A dear friend of mine and I were recently having one of those great, in-depth conversations. I was telling her how the Lord was impressing upon me to stand my ground and to claim my territory for the Kingdom. As the principalities of darkness love to sneak in and rattle our cages, we must not run and hide but rather, we need to have zero fear and maintain our Christian stance. Times are tough and they will become worse. We are called to be warriors in His Kingdom!
She then sent me a couple of incredible verses from Isaiah 52:2 and 4 “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace.“
There is so much richness and many lessons in these verses:
1. Enlarge the place of your tent: It’s easy to get comfortable in your life. When we are comfortable, we tend to hide in the safety of our own homes and even in our churches. It is time to get out of the comfort zone and enter a time of boldness for Jesus. One way to do this is to get out and do your part in the Kingdom. We all have been gifted a spiritual gift and if you aren’t sure what yours is, get down on your knees right now and ask Him to show you what He needs from you. Then, be obedient and step out so you can enlarge your tent.
2. Stretch your curtains wide: To stretch means to reach further than you believe you can. And, if it feels like there is no way you can achieve something God is asking of you, that is how you know it is from Him. And, if He is making this request of you, He WILL provide a way. He just needs for you to believe, get after it, and keep your eyes on Him.
3. Lengthen your cords: This part of the verse is interesting. To lengthen something requires some work. Perhaps the work the Lord is asking of you will require some additional work on your part. Do you need to get more training, schooling, coaching, prayer, or advice? When God calls us, we have to have skin in the game as well. The excuses you come up with will not fly with the Almighty.
4. Strengthen your stakes: As you enlarge, stretch, and lengthen, now you must strengthen. To strengthen your stakes means to stand your ground so you won’t blow away in the wind. This means to be resolved, steadfast, and maintain the territory God has provided you. Do not allow the enemy to slither in and snatch what is rightfully yours. Buck it up buttercup and be the warrior He needs you to be!
5. Do not fear: You will face obstacles and the enemy will push back when you get busy for God. Expect it. As you hold the line for Christ, remember that you are never alone. God’s Word reminds us over and over again to “not fear”. Therefore, move forward with your marching orders with confidence. You will not be put to shame in God’s Kingdom. He’s got you in the palm of His hands.
So what is God asking of your right now? What is gnawing at you that you must not ignore? Grab hold of this scripture verse and use it as a springboard into your next mission for Christ. Don’t doubt what you are being called to do. He has entrusted you with a task so don’t delay. You are needed! Are you ready?
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Dr. Paula McDonald
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