peace, we know that we really can’t worry because we’re kept in the flow of that peace.

 

What does it mean that we’re “kept” in peace? The word “keep” in this verse comes from the Greek word that means “to guard, protect by a military guard, to prevent hostile invasion.” In other words, this peace is impenetrable.

 

After God rescued the Israelites from Egypt, they had second thoughts about this crossing the wilderness thing, and they didn’t like it one bit. They wanted to go back to their old lives; yes, they had been in undeniable slavery, but they were used to it. This wandering business with all the new challenges and hard decisions, was not going to be comfortable at all. All of a sudden, they decided Moses was the enemy, and they hadn’t really wanted to leave Egypt in the first place. They complained like crazy, saying:

 

“Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.’

 

“And Moses said unto the people, ‘Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.

 

“The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace’” (Exod. 14:12-14).

 

God knows what the right things are, that need to take place. When we trust Him, we can stand strong for what is Biblically right and be guarded by peace, through the storm. God is already fighting for us, individu(ally and in the nations, and He will perform all His will.

 

Ezekiel 36 gives us a hint of what is on the other side of this journey. (This was a prophesy to Israel, but Jesus brought the Gentiles also into the flock of God).

 

“Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. 

 

“And they shall say, ‘This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.

 

“Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it’” (Ezek. 36:33-36).

 

Let’s stand against those demon fires like Patricia and her daughter did. We will stand for truth. We will stand to see the salvation of the Lord, and the peace of God will guard our hearts.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

P.S. I just read the whole chapter of Ezekiel 36. WOW!  I think you’ll love reading it as soon as you can. I believe it speaks loudly to our world today.