Bless His Holy Name
It is easy to bless the Lord when things are great, and life feels victorious. It is easy to pour our hearts out to Him when we are standing on a mountaintop, but we struggle to praise Him when we are deep in the valley. It’s hard to press through, commanding our souls to bless the Lord when life knocks us down. But Psalm 103 gives us permission to bless Him with all that is swimming deep in our souls…our pains, our weariness, our struggles, and our disappointments.
The Wrestle
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand firm.”
Ephesians 6:12-13 ESV
Our wrestle is not against human forces but against spiritual forces led by Satan, God's enemy. His character in every way stands in opposition to God. He is the father of lies (John 8:44). He is a schemer and deceiver (Genesis 3:1). He is NOT your friend but your adversary, prowling around like a lion seeking to devour you (1 Peter 5:8). He has a host of demons and organized demonic systems that infiltrate every structure in our society.
A Safe Hunger
A few years ago, I chaperoned my youngest child on a field trip to the Aquarium. Before we left for our adventure, his teacher gathered the class on a rug at the front of the classroom. She proceeded to instruct the class on important details for the day. One particular detail about lunch left me pondering. She said, “Children, we will eat lunch at 11:30 today. You’ve already had a snack, but I know some of you will be hungry. Just know that it is a safe hunger. You are not in danger.”
Her statement caught me off guard, inviting me into deeper contemplation.
“Just know that it is a safe hunger. You are not in danger.”
