Shattered

The weak, shrivelled up, wrinkled arm, in an instant, in a moment strong.

For I shall give strength to the weary.

Receive my gift of strength.

Be strong, for I have commanded it.

For I have given you strength.

Here take my strength.

For it is not what it seems.

For the weak shall overcome the strong.

You know this is not a far fight.

The puny shall overcome the mighty.

The one who appears to be the unskilled, the unqualified.

The civilian shall overthrow the commando, for I command it.

The tiny shall pin the mighty.

For your opponent grows weary in the battle, has run out of puff, is struggling for breath.

For I have given you strong endurance, great stamina, great fitness, for you are fit for my purpose.

Romans 5:2-5 Through Him also we have our access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we firmly and safely stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. Moreover let us also be full of joy now! let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity ofcharacter (approved faith andtried integrity). And character of this sort produces the habit ofjoyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

“The time is now, the time is now, breakthrough…”

“Spirit come, spirit come, spirit pour out, we receive our strength”

“We are ready for you to flow on through”

“Come and do only what you can do”

For the enemy tries to wear you down, to give you pause, to wear you out.

But what is it you see before you?

The shattered ground, the covering of the ground like a glass shattered, like a wind shield but upon the ground, shattered.

How has this happened, what brought this about?

What caused it to shatter?

It was my feet Lord

When you look around what is it you see?

A great shattering.

This is what I see….

A great and mighty impact.

Like a rock hitting the windscreen at great speed.

When that which has great power, great speed, great strength, is unbreakable, hits that which has no power, no strength, no capacity – this is what happens.

The strong impact upon that which is weak, causes it to shatter.

How you feel is merely an object lesson.

As you struggle to catch a breath, as it hurts when you move, as your mind struggles to focus, as you feel the heaviness within and without.

Just take a moment, take a moment to peer through the haze.

Who is it that you see?

My Opponent

How does he look?

He struggles to walk, he looks like he is about to pass out, to breathe his last.

What word would you describe him?

Shattered

You have spoken well my son.

For he lacks the capacity to endure, for he is without hope, his situation is hopeless, his destiny prison, his outcome the lake of fire where there is only weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Yet I have given you great hope.

This is what your future looks like…

The habitation of the flow.

The abundant orchard.

The elevated position soaring above.

The ruler with great authority.

The resident of the palace.

The builder of community, the rebuilder of ancient ruins.

The father to many.

The celebrated one.

The glorious one.

The symbol and source of blessing.

The mighty one, who shatters the very ground the enemy stands upon.

The special one.

The one with the coat of colour, the covering of colour, the majesty of colour.

The one with the most beautiful wife, the precious treasure of the nation.

For I have given you the strength to endure, the power of the grip, the capacity to hold on when all around you fail from exhaustion.

Psalms 94:14-19 For the Lord will not cast off nor spurn His people, neither will He abandon His heritage. For justice will return to the uncompromisingly righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the Lord had been my help, I would soon have dwelt in the land where there is silence. When I said, My foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my anxious thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul! Psalms 94:22 But the Lord has become my High Tower and Defense, and my God the Rock of my refuge.