Never is Always Never! & Always is Forever—Always!
NEVER—Does God Slumber!
NEVER—Does God Vacate!
NEVER—Does God Leave His Own!
NEVER—Does God Lie!
NEVER—Does God Not Provide for His Saints!
NEVER—Does God Take Away His Holy Spirit!
NEVER—Are We Left to Fight Alone!
NEVER—Are We Left Helpless!
NEVER—Are We Left Fatherless!
ALWAYS—We Are Promised God’s Holy Spirit!
ALWAYS—It Is God’s Promise!
ALWAYS—To Those Who Believe, Who Confess Christ Jesus as Lord!
ALWAYS—It is God’s Promise to Christians!
ALWAYS—It is God’s Promise to His Children!
Never is Always Never! & Always is Forever—Always!
There is a battle raging, and it rages every single day of our lives. We wake up with the battle, and we settle onto our pillow at night with this raging battle. We fight this battle daily, and because we do, we continually receive a daily choice. The decision is not based upon “whom” we will fight—because God’s Word makes that point clear. Our enemy is invisible. Our enemy is Satan. Our enemy focuses daily on one task: Destroying our witness as we testify to others of the “Goodness of God.”
- Stopping our spiritual growth, THAT IS the devil’s goal.
- Stopping our reliance upon the Holy Spirit of God, THAT IS Satan’s plan.
- Stopping us from any happiness, any joy, any fruitful labor for our Father, THAT IS the deceiver’s total focus.
So, we must continually remember how we do not fight against humans, against flesh and blood. So, we must take up arms against the father of lies, the deceiver who the Apostle Peter plainly tells us—hurls fiery darts at us from all sides. In doing so, we are reminded by the Apostle Paul how we must place on the Holy Armor of God upon our bodies—Every Day—since we know the devil attacks 365 days of every year!
When I was a child living in the pancake-flat state of Indiana, there were days during the wintertime when my dad would go into the machine shop in the small farming town close to where we lived. Sometimes, he would allow me to tag along with him. This shop was a blackened room, one filled with what seemed to be soot, dirt, and darkness, everywhere I looked. I remember thinking, “Wherever should I sit?” There was truly nowhere to sit one’s body, so I stood next to the wall, but not too close because I did not want the dirtiness, the black smudges to rub off on me. As I stood there in that shop, my dad would usually join the other men who came that particular day, and like so many others, dad would pick up a bucket and sit down on top of it. Always, I thought, “Surely, his butt will be black with grease, grime, soot, and dirt. Still to this day, I don’t really remember if it (his backside) was ever dirty because by the time we left the shop, I had totally forgotten my previous thought. The place was always filled with sound: clanging sounds of metal on metal, talking sounds as men shared conversations, and hissing sounds as heat was applied to pieces of metal. I believe this shop was part blacksmith and part tool and die.
Now, I know little to nothing about either trade, but this one thing: both involve metal, precision, & change as metal evolves into something new.
Now, I know little to nothing about fixing any kind of machine, but this I do know. Whenever my dad had finished his conversation, he would stand up, place his bucket next to the dark wall where I stood, motion to me that it was time to go, and as we left the darkness of that shop and stepped outside into the sunlight, I was ALWAYS amazed at the brightness of the LIGHT!
Pause with me to consider the words of God’s prophet Isaiah who writes to warn and prepare the Israelites for the battles they will face.
“In righteousness you will
be established;
You will be far from oppression,
for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will
not come near you.
If anyone fiercely attacks you,
it will not be from Me.
Whoever attacks you will
fall because of you.
Behold, I Myself have created
the smith who blows
on the fire of coals
And produces a weapon for its work;
And I have created the
destroyer to inflict ruin.
“No weapon that is formed
against you will succeed;
And you will condemn every tongue
that accuses you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the
servants of the LORD,
And their vindication is from
Me,” declares the LORD.”
(Isaiah 54: 14-17 NASB)
The enemy lines up against us, & he brings these invisible torments: Pride, Guilt, Indifference, Doubt, & Insecurity.
Our Father God remains beside us, & all we must do is Stand In His Presence With His Holy Spirit Completely Filling Us With: Forgiveness, Humility, Compassion for Others, & God’s Wisdom as we go.
How do we know?
Well, we know because the Bible—The Word of God tells us so!
Jesus said these words (written in red) to His disciples, as a comfort to them, before He allowed Himself to be arrested, tried, & crucified upon the cross of Calvary. These same words are given to us even today, to comfort us, to prepare us, & to sustain us when Satan attacks. See with me—JESUS!
“But now I am going to Him who sent
Me;
[Jesus was returning to heaven]
and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are
You going?’
But because I have said these things to
you, grief has filled your heart.
But I tell you the truth: it is to your
advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not
leave, the Helper will not come to you; but
if I go, I will send Him to you.
[the Holy Spirit of God]
And He, when He comes, will convict
the world regarding sin, and righteousness,
and judgment:
regarding sin, because they do not
believe in Me;
and regarding righteousness, because
I am going to the Father and you no longer
are going to see Me;
and regarding judgment, because the
ruler of this world has been judged
[Satan has been judged by God].”
(John 16: 5-11 NASB)
Every day we arise, we face a darkness, an evilness, the deceiver of this world. His only goal is to shove us into a stinky, dark, black pit of despair. However, we must not look at Satan as the victor. NEVER!
John Calvin is noted as proclaiming: “Complete happiness is knowing God,” and I find myself smiling at his proclamation. Why? We may ask ourselves.
Never is Always Never! & Always is Forever—Always!
NEVER—Does God Take Away His Holy Spirit!
NEVER—Are We Left to Fight Alone!
Because . . .
ALWAYS—We Are Promised God’s Holy Spirit!
ALWAYS—It Is God’s Promise!
ALWAYS—To Those Who Believe, Who Confess Christ Jesus as Lord!
The LORD
It is HE who is “my” Shepherd!
Yes, that is True!
And because GOD is,
God directs my daily steps.
And You & I shall not (EVER) want!
(Psalm 23:1 NASB “a paraphrase”)
Thank you, Nancy,. How did you know I needed this today? Love you
I love you too! I did not know, but God knew, and thankfully, His guidance led my thoughts to write these words.
Have a blessed Wednesday.