Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Invasions



Entering into the holiday season is an opportunity to reflect on the past year, consider what we have learned, how we have changed, and how God has grown us. As I look back, I am thankful for many things as I see marks of God’s faithfulness. But I also see some intensely dark moments that I did not ask for, nor could I have predicted. They were invasions that came fast and furious and intruded on what I thought my comfortable, happy life should be like. I felt attacked and even betrayed that these invasions were allowed by God. I looked up the definition of invasion. It means, “to enter with an intrusive effect”. Yes! This is exactly how I felt! The suffering was great and the attacks were intrusive. I spent a good deal of my time praying, pleading with God to make the invasions go away. I fought to make things right, often with a sense of hopelessness. Sometimes it was all I could do to lift my eyes and continue to believe God was with me; that he was in control and that he cared.

But in the last few weeks, I actually heard this word “invasion” used in a way I never had before. My dear friend, Pastor Kent Kloter sharing with me a brief moment in his walk with the Lord and he mentioned “God’s invading Grace”. I heard another godly man praying that God would invade the hearts of his people with his love and compassion. You see, another definition for invade is to “enter in so as to subjugate or occupy”. I confess I spent much of this last year focusing on the invasions that were coming at us like an army (envision that last battle scene from “The Lord of the Rings”) and forgetting that I serve the Commander of the greatest army and my great God wants to invade and occupy every part of my life. Often that means I must come to the very end of myself in order to let him in to the darkest crevices of my heart.

Christmas allows us to be reminded again of how Christ came as an infant to invade this dark world with his light and sacrificing love. Isaiah 9:2 says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” For some, their darkness is foolishness and self-living and for others, their darkness is suffocating and crushing pain. Christ came to give us hope and lift us out of that darkness into his marvelous light (I Peter 2:9). He wants to invade your heart - to enter in so he can occupy the darkest and loneliest parts of your life. He wanted to invade my selfish and prideful, controlling spirit. I am thankful for his incredible patience, and I am praying for his invasion in the hearts of his people and in the ones who still need to be rescued.

Janet Leman

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