"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still"

Exodus 14: 10-18 (NIV)

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. ¹¹ They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

¹³ Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴ The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

¹⁵ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. ¹⁶ Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. ¹⁸ The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

This is an amazing principal that God showed me today. I am in awe as to how amazing and great He is and the way He blesses me and my family. God reminded me once again that this is not my battle, but His battle that I`m going through, and all I need to do is to be “still”, so the Lord could fight for me. One of the main ways to find out of you are following the Lord`s will and His truth is if you bear fruit. As I was looking around my apartment and at all the gift certificates that we received from the church that we don`t even know, we see how God multiplies His blessings upon us and gives us everything that we need in a most miraculous way. we`ve been getting gifts from people whom we don`t know, and God just brings them into our lives through different acquaintances. It is amazing to know that although it`s a tough going, but I am on the right way seeking His will and searching to follow His truth.

What I`m going through right now is a literal Exodus out of “Egypt”—that slavery that I placed myself in the past 8 years of my relationships with my husband. I submitted to that sinful life on my own accord, and I lived in sin in the past 8 years regardless of how many times I tried to get free. I got to the point when I started to find out more and more lies about my husband and the way he chooses to live in sin when I chose to depart from sin and live for God once and for all.

As we see in this scripture: Israelites complained to God that He brought them into the desert and they thought they would just be left there to die, but when God does something, He finishes it to the end and He brings His glory into circumstances. As I go through this "desert" of trials, He continues to provide for me and miraculously apply enough grace and mercy to sustain me through each day.

In the last week and a half, not only did I get a really nice apartment in the area where I wanted to be, but I got free furniture, pots, pans, all the necessary kitchen appliances, dishes, and yesterday hundreds of dollars in gifts certificates from one church that I never even heard of from the area. The mother of my cousin`s classmate told her church`s our situation, and they decided to bless us with hundreds of dollars in groceries, clothes, department stores, etc. It`s been amazing the way God has provided for us through all sorts of people whom we don`t even know. His blessings are just being poured upon us to sustain us in our trials.

Every day I pray to be grateful and praise the Lord for everything that He does, so I don`t act like one of these Israelites, who lacked faith in God to preserve them throughout desert, before He brought them into the Promised Land. I believe what God is doing is leading me out of “Egypt”—this slavery of sin, and He hardens my husband`s heart (that Pharaoh) in order to reveal His glory in the end. My husband continues to harden his heart, and he hardly lets me see our daughter, but I know that God has a reason for everything. He is going to pour out His judgment at the right time and bring out His glory in my circumstances just like He did with Israelites when He parted the Red sea for them and delivered them out of the hand of the Pharaoh.

I keep reminding myself to be still and to trust in the Lord, so He could bring out His deliverance and fight for me. I am very afraid to loose custody, but the Lord is Almighty, and He will protect me and my daughter out of the hand of my enemies and all the evildoing.

I think the following important principals that I keep reminding myself are the following:

-          Satan will also try to entrap and enslave those who trust in the Lord

-          Satan will also attempt to scare those who believe the Lord is the deliverance and a Strong Tower

          It is important not to blasphemy the name of the Lord or to complaint, but to trust He will bring the outcome of the circumstances for the better. He`s done it throughout the Bible examples, and His character testifies to us of His faithfulness in that

-          My job is to be “still” and not to be afraid, and He will deliver me out of the hand of the “Pharaoh” although it seems like an endless desert to me now.

-          God is faithful to grant victory to those who rely upon Him.

I choose to trust in the Lord and to testify of His glory because everywhere I look in my house, I see His hand on me and on my family. It`s a tough going, but God has a reason for the timing, and He will do everything in the right time. It is excruciatingly painful for me to drop off my daughter at my husband`s house every time I get a glimpse of time with her, but I know that God will restore all this missing time with her and He will bond me with her regardless of what satan is trying to do now.

"God Does Not Preserve The Life Of The Wicked"

Job 36: 5-15 (NKJV)

⁵“ Behold, God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding.
⁶ He does not preserve the life of the wicked, But gives justice to the oppressed.
⁷ He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But they are on the throne with kings, For He has seated them forever,  And they are exalted.
⁸ And if they are bound in fetters, Held in the cords of affliction,
⁹ Then He tells them their work and their transgressions— That they have acted defiantly.
¹⁰ He also opens their ear to instruction, And commands that they turn from iniquity.
¹¹ If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity,  And their years in pleasures.
¹² But if they do not obey, They shall perish by the sword,  And they shall die without knowledge.^[a]
13“But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath; They do not cry for help when He binds them.
¹⁴ They die in youth, And their life ends among the perverted persons.^[b]
15 He delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression.

As I was reading through the book of Job yet for another time, I saw this scripture, and I started to cry out to God to take away my afflictions and hardships. I already repented in everything that I could think of, and I know that my situation is only making me stronger in Christ. I have no choice but to trust in Him; He is all I got.

Over a month ago, me and my husband we had a fight over him trying to take our small daughter to the church with him; to the place where I have never been before and expressed my concern. After he ignored me and my pleading with him not to take her to that unknown place and dumping her in the back with people whom we don`t know, he took away my keys and was blocking my door imprisoning not to leave the house with our child. This is the second time he was doing that to me except this time, he learnt to hide my keys away, so I would not be able to escape him like I did the last time, and I didn`t have my aunt with me to help me to get my daughter out of the house into the car with us. After a few attempts to escape him through the backdoor of the house and then running back to the front door of the house, I was unsuccessful, and each time I was faced by his body blocking my exit. After I tried to push him out of the way to leave the house with the child, he didn`t let me do that, and instead took away, by then crying baby, starting to walk to the kitchen. Shortly after that he called police arresting me in "assault" when I tried to push him out of the way in my attempt to escape him out of the house. That same day police arrested me and imprisoned me overnight since I had no money to pay for bail I had to stay overnight until my cousins got me out. When I got out, I could not contact my husband, and he played it to his advantage kicking me out of the house and retaining our daughter although he had no custody or a right to the house. As I am facing "criminal" charges for self-defense, I am isolated from my house, from my child, and from my family (since I cannot leave the area until the trial is over).

Throughout this time, God preserved me and encouraged me with His scriptures, but I am desperate for this nightmare to be over. When I read this scripture in Job where God clearly said: "He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But they are on the throne with kings, For He has seated them forever, And they are exalted." (verse 7). God is faithful, and He is going to protect me in what is coming: I have a custody filing upcoming over my daughter in order for me to get her back because my husband would not allow me to see her on a daily basis. In his last email to my cousin he indicated that I would only be able to see her every other weekend although he has no custody over her, and if technically I could take her and not return her to him. I made a decision not to play his dirty games, and instead I pray that God will grant me a full legal right to keep our daughter, if this is His will, but I will not do anything dirty only because I have that option because it will restrict God from fighting for me. God never blesses anything unrighteous or unholy, and I don`t want to be unworthy testimony of His name, so I am waiting pleading to grant me patience every day.  

I pray that whatever I have done in the past, since I have repented in my old ways and am no longer a prodigal, I pray that God protects me in the court, and He will do a miracle against all my husband`s evildoing. He continues to claim that I am "crazy" presenting all sorts of twisted facts from the past, but then as I read the Bible, I see how many times the disciples and prophets have been persecuted for saying "crazy things", and I realize that if Jesus went through this kind of persecution, so would those who truly believe in Him and desire to live for Him.

I made a decision not to compromise with sin anymore and to live my life for the Lord, and immediately after that satan attepts to destroy me in all possible ways: take away my house, my daughter, ruin to the ground my marriage, and cause financial endless debt. I trust in the Lord that He will preserve me in all this mess, and He will show His glory and judgement to all the wickedness that takes place.

God blessed me with a nice apartment (the only place that I was approved to rent by His mercy), and He blessed me with necessary furniture and all the other basics to have at home, so I didn`t have to buy any of that. He is good all the time, and He knows the right time for everything. This scripture in Job is very encouraging of a testimony of the God`s character. He would never side with evildoers, or bless their deeds. he is going to preserve the ways of the righteous and wouldn`t let them fall.

"An Open Door That No One Can Shut"

Revelation 3:8-10 (NIV)

⁸ I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ⁹ I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

When I read this scripture, I was very encouraged by this God`s word. Whichever door He shuts--it stays shut, and whicever door He opens- stays opened. I was getting frustrated because I couldn`t rent an apartment since my criminal record kept coming up, and the more denials I kept getting, the more hopeless I was becoming. The only reply from God that I kep getting was: "Wait, wait". I couldn`t sit still, and despite His command to wait, I kept trying to get through the door, but it was shut. It wasn`t until yesterday when it became critical for me to get an apartment that God opened that door in the right area for me to get approved for a good place. Our God is Jehova Jireh (Genesis 22:141), and He trully provides a way out when there is no other way just like He did with Abraham when he was going to sacrifice his only son Isaac to God. God stopped him from killing his only son, and instead gave him a lost lamb that Abraham found in the bush to sacrifice in replacement for his son. This story declares God`s character-- God provides a way when we need it, and He does it in the most miraculous way.

Another important principle that He showed me in this scripture is the way He reveals His truth and His trials. It is very depressing for me to know that my husband being a liar and a hypocrat that he is got it all right now: our house, our daughter whom he hardly lets me see, our car, a lot more money, yet God promised that: "I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you." (verse 9) My husband claiming to be a "christian" that "Jew" who is a liar continues to do evil, and God will bring His judgement in my circumstances. He is going to reveal that all I ever wanted was to live for Him and to have a trully christian family serving the Lord.

I also know that when God promises to keep me safe for keeping His word, He will truly do that. Just the way He saved Peter in Acts 12, I know that He is going to save me out of the hand of all evildoers:

¹ It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. ² He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. ³ When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. ⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. ⁶ The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. ⁷ Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. ⁸ Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. ⁹ Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. ¹¹ Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” (Acts 12:1-12 NIV)

God is faithful to those who love Him, and even though He puts us through tirals, but it is only for the purpose of making us stronger in Christ. I know that only God can make any changes to my circumstances and grant me the victory; it could never be attorneys, or people, or money, but it is that door that only God can either open, and it will stay opened, or He will close it, and it will remain closed until He decies so.

I am very encouraged by all the scriptures that I read now because I experience the word of God as live as never before especially when I read about all the hardships that Jesus, deciples, prophets, and others went through. I know that God is faithful, and He is doing a mighty testimony in my life, so that others may see how great is He and Almighty.

Have You "Wearied The Lord"?

Malachi 2: 17 (NKJV)

¹⁷ You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you say,  “ In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say,  “ Everyone who does evil  is good in the sight of the LORD,  and He delights in them,”  or, “Where is the God of justice?”

This is one of the scriptures that God showed me today when I was praying, and I had to look at myself and repent. Although I go through the Valley of Death, but I know that God is just, and I need to continue to remind myself of that. I had to repent before God for questioning Him as to why He allowed this kind of injustice in my life: my husband betrayed me on all levels, took away our house, our daughter, financially abandoned me, forced me into continuous endless debt, yet God is in control of all this. I had to repent and to remind myself that God is in control of everything that`s going on, and He will reveal His truth and justice in the right time.

I have no right to question Him or to blame Him for "rewarding" the evildoing of my husband. It seems like my husband won everything on every level, and he continues to get rewarded with all the wishes that his heart desires, but God looks at all this, and He knows that His judgement is coming soon; it will reveal His glory to everyone who doubted His hand on everything.

Another scripture that God showed me was also in Malachi in the earlier verses:

 ¹³ And this is the second thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears,  with weeping and crying;  so He does not regard the offering anymore,  nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.  ¹⁴ Yet you say, “For what reason?”  Because the LORD has been witness between you and the wife of your youth,  with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant.  ¹⁵ But did He not make them one,  having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one?  He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.  ¹⁶“ For the LORD God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” says the LORD of hosts.  “ Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”  (Malachi 2:13-16 NKJV)

I know that God will reward me according to my faith and persistance to do what`s true in His eyes. I also know that God will judge between me and my husband for all the trecherous things that he`s been doing and continues to do. I don`t know anyone who could be so violent, cruel, and heartless, yet he continues to go to his church where he finds plenty of support for his actions. Satan had a way to lay and prepare so many circumstances against me that anyone who would have looked in my situation, they would have had no reason not to side with my husband and to believe him. I am grateful for so many people who know the truth and who have been my encouragement and support through this horrible persecution. All I have to endure this for is because I wanted to stand on the truth to serve the Lord and to follow what`s written in His word instead of living as a prodigal daughter in endless buttomless sin.

He encouraged me with this scripture in Matthew where Jesus said:

³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’^{[e] 37} He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁹ He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:34-39 NKJV)

I had to give up my family, my household, my daughter, my life, and it`s a very painful thing to do. I neever thought I would have to argue with myself to choose between God and my daughter, but He promised that He would return her to me, and I believe His promise. This is the only prospect that keeps me going-- knowing that God will return me my daughter.

Thank you again for all your prayers; please continue to pray for me that God will reveal His glory and justice and shorten my trials. I miss my daughter to no extent; it is the most excruaciating pain that I ever had to endure-- not being able to see her at days on hand.