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Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t
– Idiom
These are strange days. I know I’m not alone when I say that I’ve been sensing a dramatic shifting in the atmosphere. I have, in fact heard it echoed in the words of the prophets… Let me tell you that when you hear the same thematic message from people and ministries of all walks, denominations, ethnicities and geographies, it’s because the message is from somewhere, from someone bigger and more powerful than mere, mortal men.
I have sensed a war in the realm of the spirit for some time – battle lines have been drawn and if one listens carefully, you can all but hear the ringing of weapons clashing as the powers of this age struggle to retain the positions and influence they’ve enjoyed for so long. I see this manifesting in numerous ways, most prominently on the stage of national and global politics, but also within the personal and corporate lives of those within the remnant around me.
I find it fascinating that ideas, theologies and straight-out truths I’ve heard espoused in the face of flagrant hostility, are now being met with indifference-at-worst or in some cases, acceptance. Some of these truths have now even been uttered anew from the mouths of those who were themselves once hostile to them. Someone is losing ground and – spoiler alert – it isn’t YHVH.
Like many within the larger body of Messiah, there are issues I have been praying over for years; some longer than I care to recount. Isn’t it interesting that now, they very moment these issues appear to be turning, there would be a strange shifting that seems to obfuscate these matters? The thing is, some of this is the enemy, but some of it isn’t. Discerning who is doing and saying what is paramount to the entire journey of life, but it is a matter I find highlighted at this particular juncture.
Personally, I’ve had some words spoken to me and over me that I would simply describe as “big”… and I’m not “all that”. I’m sure I’m not alone in that either. Things spoken of years and even decades ago that seem to have been lost to the annals of time now come flooding back to the surface of my consciousness and I find myself in what I can only describe as a “strange head-space”.
As I’ve said before, there are 3 voices speaking to us at any given point in time; sometimes discerning who is who can be a bit more difficult than normal. Daily I have had to get past my own thoughts in order to ascertain the source – is this me, the enemy, or the Lord of Hosts? Suffice it to say that I’ve received assurances that, despite the strangeness of the place in which I find myself, this is, indeed, the Lord.
Obviously, I’ve been a bit vague to this point about what issues I’m specifically talking about and that’s intentional – the issues aren’t the focus of this article, the response is. You see, there are any number of ways I could respond to present circumstances, but the one I am striving for, the one I choose is the one the Lord would call me to.
“Better the devil you know. I wonder why the only choice is twixt two devils, tho.”
– Patrick Ness [The Ask and the Answer]
If, like me, you find yourself in a place where your own mental landscape seems suddenly strange and alien, it can be disconcerting to put it mildly. The thing is, God never asked you to choose between two devils… He didn’t even ask you to choose the lesser of two evils; He asked you to choose between His ways and the World’s. If you’ve been seeking Him and praying into and over issues that extend beyond yourself, odds are you’re going to find yourself being pushed out of your comfort zone.
To be sure, none of this is intended as a indictment – quite the contrary. If you have found yourself praying into and over situations for years on end, it’s easy o slip into a “comfort zone” (for lack of a better or more apt term). When things continually don’t improve, we have a tendency to rationalize and, over time we stop plying as much of our effort on that front. In a manner of speaking, we “hole up”.
Be encouraged. We are far from alone in that. In fact, there are examples of this in scripture that end with God still being faithful and coming through. I tend to think of Elijah in such circumstances:
He went into a cave there and spent the night. Suddenly the Lord’s message came to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal to the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, even though the Israelites have abandoned the covenant they made with you, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.” The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. Look, the Lord is ready to pass by.”
1 Kings 19:9 – 18
A very powerful wind went before the Lord, digging into the mountain and causing landslides, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Suddenly a voice asked him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal to the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, even though the Israelites have abandoned the covenant they made with you, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.” The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came and then head for the wilderness of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria. You must anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to take your place as prophet. Jehu will kill anyone who escapes Hazael’s sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes Jehu’s sword. I still have left in Israel 7,000 followers who have not bowed their knees to Baal or kissed the images of him.”
Surely you know this story right? If not, you need to do some homework.
Seriously.
Elijah had literally called down Holy Fire and executed 450 prophets of Baal mere days prior to this, yet here we find him, in all his humanity, holed up and in distress. Despite the manifestations he’d witnessed throughout his ministry and, even through recent events, he had not seen the massive shift he was truly waiting for. Here, God made himself known to Elijah in mighty way, and yet… Elijah is still required to do something before things move forward – He is required to act.
Is this speaking to anyone? Are you, Like Elijah, being pushed out of your hole – out of your comfort zone? Is God calling you to something that pushes your faith? Is He calling you out of what’s comfortable for the sake of something better? Think of faith like a muscle – when you utilize it, it gets stronger. Maybe if we push our faith to our absolute limits, mountains will move…
All of this is to say to those of you who are pushing through; “keep on – trust God – and never settle“. Where you are now isn’t actually good, it’s just what you’re used to. This isn’t a choice between the “devil you know” and the “devil you don’t”, it’s a choice between a life of obedience and one of compromise! We’ve huddled in our caves for long enough – now is the time to take up your mantle and emerge.
Will it be comfortable or familiar? no.
Will it be easy? No.
Will it be worth it? Yes. In ways we cannot even imagine.
חזק ואמץ – Chazak V’Ematz – Be Strong and of Good Courage!
שלום עליכם – Shalom Aleichem – Peace Be Upon You