Hurdles in the Race of Life

Do you ever feel like you signed up for a race, perhaps even a marathon, and someone decided to set up hurdles and high jumps on the track?

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That’s what I’ve been feeling like the last couple of years.

There are numerous hurdles that have been placed in front of me, some of them by God for me to learn new things.

But others are not God-inspired, though He must have allowed them for the strengthening of my faith; these hurdles are things that are evil and can only be overcome by His power.

The obstacle that comes to mind today is verbal abuse and manipulation from certain people, which is so upsetting. Sometimes these people are just being mean, and sometimes they do it in an effort to make themselves feel good about themselves by tearing someone else down, and sometimes it is an effort to control.

Satan has this way of speaking his lies through the lips of other people.

And yes, it’s very upsetting at first.

If only I could just recognize it as coming from the pits of hell BEFORE I get upset.

Jesus was able to see it clearly when Peter had the audacity to REBUKE Him, the One that Peter had just prior confessed to be the Christ, the Son of the Living God!

“From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.'” Matthew 16:21-23 (ESV)

I used to think that Jesus was calling Peter Satan. But now I think that He just addressed Satan with authority and then moved on to communicating to Peter that he was being a hurdle for Jesus to have to jump, an unnecessary one, at that.

It’s upsetting for me when someone sets his or her mind on the things of man instead of the things of God and unnecessarily unloads a pack of lies and untrue accusations on me. I need to realize that this comes from the father of lies, the one who has been a liar from the beginning, the one who is seeking to destroy me and drag me down so I will be ineffective in my service to the King of kings.

Today it happened again.

My first response was confusion, because the person was so adamant that the lies were the truth.  As the confusion began to clear, I felt angry.  Next, I felt shame because the lies were told in front of someone else who might actually believe them. Then, I felt fear that the abusive person might spread these lies to others who might believe them. Finally, I felt depression and helplessness and isolation.

I realize that I need for God to reveal to me, on the spot, that these words are set on fire by hell and that the evil spirit behind those lies is to be rebuked in the name of Jesus, who alone can send that liar packing!

I need God’s help to respond in faith and courage, remembering that my God is with me and FOR me even when the enemy comes against me.

I need God’s help to remember that only what HE says about me is important, not what other people say about me, especially when it is not true!!!!

Jesus has already won the victory! Praise His Holy Name! The Father has given Him all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18) In the name of Jesus I rebuke these lying spirits! Get behind me Satan, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Can you relate? Does this kind of trash-dump hurdle-making ever happen to you?

How do you deal with it when it happens?

What Scriptures do you speak over the situation?

 

Prayer:  Lord, I run into Your loving arms tonight and rest in the nearness of Your loving heart. Thank You for welcoming me because of Your great love and because of what Jesus did for me on the cross.  Lord, I pray for those who speak to us abusively, that You would convict them of their sin and bring them to the foot of the cross in humility so they can be changed by You.  In the meantime, help us to recognize the lies immediately and stand firm on what Your word says about us.  Help us to keep our focus on You so we can become more like You instead of focusing on the liar and becoming more like him.  Help us to reject the lies in Jesus’ name and stand in faith on Your truth.  Help us to respond in faith and courage, remembering that You, God, are with us and FOR us!  Help us to remember that only what YOU say about us is important.  In Jesus’ name we pray,  Amen.