Day 17
A Warfare of Rest - Day 17 - Don't Flick Your BIC!
“Don’t flick your BIC!”
“Lord this isn’t funny. That’s the third morning in a row you’ve said this. What do you mean?” Debbie asked.
The still small voice repeated, “Don’t flick your BIC!”
“I know, I know, I got that part – but what does that mean?”
Silence. Tucking the phrase into the back pocket of her consciousness, Debbie went to wake her kids up and begin the day.
Later that afternoon, she had a few moments alone before the kids came home and the after-school chaos began.
She opened her Bible and her eyes fell on Isaiah 50.
Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment. (Isaiah 50:10-11)
“Don’t flick your BIC!” the Holy Spirit whispered.
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. (1 John 2:9-11)
One of the greatest hindrances to entering into rest in our lives is relational pain. Pain can short circuit our faith and our ability to hear God, making us more vulnerable to accepting the enemy’s lies and taking matters into our own hands. That’s why, just like cancer cells that migrate to places of weakness or wounding in the natural body, the enemy migrates to places in our hearts and spirits where there are unaddressed wounds and begins to speak his lies.
“How could you ever forgive him for what he did? Just close your heart and the pain will stop.” “Your marriage is never going to work, why keep trying? Imagine how good it would feel for all of this to just be over?” “That person calls himself a Christian and he did that to you? Well you know what you should do to get back at him!”
With our guards down, lies can be quickly transformed into strongholds of unbelief. Perspectives become distorted, attitudes twist and the heart begins to function in misguided ways, in opposition to the truth that we know.
When we have been hurt or wronged, the temptation for spiritual vigilantism becomes great. A vigilante is someone who does not have faith in the justice system, so he takes the law into his own hands.
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you-who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:12)
When we choose to hold onto our hurts or walk in unforgiveness, we are lighting our own fires. When we expose the sin of another person or give ourselves the right to slander, we are moving in unbelief concerning God’s character and nature as Lawgiver and Judge.
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14)
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15)
It’s when we are hurt that we must strive the hardest to enter into rest, to cease from our own labours and put our trust in the Lord.
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:23)
The secret to Jesus’ ability to humble Himself when mistreated was his knowledge that God alone has the big picture of justice across time and eternity. And so it is for us. Our safety is not trusting in our own human wisdom but in God, who is just.
God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7)
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21)
“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 54:17)
When we entrust ourselves to God and embrace the suffering of Christ, we open a door for God’s divine justice and for the comfort of the Lord to soothe our wounds and pain.
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (2 Corinthians 1:5)
As we continue to close the doors for unbelief in our lives, God wants to bring healing to the places of our deepest wounding so that we can move into the next season, fully secure in the place of rest that is born from faith. If this resonates with your heart, then let’s pray this prayer together
“Father, I want to bring every area in my life, even the painful ones, under Your rulership. Please expose places in my heart where I’m being a spiritual vigilante, defending my rights and trying to protect myself against injustice or pain. Forgive me for my pride in exalting myself to the place of Judge over my own life and the lives of others. Lord, grant me the grace to forgive as You forgave and to destroy the strongholds of unbelief the enemy has built in my heart. Lord I want to enter into the rest that comes from knowing You as the one Lawgiver and Judge. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
Love,
Stephanie
On behalf of the Awaken Team
We would love this journey to be an expression of the corporate body and not just a few of us, so if the Lord gives you a vision or dream or speaks to you through a scripture or if you have a story or testimony you would like to share, please send it to share@awakenthedream.org.
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