Slideshow image

Pastor Joe posted this sermon preview on Wednesday:

"Having to fight the same battle over and over doesn’t mean God’s grace has failed you."

#ReturningEnemies #LifeOfDavid #SundaySermonPreviews

Yesterday at church, we sang:

"I trust in God, my Savior, the One who has never failed. He has never failed."

"I sought the Lord, and He heard and answered..."

Those words hit a little differently when you've lived through some battles of your own.

There have been many times in my life when I've asked God, "Will You take this addiction from me?" And the answer was, "No, but you can give it to Me."

I've asked Him, "Will You heal my epilepsy?" And the answer has been, "No, there's purpose in this season of your life, and I will give you strength."

I've come to Him feeling lonely, and He's reminded me that He's given me a church family. That I don't have to walk through life alone.

I've asked Him to remove my fears and anxieties, and He's reminded me to trust Him, even when all I can muster is faith the size of a mustard seed.

That's why I trust Him. That's why I trust Him!

Many of you know I've been on this wild journey since being diagnosed with epilepsy almost three years ago. I recently spent five days in the hospital undergoing testing as part of my journey toward potentially qualifying for epilepsy surgery.

I walked into church yesterday with a smile on my face. I shared how the testing went as planned, how great God is, and how blessed we are. I talked about happiness being a choice and how this is just a season of my life. I told everyone that I'm trusting God and will accept whatever the outcome is, whether I qualify for surgery or not.

And you know what? All of that was true yesterday. It's true today, too, at least for now. But sometimes, our feelings can change in a moment.

I have bad days, just like I'm sure many of you do. Days when I'm depressed, scared, struggling with my faith, lonely, and drowning in self-pity.

Because, as Pastor Joe reminded me yesterday, the battle may return, but Gods grace will never fail me.

The other day, I had a seizure on my way to work. Seizures really take a toll on my mental and emotional well-being. But I still walked through those doors, clocked in, and got to work. I texted my husband and told him I was depressed and exhausted.

I could just picture the enemy rubbing his hands together and whispering, "Yes! She's right where I want her." But I knew what I needed to do.

I got myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and turned on some praise-and-worship music!

And you know what? I bounced back quick!

And now the enemy is crying saying, "Shucks, spoiled again!"

Sorry, buddy. You have no hold on me!

Here's what I'm learning: The enemy may return with the same battles, the same fears, and the same lies, but I don't have to fight them the same way every time. I can turn to my Father. I can reach out to my church family. I can get into His Word, pray, worship, and remind myself of the truth when my feelings try to tell me otherwise.

Sometimes, that looks like getting on my knees. Sometimes, it looks like opening my Bible. And sometimes, it looks like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with praise music playing in the background.

The point is, I don't have to stay stuck in the battle.

So here's the question I'm asking myself this Monday morning:

When the same battle comes knocking again, what am I going to do about it?

Am I going to sit in the mess of self-pity and let it consume me, or am I going to run to the Father who has never failed me?

Having to fight the same battle over and over doesn't mean God's grace has failed me. It means I need to keep returning to the One who gives me the strength to face it.

My faith doesn't mean I never get scared, depressed, or discouraged. It means that even when I do, I know where to turn.

The battle may return, but so does His grace. And I will keep returning to Him.