coun·ter²

/ˈkoun(t)ər/

counter: a thing which opposes or prevents something else.

When you are a child of God, expect opposition. Opposition can be a supportive factor from the Lord to help us grow in faith. Opposition can also be an unsupportive factor from the enemy to move us further away from the Lord. We can look to the story of Jesus while He was in the wilderness ( Matthew 4). After Jesus, came from His devotion of fasting to the Father, the enemy came with so many counters. The counters were used as distorted blessings which the enemy sprung at Jesus to cause Him to fall. The enemy knew just what to say and He also knew what would be appealing to the flesh. All the counters were used but Jesus remained firm on the Rock which is in the Father, God Almighty. Jesus used scripture and remembered His obedience to His Father, resisting the enemy so he could flee.

Very often, the enemy has presented me with counters, which looked and sounded wonderful to my flesh, but in the end, were a plot for my destruction. Recently, I was promoted to transfer to a new position at a new school.I prayed over this decision to go, and the Lord reassured me that this was the key to the door opening. Shortly after I already accepted the offer, my old school gained an opening for the position that I initially wanted in the beginning. Of course, my initial reaction was “wow this is what I wanted in the first place!”. I began to process what had just happened and realized this was the enemy. The Lord already gave me the key for the door, and here the enemy was wheeling me back into a trap door. The counter-offer was great for where I was, but going forward meant obedience and clearly discerning what was God and what was not. Immediately after, I looked around and I saw the word ‘counter’ and I knew what was happening. The enemy appealed to my emotions of leaving my colleagues and students behind, while also appealing to my desire of getting exactly what I wanted. It was tempting, but in the end I knew the opposition was only a setback of the enemy. The counter that is presented, places us at a pathway of doors either that lead to our God-given purpose or the enemy.

I pray that the Lord keep us in the midst of all that we face. In Jesus’ Name, Amen