BAM! Trump Card.

As 'overboard' as it may seem, I pray about what I should blog about each time. I always have so many things I think about blogging on but I wait until the Holy Spirit prompts me to post something specific. My desire is that each time, it would encourage you right where you are. The past couple weeks I've felt his prompting on a certain topic..trump cards. You may be like, "?What?"... I'll explain.

I've always known that the Lord sees me and knows me. He is always working to encourage me and move me forward. However, over time I've also become aware of how well the enemy knows me too.... and unfortunately his motives are quite different. He is always working to steal, kill, and destroy in my life (john 10:10). He analyzes me and works day and night to find ways to destroy me. He scans me looking for weakness and when he does that's where he focuses his energies. He is relentless when he finds a weakness. He is cruel. Even if I am having a good day, he is right there waiting to ruin it. I've experienced this soooo many times. Feeling good, feeling encouraged, then BAM...the enemy throws down "THE" trump card. I call it a trump card because it's that thing in your life that gets to you the most. It's the one thing that no matter how good everything is going can get you down and discouraged, and it instantly takes the wind out of your sails. It usually tends to be something you worry about or fear or something that makes you sad or pushes your buttons or taps into a wound. I've found that sometimes there are multiple 'things' but there is usually one prevailing thing.

I've had different trump cards during different seasons of life but currently my trump card is Bella and the situation with her eyes. Everything can be going great... I can be having an awesome day and BAM...I see her struggling to see something or not seeing well when outside, etc. My heart drops in my stomach. "What if God doesn't heal her. What if she always struggles like this. What if..."

Trump card played. Trump card took all.

I remember seeking the Lord a while back about these trump cards and saying, "Lord, I hate that they have so much power over me, what do I do?"

He led me to a sermon by Beth Moore. In that sermon she said something that I've never forgotten. She said, "It's not enough to trust that which we fear the most won't happen, we have to get to the point that even if it does, we'll be O.K."

When I heard that, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "You have to surrender it to me, Alicia. You have to get to the point and be convinced that even if 'worst case scenario' happens you'll be O.K. If you don't the enemy will will hang this over your head and use it to destroy you and discourage you every chance he gets."

In different seasons of life my trump cards have changed but with each one the answer was the same. The only way for the enemy not to have power over me is to surrender them.

I know in my life when the enemy plays 'the' trump card, I have to say, "God I know Bella's eyes will eventually be perfect because that is what you told us, but even if they don't, we will be O.K. She will be O.K. You will provide for Bella and You will provide for us. We will make the best of it and it will be O.K. I have you and nothing can separate me from you and as long as I have you, I'll be O.K. As a matter of fact, I'll be more than O.K."

I've learned that anytime my heart drops and my blood starts pumping and fear kicks in and discouragement comes, I have to follow that thing back to the root and surrender it to the Lord. When I do that, peace returns. (Isaiah 26:3) If all I need is the Lord then I can continue in peace. It's when I set up conditions that I crumble and give the enemy the power to destroy me.

So I wonder, what is "that thing" in your life? What trump card (s) is the enemy playing on you?

I've learned to recognize it in my life now. The minute I feel him play it, I take it captive and say, "Get behind me Satan. I refuse to let you play that on me. Even if what your making me fear happens, I. will be. O.K. I have a promise from God that He will provide every need that I have and He can work good from anything in the lives of those who love Him. So either way, I win. Now leave..."