Growing up, Saturday mornings had a regular routine. It started with Childrens Church set up and practice, cleaning the church, and then back to clean our house. My brother and I were responsible for cleaning our rooms and our bathroom. I remember my dad coming to inspect and make sure we did what was needed. He had a famous saying, that he would say, especially to me, after giving instructions on cleaning properly. He would say, “Dustin, finish the job!” In my heart, I believe the Lord is saying specifically to the church today, “Finish the job!”
I want to read Proverbs 24:10 in several translations.
- New King James Version: “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”
- The Message: “If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place.”
- The Passion Translation: “If you faint when under pressure, you have need of courage. (The margin reads, “Your strength is limited and there is an excuse to quit.)
I believe that God is calling His church, His body, to assemble and to get into position. We are the pushback and the restraining force to resist steadfast in faith against all darkness.
Isaiah 59:19b (NKJV) says, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” Church, we are the standard that God has lifted and elevated to stop the ploys of the enemy from advancing. Ephesians 6:10 (TPT) says, “Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of His explosive power flowing in and through you.”
The reality is that when there is adversity, crisis, and pressure in life, it is nothing more than the enemy, who is intimidated by the word that is in you and desires to back you down and get you to quit! Mark 4:15 (NKJV) “And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear (receive with gladness), Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.” It’s not personal, it’s all about stopping the Word of God from transforming your life and those you have relationships and influence with.
You were not created for simply doing a task, but more importantly for being. This is why we are called human beings, not human doings. Your “doing” is given definition from your “being”. You were created first and foremost for fellowship and communion with the Father, intimate time in His presence.
Presence solidifies purpose!
These two verses we know very well. Psalms 16:11 (NKJV), “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Nehemiah 8:10b (NKJV), “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” His presence is the source of strength needed to push back against adversity, crisis, and pressure. When we push back before acknowledging our position in Him and His presence in us and on us, we become fatigued and prey for the enemy to bring loss, death, and destruction into our lives. It is when we emerge from the presence of God that there is a quality of Spirit about us that reinforces our ability and enables us to face opposition without becoming faint-hearted or fearing an outcome.
If we are going to finish the job that God has assigned us to do and fulfill our purpose right before the return of Jesus, we must become completely persuaded of His truth and the reality of the finished work of Christ.
Ephesians 4:24 (NKJV) reads, “And that you put on the new man which was created (given purpose) according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” I want you to walk in your purpose and fulfill your destiny. The only way you will accomplish this is by prayer, continual conversing with the Father, and reading and meditation of His word. We have a lot of starters in life, but not a lot of finishers. Remember Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV), Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” Even Jesus required strength to finish His job to completely redeem mankind. There was a prerequisite of fellowship and presence.
We are not confronting adversity, crisis, and pressure in and of ourselves, flawed and held by sin. Rather as children of God, forgiven and supplied with an abundance of grace. It’s important to recall that grace is not an allowance for error, but an empowerment to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). So, put on Christ Jesus, put yourself daily in remembrance of Him according to Ephesians 6:14-17 which lines out the whole armor of God. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and spirit/the word of God. When you put Jesus on and speak His words the devil thinks he’s dealing with the one that defeated him those many years ago.
Colossians 2:15 (TPT) says, “Then Jesus made a public spectacle of all the powers and principalities of darkness, stripping away from them every weapon and all their spiritual authority and power to accuse us. And by the power of the cross, Jesus led them around as prisoners in a procession of triumph. He was not their prisoner, they were His.”
I don’t know what attack the devil has come against you with, but I want you to know that Jesus has already defeated the enemy and conquered him for you. Don’t quit, don’t give up now, stand your ground and as you are submitted to God, resist the devil and he will run from you in terror, taking his threats and oppression with him! We will finish the job and live in complete victory!