THROUGH vs OUT

Many, many times in my life I am so concentrated on my please-God-deliver-me-from-THIS prayer, that I don't even notice God Himself walking with me THROUGH my THIS. I picture myself on the boxing ring in my boxing gloves, having a hard time fighting. And here I am turning around and pleading my coach to pull me out of the ring, because "this is so haaaard!" Girl, this is a BATTLE. Who told you this is going to be easy-breezy? Silly Anna:) Every time I am missing out the point. A good coach will not pull a boxer out of the ring. A good coach will inspire, encourage, serve water and wet cold towels, and - of course - give you some good advice. A good coach will go with you THROUGH the combat.

And then I think about Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives. His battle was mortal! It was extremely, incredibly hard! But - for the Victory's sake - Father God did not pull Him OUT of that. He went THROUGH that with Him. "...then an Angel from Heaven appeared and strengthened Him." (Luke, 22.43). Having the Holy Spirit inside of Him, being strengthened by the Angel - Jesus still had to go THROUGH that. Having the Holy Spirit inside of me, being strengthened by the angels - curly, redheads, tall, short, black, white, with dimples on their cheeks or freckles on their noses - I still have to go THROUGH that.

God is being a good coach indeed. He doesn't miraculously pull us out of THAT. We still have to go THROUGH. We still have to drink the cup. But He will be WITH us in all of this!

God did not take Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego out of the fiery furnace. He was WITH them in it.

God did not take the devil away from Jesus in the desert - He sent the Angels ( the "wet-cold-towels-carriers") to minister to His Son.

Whether I want it or not, I still have to stand against the enemy. I still have to raise up those boxing gloves. But what is the most important - I should not forget that God is still my coach! He is walking THROUGH with me, He has been there before,and actually, He has already won the battle! ;)