...you are created and chosen for a purpose

Some days are incredibly difficult. Some days it feels like there are assassins either side of the path you’ve got to walk, all geared up and ready to take a shot at you with every step forward you make. If today, or yesterday was one of those days for you, be encouraged because I guarantee you weren’t alone. Yesterday was one of those days for me! By the time I got to the end of the day, I was exhausted from the battle. I’d failed as a mum, failed as a home educator, failed as a friend and failed as a leader or so the enemy would have me believe. It’s actually not at all true and those words are all cheap shots. Sinking deep into my sofa, I took a deep breath and inhaled the silence and the pause. It was heavenly. How had I managed to get to the sofa? I felt barely intact. Physically I was ok but emotionally, spiritually, I had bullet holes of lies wounding me all over. Ever felt like that too? I’m guessing the answer is yes. I’m sad to say no-one is immune to the battle raging all around us; the one between good and evil, light and darkness. And so, the question for each of us is how do we prepare and respond to the enemy lying in wait? Yes, tomorrow may feel more like a battle than today because we just don’t know what each day holds, but are you prepared? Am I prepared? Yesterday, I definitely wasn’t and I found myself wounded on the sofa. When I was 12, I went to Covenanters at the local Methodist chapel with a friend. Each year there would be a ‘Covies’ rally and local groups from across the district would come and compete in various activities. One year I represented our group in the bible recitation and I won. I smashed it! The passage we had to remember was Ephesians chapter 6 v 10 - 20; the full armour of God. Little did I know then that this passage would become a firm favourite of mine, one its application I can scarcely live without yet I often forget. Perhaps yesterday I wasn’t very prepared for the battle. Actually if I’m honest, there’s no ‘perhaps’ I just wasn’t. I hadn’t put on the armour of God; no belt of truth, no breastplate of righteousness, no shield of faith, no helmet of salvation, no sword of the spirit, no shoes of peace. How often do we find ourselves surprised when we end up hurt and desperate before the Lord? I forget about the battle, though I wish I didn’t. I downplay the spiritual world in which we live, though I wish I didn’t. I forget that each day God calls us to extend the reaches of his kingdom and assassinate the darkness, though I wish I didn’t. I forget about the armour, though I wish I didn’t. I got to the end of yesterday, slumped upon my sofa inhaling the peace and the quiet. Within moments I pictured Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus and for second I wondered, ‘Had Mary had a day like mine?’ Maybe she had. We don’t actually know. However, I do know that in the silence of the moment on the couch, I found myself replicating Mary and doing the only thing I knew would bring healing to me in that moment; listening to Jesus, taking a lacuna moment and leaning in to the embrace of my saviour. Oh the joy to hear Jesus speak truth over me and into my spirit as I listened to the Lectio 365 evening devotional! As they recalled the words of Lamentations 3 v 22-23 - “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.” My tired, beaten up body from the day received the healing oil of God’s living word poured into the fibres of my being. Jesus in his kindness spoke to me of his great love and his mercy which never, ever runs out. We may wish we’d be more battle ready each day and we absolutely should be so let’s commit to learn for next time. (I’m going to write myself a post it note!) But oh what a saviour!? How beautiful it is to sit at the feet of Jesus alongside Mary, to listen, lacuna and lean in. When the battle rages, when the enemy takes his shot and gets you good, come sit again with Jesus. Open up your bible, listen to some worship songs, pray in the silence and be healed and reminded that you are created and chosen for a purpose. Lizi x