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Give Up

Kneel Day 3 Fierce Faith

January 5, 2022 by Rebecca 7 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Kings 19:8-37
2 Kings 18:1-8
2 Corinthians 4
2 Timothy 2:1-13

Kneel, Day 3

“I’m at the end of myself. The end of myself. The end of myself.
Lord, my God, every day I see again, I’m at the end of myself.”

Those lines flowed from my pen this morning. Hopelessness and despair pocked my heart like so many arrows, threatening to undo me.
Then came the lies, slowly at first, then quickening.
This trial isn’t worth the cost.
You’re losing the war.
Give up. Save yourself.

As is my learned habit when bringing the full weight of my brokenness to the Lord, I sat before Him, my tears mixing with the ink on my page, waiting for Him. When I was spent, trouble still brimming over in my soul, there was nothing left to do but wait in stillness.

I settled into the holy hush, waiting.
I knew He had heard.
I knew He had seen.
I was now an active participant in listening,
for prayer is much more about shushing than speaking.

This habit of pouring out myself in frankness before the Holy Almighty One, then awaiting His response, has grown richer over time. Its budding practice began years ago when I uncovered an Old Testament narrative of one king who gave himself completely to relying on the Lord God. (2 Kings 18:5-6)

Hezekiah was markedly different from Judah’s exceptionally wicked kings, and everyone noticed. When the popular vote swung toward evil, Hezekiah fixed His gaze unswervingly on the Faithful One and followed the Lord’s ways, effectively drowning out culture’s clamor. The consistency of Hezekiah’s faith was compared to the king known as the man after God’s own heart, David. (2 Kings 18:3) Stirred up by his love for the Holy One, Hezekiah boldly pressed against decades-old traditions and idolatrous patterns of the people of Judah. (2 Kings 18:4) Following the Lord in obedience wasn’t lip service for Hezekiah, it was the practiced pattern of his everyday life.

One doesn’t suddenly become stalwart in dependence on the Lord.
Fierce faith must be cultivated, developed, and practiced daily.

Hezekiah had been king for 14 years when King Sennacherib attacked, plenty of time to practice relying on the Lord.

The most loathsome empire, the Assyrians, known for their gruesome acts of war, had methodically moved through Judah, capturing one city after another. Terrified of seizure, Hezekiah attempted to bargain with the terrorists, even stripping the Lord’s holy temple of every shred of treasure as offering to Assyria’s king. (2 Kings 18:14-16)

The Assyrian Chief of Staff gleefully took Hezekiah’s gold and silver, then began to taunt him, relishing in calling him cowardly and his God, impotent. Next, in a brazen act of malice, he stood tall for all Jerusalem’s citizens to hear as he publicly mocked Judah’s king and fed Hezekiah’s countrymen lies in their own language. (2 Kings 18:26-28)

Slowly at first, then with gathering speed,
“What are you relying on? (…) Suppose you say to me, ‘We rely on the Lord our God’ (…) It’s the Lord who said to me, ‘Attack this land and destroy it.’” (2 Kings 18:20-25)

Lies spewed from the Chief of Staff with titanic fury;
he was enjoying his scathing mockery,
“Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you; he can’t rescue you from my power! Don’t let Hezekiah persuade you to rely on the Lord! (…) Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us.’” (2 Kings 18:29-30, 32)

Silence was deafening in the wake of words that waged war before swords had been unsheathed. (2 Kings 18:36)

Sackcloth. Ashes. Fear. Trembling. Agony.
Prayer

The prophet Isaiah was summoned.
The people waited for the king’s next move.
Hezekiah, with torn garments from his overwhelming grief, took the mocking letter of threats from King Sennacherib and did exactly what he’d practiced all his life.
He prayed.

“Hezekiah…went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it [the letter] out before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord.” (2 Kings 19:14-15)

In all broken honesty and total surrender, clearly at the end of himself, Hezekiah demonstrated the ferocity of his genuine faith by praying to the “Lord God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You are God – You alone – of all kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.” (2 Kings 19:15)

He proved his faith in the pattern he’d practiced.

Then Hezekiah waited.
No lightning voice from Heaven.
No scrolling pen on his wall.
He waited for the Lord to speak through the means He had ordained, His prophet, Isaiah.

Isaiah came and assured Hezekiah he’d been heard; the Lord would move in response to his faith. Hezekiah need only wait and watch. (2 Kings 19:20-21, 32-34)

Sisters, read for yourself the work of the Lord!
“That night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and left.” (2 Kings 19:35-36)

The undefeatable, wiped out in moments.
The lies slain, the mocker defeated.
Truth won as faith fought with ferocious surrender.

Sisters, may our lives reflect full reliance on the Faithful God. When the enemy pursues and lies pock our hearts, let’s act with confidence by spreading out our grievances before the Holy One in prayer.

Then, let’s wait for His sure response.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Kneel Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
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Posted in: Broken, He, Prayer, Stillness, Waiting Tagged: faith, Fierce, Give Up, kneel, listening, Lord

Fervent Day 11 Suffering Of One

March 1, 2021 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Romans 15:30-33
2 Corinthians 12:6-10
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Fervent, Day 11

I’ve never really considered myself to have suffered for Jesus.

Unfriended on social media?
Losing a real, face-to-face, personal friendship?
Labeled as the “Jesus girl” or the “church girl”?
On the receiving end of snarky comments, text messages, and emails?

Yes, to all of these.

Beaten for proclaiming Christ?
The lives of my children threatened for my refusal to renounce Jesus?
Imprisoned for relentlessly sharing the gospel?

Never, not once. Not even a hint.

Occasionally, I will remember to pray for the “persecuted church,” even pray fervently with tears and renewed vigor, but I shamefacedly admit to generally feeling fairly disconnected from “them.”

Then, one summer I read a book that marked me for life.
Some things you simply cannot un-read.

Nik Ripken, using a pseudonym to protect his identity and countless other believers whose stories he tells, shared many unforgettable accounts in his book The Insanity of God. Years later, Stoyan’s testimony continues to speak volumes to me.

Stoyan had been imprisoned for his faith, and as Nik thanked him for sharing his story, Stoyan made a remarkable statement:
“I thank God and I take great joy in knowing that I was suffering in prison in my country,
so that you, Nik, could be free to share Jesus in Kentucky.”

My heart plummeted as I read his words, and simultaneously put up defenses.
How could Stoyan consider it a trade-off for himself to be chained so that I can be free?

We aren’t connected!
Me, in midwestern United States, free to drink Starbucks, parade around Target at my leisure, share Jesus when, or if, I want, walk in my church doors whenever I please (or don’t please) and belt praise music whenever I feel (or don’t feel) the urge.
Stoyan and I are not connected.
How could we be so intertwined that I should feel a debt to him and his persecution?

A debt so heavy I should feel all the more urged to share Jesus, as if on his behalf?

My response was similar to Nik’s…
“Those words pierced my soul. I looked Stoyan straight in the eyes. ‘Oh, no!’ I protested. ‘No! You are not going to do that! You are NOT going to put that on me. That is a debt so large that I can never repay you!”

I pray Stoyan’s response will mark your heart like it has mine.

“Stoyan stared right back at me and said, ‘Son, that’s the debt of the cross!’
He leaned forward and poked me in the chest with his finger as he continued,
‘Don’t you steal my joy! I took great joy that I was suffering in my country,
so that you could be free to witness in your country.’

Then he raised his voice in a prophet-like challenge that I knew would live with me forever: ‘Don’t ever give up in freedom what we would never give up in persecution! That is our witness to the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!””

“Don’t ever give up in freedom what we would never give up in persecution.”

Sisters, I confess I have done exactly this.
I have indeed “given up” sharing the hope I and Stoyan both possess because, well, I have other things to do, you know? All the Target runs, the coffee, the groceries, the running of kids to all the places, the laundry, oh please the laundry…
Besides, what if I push someone away in my passion to share Jesus?
What if I offend someone?
What if they ask me a question I can’t answer?

When I am afraid of “awkward”. . .
I plead for the Holy Spirit to remind me of Stoyan’s call to
“never give up (my witness of Jesus) in freedom what he wouldn’t give up in persecution.”

The apostle Paul was familiar with persecution.
He was also familiar with the comforts of life.
He knew hunger, and he had lived in plenty.

He knew years of education and finery, and had also felt the cuts of whips, the weight of rocks as he was stoned, and emotional distress accompanying oppression.

His prayers on suffering in the church have little to do with being removed from it, but rather, persistence to share Jesus in suffering, together with other believers.

“… brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, (…) and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people…”
(2 Thessalonians 3:1-2, emphasis mine)

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints…” (Romans 15:30-31, emphasis mine)

Stoyan, Paul, Nik, myself, and you, dear sister Christ-follower, wherever you are living in the world, are all connected.

There is no “persecuted church” and “free church.”
We.
Are.
Church.
Together in One Body, Christ’s.

Every single believer carries the weight of the same gospel, purchased by the same blood, from the same God and Savior of us all. May we cease to be guilty of “giving up in freedom what our brothers and sisters refuse to give up in persecution.”

Stoyan is right to expect the free-by-law believers, to boldly share Jesus, precisely because he is suffering for the same gospel.

We are bound together.
All suffering together.
All preaching Christ together.
All interceding for one another together.

Unity is the heart of Paul’s laborious prayers and the thread woven through every single letter he penned. Because we are one, may we live, and preach, and suffer as one.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Fervent Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Fervent!

Posted in: church, Cross, Fervent, Freedom, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Joy Tagged: free, Give Up, One, persecution, Pierced, share, soul, suffering, testimony, witness, Word

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