Yesterday Joel brought to my attention the peanuts cartoon in the Sunday comics! I don't usually read the comics, but he knew this particular strip would speak to me. Lucy and Charlie Brown were discussing his......tenacity. She called it stubbornness...he called it being tenacious!
It made us laugh and it also brought me back to when the director of the healing and worship school at Charis Bible College was praying with me at a healing service. He told me that in the spirit realm he could see I was very faithful and had great tenacity. This was not a word I have used to describe myself, although Joel agreed wholeheartedly. I kept it close to my heart.
Tenacity: to stick with something, even when the going gets tough, to never give up and never surrender. To hold fast and be determined.
In the cartoon Lucy tells Linus he is stubborn....but he tells her he has tenacity just like George Washington at Valley Forge. He goes on to say...."stubbornness is a fault, tenacity is a virtue!" the cartoon ends with Lucy socking poor Linus in the face at which point he admits he may be bit mule-headed. I have taped it to the front of our fridge as a reminder to me of what was spoken over me regarding healing. I am tenacious. I don't give up. Thank you Jesus.
You see, it was three years ago, that a dear friend who hears from God on a regular basis told me these words: "God wants you well." It was six months later that a woman who runs a prayer ministry shared with me the same words: God wants you well. And it was then just 18 months ago that an online friend and prayer warrior shared with me a teaching that she felt we would be very interested in, entitled "God Wants You Well." Those messages along with scriptures, Biblical teachings, and some healing that has already taken place have given me the determination to never give up as I walk this journey. I know that not all people are healed, but I do not let that deter me.
Yes, there have been physical setbacks, there have been times I have been discouraged and confused. I have questioned God more than once on why Joel was healed overnight and I have had an uphill battle. The why questions will destroy you if you let them. What we can depend on is God's promises. What we need to focus on is our Lord, our Healer, our Provider, our Father.
When questions arise, when tenacity is difficult to muster, we go back to the Word. When the enemy tries to shake our faith, when confusion makes our mind mushy, or when the battle seems to difficult.............always, always go back to God's Word. God's Word is truth, and the truth will set you free.
"For the Word of God is living and powerful,
sharper than any two-edge sword."
Hebrews 4:12a
"If you keep my Word you are truly my followers.
You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."
John 8:31b, 32
1 comment:
Renee, I saw you post this on Facebook the other day and was dying to read it. I love everything about this!!! Can you just see God up there looking down and thinking, "There's my beautiful daughter, Renee. She's so tenacious." Something you said reminded me of one of my favorite quotes by Corrie Ten Boom that I just read: "Oh Lord, don't let me go mad by poking around outside Your will." she said that when she started asking the "why" questions. Just as you said up there about just sticking with it and trusting His word. So great. Thank you for this!
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