Kept!

Kept!

Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one]. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 AMPC

The Inspiration:

It is a lifelong lesson on dependence and total surrender. It is a daily walk with God, with no certainty beyond a particular phase in life or a particular course of action. God tells you to do something or He places you in a particular situation for a reason or a season, because He has a specific assignment He wants to complete in and through you. He does not always reveal the full picture, otherwise we could become cocky, careless or afraid of what is coming. He births and sustains faith in me, so that I can walk with Him on a daily basis, confident in the assurance that God knows what He is doing, where He is leading and what He is making me become. Now, this is God's perspective. Would you think the devil will just fold and watch it all happen without a fight or some resistance? Do I really think that the devil will not strive to sow doubt and fear in me about the possibility of all of God's plan coming to fulfilment in me? 

The Contention:

The devil has been in the business of disruption, discomfort and discouragement for all of time, and he will not stop until he has been judged. This is why the verse above refers to him as the 'evil one'. That is all he has the capacity and ability to produce, and he will stop at nothing to carry out his mandate, which the bible clarifies as 'to kill, to steal and to destroy'. He knows the he has no eternal future with God, and he will seek to drag as many as he can along with him into eternal domination. Yet, in the same verse that lays out the devil's plans, we also see the mandate of God too, which is to give us life in all its abundance. Of course, life is the very essence and nature of God, so God is only being true to his nature when He offers me eternal life with Him. This is why He will do all He can to secure me for all of eternity,  and in fact, He already did, when He allowed His one and only Son to die for my sin on the cross. 

The Conclusion:

By His death and resurrection, He has broken the power of sin and death. By this sacrifice, He has provided all I require to walk in total victory over the devil and his schemes. By His nature, nothing can touch what is under His care without first touching Him, so nothing happens to me without His permission. He is not promising a life free from trials and tough times, but He is promising me His presence, His peace, His provision and His power. Paul knew what this meant to Him as a person, as he testified to Timothy that he knew God was able to keep whatever is committed into His hand. He will give me a platform to show off His power and presence, and He will secure my foot to keep me from falling. He is the Refuge and Strength that time, circumstances or events can do nothing to weaken. He is able, capable and sufficient for whatever life throws at me. Nothing csn snatch me from my father's hand. God's time of favour is here.