Nice Try, But I Don’t Think So

Posted on September 9, 2015

Have you ever felt like Satan is just throwing everything he can at you to discourage you, stop you from doing what you know God has told you to do? Life since we’ve gotten back from Poland has been… well, frustrating. Coming home is always hard. As much as we see purpose in our jobs and life here, it’s hard to come back from full time ministry service to the routine of dishes and emails and “normal life” stuff – especially if that normal life starts kicking your butt. We came home to find a few feet of water in our basement from a sump pump failure (which seems to have happened suddenly right before our return and in no way could have been prevented or dealt with by our amazing house sitters). It took out our water heater and furnace, and we discovered a leak in the ancient water line from the town to our house that had to be replaced. $$$$. Needed new tires, and then sliced one of them on a broken reflector just weeks later. A few of the consulting jobs I had accepted to earn some extra cash fell through. Lawn mower died. Vehicle registrations are due. You know… just normal life stuff piling up on us all at once. But it makes you frustrated to say the least. We just wanted to get back on a plane and return to the hard, but rewarding work we were doing in Poland. Then, we start worrying about being able to go back. We still haven’t figured out how we’re paying for all this normal-life stuff. How are we going to put aside the $4000 we usually put towards our trip? Now that… that’s Satan doing his best to discourage us. It can’t be anything else, because we know God is bigger than all of this.

This post is not a pity party or plea for money. We are incredibly blessed even in the worst of times, we have family and friends that help us incredibly, and we’ve made it through much greater trials. When I think about what our Holocaust survivor and Ukrainian war refugee friends have faced, I’m ashamed to even be writing about our inconveniences. But as I’ve been praying over these things, talking with God about the spiritual battle clearly going on, He has reminded me of some promises. Maybe you need reminded of them too.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 1:6-9 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

So in this, we will rejoice. Being tested is a good thing. It refines us, brings us close to God, grows our faith. If God didn’t have a plan to use us as His tool to reach His children, I don’t think Satan would bother. That’s awesome. So, nice try on the redirect, Satan. But I don’t think so.