“Hell Had a Huddle”: Enough Faith to Walk

I watched a video clip the other day. A preacher was speaking to his congregation about trials in this life, and he said:

“I sense in the Spirit that there are people here, and some who are listening or who will watch this later, that you are on the edge of the thing you are created for. And because of that, the warfare on your life is as intense as it has ever been. It’s like Hell had a huddle and said, ‘She’s too close to the door. Every demon that’s available, get in front of the door and stop her.’ I don’t know who this is for, but ma’am, I need to tell you that whatever’s in front of you cannot stop you, because Revelation 3 says, ‘I’ve set before you an open door.’ You can’t see that the door is open ’cause the Devil’s standing in front of it, but if you just keep walking, he’s gon’ have to move. I’ll say it again, God said, ‘I need somebody with enough faith to WALK.'”

He probably won’t ever know it, but that guy was speaking directly to me. I openly cried as I watched him speak these words, and I’ve watched that video at least once every day since I saw it two weeks ago.

It certainly has been an intense year. I know some of you may be getting tired of hearing about it, and that’s honestly okay. Unless you’ve been in my body…feeling what I physically feel, hearing my private prayers, experiencing the thoughts that are in my brain, listening to my doctors, dealing with the overwhelming odds against me…you just have no idea what I’ve faced.

Every single part of my life has changed.

I’m serious. Every. Single. Part.

And I’m coping. I’m learning. I’m getting accustomed to all of it. Honestly…I even dare to say I’m thriving, despite my circumstances. Earlier this year, I talked about how people faced with chronic illness can go through the stages of grief…and I firmly, wholeheartedly believe that I did that. I’m now full-in the “acceptance” stage, which is a good thing!

I can now look back on my spiritual experiences of the last seven months – not giving up on God, putting my complete trust in Him, staying patient and positive when the odds stacked against me were seemingly insurmountable, finding joy in the little moments, growing in my faith – I can look back on all of that and realize that I am that somebody with enough faith to WALK. I am that somebody who kept walking…and guess what? With God by my side, the Devil moved. He’ll be back; I have no doubt. But God’s got my back. Just like He had Job’s.

I love the story of Job. I think sometimes we want to put him on a pedestal and treat him like he’s some kind of saint…like we could never attain the spiritual faith that he had. But that’s just not true. We can and do have Job moments. We aren’t perfect, just like Job wasn’t. Starting in chapter 38, God even calls him out for some of the things he’s said, implied, and done. Once God is finished, Job simply replies to Him: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

See, Job struggled tremendously, just like I have. He didn’t know God’s plans for him (and God had big, big plans for him…I mean, we’re reading his story several thousand years later, right?). Likewise, I didn’t and still don’t know all of God’s plans for me. But, just like Job, God is giving me the strength to walk.

Are you facing seemingly insurmountable odds? Do you need the faith to walk? Ask for it. Turn to God, who can do any and every thing. Don’t ask Him for what you think you need; instead, ask Him to help you in the way that He sees fit…and then keep walking.

Because, sooner or later, “the Devil gon’ have to move”.