The setting is a large conference hall. The room is filled with people, but they are all scattered because it is break time. I had been subconsciously thinking about a person who was there and how they had offended me. Out of nowhere, these words came to my heart. They were not audible, but I heard them with such clarity. “I have put words in your heart and mouth to say to the person who has hurt you. But, I have also given them a heart and ears to hear them. Don’t assume that both of these circumstances will line up as they have today in the same way at another time.” I got up out of my seat immediately with a heart beating so fast, knowing I needed to confront my accuser. They received me and my words with love and grace. It was over. We hugged and to this day I cannot tell you what the offense was, but I remember the exact words God said to me.
In the last post, I told you about Carlos Hathcock’s amazing patience of 4 days and 3 nights to complete his assignment. This is about another one that took less than a second. He was on a mission to “take care” of an enemy sniper. He knew that he was closing in on his target, but couldn’t pinpoint the exact location. With finger on the trigger, he was ready. There it was, a glint in the bushes. It was the reflection of the sun coming off the scope of the enemy’s rifle. Without a moment's hesitation, he fired - mission completed.
Our enemy has one purpose - to kill, steal and to destroy, but Jesus said that He has come to give life, and to give it more abundantly, John 10:10. Carlos spent his whole career chasing enemies so that he could put one bullet into his targets. What would happen to our unseen enemies, the ones that are as close as our minds, if we fired bullets of truth into them. What if we took each thought captive to the obedience of Christ? 2 Corinthians 10:5
There is a huge difference between thoughts, beliefs and dreams, coming from an invisible world, and people who live right next to us in a very real physical one. God said that our warfare is not with people but rather with the forces emanating from fear and lies that we can’t see with our eyes. Carlos’ enemies were obvious. He could see them and felt absolutely no emotional ties to them at all. But God’s desire is that we shoot as many bullets of love, truth and forgiveness as He puts in our rifles aimed at those with whom we have issues.
There are so many times that the memory of my past guilt wants to distract me from the truth. Jesus, not me, physically died on a cross for the guilt of the whole world, but I have received the benefit as though I did. I died with Him, Galatians 2:20. It was His obedience, not mine that changed everything. God knew right where His target was and when to shoot His weapon. His mission was completed on a cross. In the world we live in now, we are merely the bullet casing submitting to His rifle. He is the ammunition of immeasurable power.
Father, thank you for winning the war, and for helping us trust You to put us in the right place at the right time to accomplish the missions You have given to us, whether they take unspeakable patience or immediate action.
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