I Will NOT Be Crushed

It’s been about 3 months since my last blog post and man have these months been the most unexpected and extremely challenging times ever. Coming into the year 2020, I was so expectant and basically ready for war haha. I walked into a season where I began to pray those dangerous prayers that most people would rather just run in the other direction….” break me Lord,” “refine me and strip me of all that doesn’t belong.” For months I had been in love with the song Refiner x Maverick City Music…

“You're a fire
The refiner
I wanna be consumed
I wanna be tried by fire
Purified
You take whatever you desire
Lord here's my life”

This song truly spoke the posture of my heart. My burning desire to go deeper in my relationship with my heavenly father and to walk in my calling. Being a willing vessel, walking in daily surrender and longing to be filled up by him. Nothing else mattered and all I wanted was him. Then the trials began…. A wave of anxiety and fear swept in and rocked my world. It started off with a week, then that week turned into a month and it just continued to linger. Overtime it seeped its way into all the areas of my life. From severe anxiety to the unfortunate loss of a loved one to a series of spiritual warfare, I felt like I had absolutely nothing left in me, but God was constant through the trials. He never left me forsaken.

Deuteronomy 31:8
“it is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Through the worst of my valley seasons, I felt his unconditional love and comforting hand over me. I had several raw encounters with the Lord that strengthened me, reassured me of his promises, and reminded me of the authority I have through Christ and we’re reminded of this in Luke 10:19 “ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” This is the confidence we have in the face of our battles. With each battle seeming (not to be dramatic) ten thousand freaking times harder than the last, in fact as I sit here writing this, I am fighting one of the toughest trials yet. I Found myself in one of the worst accidents thus far and all I could think was, “God why?” “haven’t I been through enough?” …. the list goes on. As I’ve battled my mind for the past week, today the Lord took me back to a very significant word.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 4:7-9
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

We’re all in very different seasons but this word is a reminder from God that, yes your circumstance may be overwhelming, it may feel as though you have no strength left to fight but we have to remember that our strength comes from him and that his power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Though it may seem like the enemy has crushed you, that is far from the truth because our God has already won the battle but we must persevere and stand firm in the authority that we have through Christ and speak to all forms of opposition for they must bow and submit to the name of the most high.

Side note: John 16:33 reminds us that the things we face are nothing new to the knowledge of God and he literally tells us “YES, YOU WILL FACE ADVERSITY OF ALL KINDS” but urges us to take heart because he has already overcome the world.

The enemy knows he cannot defeat you so he will do everything in his power to distract you but even then, we have no need to fear because these momentary troubles bring forth growth and propel us further into an eternal glory. Fix your eyes on the one who has called you for his word never returns void.

2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

This simply means, "Body, mind, and spirit are all challenged by the sufferings of this world. But those who are in Christ have an inner core that grows stronger in spite of outward suffering --- and in some ways because of it"

Be encouraged and fight the good fight!