He is Faithful

My great God often drops Scripture into my lap at seemingly random times. I find that these are impeccably placed into exactly the situation in which I find myself. Many of them are obvious "aha" statements that promise something wonderful, sometimes they come in the form of inspirational verses, and sometimes they hit hard and fast.

Thursday, May 10, 2012, 6:23am - Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren (Luke 22:31-32).

All day long these words tumbled through my head. I'm a student of Scripture...I know the context in which they are said. But something pulls at me, begging me to dig in, to explore the meaning of these two verses in greater depth. To explore the fundamental truths that are inherent; truths that span a great deal of theology. In this process, however, is hope...

Simon, Simon - Ah Simon Peter...so much to be said! I usually identify more with Paul, feeling like my worst sins were committed behind me, but I think we are all a little bit Paul and a little bit Peter. Poor confused, mixed up, impetuous, disloyal, obnoxious Peter. The first disciple to call Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 16:16), and yet the one Jesus called Satan (v. 23). Peter, who vowed to go with Him to prison and death (Luke 22:33), but also the disciple who betrayed Him 3 times (Matthew 26:69-75). The one who jumped out of the boat to get to Jesus, but then sank under his fear (Matthew 14:22-33). We can learn so much from Peter, renamed as cephas (the rock) upon which Christ built His Church (John 1:40-42).

Satan has asked - And we find ourselves back into Job's dilemma: the enemy can only attack us when he is granted permission. Take that one in for a minute...if he has to ask permission, then God has to grant it for it to occur. Here we have the cast down angel "going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and fro on it" (Job 1:7, 2:2)...I'm guessing he was bored perhaps? Nothing like a little human sport to spruce up an otherwise boring meander. The most difficult part for us to understand are the times when God says yes to this request...those hard seasons of struggle that we just don't seem to really understand. In the interior of our mind, WE are the ones who allow the attack. But from external places, only God allows this attempt to conquer His people.

to sift you as wheat - Before the days of modern industrialized farming, do you know how they sifted wheat? For those of you non-agricultural people like me, here's the scoop: wheat is kinda like a pea pod...all the good stuff is on the inside. The outside hard covering is useless. So the first step is to thresh, which consists of beating the harvested plant on concrete floors until it is loosened. Second is winnowing, which involves tossing the loosened plant into the air, where even the faintest wind will separate the heavy grain from the light useless chaff. His winnowing fan is in his hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12)...the chaff is useless. The light comes on...I definitely feel beaten at this point...

But I have prayed for you - Um, so you mean You said it was ok?????? Recalling the previous discussion about Satan's need for permission, our head drops, we meekly whisper our assent that permission has indeed been granted. God is letting this happen to you for a reason.

that your faith should not fail - For this the element of our salvation, the belief in our God, the belief that He is good, the belief that we can trust Him. And this realization of what is under siege is perhaps the most intense, for me. I have been gifted with extraordinary faith, and my greatest asset is the thing under attack.

when you have returned to Me - Finally, a glimpse of hope in this dark painful season...not IF, but WHEN...such a huge distinction in those two words. It is not a question of whether or not it will happen, only how long we will have to endure. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13)...a refreshing promise in the dark.

strengthen your brethren - Which is one reason that I have taken the time to analyze these two verses in such great detail. We are going to be sifted!You may be experiencing this process of beating right now, or maybe you are in the stages of being tossed to and fro in a tempest. You may be spiraling downward into negativity, suspicion, emptiness, and confusion. Your faith is being tested; you hear lies whispered in your head that are so blatant that you actually laugh out loud in surprised shock. Your are enticed to quit, lured to self-destruct, seduced into believing that your life was easier, better, calmer before you walked with God. Let us hold fast the confession of our HOPE without wavering, for He who promised is FAITHFUL (Hebrews 10:23)

With a sigh I close my eyes, calmed at last from the weeks of spiritual torment that have infiltrated my mind.

It matters not, He is faithful.
I am weak, He is faithful.
There is escape, He is faithful.
I have hope, for He is faithful.