Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Stand Firm
by Peggy Kleckner

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men (women) of courage; be strong.”
1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on your guard, stand firm, be courageous, be strong…what action words! Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling active. Nope, I was flat on my back.

We had been on our way to a funeral on a Thursday night when my husband had to “brake” for a deer. I was in the backseat allowing my son the greater leg room of the front seat. Well, from my vantage point, I saw the flash of deer as well as the truck with the snowplow on it that was coming toward us from the other lane. As I later told my husband, “Apparently, I took a fright.” We missed the deer and so did the truck on the other side, but my back went out the next day.

Like most of you, I’m sure, I don’t like being stuck in bed. Life is already bumpy. My husband is home on lay-off and I have been struggling with tendonitis in my wrist. So, I wanted to whine, “Why me?” or perhaps “What else, Lord?”

My Bible study that week was on “still attentiveness.” As long as He has you still, you might as well be attentive. As Scripture instructs, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). He is God and He has a good and perfect plan for our lives. It is in the difficult places that we really begin to “know” Him. Knowing Him also means coming to trust Him…in all things.

Could I trust Him even in my discomfort? Better yet, would I? Could I get past my whining and just trust?

Looking again at the above verse I realized those action words are for my spirit, not my fleshly body. So, my spirit stood on guard against my enemy. I held fast to the truth and girded up my faith. Finally, I relaxed and became bold and courageous in Him.

My body may have been down, but my spirit was lifted up!

GOING DEEPER:
1. What circumstance is trying to hold you captive? Can you step up and allow His boldness and courage fill you?

FURTHER READING:
1 Corinthians 15:57-58; Ephesians 6:10-18

Peggy is a wife and mother of four adult children - two sons and two stepsons. She is the Co-coordinator of Oakwood’s Wednesday p.m. Bible Study.
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