photos by: JODIE BRIM CREATIVE
You know EXACTLY what I’m talking about…when all hell breaks loose in your life from every direction…WHEW!
The truth is, bad things don’t happen to good people. Bad things happen to EVERYBODY! Every human faces adversity. What we do with it determines if good will come out of it and if WE will come out of it!
When challenges just keep coming, one after another with no end in sight, it can absolutely wear you out. Some of you feel this soul fatigue, utter exhaustion in your mind, emotions and decision making. You keep pushing, but nothing’s working! (Is any of this ringing a bell?)
Did you know that “the enemy of your soul speaks out against the Most High and tries to WEAR DOWN God’s Holy Ones!” (Daniel 7:25)
The Deceiver whispers in your ear amid hard seasons…“God’s not listening to you. He’s NOT coming to your rescue!” The enemy often lures you right into his trap because you’re just so doggone worn down – you inadvertently give in.
I recently learned about Spanish Bull Fights. (Stay with me! This will speak to you, Weary One!)
This exceptional breed of bulls traces back to the seventeenth century – “The Royal Herd.” They eclipse other bulls, possessing unprecedented muscle mass and stamina. Their unusually strong neck muscles carry their greatest weapon…those powerful horns.
No human, fighting fairly, can survive a tango with these fierce ones. Consequently, the one seeking their demise begins a process many days prior to the fight. He underhandedly targets this strong specimen with a series of attacks to take him out, FOR REAL!
First, the instigator sticks wet paper in the bull’s ears to sabotage his equilibrium. Second, he rubs Vaseline into the bull’s eyes. Now, everything that once seemed clear feels unreliable. Third, the attacker isolates the bull in utter darkness for days on end to create confusion.
By the time they unleash the bull to run through the tunnel, where bright lights blind and bamboozle him, the enemy has completely undermined the bull’s capacity to persevere. EVERYTHING FEELS OFF! (Told you, this story speaks to you!)
If that isn’t enough, picadors ride in on horseback. They repeatedly thrust long spears into the bull’s neck, severing his unusually strong neck muscles. After many jabs, the muscles become so disconnected the bull can no longer lift his head. Subsequently, he loses all capacity to wield his powerful horns. (Told you! The enemy never fights fair!)
By now, the attack has targeted every area of this sturdy bull’s strength. STILL, the matador plunges 16 more barbed darts into its neck to absolutely neutralize his horns.
The bull’s strength and stamina fade with each new attack until finally the last matador dances onto the field, unafraid. He plunges the last spears into this defenseless bull’s neck and one into his heart.
The weary bull finally collapses in utter exhaustion from the excessive, underhanded assaults. The attackers carry the lifeless body out, celebrating their victory.
Thankfully, the cruelty of bullfighting has been banned in many countries.
But Y’ALL! This is how the enemy of your soul comes at YOU! He NEVER fights fair! He knows your vulnerabilities and senses where your faith feels most fragile. This enemy keeps trying to sever your belief that God seeks your good, inflicting one hit after another until you can’t even hold up your head anymore!
The bull’s story is OUR story…UNLESS we run TO God in our soul fatigue, never away from Him! The enemy has no chance with you when God becomes your strength! Your Good Father carries you until you can run again, and YOU WILL RUN AGAIN!
“Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get back up again!” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
Your enemy never fights fair. BUT, when you fight IN God, the battle is the LORD’S so…YOU WIN! For comments or prayer, please contact Dr. Lanier at HopeCommunityChurch.tv.
