Put God in Place of the Problem, Pain or Person

"For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone," Psalm 91:11-12 

And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me," Psalm 50:15

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved," Psalm 55:22

God is saying, "Put ME in the place of the..." pain, problem, person or your purse/wallet. 

It's the weirdest thing. Sometimes God says, "I'm going to make you uncomfortable." And, it's hard because I know it might mean a test or that God will allow the enemy to come against me for a season. But this one particular test was different. God said He was going to make me uncomfortable and later that night I got hit with all this spiritual warfare. I can only compare it to the Sight & Sound play, Jesus.

When Jesus was tested for 40-days, it wasn't what we imagine in the Bible. We know that the devil came against Jesus and said 3 different things (lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life). And, Jesus gave 3 different answers, (tempt and test not the Lord thy God, man shall not live by bread alone and get thee behind me satan). However, Sight & Sound's depiction of Jesus's temptation gives a really accurate description of what the demonic voices are like that attacked Jesus. They were saying repeatedly "Throw yourself down", "Give up" or "Just die already." You get the idea. And, that's how this test was for me. But, what was so strange about it and WHY I think God wants me to tell you about it is what God showed me.

I was standing in my kitchen and I could see me, then God, then the devil. In the vision I saw, God then switched places with me almost as if He stepped behind me. When He did this, I was now facing the devil.

I didn't understand what was about to happen. But, this is an important illustration for people that aren't covered by Jesus's blood. Suddenly, I started getting hit with all kinds of negative and discouraging thoughts. The verbal attacks were relentless. 

I couldn't hear anything but attack after attack. It was a terrible verbal assault. I kept rebuking the devil and wanted to cover my ears but what I couldn't stop the noise. I started calling on every scripture I knew.

A few things I said included:

• "I rebuke you satan, flee from me."
• "It is written tempt and test not the Lord Thy God."
• "I plead the blood of Jesus Christ. No weapons formed against me shall prosper."
• "Not by might nor by strength but God's Spirit." 
• "Our weapons are not carnal but mighty through God."

After a short time, I felt like the voices stopped and God stood in front of me again. I realized that God was standing in the gap for me. And, He and Jesus stand in the gap for US. that's what happens when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It's so important to remember this illustration as you go through tests. But, how does this relate to your problems, pain and people? And, why is God asking for us to see it this way?

Let's take a look:

Let's say you have a problem or two, or 10. They start out small but like with Covid, there might be a sudden job loss or illness. Then the bills start piling up and collection calls start. Things are starting to get out of hand. This is a period of time when you must follow the instructions in Psalm 55:22 and "Cast your cares upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee." Why is this important?

God says He will supply ALL our needs. The Bible also teaches us that "the servant of the Lord must not strive." This is why the test with Jesus in the boat is so important. Jesus INTENTIONALLY slept during the storm because He WANTED the disciples to wake Him up. Calling on God in the middle of a storm or problems gives Him permission to work FOR YOU. So, let's give our problems over to God and see what happens...

As we were preparing this illustration, I made a big box for the problems. I could hear God saying, "Make it smaller." "No, make it smaller." I understood what He meant. God is saying, "Is there anything too hard for God?" He WANTS us to put Him in front of us. He wants us to give HIM permission to handle it.

The Bible describes this kind of faith as God saying, "Call on Me in the day of trouble and I WILL deliver you and you shall glorify Me." Because God supplies ALL our needs AND HE's a Covenant God, He will help with ANYTHING and EVERYTHING we need.

God WANTS us to say:

• "Oh, that bill, God's got it. It's ALREADY PAID. I praise God for the victory."
• "Oh, that sickness, it's defeated. By Jesus's stripes I am healed. And, those medical bills are ALREADY paid."
• Or, whatever else your facing, Father God wants us to confidently say, "It's no problem for God."

Putting God in front of us positions Him to work for us. It puts a demand on God because we're now walking by faith and WAITING on God to step in and work it out. And, God WILL work it out because we're in covenant with Him (Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

My mom describes it like this in a simple prayer she prays, "Lord, I come to you with my BIGGEST problem and I know you will give me my biggest/greatest victory." It DOESN'T matter what it is or HOW BIG and SCARY it might look. The angels say in the New Testament, "NOTHING is impossible with God." Hallelu-Yahweh! Glory to the Most High God!

As a side note: There are stubborn demons who DON'T want you to use this method. They might say things like:

• "Don't listen to that. Go put the movies on and take a pain pill." 
• "Have a drink and it will go away." 
• "Roll a joint and go relax. This is too much stress. You won't feel anything in a few minutes."
• "Call that relative who owes you money." 
• "Call that person who practices black magic or voodoo." 

That last part is one that we have to be VERY careful with. God doesn't want us calling on other gods. It's one of the reasons why SO MANY PEOPLE feel like they can't get THROUGH right now. They're trying everything and NOTHING is working. Anesthetizing the pain with drugs and alcohol only makes matters worse.

Research shows that it's easier for people not socially engaged to become addicted to marijuana than those in social groups. People with jobs and hobbies are plugged into their lives. Their addiction rates are dramatically lower than for those who aren't connected to their friends, family, jobs and social networks. It might be part of the reason why God has been saying to do things that add value and start new hobbies this year. It's a way to find an outlet that's not just TV which is filled with images of promiscuity, and drugs and alcohol.   

But why would substance abuse affect isolated people differently? For starters, they may not feel like they have another option for reliving stress. For example, athletes may try drink or try drugs. However, given that exercise produces endorphins, an athlete might lift weights or run to unwind if they're stressed. Hence, people without a lot of hobbies or a good support system may eventually abuse alcohol or drugs when they're under extreme amounts of stress. And, given the unprecedented stress people were under during the pandemic, it's easier to understand why the devil is trying to legalize marijuana nationally.

Part of satan's attack is anesthetizing people into thinking numbing their pain is the answer. Hence, they quickly go from smoking pot once in a while to a few times a day. And, it's not always marijuana or drinking. Substance abuse can start with taking products like Tylenol PM or Nyquil. It starts out as a way to get to sleep and then it becomes a way to "take the edge off." Stress affects people in different ways and it's why Jesus says "Come unto me all ye that are labored and heavy burdened and I will give you rest." 

Turning to a "false god or idol" isn't the answer. It's why Jesus came to set the captives free. This year with covid, the devil's been trying to back people into a corner and put so much pressure on them that they GIVE UP and GIVE IN to Him or commit suicide. The devil is a liar!. Noooooo, God wants us to stand on HIS WORD to always supply ALL our needs and help us. God wants us confidently strong in Him so WE can back satan in a corner and say, "No devil, it's NOT WORKING. I rebuke YOU! You will flee from me!" God wants us to see that what satan's offering...well, the end thereof is destruction. But, God's way leads to everlasting life and life more abundantly. Like the verse says, "The blessings of the Lord maketh rich and addeth NO sorrow to it." 

So, we have to stand strong on God and know that He WILL help us get through. And, here's why this matters.

Early this morning, Father God woke me up and said, "We're going to come under severe warfare" and something about "The attacks will be greater." I have to apologize to Father God because I didn't want to HEAR that last part. Who wants to give YOU bad news? However, I KNOW, it's not for me to discern WHAT to say but to say EXACTLY what Father God says, so I repent. Now, is this new warfare because January is the first month/first fruits? I don't know. I can't say what God is doing next - only what He reveals. But, here's the thing, God will not fail us.

Remember this in the coming days. Many are praying for President Trump and we KNOW Trump's in his second term ALREADY and this election will be overturned. While it's a great victory for the Church, it's also a time to buckle down and mentally and spiritually prepare for battle. Yes, it means we "have more time" but remember, the devil is trying to grow his army. He's using witchcraft and all kinds of satanic attacks. They're sacrificing babies, they're sacrificing animals and selling their souls to the devil. We're even seeing demonic attacks on the news, people randomly attacking others, end of year witchcraft and the devil cutting up. However, we're covered in the name and blood of Jesus Christ. And, WE'VE ALREADY WON. So, whatever unfolds, whatever you need, please use my example and put God in front of you so He can fight for you. God's giving us a SECOND WIND and it's a time to rejoice but also stay vigilant and think "Defense, defense!" (and not warring in the flesh). 

For someone that needs it, Father God said, "I will make that payment." Keep reading your Bible and repenting. Keep rebuking that stubborn pride and any areas you're fighting to let go of so God can use you. Father God also said, "This market's about to go up." He said it again yesterday and maybe the day before. This is not stock advice or a timeline.