A force to be reckoned with
bad things happen. unfortunately, that's life. but it's what you do with those trials that makes you stronger.
In Acts 5:12-42 the apostles are facing the affliction of the pharisee's and the council. they were imprisoned for teaching the name of Jesus in Jerusalem. one night while in jail angels of the Lord appeared to them and released them from prison so that they could continue preaching in the temples. when the High Priest finds them teaching again he wants to kill them. they are not killed, but let go because one of the Pharisee's realized they were doing the work of Jesus and convinced the rest to let them live. as the apostles are leaving the court they are rejoicing.
"Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name." Acts 5:41
The apostles were being oppressed and going through hard times. they were being ridiculed and arrested, but their attitudes were ones of thankfulness. they were thankful that the enemy saw them as a big threat. you see, Satan knows he becomes less powerful with every person who comes to know the truth in Jesus. he is going to attack the strong-willed the hardest and when your heart is on fire for Jesus he will try his hardest to extinguish that fire.
Every day is a battle, a battle to stay joyful and not allow Satan to steal my hope. Satan is threatened by people who are living in the freedom of Jesus. he is going to attack you with everything he has, so that he can try and make you stray from Jesus. the harder Satan hits you, the more impactful he thinks you can be.
it's ironic though because it's in the trials and the hard times that we see Jesus more prominently. when we aren't on cloud nine, but in the valley, we are forced to rely on Jesus so much more. So really, Satan is working against himself. he is fighting a hopeless fight. he is fighting a fight that he has already lost and we are fighting a battle that has already been won for us.
let's change our lens on how we view our trials. instead of shutting down because you are in a hard time, rejoice because you are a force to be reckoned with. Use your trial as a time to rejoice. Proclaim, “Yes, God. This time in life is hard and I don’t see why its happening right now. But I KNOW all things work together for the good of those who love You. I praise you for the fact that you have already won and you have already conquered this fight.”
Satan sees something in you that's powerful, and that is Jesus. when you are in the midst of a hard time remember the goal of the enemy is to steal, kill, and destroy. don't be disheartened because of your trials, be encouraged. you have the potential to bring many people to Jesus. don't let your trials stop you. let your trials be a testament. let your trials help you declare, "JESUS IS GREATER."