Remaining & Rejoicing in Persecution

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”                     (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV)

A preface for the upcoming piece of vulnerability. An acknowledgement of my own weakness, my own shortcomings, and my desperate need for grace. A further reason to speak against the suffocation the darkness holds so tightly against me. And, a praise for the beauty made from ashes.

Dear Me, 

I know this season feels unsteady. I know the weight of your crippling anxiety sends you into fight or flight mode with every startle. I know the ranging repercussions of PTSD, and I know it leads you to not always feel safe, especially throughout the sleepless nights. I know the familiar shame that chokes your voice, your story, your truth; and I know that the light will persist, the light will always overcome the darkness if you but remain in Him and remain in His love.

Amid all the chaos, I want you to know there is reason to rejoice in persecution for it is an honor to be a target for the devil. This must mean you have seeds to plant, a harvest to reap and fruit to bear. You must be such a threat by expanding the Kingdom of God that Lucifer himself thinks you are worthy of being attacked. And to that I say, bring it on. Your circumstances do not dictate your joy; the devil cannot touch you, your spirit, or your heart. So, you will persist; you will praise His name from the valleys and sing from the mountaintops, you will allow Heaven to come closer to Earth with every breath you take. You will remain in His presence as the steadiest thing you could ever hold onto.

So, until it rings true in every ounce of your being, repeat after me:

You are safe. He alone is your refuge, your place of safety; He is your God and you can trust Him (Psalm 91:2). You are not in imminent danger. The Lord will deliver you from every evil attack and bring you safely into His heavenly Kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18). You can relax, you can feel calm, and you can breathe deeply; you need not worry (Luke 12:25-26). Do not succumb to silence but bring everything to God; cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you, He will not let you be shaken (Psalm 55:22). Here, you are heard, known and seen. Here, you are loved, and that is the very truth you stand on. Keep your eyes always on the Lord (Psalm 16:8) and have peace, for He has already overcome the world (John 16:33). Put your hand on your heart and know that is where Christ dwells within you (John 15:4). He is with you and watching over you wherever you go (Genesis 28:15).

Remain in Him, the true vine; for the gardener is closest to the branches when He is pruning them.

XO,

Kati

JOIN ME IN PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, we surrender ourselves completely and unreservedly in every area of our lives to You. We surrender our fear, our anxieties and our doubts, for you have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind. I take a stand against all the workings of Satan that would hinder me, I break the strongholds of Satan formed against me, and I address myself only to the true and living God. I am thankful for the armor You have provided, and live and pray in complete dependence upon You.