“Come out with your hands up. We have you surrounded. There’s no point in trying to escape, we will get you. It’s only a matter of time. Give yourself up now and we might go easy on you,”
Back in the day, growing up, I did enjoy watching dramas and action programmes or films with this kind of situation. I tell you the main programme that revelled in this set-up – The A-Team.
The set-up was always typical. The four heroes would find themselves stuck in a barn and the enemy would be on their trail or have them surrounded. All looked lost for our heroes as the forces against them seemed to have the upper hand. Of course, however, our heroes would conveniently happen to have tools and equipment with them and with the resources that were conveniently available in the barn the team would conveniently have the time to transform their immediate surroundings into some impressive super tank that would burst out of the barn and inflict critical damage to the enemy (whilst considerately leaving fatal casualties to zero) and win the day. Convenient that.
Sure it was convenient and I loved it every time.
Life can often feel like we’re besieged and barraged by a variety of different opponents. Could be issues at work. Could be challenges at home. Could be those internal wranglings. Could be that argument or knowing you’re going to see that person who has that issue with you.
Sometimes it seems like it’s all ganging up on you. It has you surrounded in every corner. All possible routes of escape appear to be blocked. Financial struggles blocks one area. Crippling insecurity blocks another area. Intimidating personalities block another area. They all seem to be closing in on you. Supplies are running low and you think that giving in and giving up is inevitable.
Having experienced that myself on a number of occasions, I’ve really got to give much praise to God for really making a way where there seemed to be no way.
Every time, the key to the rescue was faith in who God is and what He does. Every time. It was definitely not my ingenuity and know-how. I did not transform any barn into a super tank at all. In fact whenever I did take matters into my own hands and felt I could work things out myself, there was always something there to hem me back in worse than I had been before.
Here’s the thing about faith in God. That faith takes the focus off self and shifts it to the Creator. Forget a super tank in a barn, this God is powerful enough to create what is seen from what is unseen – not even the A-Team were able to do that. More than that, though, faith in God puts things into perspective. Faith in God taps me on the shoulder and asks me, “Who is surrounding those who surround you?”
The bigger picture still declares that when God is for me, those who surround me to oppose me are surrounded themselves by an even greater force.
That faith in itself guarantees victory. Not in a cheap and hollow sense, but in a way that reassures me that God is with me and for me and so when I feel under siege, I can lift up my eyes to the hills and see where my help is coming from.
I’m not saying that glibly as though it’s automatic and simple every time. That’s certainly not the case. It is, however, sobering and reassuring to learn more and more to appreciate God as being one who truly loves to show Himself strong on our behalf, for His glory.
That means when I’m told to come out with my hands up, the only reason my hands will be up is in praise at the God who delivers the victory again and again.
(Photo by kazuend on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 