The enemy

Have you ever looked an enemy in the face and tried to smile..yet..somehow...in absolute certainty...you were unable to smile, to respond, to breath? What causes this reaction, or this still moment of terror mixed with sadness? Let's begin by defining what an enemy is in the first place!

en·e·my

ˈenəmē/

noun

1. a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.

   synonyms:

   opponent, adversary, foe, archenemy, rival, antagonist, combatant,challenger, competitor, opposer; More

   • a hostile nation or its armed forces or citizens, especially in time of war.

     noun: the enemy

     "the enemy shot down four helicopters"
   • a thing that harms or weakens something else.

     "routine is the enemy of art"

   
   
2. Did you know that I am weak tonight? I am weary and tired...and yes drinking another cup of coffee that I don't need due to enemies!! 

As for Jonah...I notice something interesting...He is sleeping soooo soundly on a boat...clearly he is at peace and he clearly skipped the coffee and opted for one venti -sized cup of good night napping!! 

Hear the Word of the Lord,

Jonah 1:4-6a

4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? 

I'll tell you how he can sleep and sleep quite sweetly....Ha! He's not facing his enemies..he's running away from them....!!!!!  Go Tarshish!! Lol!! Jonah is pretty smart right up until the whale comes on the scene, isn't he?  

Just a thought...but when you compare the sleep of Jonah on this boat to the sleep of Jesus on another boat on another stormy day..you find that the sleep is similarly sweet but the difference is in the question, "why was the sleep sweet?"  Jonah's sleep was sweet because he was deceived that he had escaped facing a great enemy...the sleep was sweet but short lived for sure...!! In fact, in just a few moments of time, the whale came to swallow Jonah whole. In contrast, God Himself is asleep on a boat...but because He, in truth, has conquered the storm; He's conquered the enemy, and He has no reason to fear. The Peace is not short lived, but everlasting.

Principle:

When you instead of running, conquer the enemy,

 The whale..the wolf and the snake are laying at your feet.

Remember that when facing an enemy, or someone who is hostile towards you..has weakened you...take along some power and strength that is not of this world...Take Jesus with you and let Him help you breathe...

If you sleep soundly...make sure it's because of the truth and not a lie.  Don't escape your enemies...face them! Oh, and while you do..learn a whole lot about that process and then teach me, okay?  Here's a video about the need to breathe!