Please take a moment to watch the video here, before reading the devotional.
A town perishing. Invaded by evil- breathing death over all who dwell there. Imminent destruction by an enemy bread for one purpose. Destroy all who live.
Such evil brings not just fear, in its attempt to destroy, but with that fear comes lies. Lies meant to undergird the very fear, the very assignment decreed - against them.
What does man do against such hate? Such evil? Where is there any hope, in a battle that appears all has been forsaken?
You've been there, haven't you!?!?!
If not, you may yet encounter such a moment.
Gripping my fingers tightly to the arms of the theatre chair, I was feeling the gripping fear overcoming the town.
But the father had a plan... that would be unstoppable in his heart.
And his son, that saw beyond the evil, and into the opportunity before him, ran to seize what he saw as key to overcoming what was facing all of them.
It would be a pivotal game changer for the fate of Lake Town. Though he could have been drowned by fear, courage and faith was swallowed instead. It propelled him into the high places, where only there are our enemies faced and taken down. A realm that few climb to.... but many need to.
Man often will attempt to use his "own arrows" to fight a battle. Reaching into his own resource and wisdom to wage war. Grabbing for anything that might take down the darkness. Soon finding... it is no match for what is before him.
Leaving him without armor strong enough to overcome.
In the midst of the battle, he will encounter lies. There will always be lies.
For lies are the hinges on which the doors of evil remain open. Whereas truth is the handle we hold onto, keeping such doors firmly shut.
And so what do we hear Smaug, spew forth?
"Who are you to stand against me? "What a pity... what will you do now, Bowman?" "You are forsaken!" "No help will come!"
And, the battle will always be personal... or eventually become personal....
"Is that your child?" "You cannot save him from the fire, he will burn!"
I have heard everyone of these lies assault me into the terror of fear. And, I imagine you have a story or two to tell, when you did too.
As I peered deeper into this scene, I saw this to be one of the most beautiful scenes I think, ever. At least one of them. How can that be so, you might be asking... ?
As the son stood top of that tower right in the center of the battle, he heard the words of his father gently, draw near. In the stillness of the father's own courage, he tells his son...
"Stay still, son."
In another story, the words are written.... "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
The father realizes then in that moment, that his son is standing not only in the gap of this evil before him, but that his son is also going to steady and provide him a place in which to rest the very arrow that will defeat Smaug.
Something so deep rose up in my spirit as I watched this.... His son, was the one who held the weapon through which the enemy, the dragon would be defeated.
In another story...The Father, sends His son as the weapon that would defeat the dragon, Satan. On a high place on a hill, hanging on wood, on a cross. It would be the ultimate game changer for all mankind.
The son, stands facing the father, while the dragon as you see, is breathing a fiery breath of evil against the sons back. Horror surrounding him. In a moment the son turns his gaze away from the father, and stretching slowly turns his gaze onto the dragon. While doing so, the father says,
"Look at me, you look at me."
In another story, facing the fiery breath of Satan's lies against him, while facing the cross, the Son of God is tempted to turn his gaze from the Father to the evil facing Him. But, in that garden, where he sweat drops of blood, as a precursor to the blood that would come pouring out of His body... He looks up to His father after pleading this cup be taken from Him, and says, "Not my will, but Yours."
We can only do the will of the Father, when we set our gaze upon Him. For it is then we can like Jesus, see the joy set before Him. And the joy promised before us. Isaiah 50:7 ....Therefore, I have set My face like flint," When we steady our gaze upon the Father in Heaven, the enemy's voice will hold no sway over us. Fear becomes faith as we set our eyes, our gaze on the Father.
It is imperative that we understand that what we set our gaze upon, we make agreement with. As this son stood steady and still, eyes fixed on his father, the son made agreement with his father, therefore empowering his father. In the same way when we set our gaze on our Father, we empower the angelic realm to go to battle on our behalf.
When we begin to understand also, that agreement with fear will always empower the enemy, but agreement with faith in our Father, will empower His Heavenly Kingdom, we will learn that the enemy really is all about bringing a "rattling" noise around us to distract us, get our eyes and gaze off of our Father, as sons and daughters.
Furthermore, the son helped his father the most, when he kept his gaze on his father. In the same way, we help our Heavenly Father most when we fix our eyes on Him, and His son, Jesus. And we can be certain, that our Heavenly Father, through the voice of His Holy Spirit will always call us back to his face, call our gaze back to Him at the very moment the enemy speaks lies to us. Therefore, we MUST know our Father's voice. The temptation to look at fear is the number one way of the enemy to keep us in fear. But we must in those moments, turn our eyes upon the Father. It is time alone, in what I call, "the secret place," where I learn to know His voice most clearly. Time spent in His Word, in prayer, worship, in being still and learning to know He is God!
Just a couple days ago, I was going through a battle. The enemy began to 'up' the rattling noise of his strategy's and it brought out of me, a fierceness of spirit to overcome. To wage war. Late that afternoon, I went out pacing beneath the late afternoon sun, in circles. I felt that the enemy was doing circles around me with fear. As I stilled my heart, my spirit, and became conscious of the open heaven I believe I live beneath, and became completely in tune and aware of His manifest presence with me, I heard His whispers. He showed me this:
There was a football field with two teams standing on the field. It was the beginning of the game. He told me, "one of the teams on the field has been given a word. They have been told that they have already won the game. BUT,... they still had to go through the process of playing the game. They were going to win, but the game itself was yet to be played."
This was a game changer for this team. Why?
The Holy Spirit continued....
"How then does that mean they should play their game?...knowing they will win the game? They must realize that they have two choices. They can play from a posture of fear, when the enemy comes hard against them and attacks in the most unexpected ways. For he will come against them and attack in ways they won't see coming. Causing them the potential to make moves based on fear. It won't change the outcome, but it will change the way they go through the game itself.
OR
They can play the game from a posture, stance, vision and perspective of Victory. From a mindset that plays the game from having won, already. This will allow them to not only play the game from a winning standpoint, but as well, the amount of peace they will play with and the impact on them while playing will change the very atmosphere around them.... and will actually weaken the plans and strategies of the opponent... the enemy. It will allow the enemy to be frustrated. While you are playing from a place of strength and joy and peace."
"Dawn, you are called to play the game of life from a posture of bringing Heaven to Earth. You have the choice to set your eyes on Me, to look only at Me, while playing this game, because you know, it has already been won for you. You need only look at Me. And play this game of life, which last for only a short time, from a place of Victory, a place of being an Overcomer, a place that says, "no weapon formed against you shall prosper, and I have you held in the palm of My hand. You are hidden in the shadow of the Almighty God, and my Angels are decreed on your behalf to be sure you don't loose!!!"
I walked from that moment, in a place of greater peace. A place of knowing that this is a game changer.
That scene in that movie, was another moment that will be imprinted on my heart forever.... a game changer moment for me. Not one I didn't know... but one that reset my gaze as a flint again, to the North, for that battle, in that moment. We all need our minds to be "reset" from time to time. He is faithful to help that happen.
Dear King Jesus,
Thank you for turning my gaze to the North, for showing me that I am in a position to play the game of life from Heaven to Earth. Your Kingdom come, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Remind me often, to pay no attention to the rattling noises of the enemy,... to see that it really is a "smokescreen" to lies that fall powerless at the mention of Your Name. That the sword of Truth is always a destroyer of the Lies, and that the enemy must fall and be rendered powerless by the shed blood of Jesus.
I pray Father for ___________________ who is in a battle right now, that feels far darker than it does light for them. Shine the light of truth on the door handle of her situation, so that the hinges held together by lies, will have no hold any longer. And the open doors of lies be shut tightly, holding know power over them, as they hold to Your truth. That they might hear your still, small voice, that says, "Be still and know that I am God." That they may hear those compassionate and loving words, "No, look at Me, you look at Me."
And may they know, it is all the game changer they need, for the battle is and has been already won. Amen.
on far horizons,
