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JUST STAND: ALL THE WAY TO THE END

 Admittedly, when God gave me this message, I felt so strongly it was a spoken word. Maybe one day I will be able to speak on this subject better than my meager attempt here.  However, I moved ahead and uploaded the story of Esther (see blog post Obedience Observed), which was a part of that message.  The truth is I could spend several weeks discussing heroes of the faith who obeyed God and saw amazing things happen. But how is that relevant to you and me now?

Looking back at what God has done is important because it shows us that He is working in every part of our lives. Even before we existed, God was working and moving in the lives of men and women who chose to submit and obey.  Because of their obedience, they saw one victory after another.  We should look back at what God has done in our lives, too.  Look for all the ways He has blessed us.

The unfortunate side of these stories is when these same people who saw victory forgot about it. They turned away from the One who had delivered them.  This always resulted in disaster.  I can relate to this. In my past, when I turned away from God, chaos entered my life.  I felt alone and abandoned.  But I never was. God was always there waiting for me to get back up again and move toward Him.  

Standing is hard sometimes.  Standing is exhausting sometimes.  Standing means making the hard decisions because they are the better ones.  Sometimes you stand alone.  Well, not really.  Because the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the One who formed you and gave you a purpose and a call is standing with you. But it can be lonely when others don't stand with you. That's okay.  Keep standing firm. Establish yourself in the will of God, and stay there.

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. (Galatians 6:9 NLT)

The truth is, this message is as much for me as for others. I have to remind myself to keep going and stand firm.  Life is hard, and we are living in a world of so many unknowns.  But we can take comfort in knowing the One who knows all and sees us in our struggles and triumphs.  He gives me strength to stand. He will fight our battles for us and be our strength and peace in every situation. So just stand.

© Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries.  All rights reserved.

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