October is the start of a new season. The Autumn season, bringing with it major weather changes, major landscape changes and if we have done the work, major harvesting. That is correct, October is the harvest season. For those who still aren't too clear, harvest is reaping. Galatians 6:9 (NKJ) "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap harvest if we do not give up." We LOVE this scripture because of it's simplicity and clarity. At this point we can all testify to the reality that standing our ground and holding fast to the TRUTH and resisting and refuting thoughts that snake their way into our daily vantage points, can be tiring (especially when we are up against some seemingly large adversaries). Yet in this one scripture, a refreshing moment of our simple part to play, if we allow God to take care of the rest per Philippians 4:13 (NOG) "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." That's it. Don't give up.
We have all heard stories that exemplify the incredible ability of our own bodies to respond with heroism and unselfish instinctual reflexes when faced with physical situations that require a "super human" element for survival. The mother who blocks a projectile aimed at her child and barely has a scratch on her. An average guy able to lift up a car to unpin his son. A last minute arm that is stretched across to protect the face of a young passenger from a car airbag deployment. These are what some call "knee-jerk" reactions, of course this phrase recorded for the first time in 1877 by Sir Michael Foster, and stemming from that funny tool that a doctor poignantly aims for and hits our tendon located under the knee (patella); all has to do with our body's involuntary response or reaction when someone hits a nerve. There isn't much room for thought involvement, it happens without our conscious consent. Of course, in the medical field if we have a knee-jerk reaction, it's a sign of health and a nicely functioning body system. This is physical on physical, straight and simple. But what happens when we are faced with a spiritual attack against the soul? What happens when fear gets a slight grip and stress kicks in and anxiety joins the party? How is it that we can have a physical knee-jerk reaction when the attack is not physical at all?
To answer these questions, we must dive into an examination of the reasoning behind our need to send text messages that we regret or social media posts that we have to delete. See, being that we are in fact 3 parts (spirit, soul and body), it is not just important to understand the connection that all 3 have at all times, it is imperative in order to KNOW which part is actually running the show (and incase we don't know, it needs to be our spirit). Matthew 26:40-41 (TLB) "Then he returned to the three disciples and found them asleep. “Peter,” he called, “couldn’t you even stay awake with me one hour? Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For the spirit indeed is willing, but how weak the body is!” Jesus is cluing us in on this connection and the importance of maintaining an order between all three, because as He is clearly pointing out, one can very much affect the others. Whether it's a physical body that dozes off due to exhaustion or whether we read a message that catapults us into an emotional state and we respond with a knee-jerk reaction - the order of operation is indeed the key. The importance of (which extends to) the entire nature of the tech industry banking on not only our knee-jerk reactions, but even more sinister, attempting to bait us into as many knee-jerk reactions in any given day largely goes unnoticed. Imagine that, an entire industry aimed at us with the intent and purpose to not only get us to react without thought processing, but ultimately to force us into a position of giving up. Giving up our rights to make educated unbiased TRUTH based decisions, and ultimately giving up on living life without a dependency on their technology.
But as Galatians 6 directs us, this is ALL that we need to do to see the harvest, the reaping of the promises - DON'T GIVE UP. As people of faith and power and authority, as a direct result of what Jesus endured and followed through with on our behalf, the most crucial times in our lives are when we are faced with these very moments - to either give up (settle, come up with plan B, try to piece together a solution on our own etc) or not give up (continue in faith and trust regardless of what it looks like, sounds like or feels like etc). Why is it so crucial? Because there is someone (the devil) attempting to dominate us and take over as the leader of our lives, using anything and everything to get us to GIVE UP our rightful position in the Kingdom of God and here in our lives on earth.
1 Peter 5:6-8 (NASB)
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
This is a TRUTH that, if we have ever felt immense stress or worry or anxiety or fear, actually can manifest as an immediate physical reaction - a knee-jerk reaction. Some call it paralyzing, some call it gripping, others call it heart palpitating; regardless of what the physical side to this reaction is manifesting as, the reality that many of us have experienced is that it is seemingly uncontrollable. See, when we understand the order of our authority we actually have more confidence that whatever we say and proclaim will actually be fulfilled. In other words, when we KNOW that we have authority over all things BECAUSE of Jesus and His conquests (being that we are under the ultimate authority of God who gives us this authority) we aren't so easily convinced to give it up to a liar who isn't even an actual lion, but is trying to be like the Lion (God); and verse 9 of 1 Peter 5 becomes easier to understand, "But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world." We aren't alone in this, we can do this and if we can do this, others can do this too.
Friends, the harvest is in season! The things which we have been standing firm for, the promises that we have grabbed hold of and that which we are expecting to see happen are ripe. We have done all we can to stand, and so we STAND (Ephesians 6:13) under the mighty hand of God. It's been hard to block those thoughts trying to convince us that we are crazy, it's been a battle to choose the TRUTH over the lies, it has been rough to not pay any attention to the 'facts' that have been presented to us, it is exhausting to command our nerves to be at peace and our bodies to obey and line up with the TRUTH, it can even be 'scary' to continue trusting God when everything around us is screaming that we are fools. DON'T GIVE UP. Simple, yes. Easy, not for a human! Possible, ABSOLUTELY.
To bring these concepts home we must remember the standard of TRUTH found in the book of Hebrews the next time our knee-jerk reaction wants us to just throw in the towel and call it a day. Hebrews 6:11~12 (TPT) "But we long to see you passionately advance until the end and you find your hope fulfilled. So don't allow your hearts to grow dull or lose your enthusiasm, but follow the example of those who fully received what God has promised because of their strong faith and patient endurance." Listen, even when we get startled and momentarily are shook up to the point of feeling queasy or disoriented, we have an inner CORE that will bring us back to our CENTER if we pay attention to what God says in Proverbs 4:23 (CJB) "Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life's consequences."
Once again it all comes down to our hearts. If we are going to push through to the sweet end it is absolutely a matter of our hearts being anchored in the bedrock of who our Father is. What He is saying to us and who we are in Him, along with what we have and our ability to focus is set upon the One who holds our life in His hands. He is holding us while we are simply holding on to what He says to us in an uninterrupted cycle that aligns us to the origins of our Divine connection, with all of His promised provisions within reach.
Isaiah 55:11 (NKJ) "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." If we are serious about reaping those very promises that we have endured this long to obtain, we must persevere spirit, soul and body with our focus locked in on our desired completion. In other words: DON'T GIVE UP. This means no room is allowed for all those knee-jerks or any other lying jerks that pop up along the way.
