Have you ever felt like you were fighting an "uphill battle" as my grandma would say? For several months we experienced one trial, one challenge, one battle after another in the Bailey household. These trials involved everything from health related concerns, to my children and their well-being, to financial challenges, to the 3 inches of septic "goo" I had growing in my back yard!! You do NOT want me to start on that one.... :)
Each day I try to make it a priority to read God's word before I start my day. If this is a goal of yours, you could begin with something as simple as a daily devotion that references Bible verses. You see we do NOT know what challenges will face us before the day begins, BUT God does. It is always amazing for me to see the verses of scripture that He encourages me to read that end up being JUST what I needed to hear for the day!
ONE of the BIG trials we faced during this "battle season" involved my 13 year old daughter. You see she has had Type I or juvenile diabetes since she was just 9 months old, and she has worn an insulin pump for ten years now. Before softball practice one day she disconnected her insulin pump at the ball field and left it on the bleachers and FORGOT it. I assumed it was on her when I picked her up from the field to go home. We searched and searched, but NO luck. We even printed flyers and posted around the rec center fields. You see this ONE piece of medical equipment is between $4,000 and $6,000!! So as a mom I began to try to "fix" things myself thinking a checklist would be appropriate for this...so I began my quest...first, let's go back to shots even though we feel like we are starting ALL over (check,) second, I will call the pump supplier to see if our warranty will cover this (check)....warranty EXPIRED, third I will contact our insurance company to see if they will pay for another (check.)....the answer NO! Well I had checked off these items from my list in a futile attempt to "fix" the situation on my own.
I felt like I had a new baby again.....up 3 times a night checking her blood sugars and measuring insulin in syringes as we adjusted to this "new" schedule again with shots....6-8 a day in fact!
Each day as I read God's word, He kept sending me the same message in different verses...these first three were just SOME of the verses I read in my devotion time....
1 Samuel 17:47
"...for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give you into our hands."
2 Chronicles 20:15
"Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's."
2 Chronicles 32:8
"With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles."
THEN the following Sunday morning in Sunday School class the lesson included the verse below!!
Exodus 14:14
"The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace" (or be still and let HIM fight your battles!)
WOW!! God continued to speak to me reminding me that He had this too under control. Well all of the battles I shared with you earlier WERE resolved without me having to do a THING. Even the septic science experiment in our back yard was resolved after many months of the neighbors referring to us as the "stinky house" under their breath (no pun intended.) God DID fight my battles for me!! However, the MOST amazing story is this....
That same evening my parents were at their small country church filled with a group of people known for their love and faith, and that night my parents asked for prayer for Crystal, their granddaughter, who
lost her insulin pump. A man came up to them after church and said that his wife had lost her battle to diabetes over a year ago, and he felt like he was supposed to hold on to her insulin pump, and NOW he knew why...he wanted to give it to my parents for Crystal!!!
Well when my mother walked in and handed it to me, I felt the tears streaming down my face!! There are at least 3 different manufacturers of an insulin pump, and THIS ONE was not ONLY the SAME manufacturer of the one that we used....but also THIS ONE was the SAME brand!!! In fact, for months now Crystal has really needed the larger pump that holds more insulin, but we simply could not afford an upgrade, and THIS WAS the upgraded pump that we NEEDED!!! Lastly as if this were not enough to blow you away with God's provision, when Crystal recently had her room painted her favorite shade of blue.....she also asked that when we COULD afford the newer, upgraded version of her pump, could we PLEASE get her that "fun, blue color one day?" You guessed it.....it was the BLUE PUMP she had been wanting!!!!
You see Friends, the SAME God who placed every star in the sky and knows them by name, and who knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7,) and who even knew you before you were born (Jeremiah 1:5,) DOES care about your battles, your trials, your tears, and your daily life!! In fact, he EVEN cares about ALL the details....right down to the color!!! Oh and THAT same night, my husband and I had some quiet time together, and we read in our devotion for couples, guess what verse we read?? It was Exodus 14:14.....the SAME verse God sent our way that morning!! ONCE again, He reminded me to "be still" and let Him fight my battles for me!!
I do not know what you are facing in your life, but God does!! Maybe you are facing some serious financial circumstances right now with this economy, and yet others have relationship and health challenges or conflict with children. Won't you allow God to fight your battles FOR you?? It sure takes a LOT of stress off of your shoulders this way, and the "peace surpasses all understanding..." (Phil 4:7)
I would love to hear how God has fought a battle for you as well. Maybe it was an answer to prayer about a wayward child, or a financial situation that was greater than you?? Feel free to share below so that others can be encouraged as well!
Praising Him in the Storm...
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