The point is to wear you down, it was the point with Eve, with Solomon and his many wives, with the Lord in the wilderness and the three attempts, Satan’s objective with those who would follow Christ is to wear us down.
This is quite evident within the days of evil that we find ourselves in at this moment, none of which in detail need to be reiterated in this short letter. Our point is this, to stay faithful, no matter what the Lord sees fit to allow to come our way. Adam and Eve are a good example here, sitting perhaps on a hill outside of the garden they once knew as home, knowing they could never return, perhaps hoping that the Lord would change His mind. As the centuries wore on, they got used to it, they no longer pined for that which was never going to be returned to them, those infamous words that millions repeat today may have started with our first parents, “That’s just the way it is.”
We are in the middle of a battle of a war that has already been won, the victory is Christ’s, (1 Cor. 15:57) but we will not relish in the victory completely until we reach our home. Satan has always known that subtlety and lies are the best path to depression and anger, he is the father of lies, (John 8:44) and is well-versed in the battle we are in. The Bible calls these days the beginnings of sorrows, (Matt. 24:8) and I do not believe that many who call Jesus Christ Lord are truly ready for the sorrows that may yet occur before we go home. Many hearts will be broken, much of life may be tossed into turmoil, great sadness and loss may be headed our way, and we will need to make a decision.
Will we spend our time crying or praising, will we say with Job, “And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21) Or will we blame Him for allowing such suffering to come upon us?
As a man feels when he is told at the end of his shift that he must work a double, as a woman whose eyes are barely shut, then hears her infant crying, such are the days that are approaching. Satan is attempting to wear us down. If you have determined not to get the vaccination, you may find yourself sooner than you think contemplating on whether or not you have made the right decision, many services will soon be denied to us, much of what we have taken for granted for so long may start to be luxuries, and the flesh may yearn greatly for the return of those days.
Temptations grow when what we have been accustomed to having is removed, and this is the plan. The totality of all that is occurring across the planet can be summed up in these two words, “Unquestioning Obedience.” He who desired to be worshipped has arrived on the scene, and he will be worshipped, willingly or by force, and the more one is worn down, the easier they are to control, when certain wants are taken away, those little extras we all enjoy, we complain, we all do, but we can cope, we may pine for those days occasionally, but when compared to what awaits us, (1 Cor. 2:9) we can still give thanks, or at least we should be able to.
When needs begin to appear on the horizon though, when we are denied medical services, when the grocery store is closed to us, when even travel is limited, we find out who we are, and for many of us, I fear these days may be approaching quickly.
I leave you to your thoughts today on this subject with this verse, in hopes that it will give you strength and encouragement and will cause you to continue to exalt the name of Jesus Christ in your heart, no matter what circumstances the Lord brings into your life. “And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58)
