TACKLING THE FLOOD

“When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19b)

A flood happens as a result of too much rain, rivers overflowing and many water levels rising beyond expectation. In this verse, it is a picture of sudden negative happenings, similar to what Job experienced, brought about particularly by Satan. In other examples, for instance, the experiences of Joseph, it is not directly caused by Satan but attributable to his ability to use people to inflict hardship on God’s people.

God is certainly aware that things happen to us like a flood, determined to drown us, overthrow our hopes and expectations, and destroy our best laid plans. But here is the promise: “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.”

Here is the answer to the puzzle that life can bring to us. If you are faced with a problem and you know the solution to apply, then the problem is no longer a problem – it is an opportunity for you to move from “lower ground” to “higher ground”, from despair to hope, from hope to reality.

Are you going through a flood scenario? Then ask the Spirit of the LORD to lift a standard against it on your behalf. Until you ask the flood will persist and may well overthrow you. You ask: “What is the standard that I can expect in my situation?”

The word “standard” refers to the banner and the shield that knights in shiny armour often wear when they take the battle to their enemy. God’s standard, therefore, is everything that you need to resist the flood, to survive the flood and to be blessed despite the flood.

In other words, in the place of the word “standard”, God expects you to name the solution you require for solving your flood, surviving it and staying blessed despite it. You do this typically in conversation with God – heart-to-heart conversation with God which is called persistent praying; you PUSH (you Pray Until Something Happens).

Every flood requires a PUSH. If you are a child of God, you will realise that a baby does not get born naturally without contractions, or powerful pushing going through the muscles of the womb to push the baby out. There is pain, sometimes very intense pain but it is just for a season, the powerful pushing eventually results in the baby being born.

The same way when we are in a flood, we need to PUSH until we see the standard of God that we expect. Whilst going through the pain and discomfort of the situation, we need to sustain ourselves by believing in the expected end – victory, provision, protection, restoration, forgiveness – whatever it is that we strongly expect from God.

Don’t let the enemy discourage you. Don’t discourage yourself. As long as you are walking obediently and faithfully, you will soon discover that every PUSH results in something amazing. May the LORD God Almighty make a way for you today where there is no way; may God clear out the blockage. May God’s Holy Spirit lift up a standard for you above all that you can ask or think. Amen.

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED...

“Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.” (Numbers 21:4)

Notice the latter part of the scripture: “the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.” They were on the way to their blessing. They were on the way to their victory. They were on the way to their destiny. Yet their soul became very discouraged!

Every time you feel discouraged because of the hardships of life, because of delayed answers to prayer, because your finances are tight or your health is not good, just remember: you are on the way to your blessing, you are on the way to your victory, you are on the way to your destiny.

In fact you are travelling in the right direction as long as you are journeying with God: if you are not living in sin or rebellion; if you are not running away from where He wants you to be; if you are not on your own mission and doing your own thing your own way – you really can say at any time in the face of everything that you face: “I am not alone, God is with me!”

If you face hardships and trials and tribulations when you are going the right direction, it must be that the enemy has seen the blessings ahead of you and he is trying to beat you off the right track! Resist the devil and he will flee from you!

Is it not strange that when you are on the way to something good you are not feeling fine? Listen, even if you are going to die tomorrow because of your illness, even if you are going to go bankrupt because you do not have sufficient funds to pay your bills: relax! Your heavenly Father can dig you out of the deepest hole possible! The grave is not the end of everything, and everyone will die one day if the Lord tarries.

If truly heaven is beautiful, and we are going to meet with the Lord Jesus, there is no fear in death. In fact, He tasted death for us so that we will never die! We will fall asleep and we will wake up very refreshed and beautiful on the other side. We will find ourselves in the company of many, many children of God – a big wonderful and blessed family! A big time reunion! A party time that never ends!

Moreover who owns the gold and the bronze and the silver? Is it not your heavenly Father? If you are doing the right things in His presence and your finances are wobbly: have no fear, He has already named a day when you will be rewarded for all that you do for Him! He is a marvellously good Father and He is never forgetful of the generosity that you have shown, your commitment is never hidden from Him, your prayers never go unnoticed! He cares about the flowers and the birds! He cares for you! God cares!

Listen when you are discouraged, do the following things:

Count your blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done!

Think of people who are in a worse situation in life and pray for them.

Find ways to be a blessing to someone, despite your own situation. Doing good always comes with a warm feeling of satisfaction and hope.

Remind yourself life has not ended for you: you are still alive and do something that brings you fun and laughter!

Soak yourself in the Word of God, soak yourself in the work of God, and let His praise fill your heart and spirit.

Be lifted up, you are on the way to your success! Today’s troubles are the best signs that something good is ahead of you!! Amen.

WHEN YOU ARE DISCOURAGED

“Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.” (Numbers 21:4)

The journey from Mount Hor would have been an easy journey, if the people were given help by the people of Edom. However, as we read in the story, the Edomites refused Israel to pass through their territory. Therefore, they needed to go round the land of Edom which made the journey longer.

Before this event, they had already had tough times concerning lack of drinking water, and basic provisions such as food and meat. They had fought the Amalekites, and had heard the disturbing news about giants waiting to swallow them up in the Promised Land. The last thing they wanted was a long, rough journey round the land of Edom!

Notice this: discouragement doesn’t always come at once – it usually develops from negative experiences which continue to pile up until we feel overwhelmed and helpless. Often, we are discouraged because our expectations have not been met despite our faith in God. Sometimes, it is all due to our ignorance about how God uses all our experiences to bless us. We are so human and our pain can be very real. People may remind us of the passage in Isaiah where God declares that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. But even such a reminder may only make us feel the pain more, not less!

David knew God very intimately and had experienced great favours from God. Yet, in many Psalms, he continued to plead for God’s help in so many overwhelming situations! In a particular Psalm, David cried out: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” (Psalm 42:5)

Elijah felt so discouraged in the face of bitter and unrelenting opposition that he asked God to take his life! “And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" (1Kings 19:4)

Is there a remedy for discouragement? Yes, there is!

When you are discouraged remember God’s previous acts of mercy in your life. David prayed: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits…” (Psalm 103:2)

When you are discouraged, keep repeating an applicable verse from the Bible to encourage yourself in the Lord. There is always a promise of God for every problem that we will face in life. “Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” (1Samuel 30:4-6)

When you are discouraged, try your best to attend all Church meetings because the Lord will find a suitable occasion to speak to your situation and change things for you! “They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.” (Jeremiah 31:9)

When you are discouraged, do not bottle up your feelings. Speak to your Pastors. God has given them a charge to be concerned for your welfare, to pray for you, to advise you and to support you through the situation: “So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper." (2Chronicles 20:20)

David said: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” (Psalm 42:5). May God restore to you the joy of salvation and strengthen you with His unfailing love. Amen.