Get Back Up Again!

We all know what pain feels like. The day that phone call came from the doctor's office... The knife in your

back from betrayal of a close relationship...maybe it was the day your spouse walked out or the feeling of hopelessness over that rebellious child. There are times when we all take some serious hits from the enemy. Those are the times when we we experience the kind of pain that leaves the wind knocked out of you, where your renegade thoughts are like a runaway train and hope seems too far in the future to wait for.

And then, there's the anger. The anger of  shattered dreams, waves of despair and nagging fears over the future. Perhaps you've experienced some of that, too. There have been times when we go down pretty hard.The most painful thing, I think, is the smug delight of our injury that we know comes from the enemy.

One of my favorite scriptures is from Micah chapter 7."Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light." Micah 7:8. God promises to bring us out of darkness where we will see His righteousness, and He will execute judgment against the enemy. Do you know how He does that? He does such a marvelous work in us that every lie and judgment spoken against us is refuted according to His promise in Isaiah 54:17.

The day came when I stopped feeling sorry for myself and got back up again. Because, you see, Holy Spirit pulled something up from so deep inside of me I wasn't sure if it even still existed. It started slow...like a faint dawning of something transforming within me. Then it became my roar. It's that primitive, powerful heart cry that says, "I WILL NOT LET YOU HAVE ME. I WILL SURVIVE THIS!" It's like that mama lion roar that lives inside of every woman. You know what I mean. It's that kind of fierce when someone does something wrong to your loved ones. God help the person that touches my child...my family...Yeah... THAT kind of fierce. Just thinking of it makes your countenance change. It had gotten buried deep under leayers of depression and bitterness for a while, but Holy Spirit lifted it up from the inside of me and when I got up, I got up swinging. Because sometimes you have to get back up and fight for a dream that no one else sees but you.

You may have went down in the third round, but there are still 6 rounds left and Coach won't let you quit. He's right there behind you, whispering in your ear..."I won't let you quit! You still have it in you...I believe in you...together we can win this. Get up, get UP and get back in that fight!" And as you listen, He whispers strategy in your ear..."Hit high! Use your left! Uppercut, now, take him down!" That is what the Holy Spirit does for us. He pulls something out of us we didn't know we had left.

When we get back up, God sees to it that we hit the enemy hard enough to make him wish he never messed with us. He gives us understanding, insight, strategy, and power to lift others off the mat. Some of them aren't even in the ring anymore. The coach is still there, waiting for us to make a decision and go for the win. Maybe today you hear Him urging you to GET BACK UP. God wants to give each of us the strength to take the enemy down. He gives us courage to face those skeletons in our closet and not be afraid. He gives us peace about sharing our testimonies and letting others know what God did for us. Because our reputation isn't about us. Our story is not longer about us; it's about Him. Dig deep, friend, and find that roar deep within you. Get your fierce back. It's your time to get back up again.

Toby Mac - Get Back Up Again