Stand

Ephesians 6:¹³ “…and having done all, to stand.” (NKJV)

When have you felt the lowest in your life and how did you handle it? Or are you at what you will consider your lowest right now? God has a Word for you in season. Philippians 4:⁴ “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! ” This is God’s heart, God’s big picture for us regardless of the season we are in. We are to “…be full of joy in the Lord”, how often? “Always”. In case you missed it the Bible repeats, “…I say it again rejoice”. Always be full of joy, does that mean always have some joy? A quarter tank joy, or half tank joy perhaps? But God says it is a full tank of joy, how often? Always!

And it appears that you and I have control over our joy tank. From experience, we think that it is situations and circumstances that determine the level of our joy. But God is saying that there is something deeper, His Spirit. When we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, He has control over our joy tank. Philippians 4:^5-7 “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (emphasis added).

The key to having a full tank is to pray about everything. Then thank God for all He has done, and you will experience God’s peace. So, when we pray about everything and we thank God for all He has done, then we can experience God’s peace. Our minds begin to shift from the problem before us to the bigness of our God and all He has done for us. Philippians 4:⁶ “Be anxious for nothing…” (NKJV). Is it even possible especially since this age has been termed an age of anxiety, fear, and information overload? We are bombarded on every side with a lot of things, so how do we cope? When you have had enough what do you do?

Sometimes it is our health that stresses us out. Sometimes it is the decisions we need to make or our children. Sometimes, it is the marriage that is the source of our stress, or the job, or our schedule, or our financial future. Regardless of what the pressure points are, God is saying to you today, after you have done all – stand. You have been battered, punched, pushed, shoved. After you have done all – stand, just stand!

Prayer: Father, I receive the grace to stand and remain standing, in Jesus Name. Amen!