Superhero Status

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I bet you didn’t know I was a superhero.

I didn’t always think of myself as one. Sometimes I still don’t. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am. Then sometimes I actually have to be-LI-E-Eve it!

I’ve never leaped tall buildings in a single bound or stopped a locomotive with my bare hands. I’ve never swung high above city streets on a spider’s thread or controlled the weather with a hammer. I’ve never protected the world with a suit of iron or fought crime with martial arts skills in a black cape. But, I am still a superhero.

I am a superhero in God’s eyes. He has equipped me with a proper suit….“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13

He has enabled me with a proper style…“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 2:4

He has empowered me with a proper strategy…“With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.” Psalm 18:29

I have an enemy and he is evil, cunning and deceptive. I don’t like him. AT. ALL. I have fallen prey to his schemes many times in my life. I have believed his lies and listened to his proverbs. I have tuned my ear to his voice and turned my eyes to his direction. I have stumbled and fallen, run in fear and tried to hide. I have even wanted to give up.

This is my journey of faith…sometimes my faith has been weak, sometimes it’s been small, but I’m certain of these things…

When I am weak, God is strong. “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness”…”That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9a-10

When I feel small, God is big. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

When I fall down, God picks me up. “The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” Psalm 145:14

When I listen quietly, God speaks loudly . “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding.” Job 37:5

When I look up, God looks down. “I lift up my eyes to the hills–where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

My superhero status is only because I have a God who’s the greatest Superhero. EVER. Greater than the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Avengers all thrown together. And more! He has no equal. And I am His child. When He gave me His Name, He gave me His strength. Only through Him can I be so bold and courageous, so enabled and equipped. When the enemy comes against me, I have all I need in my Mighty God. He goes before me. He fights for me. He’s always on my side.

I wish I’d known all this when I was younger, but I’m so glad I know it now. And I just wanted to share it with you. Because we need more superheroes in this world. We need to be a people who rise up in belief that God is above all things. He is Jehovah-Sabaoth, The Lord of Hosts.

“David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.” 1 Samuel 17:45-46

Oh, who doesn’t love the story of David and Goliath?!? Who doesn’t need to hear these words in these days on the Kingdom Calendar?!? Who doesn’t need to be reminded that even though we may be “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” we have a God who has this all-surpassing power just waiting to unleash through jars of clay?!?

Me! I do! I do!

When I feel powerless, God is my Strongtower. He is Lord over all powers, principalities and rulers in high places. I want Him to know that I am His warrior princess because sometimes He calls me to battle and I don’t want to let Him down.

I am a superhero.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

Though it’s waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging…

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:1-3, 7 & 11 

God Comes In His Ways

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There’s something very mysterious about fog. When a cloud hovers along the earth’s surface greatly reducing visibility, I drive cautiously and save my walks through town for another time. Although there’s something very beautiful about a misty morning in the fields and woods, I feel safer when I admire this kind of beauty from my front porch. I have no idea what’s beyond what my eye can visibly see.

More often than a low lying cloud, though, is the fog that sometimes obscures my mind or the haze that confuses my thoughts. I’ve heard of overthinking something, but is it possible to think myself to death?!? I suppose not, but I’ve been known to drive myself slightly crazy with thoughts gone wild. I’m a terrible “what-iffer.” Most of the things I’ve imagined in my life have never happened. I don’t know why I torture myself like this because I’ve got this beautiful mysterious God who loves to come to me in His ways…

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways,” this is the Lord’s declaration. “For as the heaven is higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8, 9

Sometimes life is mysterious because God is mysterious. God reserves the right to make things known to me in His way, in His timing, in His purpose. After all, He’s perfect and if He’s perfect then He’s perfect in all of His ways. This is such a hard truth to wrap my mind around. If I let it, it’ll drive me crazy, but it’s in these times that the only way I can clear my head is to trust His heart. Instead of fretting about what I don’t know, I can cling to what I do. And, there’s so much I do know about my God.

I know He cares for me: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

I know He strengthens me: “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

I know He guides and directs me: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5,6

I know He fights for me: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

I know He loves me: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

So….maybe I don’t have all the solutions to all my problems at this very moment. Maybe I don’t have all the answers to all my prayers or know all the whys to all my questions. One of the mysteries in my relationship with God is growing in faith when the fog is thick and my eyes can’t see beyond this very moment, and growing in trust when God shows up in the misty mornings and I can see Him in the here and now.

Since heaven is higher than anything my human mind can comprehend, I can trust God’s thoughts and plans to be perfect for me and so much better than anything I can dream up on my own. As long as I keep looking up, God will meet me even in the fog of life. He comes in the clouds. He hovers over me and that’s such a beautiful mystery…that’s such a beautiful thought…that’s such a beautiful way for Him to come.

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way….” Exodus 13:21

 

 

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