Sometimes, when you’ve been in a battle for longer than you expected, it gets tiring, doesn’t it? I’m in that place right now – the place in which the storm has been raging for too long and I’ve become discouraged to the core. But this morning, as I was praying, God began to speak into my storm. And suddenly, this season of life has been given a renewed sense of purpose.

Isaiah 45:4-7 says:

Why have I called you to this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not even know Me? It is for the sake of Jacob, My servant, Israel, My chosen one. I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know Me, so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the Lord, there is no other. I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.

These verses are saying that God calls us into battles not for our own sake, but for the sake of others who need to know Him. He brings both light and darkness and good times and bad times into our lives in order to reveal His glory through us.

I heard an excellent sermon this past week on destiny which touched on this very idea. My situation, however difficult, is bringing me to the place of destiny that God has for me. And my place of destiny is not for me alone, but for others who need to know Christ.

You see, according to Isaiah 45, God has equipped us for the battles we face. And in Romans 8:37, we are told that we are more than conquerors through Jesus who loves us. That means that God doesn’t just equip us to win by the skin of our teeth. No way. He has given us everything we need to completely crush every enemy, every lie, and every situation in our lives. And if you don’t believe it, read Psalm 18.

So if you, like me, are in a battle that is dragging on longer than you expected, take heart. Jesus loves us – and those around us – too much to leave us in the middle of a storm without enabling us to overcome it. More than anything, He wants to use us in the midst of that dark storm to shine His light. He wants to give us victory over the storm to show His power and strength to others.

Psalm 18:39 – “You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued my enemies under my feet.”

Just remember that sometimes victory doesn’t mean that the storm goes away, but rather that we rise above it.

And on that note, I’m going to keep on keeping on. God’s got my back! =)