Stuck

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio 

You are forgiving and good, O Lord, 

abounding in love to all who call to you. Psalm 86:5 

 I had every intention of getting this post written this afternoon between lessons. I however spent most of the afternoon trying to get my car un-stuck from the snow where it got stuck after my morning lessons. 

After putting gravel under the tires and digging snow out of the way my adult student and I finally gave up and called her husband who came and worked for quite a while to tow me out with his truck. 

I'd like to tell you I have some profound insight that has come from this experience. At this point I am still at a loss. My thoughts are more along the line of "really, Lord was this necessary." But then maybe there are some things that this has stirred me to think about. So here they are - you can decided if they are at all profound or not. 

Sometimes my life feels a bit like my car today. Stuck! I am really trying to get somewhere but my wheels just keep spinning without getting the traction needed to get anywhere. I realize that I am stuck and my best efforts are not enough. Spring is still a ways off so I can't just sit around and wait for the snow to melt. 

I read the Day #4 Blessing from Sylvia Gunther's book of Spirit Blessings. It says " I bless you in the name of Jehovah-Nissi, your banner. Moses was leading his unprepared people into battle when they were attacked by Amalekites. As he lifte his hands to the Lord, Jehovah Nissi warred on behalf of Israel. Spirit, I bless you with knowing when to war and when to lift your hands to the father. I bless you with having the courage to not depend on your inadequate skill set, but to lift your hands to God and ask Jehovah-Nissi to war for you. When you are inexperienced against any enemy, Jehovah-Nissi has the experience of the age."

So I am lifting my hands to the father. I suppose if nothing else today was a vivid picture of realizing that God is going to have to send help with a truck to get me unstuck. I gotta say it kept me from spinning my mental wheels worrying about how to make ends meet this month.

So like today when we realized that we were not going to get the car out on our own. We headed back to the house and enjoyed lunch with the kids while waiting for help to arrive with a truck. There was really nothing else to do but wait and enjoy lunch together. 

Sometimes we need to get to the place of throwing up our hands because we don't have the answer but we serve a God who does. Might as well sing praises while we go out ahead of the army into battle. See 2 Chronicles 20 if you don't know the story. When you have done all that you can do it is time to stand and see the deliverance of our God.  

I read this verse early this morning in David Wilkerson's devotional.

Luke 1:73-75 "the oath he swore to our father Abraham:74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

He went on to say "God has sworn to deliver us from every enemy, every fearful thing, so we can serve Him all the days of our lives without fear. Beloved, hunger is and enemy. Nakedness and poverty are enemies." David Wilkerson. 

I suppose the last few days have shown me that I still have some fears that try and rise up against me. That fear is an enemy. Lack of finances to pay the bills is and enemy. Sickness is an enemy. Depression and dispair are enemies. 
Here is the good news God has sworn to deliver us from every enemy and every fearful thing. Why?... so we can serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all our days. I am standing on this verse. Yes there are things that frighten me and threaten to overwhelm me at times. There are times when I feel like I am in way over my head. It is in those times that rather than just sink and drown in dispair that I remember these and other verses and stand on them as the real truth. The circumstances my appear hopeless but this is what the Word of God says. God has sworn to deliver you and me. He knows the things that frighten us and he reaches out to us and says "trust me". I will get you safely where you need to go. 

Thankfully I got out just in time to go home and change my wet pants, socks and shoes and arrive for my afternoon lesson just before my student arrived. 
So was this really necessary. I suppose the things we go through help show us things about ourselves that we might otherwise be unable to see. 

Prayer:
I pray the Lord will help you that you will stand upon His Word and trust that he will deliver you from every enemy and every fearful thing. Thank you also for being forgiving and good, O Lord, and abounding in love to all who call to you.