Our Father Is ALWAYS For Us

Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. - Exodus 13:17-18

Every promise of God in our lives will be challenged by the enemy. Affliction arises BECAUSE of the Word (Mark 4:17). 

Opposition either pushes us back into our past OR propels us forward into our destiny. There is no status quo. When opposition comes, we either move backward or go forward. For the Israelites, God used the attack of the enemy (Pharaoh and his army) to propel them forward into their destiny (crossing the Red Sea).

Yet God knew that the Israelites were not ready to enter the Promised Land. To enter the Promised Land, there would be opposition that they had to face. God, in His sovereignty, led Israel by the longer route so that they could encounter His love and power deeper (through the miracles), resulting in the growth of their faith. In other words, God was preparing them FOR victory. God desired that when they enter the Promised Land and face opposition, the opposition will always PROPEL them FORWARD to their destiny.

When I bring my son to huge indoor playground, there are many different stations in which he can play. Each station has its own challenge. For some stations, he is still too young to play. Sometimes, if he insists, I will assist him through the challenge. At other times, I will tell him not to go for it. Because I want him to successfully conquer the challenge when he is ready to handle it. I'm preparing him for victory so that he will learn to propel forward when he faces a challenge in future. This is similar to what God does for us.

What a loving God we have! We can be fully assured that whenever opposition comes BECAUSE of the promise of God, God has ALREADY prepared us FOR victory. We stand on victory ground. We are born again in Christ from the victorious position. As we wait for the promise of God to manifest, God is strengthening our faith. He has set us up for deeper encounters of His love and power. Like someone said, "The enemy can throw lemons at us, but God turns them into lemon juice for us to enjoy!"

May 2016 be a year where we propel forward to our destiny with absolute confidence in the love of our Father! He is always FOR us!

You Are For Me
By Kari Jobe