Not Guilty ... by Association

"Then he showed me
Joshua the high priest
standing before the angel of the LORD,
and Satan standing at his right side
to accuse him."
(Zechariah 3:1)
For the better part of 20 years, I have suffered from chronic migraine headaches. My migraines begin with a shortness of breath, followed by a paralyzing and lingering pain on the right side of my shoulder, neck, and head. Just this week, I awoke on Monday with a migraine. Today is Saturday, and although the initial nausea and intense pain is gone, the stiffness, discomfort, and shortness of breath remain. In one dreadful instance, several years ago, the aftershocks lasted for over a month!

My head is so rarely completely clear, that I hardly remember what it feels like to function without pressing through the discomfort. As I've prayed through these debilitating headaches over the years, the Lord has led me to several Scriptures, but none have resonated like the one above from Zechariah 3.

As I mentioned, my migraines are always on my right side (with one exception in 2003). As I read Zechariah 3 last autumn, this portion hit me afresh: "Satan standing at his right side to accuse him".

Beloved, in the name, power, and authority of Jesus Christ, I rebuke Satan and any of his minions flanking and accusing me! We are free of condemnation in Christ Jesus. The righteous are innocent because of His shed blood. By association with Him, we are not guilty.

But, that doesn't stop our accuser. The big loser. Even if the enemy can not reverse the Lord's verdict, he will try to neutralize, paralyze, and terrorize us to the end. Try as he might, however, he can not condemn us. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2).

Jesus Christ, in His purity and righteousness as the Son of God, assumed every shred of our deserved condemnation, every bit of our warranted guilt, when He perished on the cross. And, He when He arose victoriously from the tomb three days later, we who live in Him were pronounced innocent ... not guilty by our association with the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Precious ones, let us live in that freedom! Let us not be depressed, oppressed, suppressed, or otherwise harassed by one who has no authority to judge us! Accuse as he may, the enemy is blowing hot air. "Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He Who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! It is the Sovereign LORD Who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment the moths will eat them up." (Isaiah 50:8-9).

As I clung to the Lord and sought His comfort and reassurance during this latest attack, He led me to Psalms 34 and 37. "I will extol the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. ... The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. ... The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry ... The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all. ... Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems His servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him." (Psalm 34).

"... Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. ... For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. ... The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. But the wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish--vanish like smoke. ... Those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off. If the LORD delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand. ... I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. ... For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake His faithful ones. They will be protected forever ... the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. ... The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial. Wait for the LORD and keep His way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. ... The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him." (Psalm 37).

Beloved, I have prayed for insight into my headaches. I have pled for relief. I have begged for mercy, all the while considering those who truly live in chronic pain and disease exceeding the relative insignificance of my headaches. I have not yet received a reprieve, but I know that His "grace is sufficient" and His "power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Beyond that, I know that Christ Jesus and His indwelling Spirit are interceding on my behalf ... and on the behalf of all who put their trust and hope in Him. "... The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. ... Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" (Romans 8:26-27, 33-35).

Nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ. No one can prosecute us before Him. We are burning sticks, whom He has snatched from the fire. He has removed our filthy rags, clothing us in the richness of clean garments (reference Zechariah 3:2-5). We are free, and, soon, He will dwell among us. "He will wipe every tear from (our) eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain ..." (Revelation 21:4).

Beloved righteous ones of the Most High God, be free in the knowledge of your sentence and your status! No guilt; no guilty. No condemnation; no condemned. No accusations; no accused. Only innocence. Only innocent. By association.

Precious Father, thank You for being my Defender (reference Psalm 68:5-6), my Deliverer (reference 2 Samuel 22:2; Psalm 18:2, 40:17, 70:5, 140:7, 144:2), and my righteous Judge (reference Genesis 18:25; Psalm 7:8-11, 9:8, 50:6, 58:11, 72:2, 96:13, 98:9; Isaiah 11:4; Jeremiah 11:20; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 12:23). I trust in Your goodness, Your grace, and Your justice, and I long for the day when I will eternally dwell in Your house forever (reference Psalm 23:6). I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, for I know my Redeemer lives (reference Galatians 3:13-14)! Amen.

"... 'Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power
belong to our God,
for true and just
are His judgments...' "
(Revelation 19:1-2)

For further reflection on this topic, see also ...

• "Once ... and for All"
• "The Great Depression"
• "A Holy Harvest"
  

How can I encourage and pray for you today? Please let me know by clicking on "Sparks Share" at the end of today's reflection, and scroll down to the "Comments" box. You may choose to comment anonymously, if you prefer. Feel free to leave your praises and insights as well!

Copyright 2009. Kathryn B. Wells. All Rights Reserved.

The Great Depression

" 'I have indeed seen the oppression
of My people in Egypt.
I have heard their groaning
and have come down
to set them free ...' "
(Acts 7:34)
Dear friends, we are battling a great depression, and I am not referring to the US economy. Every day, the Lord brings Christians across my path who describe themselves as "depressed". It breaks my heart. Precious ones, there is no such thing as depression in the Word of God! (Well, actually, there is one instance of depression in my NIV Bible, but it refers to a physical indentation in a house wall caused by mildew.)

I believe that what some Christians are battling is not depression but oppression. And, oppression comes not from God but from His enemy.

To oppress means "to crush or burden by abuse of power or authority; to keep down by severe and unjust use of force; to burden spiritually". Oppression is "the arbitrary, unjust, and cruel exercise of authority or power". Our oppressor is satan, who roams the earth in his limited authority, seeking to make the most of his abbreviated period of power, accusing and confusing the righteous (reference Job 1:7, 2:2; Zechariah 3:1; 2 Corinthians 12:7; 1 Peter 5:8).

Satan has lost us for eternity, but he is literally hell-bent on neutralizing and paralyzing us, robbing us of our freedom and joy in Christ and preventing us from furthering God's eternal kingdom plan.

There are those who are so comfortable in this cloak of oppression that we wear it like a martyr's hand-me-down: ragged, dirty and ... depressed. We are clothing ourselves in the tatters of enemy lies! The children of the Most High God are not meant to be depressed, oppressed, repressed, or suppressed!

The definition of depression is "a pressing down, a state of feeling sad, a lowering of vitality or functional activity". You see, we are allowing the enemy's oppression to depress us! By pressing us down with his unjust authority, satan is squashing the life out of our Christian witness and inheritance!

Beloved, we are royalty! We "are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God"! We are not to cower in the shadows of the enemy; we are to "declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light"! (Reference 1 Peter 2:9).

We do live in a fallen world right now. We physically exist in the temporal realm of "the ruler of the kindom of the air" (reference Ephesians 2:2), but, as Christians, we spiritually live in the freedom of Christ. Some of us, though, wander around like the Israelites in the desert, who had been so accustomed to their yoke of Egyptian slavery and oppression, that most seemed to prefer it!

You'll remember that, as recorded in the Old Testament, the Lord graciously saved His people, releasing them from enemy captivity with plans of leading them to the promised land. And, like a bunch of stubborn old mules, most wallowed in their new-found freedom, looking backwards instead of forwards, rehashing and romanticizing their past instead of embracing and enjoying the journey to their future.

The Lord gave them Divinely appointed leaders to guide and encourage them on their way; He sustained them daily with fresh manna from heaven. And what did they do? They grumbled, complained, and continued to hold themselves hostage. "In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron ... 'If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt!' ..." (Exodus 16:2-3).

Have mercy. The Lord freed them, and they wished to be enslaved again! They Lord provided manna to nourish them, and they viewed it with selfish and thankless suspicion. "... 'What is it?' ..." (Exodus 16:15). " '... we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!' " (Numbers 11:6). And, even though they didn't really like the manna, some still disobediently, greedily, untrustingly (and fruitlessly!) hoarded it, and, because of their faithless gathering, God's Divine provision rotted in their proverbial clenched fists.

(As I write this, I am cognizant of the many exclamation points I am using. (!!) My first instinct is to edit them out, but I believe the Lord is emphasizing His passion on this topic, so I will leave them in. Also, I sat down this morning, intending to write on a subject from Malachi, but, as you regular readers know, "my" ideas seldom make it into these posts! :-) Maybe we'll see Malachi in the next post ... maybe not. We'll see whatever the Lord wants to communicate through the power of His Holy Spirit. I am not depressed or oppressed, but I do digress ... sorry about that!)

Beloved, please know that if you believe in and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are free!

"It is for freedom
that Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, then,
and do not let yourselves

be burdened again
by a yoke of slavery."

(Galatians 5:1)

Cast off that oppressive shroud with which the enemy is smothering and choking you (reference Matthew 13:7, 22; Mark 4:7,19; Luke 8:7, 14)! Cloak yourself instead with the zeal of the Lord (reference Isaiah 59:17).

Your imprisonment is a lie. Your freedom is the Truth. The distance between the two is your choice. The Lord has provided the key to your release. In fact, He has already unlocked your shackles. All you have to do is walk out in hope (reference Isaiah 40:31), walk forward in faith (reference Romans 4:12), and walk on in joy and Truth (reference 2 John 1:4; 3 John 1:3-4).

March, my precious friends, march! Your royal inheritance, the promised land, is but a step away.

Precious Father, thank You for Your Truth, which sets us free (reference John 8:32)! My heart is burdened for those who live in the light of Your Truth but exist in the shadows of the enemy's deception. May they--may we all--realize that You have freed us from our chains (reference Psalm 116:16)! May we cast off our self-inflicted cuffs, carrying our spiritual brothers and sisters with us (reference Isaiah 52:1-2, 58:6). I pray in the name Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Light (reference John 14:6). Amen.

"To the Jews who had believed Him,
Jesus said,
'If you hold to my teaching,
you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the Truth,
and the Truth will set you free.

... I tell you the Truth,
everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Now a slave has no permanent place
in the family,
but a son belongs to it forever.
So if the Son sets you free,
you will be free indeed.' "

(John 8:31-36)

How can we encourage and pray for you today? Please let us know by clicking on "Sparks Share" at the end of today's reflection, and scroll down to the "Comments" box. You may choose to comment anonymously, if you prefer. Feel free to leave your praises and insights as well!

If this topic sparked your interest, see also ...

• "A Battle Rages; Stand Firm!"
• "Nothing is Impossible with God!"

Copyright 2008. Kathryn B. Wells. All Rights Reserved.