Under His Wings

The waiting time is a difficult time. During this waiting time, I’ve felt the enemy in my life. Discouraging things keep happening and then I wonder where God has gone. Is it not enough, I’m struggling waiting? Why isn’t God protecting me?

Then I remembered Jesus. After He fasted for forty days, THEN He was tested. When He was hungry and physically drained, THAT’S when He is tested. It wasn’t when He was well rested, well fed. He was tempted when He was physically starving to death. Imagine what that would feel like to not eat for forty days. And His first test? The enemy comes along and asks Jesus to turn the rocks into bread. He asks Jesus who has not eaten for forty days, to turn the rocks into bread. Imagine trying to resist that.

When I remembered that, it began to make sense to me. During the waiting time, is when the enemy comes into our lives. Not because God hates us and wants to bring harm. It is during this time, He wants us to draw near to Him. He wants us close and then closer. Our strength won’t come from within ourselves. Our strength will come from Him.

God warned us that the enemy prowls the earth like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. God warns us to prepare ourselves for war. He doesn’t leave us unaware. Over and over in scripture He speaks about the enemy and what the believer must do to be careful and protect ourselves.

But why do we have to fight the enemy when we are the most vulnerable? I thought about this and thought about this. Why have Jesus tested, when He was forty days starving to death? It comes back to Who is going to do the fighting? Can we stand alone and fight alone? No, we can’t. I must rely upon God for absolutely everything. He WILL protect me. He WILL be my SAVIOR. I am vulnerable right now. The enemy can see that. So I must completely rely upon God. I must hang onto Him and let Him be by protector. God wants me near Him, looking to Him for everything.

This is when the enemy wants to move in and lie to me and tell me how God doesn’t care. And that’s when I have to fight the lies and quote scripture in my head. When we resist the devil, he will flee. I must practice the things I know to be true about living the Christian life. I need to be aware of the enemy and what we must do to defeat him.

Jesus had to go through major testing because He was going to be our Savior. He was fully man and fully God. His tempting shows He had to go through testing too and won. That’s Who I put my faith and trust in – a God who was tried and tested and didn’t give in to the enemy.

So I hide under God’s wings during this waiting time. When I peek out from under them and see the enemy, I just need to go back under His wings and He will protect me. I just can’t believe the lies and I can’t leave the protection of His wings over me.