You know, it seems like with every victory, every triumph in the Lord there comes a temptation, a million other “reasons why” to feel something other than victorious.

A temptation that attempts to take away my “hallelujah”.

“Look at what the Lord has done! He is faithful! He answered my prayer!” Then suddenly comes the option to embrace, “but wait…here’s a downside… ugh…what about this or that now?”

Suddenly there appears to be another “side” — a “down side” that can potentially take away from the celebration of that victory –the celebration of what the Lord has just done.

One minute you are celebrating a moment where the Lord brings breakthrough, where He comes through and does a wonderful thing…. but then suddenly you realize there’s another side to it…. then suddenly that leads to a stab of disappointment… which leads to a worry, which leads to fear and discouragement. Then before you know it you’re right back where you were before that victory. Wait, what? No. How did this happen? “This is the moment I’ve been waiting for! This is my answer to prayer! He came through! Why am I suddenly feeling this way?”

I’m convinced that every time the Lord does something miraculous, every time He provides, every time He brings us to breakthrough and victory…. the enemy is hiding there with a trap to attempt a lie of deception that, if we let it, could take us off the path, which would completely take away from celebrating the realization of what the Lord has just done.

This is not okay with me. But you know, if this happens, it’s my own fault because I took the bait.

Just because there is another, “what if” or a “down side” to a situation, doesn’t mean I should choose to take my focus off of the wonderful, beautiful thing the Lord has done. “Well, it wasn’t quite enough”… “Well, but this could happen tomorrow.”… and “Yes, this makes it okay for right now, but what about this or that…Oh no, what if this happens again…will I ever catch a break?”

I will choose to hang on to the joy of what the Lord has done. I will rejoice and thank Him for the answered prayers. I will choose to rejoice no matter what the potential “down side” of the situation could be. I will rejoice and celebrate what the Lord has done and not let the enemy (or my own human nature to worry) ruin that moment of glorifying the Lord.

–Heather ?