Esther and Hannah were building one of their ever-creative forts when we heard a sharp cry from the living room. Ben rushed in to find that Esther had stepped down from a wicker basket onto a toy car and twisted her ankle and foot. After hours of ice, pain meds, and comfort, we brought her into the ER. Our fourth visit since my newly released book, Suffering Redeemed, was launched. Two visits were attributed to Judah having pneumonia, and a few days earlier, Benaiah had broken a finger playing football. On the same day as the broken finger, I was given yet another hard-to-treat diagnosis. Sometimes, when it rains, it pours.
I don’t like to give the enemy too much credit, and I cringe when we try to blame all our problems on spiritual warfare. But Satan wants to get us when we are down. And he will do everything in his power to stop the work of God.
Many people on my book launch team reported that they had experienced opposition in trying to read my book and write a review, everything from technical difficulties to demonic oppression. But I also received steady waves of feedback on how it touched lives in ways only God can.
“When you’re catching flak, you’re over the target.” This was a word from an elder at our church regarding the pushback we were receiving surrounding my book. It’s an old WWII Army Air Force phrase, and if you are anything like me, it needed an explanation. This is when having a soldier as a spouse comes in handy.
A bomber is a plane designed to drop bombs on an enemy target. The enemy target is always something of great importance to the enemy that will have a significant impact on winning the war if destroyed. Because of its significance, the enemy will try to protect it from being bombed by putting air defenses nearby. When the bomber approaches the target, the enemy air defenses will try to shoot the bomber down with flak – special bullets that explode in the air, so little pieces of metal shred the bomber and prevent it from fulfilling its function. Because air defenses are located near the target, bomber crews knew they were near their target when they were “catching flak.”
In other words, when we are experiencing opposition when pursuing God’s kingdom, we know we are threatening the enemy. This is not the time to stand down in defeat but to strengthen our position with the power of God.
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1-3
A friend sent me these verses yesterday. Little did she know how much they would mean to me. We live in a dark world, and at times it can feel like the light is being diminished to the point of threatening to be extinguished. But we know the true Light of the world is already risen and reigning on his incorruptible thrown. We also have his light within us, and it is our job to illuminate the darkness around us. We all have our spheres of influence uniquely entrusted to us. The question is, will we allow the darkness to overshadow us or continue to fan into the flame the light of Jesus within us? The promise from these verses is that the Lord will arise upon us, and his glory will be seen upon us. But, we need to be willing vessels—receiving his light and putting it on display.
As I sing with Judah most nights before bed,
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel – NO!
I’m gonna let it shine.
Don’t let Satan blow it!
I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine til Jesus comes.
I’m gonna let it shine.It may be a children’s song, but it is not as easily lived out as we think. If we play it safe, we may miss God’s purposes for us. Sometimes only in risking the unknowns do we see God’s glory revealed. There may be opposition, but never make decisions based on fear; it will only result in regret. The bright future that God has for us his children calls for cheerful expectancy by faith now.