We all face opposition at some time, and when we do, God is there, ready to come to our aide with His strength and help.
2MefromHim Devotional
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Vicious, biting words spewed forth, startling my Bible study group with unexpected vigor and hatred. Her face contorted in anger, the woman spoke evil in a way I had never experienced before. I had felt something strange about her from the first day, but now I was experiencing something that required authority and love I did not possess.
A pen in hand, and a woman within sight of my lesson, provided a means to write “HELP!” as I scooted my chair back and stood. With rescue on the way, and training from many years before, the power of the Holy Spirit was apparent as I began to speak. My words were calm, but stern. They were not my own words, but the Spirit of God speaking through me.
The counseling pastor’s office was around the corner, and he appeared in a moment, Navy-trained and God-guided, to ask if there was a problem. In the intervening moments, the woman had taken her seat, a direct result of prayer by the other women. Only this once, in many years of leading women’s Bible studies, had I needed to invoke the guidelines, but they backed me up and the Spirit of the Lord prevailed. She sat in silent tears through the end of the lesson, the other women gathering around her in love as class ended.
The pastor invited us into his office, and when the door closed the venom surfaced again. To this day, I do not recall specific words, only that she had led a life of abuse and rejection, coming to the Lord a short time before. She was offered counseling and asked not to return to the class until some issues were resolved, and the ladies walked me to and from my car each week. More public confrontations showed that it was not an isolated incident, but she returned to class within a few weeks with the blessing of the women. She did not come back the following semester.
I know in my heart that God is always with me, surrounding me with His protection and care. Seldom have I experienced such power and strength to confront a source of evil, but it stands in my memory as a clear indication that God is my fortress and strength. When I am in trouble, He will rescue me.
© Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, March 20, 2015
About the author:
Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, released in April 2014. She has led weekly women’s Bible studies for 19 years. Her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the StitchesthruTime blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, Romance Writers of America, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. She and her husband of 38 years have two adult children.
Connect with Norma:
www.normagail.org
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNormaGail
https://plus.google.com/b/102717101441594679714/+Normagail/about/p/pub
http://pinterest.com/normagailth/boards/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874459.Norma_Gail
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/norma-gail-thurston-holtman/42/71a/3b2
https://twitter.com/Norma_Gail
Book Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Land-My-Dreams-Norma-Gail/dp/1941103170/ or
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-of-my-dreams-norma-gail/1119606864 ?ean=9781941103173
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas Bookstore: http://store.lpcbooks.com/product/land-of-my-dreams/
6 Comments
Wow, Norma, great, healthy church boundaries! I love seeing love, grace, and appropriate discipline in action for the better of the person and the safety of the group. I have experienced similar anger/toxicity from others (and witnessed it sometimes), but He is so much greater. Thank you for such a tangible example. He truly does protect us. And He loves her too, but she does need boundaries. It’s up to her how she responds. Thank you for sharing. Blessings!
Thanks for the encouragement, Bonnie! God is so good allow Christians to benefit from the experiences of others.
Yipes! I would have been terrified. The Lord certainly had His hand in that situation. May He always keep His hands of protection upon you.
Thank you, Mary. God made it clear that He was in control.
Norma, this is a great example for the Body of Christ to learn from. Our churches are for the sinners, the hurting, and broken. But with the pain comes a lot of baggage that must be handled in a godly manner according to His Word in order to bring redemption and restoration. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Nan! You’re always encouraging!