I had no intention of sharing a message today. I was having one of the most serious bouts with doubt I've had in a long time. Knowing my faith was under attack as it was I felt like I'd be a hypocrite to tell people to hang on to something that didn't seem to be working for me. Yeah, it was that bad. It was after midnight and I was on my computer when I kept hearing a car alarm going off outside. That's not unusual but this time it was persistent and especially annoying. Irritated I looked outside and was shocked to see a raging fire. One of my neighbor's cars was on fire and it looked out of control. I called 911 and they said they knew and were already on the way. My impulse was to run outside and get as far away from the fire as possible. Instead I got my shoes and got ready to leave if I had to. When the fire department came it seemed like they just watched the fire burning, all to my frustration. I was thinking "Get this fire under control before it spreads; before it burns my car and my building." Well the firefighters did put out the fire and there are still several trucks and emergency vehicles right outside my window now at 1:30 am, but God used this experience to shake me up and speak to me.

Vehicles represent ministries, and the Lord was reminding/warning me that the devil is trying to kill me (and the ministry). God let me know that many people were being ministered to through recent Anointed Messages, and I have been exposing the enemy, so of course the enemy has been attacking. Seeing flames burning out of control so close to home is definitely a wakeup call. Even as I watched the flames burning I thought about how when we're under attack it sometimes feels like God is not intervening; but help was already on the way before I made the call, before I even realized there was a fire burning outside my window. And even when we know we have God's attention, we may feel like He's not helping; just as I watched the firefighters watch the burning vehicle. But really they were assessing the situation; they were deciding upon the best course of action. In the same way I'm always urging God to act, but He is strategic and not given to impulsivity or anxiety-driven actions. Like the firefighters He is calm under pressure and focused on protecting us. Also during the fire I was tempted to flee, just as we are often tempted to move from the place where God has put us when trouble comes. But I was safe exactly where I was, and if I'd gone outside I would have been exposed to possible smoke inhalation, as smoke filled the air once the fire was being put out. And God let me know that He is looking out for me even when my attitude isn't right. Usually I park right outside my window so I can see my car, but I parked further down because I'd taken a different route so I could go to my storage room, only to realize I'd forgotten the key. At the time I was annoyed but now I see it kept my car away from potential harm/damage.

God's Beloved I pray that you will never believe the enemy's lies that God isn't for you or that He isn't faithful to His promises. I pray that you will continue to love God, which is one of the conditions that allows Him to work all things for your good [Romans 8:28]. I pray that you will fight the good fight of faith. Know that no matter how close the fire gets to you; your Firefighter is greater, stronger and well able. If you withdraw from God, you'll lose the fight on your own; but if you stay submitted to God then the battle is not yours but the LORD's [1 Samuel 17:47, 2 Chronicles 20:15].

Here are 2 of the 3 videos I took of the fire:

Car burning

Firefighters putting out the fire