Calling on His Name

I had been planning the event for what seemed like an eternity.  I had written the message, prayed for the women attending, coordinated the food, met with my team... and now... the day was fast approaching.

And what I know very clearly is this... the enemy would love for nothing more than for me to be distracted from the work that God has called me to.  Because I read it in His word...

"The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy."  {John 10:10a}

And thief by definition is this:

"A burglar, pickpocket. Thief/robber refers to one who steals. A thief takes the goods or property of another by stealth without the latter's knowledge: like a thief in the night. A robber trespasses upon the house, property, or person of another, and makes away with things of value."

And the enemy is a thief.

And it's when we are most invested in His kingdom work that the thief works hardest to kill and steal and destroy.  Why?  Because He longs to distract us from the work we're doing to accomplish God's purpose for our lives.  He longs to steal our hope and rob us of the valuable things God has implanted in us.

And I could feel it on a Friday night.  The enemy trying to destroy something I'd worked so hard for.

And here's the thing... it happens very subtly.  It begins with questions that seem innocent enough:

1. Who do you think you are?
2. Who will care what you have to say?
3. Why bother?

And then I hear the lies:

1. You are nobody special.
2. No one cares about you.
3. You will only fail.  Again.

And for a moment I allow myself to believe the lies.  For a moment I sink into the pit of destruction.  And I had this night allowed myself to be manipulated by darkness.

It was in the quiet of the night just before the big day and I began to be feel sick.  Really sick.  And I as laid there in the dark night, all I could think about was how I was going to have to cancel, thus disappointing scores of women who had been planning to arrive the following morning.  Because it wasn't enough that the enemy would try to take me down, make me question my ability, and plant lies in my head, but he was now causing me to feel the weight of guilt for a failure I didn't own.

The enemy is a thief.

And this night he had come to take my health in an effort to keep me from doing God's work.

But then I remembered something I had read in scripture once.

In Acts, chapter 16, we meet up with Paul and Silas who were just released from prison and were headed out to pray when they met a demon-possessed slave girl.  She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters.  And as she followed Paul and his team, she shouted,

"These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved." {Acts 16:17}

This went on day after day until finally Paul became exasperated and turning to her he said,

"I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."  {Acts 16:18a}  (emphasis mine)

And even though the the demon within her was stating the truth, Paul, like Jesus, did not permit it to proclaim the message of Christ.   You see, God had not given authority to the enemy to even whisper that which was truth... because the witness must come from God's appointed ones.  No glory is to be given to the one who's primary purpose of selfishness is to kill and seal and destroy.

And I knew it for certain that night that God was not going to allow the enemy to whisper words to me even if they were true: "You are too sick to go on... you'll just need to cancel.  Call it quits!"  Because I had a purpose I was to fulfill and with Jesus, I was going to fulfill that purpose.

And it was then... there in the darkness of the night... that I began to call out His name:

Jesus... Jesus.

And sometimes just calling on His name causes the enemy to back down:

Jesus... Jesus.

And I read the ending to that verse...

"I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.  And instantly it left her."  {Acts 16:18} 

Instantly it left her.

And it was with me that night.

As I laid there repeating the name of the One who gives life abundantly... the enemy left.

And sometimes God allows us to be tempted to see how committed to His call we really are.  Will we give up?  Give in?  Back down?  Quit?  Or will we... with Jesus... step boldly into His will for our lives... resisting the one who's goal is to destroy us?

Jesus... Jesus.

Sometimes when there are no words and there is no hope and you fear that all is lost... simply calling on His name will cause the enemy to flee.

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,