Fighting for my life

Don't ask my how I'm doing today because I may tell you I'm in the fight for my life.

In fact, this morning I was thumbing through the bible to find scriptures on faith in order to do some serious meditating. You don’t have to look far. Jesus said that in the world you will have temptations, tests, trials and tribulation. But He went on to say, “be of good cheer because I have overcome the world”. The good news: Jesus has defeated satan and hell for us, and He hands victory to us on a plate. We only have to receive by faith what the Lord has done. The Word says to fight the good fight of faith.

I also re-read my favorite quotes on faith: “Great faith is the product of great fights.” “Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests.” “Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.” One of my pastor friends always says, “if you don’t have a test you can’t have a testimony.”

A good fight is one you win - and that is why when you fight-the-fight by faith, you win. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Jesus used His faith, the faith of God, to defeat and overcome the tricks and temptations of the devil.

He now says we can do the same, and hands us His faith which is tried and tested with which to win and overcome. Satan the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus has come that you might have life and life more abundantly.

Yes, you will go through things on this planet during the course of your life. You will face many unpleasant and sometimes tragic circumstances and events.

While this has been a year of abundant joy for me, and overwhelming blessings, it has been filled with trials and tribulations. In fact, before I started looking through the bible this morning – as I stated earlier, I would have said I was in a fight for my life. But then I remembered Jesus is there and He has given me faith to overcome and come through such situations.

By applying faith any circumstance, you will come through the time of testing and trial with a testimony to the glory of God.

One of my favorite songs is by Donnie McClurkin, “Stand”. The lyrics are so powerful from the very first verse when he asks the questions: What do you do when you've done all you can. And it seems like it's never enough? And what do you say when your friends turn away, you're all alone? Tell me, what do you give When you've given your all, and seems like you can't make it through? The answer is even more powerful: Child you just stand. You just stand. Stand. Don't you give up. Through the storm , through the rain, through the hurt, through the pain, don't you bow, don't bend, don't give up , don't give in. Hold on, just be strong. God will step in and it won't be long.

It may not be immediate and even though I know through faith that everything will work out for my good – doesn’t mean that the pain will go away. Doubt will creep in and peace may be fleeting, but that’s why the test is there in the first place. Trials are excersise for our faith.

And God is working it out.