Delayed Blank Days
Recently, due to some unexpected, emergency work that had to be done on my mouth (tooth pulled, root canal, bridge made), I was delayed in getting back with a good friend of mine. I missed 2 days at the hospital, I got behind on paperwork, and Warrior Mom ministry work, and I was sick, in pain and exhausted. I was delayed by about 3-4 days in getting back with my fellow Warrior Mom in need who happened to be going through a very hard time. As I lay on the couch, nauseated and in pain, I thought, “Oh my goodness, God; I need to get a hold of her, but I can barely hold my head up.” I immediately thought of Daniel and how the angel, Gabriel, came and said that he was delayed 21 days by the prince of darkness….
“Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
Immediately, I felt extremely humbled and fragile, and I experienced an increased intensity in my need for God. What amazed me is that since God’s spiritual angels are detained to come to us in the physical due to the spiritual forces of darkness, how much more are we detained in the physical by that same evil?! I cried out to God for a spiritual mind-set and for a new steadfastness. I knew I would need it. It was as if the blinders were lifted off of my eyes. I understood the brevity of the Armor of God and how we truly do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of darkness in the heavenly realms. I lay on the couch the rest of the day, praying the pain in my lower jaw would subside long enough to grab the phone and call and pray with my friend. I prayed for a new level of mightiness of God to fill my weak arms and feeble knees. I was humbled and honored that I needed God so much.
Again, the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. “Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed,” he said, “Peace!” Be strong now; be strong.”
Let us not delay in doing good works. There are people waiting to hear the victorious news! That news, of course, is based upon His strength, not our weakness. “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6
There’s Strong. Then There’s God-Strong.
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.