Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand…Ephesians 6: 13, 14 NIV.

Yesterday, I went out to lay by the pool—only, I broke myself instead. 

I thought (for a slice of a second) that I’d reset the break myself. But I quickly decided to stay in my own swim lane. I have my limits, and the very thought of correcting my eastern pointing toe back to its northern location is my limit. My queasy stomach told me it’s my limit.

Besides, I can’t swim now, I thought. I can’t even stand. 

We are Equipped

“There, it’s in place and it will heal. Do you need some pain medication?” My orthopedic doctor wondered. “A Kleenex, maybe?” 

“Yes,” to Kleenex, I said. “But I’m not crying over my foot, though,” I added. I wouldn’t need any medication for the pain. 

I won’t go into the detail of my tears, we all have cryey times, difficult days, broken things. Maybe soon though, you’ll toss the tissues while your pain eases enough to reveal just how big that small blessing really is. Perhaps today, you will pray over what you can’t seem to get through. Maybe tomorrow, you will praise and believe and kneel and wear out the knees of your jeans. Then—after you have done everything—you will arise. 

Stand, Jesus says. 

Stand. Just stand.

I believe God is rising an army up of His mighty warriors, probably not a frontline of weary worriers (of which, I am sometimes the worst). But I love how this verse speaks to us about what is needed to fight the enemy: “Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand…” Ephesians 6: 13, 14 NIV.

What to wear? The Armor of God. 

What to do? Be armed and ready. 

What to read? God’s Word. 

We don’t have fear the battle or overemphasize the enemy’s power. No worries, God has the ultimate victory. And there is further comfort for us: Because after you’ve done all you can, just stand. 

We Can Hope Ahead

I’m unsure the type of spiritual battle you’re in right now, but I once heard a Pastor ask the congregation to consider God’s omnipotence over our fight, saying, “God is always two weeks out, ahead of us. Waiting.”

The thing is, in just two weeks your situation can change for the better. In two weeks, God could answer a longsuffering prayer. In two weeks, God can provide the healing and encouragement needed for you to move ahead. No matter how much doubt you have or pain you face on this day, you can “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might,” (Ephesians 6:10). You can keep going. You are not alone. 

I read an inspirational article recently about Florence Chadwick. Florence was a long-distance swimmer who attempted to swim the 26-mile shoreline stretching between the California Coastline and Catalina Island. Only 15 hours into her swim, however, a dense fog rolled across the water, blocking her sight forward. Florence then started to doubt her abilities and swam for another hour before telling her teammates that she couldn’t go any farther. The fog finally lifted, though, as she sat in her boat. That’s when she spotted her destination, realizing Catalina Island was only a short mile farther to swim. 

Held by Him

The article suggested that if she’d have known just how close she was to standing on the shores of Catalina Island—well, she would have pushed harder and even farther into the fog. Two months later, Florence attempted the 26-mile swim again. Only this time she wasn’t fooled by the fog. She made the swim and ended up completing the challenge two more times. Reminding us that when the battle is fiercest (crazy crooked toe or no), we can trust we are closer to God’s plan. Our efforts exhausted; we stand because the Savior holds us up.

Let’s keep forging forward, friends. Don’t stop praying. Or believing. And never stop watching for the pink sky at night. DO stop thinking you can reset a toe broken at a right angle. And then simply stand…in your new orthopedic boot. Just stand. 

'…never stop watching for the pink sky at night.' The Word on Wednesday is Stand, by Beth Duewel. #TWoW #devotional #Bible Share on X