You're Such A Liar!

A few days ago while in my quiet time, I was reminiscing about the many times we fall victim to the enemy’s lies, condemnation and discouragement. You’re not forgiven. Heaven isn’t real. God does not love you. Give up. You don’t deserve good things. I’m certain we’ve all heard those at some point in our life, and unfortunately, sometimes we give in. Sometimes I gave in, but thankfully the outcome was different this time. I wouldn’t fall for those lies anymore. Enough was enough.

Last November, I attended a financial seminar with my husband. During one of the sessions, a video presentation revealed an All Expenses Paid trip to the Dominican Republic for those who achieved the financial goal of the month. Everyone in the auditorium was pumped, and the excitement felt tangible as it filled the room. That’s when my husband glanced at me and said, “Honey, we're going to the D.R.” I looked at him and smiled, but my smile masked my true emotions. Going to the D.R.? Without our kids? In the midst of a pandemic? During tax season? I don’t think so.

As my husband began working diligently in order to reach that financial goal, he'd occasionally remind me, “Girl, we're going on that vacation.” I still wasn’t thrilled about the idea, and became uneasy. A few days later, we discussed the trip with our children - who were very excited for us - however, as we began making plans for our departure, I became anxious. Should we leave our son behind? What if something happens to the airplane? What if the resort is unsafe? Will the war between Russia and Ukraine affect our travel? I even reminded my husband of how busy he’d be due to the quickly approaching tax deadline. No matter my efforts, he remained steadfast in his resolve to travel to the Dominican Republic. “Deb, I really need that break,” he mentioned to me one day, and although he’d benefit from a vacation, my uneasiness blinded me of the well-needed break he deserved.

Those anxious thoughts became stronger as the time approached, so I decided to bring them to the Lord. As I prayed and poured out all my fears and worries to God, I felt the Lord saying to me, “Debbie go, you’ll have a wonderful time.” Then one morning, I came across the following scriptures that comforted my troubled mind:

So do not Fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Be strong and very courageous, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

The righteous cry out and the Lord hears him, He delivers them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:17

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

What, then, shall we say? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

As the day grew nearer, a sense of peace filled my heart and my worry quickly turned into excitement. I became overjoyed as I began shopping for summer clothes and packing our suitcases, but that excitement soon left as quickly as it came. Two days before our scheduled departure, the news broadcasted a system issue with the airline we were scheduled with. People were missing their flights, while others were stranded at the airport as their flights were delayed. Is this a sign that we shouldn't go? I felt my anxiety creeping up again.

The morning before we left, I decided to read a John Piper devotional from 1 Samuel 12. As I read the chapter, the words Fear Not jumped out at me. As I continued reading, I stopped at verse 22 which read, “The Lord will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation. The Lord was pleased to make you his own people.” I felt a peace come over me. It was like God was reminding me He will not abandon me. I could go to the airport with confidence, knowing God is in control. I could go to the airport with peace knowing how much my husband needed this break away from the busy tax season. Although our flight got rescheduled 4 times that day, we eventually departed at 2:30pm. We were on our way to the D.R.!

The day after our arrival, my husband was approached by one of his group mates who landed the day our flight was cancelled. He mentioned there was a storm on the island, and due to the heavy rain and high winds, the pilot had difficulty landing the plane. As we walked away, I said to my husband, “isn’t God so good?” Our flight was delayed, but thankfully we avoided the storm. I felt like God had delayed our flight in order to protect us from the danger that was ahead. God did not abandon us. Overall, we had a wonderful time to the point where I didn’t want to return. The morning before we left for the airport, I took my Ipad to read the verse of the day, and to my amazement, it was 1 Samuel 12:22, The Lord will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation. The Lord was pleased to make you his own people. I was so excited, I couldn't believe it! This was not a coincidence. I believe God was reminding me that in the same way He was with us on our arrival flight, He’d also be with us on our departure.

Just before we left the Resort, we were notified that the flight was delayed, and rescheduled to leave two hours later. Eventually, the plane arrived and we boarded. About two hours into the flight, the seatbelt sign came on, and we were instructed to fasten them due to turbulence up ahead. I whispered a prayer and braced for the bumpy ride ahead. Thankfully, we didn’t experience any turbulence, and the seatbelt sign went off. God did not abandon us.

A few days after we returned home, I started dissecting the thoughts that almost made me give up such a wonderful vacation. Our children were fine, we had a safe flight, we had no issues with the plane, and we had an amazing time at the Resort. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and as for Covid, we were all safe. I concluded that if I believed those lies, I would’ve missed out on such a wonderful vacation. “Satan, you are such a liar!, I said out loud. Thankfully, I chose to listen to God’s word and follow His truth, as I almost missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The same is true for many today. Unfortunately, many believe the lies of the enemy that salvation is not found in Christ alone, or that He isn’t the only way to heaven. Many believe the lie that they can live sinfully on earth, yet spend eternity with a Holy God in heaven. My friends, in the same way I almost missed out on a wonderful vacation because of the lies I believed, I pray you will not miss out on eternity because of the lies of the enemy. The truth is, faith in Christ is the only way to the Father, and the only means of receiving eternal life. Will you believe the lies of the enemy, or will you believe the truth? The choice is yours.