Strength
to Rise
So do not fear…for I am your God. I
will strengthen you and help you.
Isaiah 41:10
By the fourth round Carmen had been
knocked down more times than in any other fight. He wasn’t sure he
wanted to get back up this time. But something from deep inside
pushed him up from the mat, and he rose to meet his opponent one more
time.
His adversary looked on in amazement as
Carmen prepared to reenter the battle. How can he keep getting
up?! he wondered. I’ve given him my best, and yet he won’t
stay down!
As the referee’s
count reached seven, Carmen’s vision cleared. He saw the look of
doubt in his opponent’s eyes…a surge of confidence welled up
within him, for he could see his opponent no longer felt sure of
victory.
In fact, Carmen knocked him out in the
sixth round.
In the ensuing interview Carmen was
asked how he continued to get up after receiving such a beating. He
answered, “God encourages me to refuse to stay down when I have the
strength to do otherwise. He gives me the strength to rise
amidst the doubt in my mind.”
†
We are endowed with an indomitable
spirit, but no one wins every battle. And sometimes we lose
miserably. When knocked down we can do more than we ever imagined if
we refuse to stay down.
Because of the nature of sin, we lose
some of the spiritual battles we fight, but we need not give up or
concede defeat. Carmen won more battles than he lost because he never
stayed on the mat once he became conscious of his surroundings. We
too can rise from what appears to be obvious defeat.
In their song, “What Faith Can Do”
Christian recording artists, Kutless begin and end the song by
encouraging us to find the strength to rise and make a new
beginning. Their premise is anchored in faith…a faith anchored
in God’s strength and ability to see us through this life.
If we hang on to God, we will
find the strength to rise no matter how many times we get knocked
down.
Prayer
“Lead me to a place of
confidence in You where my battles are concerned, LORD.
Help me rise in Your great strength. Amen.”
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