When Deliverance and Disaster Collide

 I was reading Isaiah this morning, and a verse in chapter 45 stumped me. It also pulled my attention right in. I love it when scriptures stand out, especially ones we don't quite understand! It's easy for us to read around the ones we don't understand to grab hold of what we need at the moment, isn't it?

I've read verse 7 before, where Isaiah, God's prophet and spokesperson, is saying, I make peace and create calamity. Usually, I ignore it because the thought of God creating calamity doesn't sit well with me. I know He does not make us sick. He does not send calamity on us. God doesn't pour out His wrath on His children, so I just skip that part of the verse, until today. Once I paused and thought about it - it started to make some sense to me!

God does NOT make calamity for us - but He can make it for our enemies, which are not people, btw. Some examples came to mind immediately. I thought of Moses and the Children of Israel standing on the edge of the Red Sea with Pharoah's army pressing in behind. God made a road of deliverance for His children. That same road became a disaster and calamity for their enemies as they were all swept away in the tide. I thought of Gideon's army of only 300 who were able to overcome an "innumerable" company through the strength of God. I thought of those poor, hungry lions who were excited about Daniel's arrival, only to realize they couldn't even open their mouths. But those same lions devoured Daniel's enemies a few hours later.

Our enemies are not flesh and blood; they are not people. When God gives us peace - and He does - then our enemies realize their ends. When peace arises in our hearts, fear subsides. When we grab hold of faith, doubt dissipates. Our deliverance spells immediate disaster for our enemies. As caregivers, we have many enemies we can be fighting at any one time. I don't know about you - but I know about me! I can face doubt, fear, anxiety, exhaustion, confusion...should I continue? But when God's peace arises in my heart - and I let it reign, then the enemies of my soul are destroyed.

Today, I will remind myself that God will fight my enemies (fear, doubt, overwhelm) with me and for me. He will deliver my soul from the grip of fear, the deep dive of doubts, and anything else that tries to come at my soul today. I will remind myself that I can stand in His strength, and He will carry me when mine runs out. My meditation will be on how this God of peace chooses to spend time with me - on purpose. I'll turn my thoughts to how He keeps His eye on me, so I am not alone. I will trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

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Now Published in Paperback!

I will be doing a caregiver-only video series using this book. In each video, I'll read the verses given each day, read the affirmation, and briefly discuss the prompt. Please grab a copy of the book and plan on joining me each morning in January. The videos will be released on my YouTube channel each morning in January to coincide with the Affirmations book. You don't want to miss it!!

I finished publishing Affirmations for Caregivers last night! It contains an affirmation, a verse or two to read, and a prompt for a very short response for each day.  You can download the eBook from the Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore right now and print it and and start today! The print version is also now available on Amazon! Check it out!