Warfare Has No Time Out! 5-24–26

Welcome to the word for the week. Warfare is real. It is not comfortable. It does not make you feel good. It is not something that you want to engage in. It can be painful. It can leave you with scars. It is not something most people sign up for. Yet, it is something we all must face. It is not an option. God does not consult with us to see if we are up for a battle. He does not ask us are we ready for an adventure. Instead, while living our lives as normal as we possibly can we find ourselves in warfare. Where did this come from? Why is this happening to me? What is really going on here? These are just a few of the questions we have and ask God. Yet, we do not always get an outright answer. Instead, there is that still small voice that keeps saying be still and know that I am God. That’s it. Everything from that point on becomes a matter of faith in God on your part.

We are rapidly approaching the month of June which will put us at the halfway point of this year at the end of that month. Rather we want to hear this or not we are approaching some very important crossroads. This is when the test is amplified. This is when the battle gets more intense. On one hand we are halfway through what God is doing on our behalf. On the other hand the enemy is not going to just lay down or walk out of the room and let you enjoy things without any trouble. There is a battle that many are facing and it is the battle to give up. That includes giving up hope that something can change, giving up the faith it takes to keep pressing on, giving up on what God already said, and giving up on yourself. There is a battle to pull you away from anything that will actually push you further with God. Again, this is the season of warfare.

You cannot be sidetracked during this season. Your mind cannot afford to wander in tons of different directions. You have to be steady and steadfast in this season. You have to drop your anchor of faith in deep water and trust it will keep you steady in the storms and raging waters. You have to keep reminding yourself about what God said. You have to keep your eyes lifted to the hills. You have to keep your eyes in the word of God. You have to keep your mind on God so that you may obtain that perfect peace. You cannot waver in doubt. You have to be sure that you are sure. You have to get at the throne of God and listen. This is the season to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn. So many things around you are pulling you but you have to find comfort in the presence of God. The things you do not know you are going to have to trust God in. The things that do not feel good you are going to have to know they are working for your good. You will not be able to do all of the things you want to do. However, you will be able to do the things God has in store for you.

This is the season to pray and then pray even more. This is the season to study the word of God and then go back to the same passage to make sure you really got it. This is the season to listen to the still small voice of God. This is the season to pray that your mind slows down enough for you to be at peace. This is the season of separation from those things that mean you know good. This is the season of understanding it cannot be your will but the will of God that comes first. See yourself as a soldier on the battlefield. You have to stay alert in order to stay alive. You have to be watchful. It is not just about you when you are out there. You are fighting on behalf of those around you also. Nobody is willing to lay down and give up. Nobody is willing to sit around and watch you lose. Neither should you. Failure is not an option in this season. Never forget this one line of a poem called Don’t Quit. Success is failure turned inside out. That means your failures of the past should have taught you something for the success that God has in front of you. Will you fight the good fight of faith or not?

May the Lord continue to bless and keep you in His grace,
Bishop Carlos J. Lennon