Psalm 46:9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
Vary The Distance
Issues, problems, glitches, and obstacles seem to have a distance characteristics. Some come from far away like an arrow from the bow. Some come from a closer source like a spear thrown. Then some run direct to our face with the presence of sword and shield. On the other side of that equation, we need to move into the camp of war of our enemies. They don't come to us. We go to them.
Long Range
God sees it all, Evotion. From a distance the issue with which we struggle is guarded by the archer. We see the problem. It is not close enough to bother us, but we know we need to address it and move closer to deal with it. Letting the problem come close can be exceedingly dangerous. Yet, the arrows of pain come at us as we focus on the issue. It can be more comfortable to leave it at a distance. God can break the bow of the archer. This allows us to move closer. The bow is constructed of fear and intimidation. Those two imposters can be rendered harmless with trust in Him.
Short Range
Move up closer to the issue. Once the bows of fear and intimidation are broken, we expose anger and angst. Any real obstacle will be throwing and thrusting spears of anger and angst toward us. The more determined and closer we chose to deal with the issue, the more these two will rise. They want us to go away. The burning issue wants to stay unresolved. Our internal resistance to change and growth would love to stop us before we get close enough to eliminate the issue and bring peace.
Close Up
Get it? The fear and intimidation and anger and angst are handled. Trust in God is strong. The problem has yet one weapon, the shield of self preservation. No one likes to cut off his own flesh. Most problems lie in that arena. It is our desire to stay in control and do it our way that raises the last shield. It is not some other person or some other entity that resists the most. It is our own desire and resistance to submission and change that poses the greatest battle.
Settling
Submit to God, resist the devil of your own desire, and peace will flood. He is able and willing to walk alongside and break the bow that shoots the arrows of fear and intimidation. He is able and willing to run alongside and snap the spears of anger and angst. He is able and willing to fly with us into the fray and see the shield of self preservation burned through amazing grace and mercy.
This Week
This week was an amazing moment. A strong enemy became a strong ally. It is lovely when God works with us to see that. It is beautiful, when we face ourselves and allow Him to turn enemy into friend. Deal with your self and He will shift the others. The teams at work produced at a rate quite possibly out of range of our capability. Really, there is no way they could have done it, but they did. In one week, we out produced our closest competitors best month. Our new client interest in the last ten days exceeds the prior 18 months and we are reeling to meet the demand. We are launching new product at an alarmingly rapid speed. How?
Our enemies are at peace with us. When that condition arrives through determined confrontation and conflict resolution, an amazing door of opportunity opens. The energy being spent staying at a distance is now available to grow and produce. A limitless lifestyle can be engaged.
Yesterday was a good day of great energy. A few times this week I pushed my body to new running distances. It worked. By going past my barriers, a new resiliency and strength entered my legs. It resulted in bounce and vibrancy in my step so I could enjoy my weekend with no tiredness. It took facing the enemy of unbelief.
Prayer:
Father, now, what am I going to do? What is Evotion going to do? You promise to disable the distant and the not so distant and the close up issues that keep us from entering peace. Yet, we would love to stay the same. We would love to let someone else deal with our issues. We would love to avoid the conflict and simply stay out of range living in our fear and intimidation and anger and angst and self preservation. Move us. Bring us to the line of battle. Put strength in our legs and determination in our souls. Let Your love and mercy and grace arise in us and let our enemies be neutered and scattered before us. What do we need to face this week that will bring a peace to one more area and release a new strength? Reveal it, Father. Embrace us and take us into the battle with all comfort and peace.
Phil Larson, 405-388-8037'
508 Tumbleweed Dr.
Yukon, Oklahoma 73099
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