Miss Your Backup Partner?

A time to be born and time to die, Eccl. 3:2

Anyone who has worked closely with a partner on the police force, the military, the CIA, professional dancer, professional football, or in marriage understands when you have a good backup partner and you lose them, it’s a great loss. Once in a while I find a person who went through a divorce who understands this, but not often, because by the time they got through the divorce, they don’t miss the good times. I miss my prayer partner and praying every night the prayer of agreement like it says in Matthew 18:19

Paul and David talked about how God will crush the oppressor in life. There are people who can encourage us in life or they can be our oppressors. People fall into these two categories usually unless they are totally indifferent in life.

He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppresssor. Psalm 72:4
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20

I’m battling for a friend in the hospital who had cancer removed who has been a good friend for 15 years. She understood this encouragement coming out of marriage of 18 years. Like Hezekiah in the Bible, I really don’t care if it’s her time to go or not, I’m praying that she stays.  She has 12 grandchildren and she is younger than me! As a single mother, she is the good shepherd of her family. She was faithful to be there for me like it says in the Bible, “pure religion and undefiled before God is to visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction.” James 1:27   She came and visited me and has stood by me in this time of affliction in my life.  I am encouraging her now each time I see her in her affliction.

It’s that word “affliction.” Affliction is worse than a normal “trouble” in life.  Beth Moore did a good series on going through troubles in life versus an affliction.

David said that many people were rising up against him and troubling him. Jesus said in the world we will have troubles/tribulation, but be of good cheer, He overcame the world.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be who say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. Psalm 3:1-2

I’m starting to meet more men now that have lost their wives to cancer who were in a good relationship so they are on the same page in life as I am.

There are “afflictions” in life where we are persecuted because we are putting out the word of God. David knew the front lines were dangerous because he sent Bathsheba’s husband knowing he would be killed. To quench the fiery darts of the evil one like Ephesians, we need the shield of faith, it’s a continuing in God’s word. Jesus said if we continue in God’s word than we are his disciples indeed. Which leads me to believe that we can take God’s word for granted and a 20-minute sermon on Sunday is not going to “cut it.” “Give us this day our daily bread.” God I need your word for today.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31

The apostle Paul talked about all the trials, persecutions, and attacks on his life. I’ve had several life threatening attacks, and especially when I was pregnant (weaker) with each of my children. These were attacks were I was hurt or could have been killed. When I was out street evangelism in a traveling street evangelism group, a riot broke out on the streets of California where the police had to use their Billy clubs to break up the crowd.  I had two pimps threaten my life for saying “Jesus loves you” to two prostitutes. I can go and on about how my life has been threatened by people and circumstances.

I was doing a lot of street evangelism in a period of unrest and one time a riot broke out in Washington D.C. where people were looting stores and all of us prayed for our lives. I also did witnessing on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale when streaking was popular so it was nothing to watch several men run by naked. It was an interesting time in the Jesus movement!

Not to mention all the near miss car accidents I’ve had through life where a person’s car tires bounced off and nearly missed my car or an overturn car in the left lane when I was thinking about passing a semi-truck on the interstate, or one time a tire blew in my van with all my children on a trip while I was passing a semi-truck. It scared the semi-truck driver more than me.  When I was a child I remember several near misses and one was almost drowning under a horse raft when I was four years old and Jeremiah said he was called of God from his mother’s womb. I remember as a little child talking to God a lot.  It says if we just desire to live godly we will be persecuted.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5
In fact, everyone who wants (desire) to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 2 Timothy 3:12

Everybody’s affliction is different for most widows it usually takes 5-6 years for them to start coming out of much of the grief and I read a lot of statistics and I find that too many times men and women try to jump too soon into a relationship.  It’s different for everybody and if a good person came along, I would have remarried in a 2-3 years like I did in divorce and I was happy moving on in three years.  Every person has to decide before God when the “right” time is for them to move on and with the “right” person for them.  I’m not cut-out for celibacy so I want to get remarried.

I find that wolves travel in packs (clicks) and I try to find at least one person to go places in life because it’s nice to bounce ideas off of them and get another person’s perspective.  Jesus warned how sheep tend to wander off by themselves, and then a wolf will come along and attack them so I don’t like to go even to a Bible study by myself.

The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. John 10:12

Joyce Meyer talked about how God will bring you “through” the trials and that is what I found in life is that I was trying to escape the trial, when God is taking me through the firey furnace. We are warned in Revelation that many of us will be tested in this life.

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life Rev. 2:10.

I was at a Christian concert a while back and my daughter came with me and it bothered me that many people brought dates and I remember all the concerts that my husband and I were on together and I got grieved.  Another man who is divorced in a 23 year marriage said the same thing happened to him at that concert.  I’ve been to several concerts in the last five years and was okay, but this concert bothered me for some reason.   I heard that scripture in my mind, “If any are afflicted among you, let him pray,” so I have increased prayer in my life 100-fold.

Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. James 5:13
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19