Don’t Mess With Me
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
For the Lord your God is the One who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. Deuteronomy 20:4
Insight
Being short, scrawny, and sarcastic made me an easy target for bullies in high school. My mouth attempted to write checks my petite frame couldn't cash. Sometimes I went looking for trouble; more often than not, trouble found me.
One would assume this reality would create a great deal of fear and angst in me, but I knew with supreme confidence that I was untouchable. Why? Because a grown man child named Josh served as my protector.
No matter what situation I found myself in, I could always trust that he had my back. If a fight went down, Josh was in my corner. Very few people messed with me, and the foolish ones who did were quickly put in their place by my mammoth of a friend.
Each of us faces battles and adversity in life. There is a war taking place for our heart's attention and affection. - even for those of us who are in Christ. We get pressed from every side. Sometimes the giants looking to take us down come in struggles, destructive behaviors, uncertainty, relational conflict, a grim prognosis, or a host of other intimidating encounters.
These ogres attempt to terrorize, taunt, and demoralize us. Questioning God's faithfulness is the most common trap they set. They know that if they can cause us to lose heart, there's a better chance of giving up or giving in. The littlest sliver of doubt creeps in, and they're ready to bounce.
What's even crazier is that we feed our enemy. We talk up our issues; it grows bigger and stronger with every word. We go on about how significant our problem is while losing sight of Who is in our corner.
Christ serves as the ultimate giant slayer. And He has our back in every situation. He not only stands shoulder to shoulder with us; He fights for us. Whatever monster we are battling might be great, but it's not more significant than the One who defeated death. Pastor and author Louie Giglio says, "We need to see the size of our God rather than the height of the giant."
We can encounter any situation through Him and Him alone, knowing the victory is already ours. He's gone before us. All we need to do is walk in obedience, display faith, and come out swinging.
Reflection
Where do you find yourself facing a battle?
What would it look like to respond to your situation knowing that you have the ultimate giant slayer in your corner?
Prayer
God, I do not fight my battles alone or through my strength. You go before me. You fight for me. All you ask is that I step out in faith. Because You conquered the grave, I am already victorious. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.