So let God work His will in you.

Yell a loud no to the devil and watch him scamper.

Say a quiet yes to God and He’ll be there in no time.

James 4:7  MSG Bible

I love how the Message Bible brings this to life for me.  I can remember times when all my plans had failed.  All the doctor’s plans had failed.  And worse, the prayers of faithful people seemed to have failed. How easy faith for healing comes when there is still hope coming from doctors or when healing manifests immediately. But what happens to our faith when they run out of ideas?  What happens to our faith when healing isn’t immediate? What or who is our hope in then?  Sometimes, unfortunately, the only time we get down on our knees is when we are backed into a corner.

What if, instead of getting into worry and fretting over symptoms and doctors’ reports and medical bills piling up, what if we got on our knees and allowed God to get us up on our feet, in His time and in His way?  When the doctor brings a bad report, yell a loud no (to the devil, not the doctor) and say a quiet yes to God.  Yes, God, Your will, Your timing, Your way.  The report of the Lord is always greater than the report of the doctor.  God is always on our side, just waiting to be trusted.  This is a major shift in thinking, to go from accepting whatever comes our way, to choosing to resist what the devil would like to deliver to us.  I once heard Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty say, “Just because the devil comes knocking at your door with a package, doesn’t mean you have to sign for it.”  Let’s say a loud “no” to the devil and watch him scamper away.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being available for me in my time of need.  Thank You for answering when I call Your name.  Help me to recognize those things I need to resist and those times when I need to just get down on my knees.  Grant me the grace to submit to Your perfect plan.  Thank You that when I hit bottom and cry my eyes out, You are there ready and able to rescue me.  In Jesus’s name, amen.