Stand Firm

I went for a long walk this early morning. I needed to have a talk with the Lord. I’m dealing with a number of issues creating some level of struggle with other people.

The position in which I find myself has me between rocks and hard places each day. On any of the given days I am faced with someone unhappy with what I am doing.

If you are like me you probably prefer to avoid having to be disliked. Often times being disliked is the result of taking a stand to DO THE RIGHT THING.

Today, while walking I felt that I received a message from the Lord to encourage me in my walk to remain on the right side of integrity and honor.

When I combine the thought I am sharing with you today together with some of the concepts I am thinking through while reading Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search For Meaning, I am encouraged to stand firm and let God handle everything.

Far too often, I worry and fret because I can’t see the end of the story. Either that, or I want my way. I want things to go the way I want and find a battle begins to rage.

The road to the top can be lonely and confusing.

What a relief it is to know that God is in charge, in spite of the fact I desperately want to maintain my false belief that I somehow control the outcome of life.

Mind you, the choices I make and the choices you make will likely have a direct impact on the outcome of our lives in the end.

It’s here the words ring out to me “Stand Firm”.

Each day of our lives we will be put into a position to make a choice. Some of the choices will create a dilemma, a “lesser of two evils”.

It’s here that we must not capitulate. We must say, no, “I will choose the ‘righter’ of the two”.

I think I made up the word “righter”. Just saying.

Let me share the scripture.

The story I was enjoying today comes from Exodus 1.

“Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.

So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. “Why have you done this?” he demanded. “Why have you allowed the boys to live?”

“The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,” the midwives replied. “They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.”

So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.” ~Exodus 1:15-20

The short backstory to this is-

The Hebrews were multiplying like rabbits and in so doing were starting to post a threat to the Egyptian rule of the land. So much so the leaders of Egypt feared demise; and began attempts at population control.

The leaders of that day (and honestly most leaders across the span of history) were to be feared. They possessed the power to kill anyone they wished and needn’t have a reason to do so. The midwives in this story demonstrate a willingness to stand firm even though it could mean possible execution. You will also note, they even lied a little to get the job for God done. They were not condemned by God for doing so.

Fear. That would seem to me to be the single greatest obstacle to overcome. Fear.

You might recognize it from our recent past.

How many folks do you know that bowed and/or bent the knee to a governmental demand to obey what they were being told in spite of the fact it made absolutely no sense? In fact went against many of the most significant principals upon which the United States had been founded?

Those who did so and continue to do so demonstrate whom (or what in the cases of those in our midst still actually wearing masks around) they fear. And they are in the wrong to fear who and what they fear.

What I love about the story above is the outcome for those who did right. It is this outcome I wish to draw to your attention.

It says the midwives feared God so they let the boys live. They chose to stand in defiance of the most powerful man in the land because they feared God over him. Again, even lying to do so. Later in the story we are told that not only did the Israelites continue to grow in number, but we are also told the midwives were blessed as God gave them families of their own. The reason given is because they chose to fear God and do the right thing in spite of the potential negative outcome facing them.

This is what God desires of us. He wishes us to put him first. Period.

When we are faced with a dilemma presenting a “lesser of two evils” scenario, we always should weigh which is more in line with God’s plan for our lives.

For example. I watched as many (far too many) of those I have long respected in the Christian leadership world bow to the government when told “close up” and cease from gathering.

I don’t respect them any more. They showed their loyalties and exposed for the world their lack of faith and belief in the God they serve. They were in fact placed in a lesser of two evils scenario and chose to twist scripture telling us to obey authority to justify their exposed cowardice.

Sure, we can observe and excuse and suggest… (as many have) ”well they did the best they could with what they had”. Those espousing such thinking are wrong. Plain and simply wrong.

In fact, during a recent Jordan Peterson podcast with Eric Metaxes, Mr. Metaxes noted the churches who went along and obeyed the tyrants in most if not all cases are seeing declines in their church populations as high as 35-40% year over year since 2020, if in fact they haven’t simply been forced to completely close up due to lack of attendance. If Metaxes is correct, it makes complete sense if I apply the above scripture. Obey God, be blessed. Obey “the man” be cursed.

I’m a layman. It took me 3 weeks to see what was happening when it started. Never once did I fold or do as our leaders were telling me. No way. I could see the power grab a mile away and I’d have none of it.

The midwives above were even braver and more bold. This to me, is the level of conviction God honors. He sees through our attempts to justify and excuse our lack of resolve and our willingness to let fear dictate our choices.

There are a number of fears which we will face in life. It’s going to be a never ending stream. And Satan knows which attacks to level at us. He’s got our personal number so he knows where we are most likely to “go along to get along”.

Perhaps it’s the fear of death.

Maybe it’s the fear of being singled out or ostracized for our beliefs and convictions.

Maybe it’s the fear of job loss.

Maybe it’s the fear of living life single/alone.

Maybe it’s the fear of going broke.

The list of those things which may cause us to choose the greater of two evils is long. I can’t get into all angles here.

However, you will, mark my words, many times throughout the coming weeks and years be presented over and over again with opportunities; perhaps not to the intensity and level of the midwives in today’s story. But they will indeed expose where your loyalties truly lie.

I encourage you, choose wisely. Seek the blessing from the Lord.

Honestly, and brutally assess your reasoning. You know if you know that you are manipulating and making excuses. Don’t ignore this prodding. It may cost you dearly down the road where you cannot possibly see all the potential outcomes resulting from your compromise.

To quote my friend Don Cousins in one of his many Cousinisms

“Faith honors God. God honors faith”.

I hope you are encouraged today to reclaim those things which you have given up to compromise.

~rob out