Winter Storm

(Author’s Note: This post was originally written in February 2021 during the winter storm. I failed in posting it, because four days after this post was written, my grandma died (a different kind of storm). Now returning back to it, a year later, February 2022, it still reigns with the Lord’s glory, truth and encouragement. Remain Encouraged in that, no matter the year, no matter the storm, there is a way out with the power of our Lord God.)

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“Someone cuts down a tree from the forest; it is worked by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel. He decorates it with silver and gold. It is fastened with hammer and nails, so it won’t totter. Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them for they can do no harm—and they cannot do any good.” -Jeremiah 10: 3-5

I read this passage just as I was praying and internally warding off a temptation. I had to pray for the Lord to help with this temptation because it rears its head everytime I feel lonely and rejected and I do tend to cave into it, of my own strength. I asked the Lord to help me with refocusing my thoughts so that I will not press into them and He told me to read my bible, but you will not believe how difficult it was for me to do so. I truly felt nearly paralyzed at the idea of picking up my bible to read it. I had to pray for strength and say repeatedly aloud, “Please reward me for this. Please reward me for this.” Then when I did, I read the scripture above and I heard the Lord ask, “And how much power are you giving this spirit of temptation?”

Idolization comes in many forms; it just adapts with each new generation. It partners with vanity and the temptations of the times, and before you know it, “I MUST HAVE IT!” is your mantra. Seeking inanimate objects as a source of energy, love, peace, joy, and emotional balance. They cannot do anything for us, we provide them their power and therefore their power is limited because when we die, their power dies with us. This is similar to the power I have given this temptation. Not to say that this temptation does not have any influence, because it does, but its influence is built not with silver and gold but with my memories, my shame and my guilt. I have given this temptation all of its power because it is made up of components of me, which is why I am always drawn to it, it looks familiar.

Which is why it is essential for a greater force to come in and fight this battle of temptation, someone greater than me, than us. A source who is always in a state of overpour because He stands alone and is His own power-source. I prayed for a way out of the temptation, He answered. During this battle, I prayed not only for endurance and perseverance, but also a new outlook and perspective and He provided. Does this mean I will concede every time? No, but I do know that the ability to do so is there and this possibility is how this temptation loses its power.

So Remain Encouraged in knowing that with every temptation that comes your way, The Lord has provided a way out and this way out shows who truly has the upper hand and your best interest of your growth and future at heart.