It was on this day, in 1948, that Arab forces blew up a pumping station that supplied water to the city of Jerusalem. This occurred just months after the state of Israel had become a reality. By cutting off Jerusalem’s water supply, the enemies of Israel tried to isolate them so that the dream of a Jewish state would wither and die. Over seventy years later, Israel still exists, so obviously their enemies failed in their quest.
Where you and I are concerned, we should realize that this is what the Adversary will try and do in our lives. In fact, the Messiah warned us that stealth and subversion is the modus operandi of our enemy. In the parable of the sower, the seed, which is the Word of God, is sown. As soon as that seed is soon, birds come and try to snatch up that seed before the seed has time to take root. He explains the meaning:
“And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.” (Mark 4:15)
The birds are likened to our Adversary who wants to take and destroy the seed of the Word before it has time to germinate and take root in our heart. He doesn’t want the seed to bear fruit and so he tries to abort what God is doing in our lives before it gets started. He wants to steal the promise before it is realized so that we throw up our hands in defeat and surrender.
When God made covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, the Bible says that the various sacrifices were cut and laid out. Before they could be consumed in the fire, birds came trying to devour the sacrifices, forcing Abraham to chase them off – meaning, he had to fight for it. When God makes a promise to us, sometimes it falls to us to fight because the Adversary comes to steal it. Israel had to fight in order to be a nation even though their rebirth was ordained by Heaven. Likewise, we have received promises that Heaven has sanctioned through His Word to us but we must be willing to fight for it to become a reality. We will, at times, have to scare off the birds and hold on to what the Creator has promised us.
Paul wrote to the Philippians that we are to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God (Philippians 3:14). If we’re pressing toward the mark, that would suggest that there is resistance. In other words, what we have been called to will not be easy; it will be the hardest thing we will ever do. Furthermore, we’re not going to win this fight with bullets and bombs but with prayer, obedience, and trusting Him to do what He has promised, in spite of what we may see going on around us. In a word, we must persevere; those who persevere will overcome.
If you feel that the birds are trying to snatch up the Word that has been sown in your life and your enemies are trying to cut off the water needed to nurture the promise you’ve been given, take heart and reaffirm that your confidence is in the One who is called Faithful. He will deliver His promise, but we must do our part, as well. We must be willing to fight for what He’s given us even if we can’t see the promise. We will hope for it and we will believe for it knowing that what He has spoken will become a reality.
Shalom.
Recent Comments