I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running and I’m not turning back. –Philippians 3:14-15 (The Message)

I think Satan is very patient. I think he has learned to be masterfully patient, like an accomplished chess player. He waits. He prowls. He watches. He listens. He steals parts of our conversations. He steals our peace with overwhelming doubts. He wrecks our security…because he is patient. We go to the mountain top with Jesus. And Satan waits. We go on mission trips the Lord ordains. And Satan waits. We serve Christ with all our heart. And Satan waits. We marry. And Satan waits. We have children. And Satan waits. We make friends. And Satan waits. We accept job callings. And Satan waits. Do you see the slimy cold chess player’s most successful tactic? Do you see the pattern? Can you recognize His expertise?  Why are we such easy targets? If we know His best maneuver…then why can’t we see him coming? Why, if we have his battle plan, do we fall? Sometimes we fall and get back up. Sometimes we allow Satan to kidnap us. Sometimes we just give up. We quit. We give in. We fail. We lose. We simply lose sight of the goal…of the prize. We underestimate the power offered to us and in us…and His name is Jesus.

One time when the People of Israel had cried out to God because of Midian, God sent them a prophet with this message: “God, the God of Israel, says, I delivered you from Egypt, I freed you from a life of slavery; I rescued you from Egypt’s brutality and then from every oppressor; I pushed them out of your way and gave you their land. “And I said to you, ‘I am God, your God. Don’t for a minute be afraid of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living.’ But you didn’t listen to me.” – Judges 6:7-10 (The Message)

My grandmother (Mama Clara) was a saint. She set the bar high for us to see and observe. At all times… through pain and through joy, she chose to trust in the power of Jesus. My grandfather left her for his secretary when my mom was in college. She simply packed her (very small) suitcase and left him. There was no high powered attorney to fight for alimony. There was no court case. There was no compensation. Mama Clara left a way of living…and moved on. She had lived a “very nice” lifestyle and gave it all up for the sake of her integrity. She went back to school. She worked and lived with the blind…at the blind academy in Macon. She never gave up. She kept fighting…and God’s glory burst through her life like a lighthouse for her family. Satan waited and waited on my Mama Clara…but she prevailed in victory because she never turned off her “power source”…Jesus Christ. When she passed away we collected her meager belongings, and found her Bible. It was completely worn. The patina dull and worn…her battle with cancer eventually stole her body…but her soul was with her Beloved…her Instructor…her Wonderful Counselor! She never lost her ability to communicate with the One who guided and ordained her choices. Oh, how great was Mama Clara’s reward. She stuck to His ways and His direction. I want to be like Mama Clara…I want to “press on” when the going gets excruciating…I want to remember His faithfulness and trust what I have seen Him do in my life. He alone is worthy of my devotion.

Gideon then crossed the Jordan River with his 300 men, and though exhausted, they continued to chase the enemy. –Judges 8:4

Satan is an accomplished chess player. He is an expert in “the waiting” and he is patient. But God calls us to work that is greater and higher than the things of this world. He warns us that “there will be trouble” and He prepares us with His weapon on the cross…love…love trumps everything. Love conquers evil. Love diminishes hate. Love keeps families together. Love keeps children strong and effective. Love protects us in foreign lands. Love turns murderers into lambs. Love changes the hardest heart to an engulfing liquid of the Holy Spirit. Love kept Jesus on the cross. God’s love led our mighty warriors of the Old Testament. Gideon didn’t give up…he kept pressing on for the victory…and he got it…even in pure exhaustion. So…I press on like Gideon and Mama Clara. Satan may wait for our weakness and failure…but Jesus came to bring us the victory. Jesus calls us to “come and go “with Him…and so I press on…press on for the prize before me…for the reward of his favor. For His smile. For His call. I don’t want to be caught looking back. I am running to the Love that changed me. I continue through my weariness for the reward of seeing His face. Satan waits, but Jesus saves!

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King Jr.

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