But a certain sign of grace is this
From the broken earth flowers come up
Pushing through the dirt…and the truest sign of grace was this
From wounded hands redemption fell down
Liberating man -David Crowder Band
Sometimes in our lives we can become weighted down by the trials of life. We see so much depravity in the world we lose faith that God can restore the world. This attitude even permeates our own life when the devil shows us our failings and weaknesses. We see only the struggle that seems endless and hopeless. We choose to live in the moment of our failing instead of the faith of God’s restoration.
In The Battle of Five Armies, Three individuals faced similar circumstances of perception. In the middle of battle; Gandalf, Bard, and Bilbo take a moment to examine their situation and if there was any hope. Bard dejectedly begins to accept defeat, mourning the loss of the restoration of his people and their home. Gandalf offers no rebuttal after failing to negotiate peace between men, elves, and dwarves. He was unable to prepare them for this attack from an unseen army of orcs. He was unable to unite the people of middle earth against evil.
It took Bilbo to see the truth of their situation. They were surrounded by death, but life remained. Planting an acorn into the blood and dirt of the battlefield he tells them that acorn is a promise. A promise that beneath all the death you see around you, life will grow and restore. “When faced with death, what can anyone do?” he asked. “You keep living.”
We can often become jaded by our circumstances, much like Bard and Gandalf. But we need to remember that God has given us promises to renew our hope. We need to hold onto these promises in the midst of the battle. We need to plant them in our hearts, just as Bilbo planted his acorn. When they have taken root in our heart, then no weapon of the enemy can stand against us.
What are the battlefields in your life that require you to speak God’s promises over? Do you struggle with addiction? God promises in Philippians 1:6 “…that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. God does not say you will be perfect in every aspect of life. He promises that he will keep working on your life.
Do you struggle self worth? The Bible says in Psalms “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” We are the craftsmanship of God. His fingerprints are upon us. We do not need to find value in our looks or contributions to society. We are a masterpiece.
Do you fear you are beyond redemption? In Romans 5 the bible says: “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We are never bad enough to be beyond God’s love, and we are never good enough to earn it. It is given with love to any who will receive it.
Do you struggle financially? Have you been abused? Do you feel alone? Do you feel helpless? Are you overwhelmed with fear? Do you have no clear direction in life? Do you have anxiety? Do you deal with depression? Plant a promise in your battlefield. Let it take root. Remember that what you see in the moment is not what defines your life. Death can only have victory in the absence of Life. Keep on living and don’t give death a stronghold. As Bilbo states: “…There is a chance at new life. It may sound hopeless, it may sound foolish. But what can anyone do when faced with death? You keep on living!”
God at the Boxoffice 