Praise The Destroyer

A few nights ago I could not sleep and was pacing and praying and praising in the wee hours of the morning. I was thanking God for Who He is, and my spirit got caught on "Thank you for being The Destroyer".

The Destroyer?

I was a little suprised by own words. God is Patience and Kindness. He is about Goodness and Grace, Healing and Freedom. But I could not get this out of my head or off my lips!

The Word of God says,

"Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them." Ps 54:5

"Let my persecutors be put to shame, but keep me from shame; let them be terrified but keep me from terror; bring on them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction." Jer 17:18

"The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy." Ps 145:20

Praise God that He destroys the works of the enemy in our lives. He will avenge us. He will save us from temptations, faulty belief systems, Satan's schemes to take us out, even our own folly. Not only will he remove us to safety but He will utterly destroy those things meant to destroy us.

Shortly after I began seeing God this way and thanking Him for it, I logged on to Stir the Water, a website about learning to walk in the prophetic, especially the seer anointing. In one of the posts, a user said the Lord had shown him Jesus manifested in the form of a coiled serpent. Again, I was slightly agahst -- serpents are of the devil, right? I was certain this person had lost it, but the Lord showed me again that in His Goodness, He is, indeed the Destroyer. The image given was of a coiled snake, still as a stone, but able to strike out at its enemies before they even knew what was happening. God's message to the poster (and to us) is "I can rest and be still, because I am in control". Imagine the muscle control of a serpent as it lies completely still, perhaps basking in the sun, but then lashing out in utmost precision. Our perfect Savior is just like that!

Then, a couple days later a friend was sharing with me a dream she'd had in which she found herself having snuck up on some thieves and in one swift motion, snapped their necks, killing them. I know that sounds greusome -- at least it did to me -- but she knew the Lord was affirming to her that he was giving her discernment and power to destroy evil that comes into her life and against her family. Then I saw, God not only works on our behalf, but He teaches us to destroy the works of the evil one ourselves... in His power and authority. He does not want us to be helpless babies but to "grow up in all things into Christ." (Eph 4:15; also see Psalm 101) It is God who ultimately avenges, and He alone is the Judge when it comes to people. But Satan, all his cohorts, and all his schemes and weapons, God has already judged. Therefore we judge them too, and walk in His destroying power against the darkness of the spiritual realm.

This morning I wrote out my previous post of what Steve Shultz had said, including that God is contending with the wicked and seriously avenging His own. And it hit me -- Hey, there's a theme going on here!!! (God speaks in confirmations)
Steve is a man of grace, mercy and forgiveness, and I have never heard him speak with such a tone of warning and urgency. Indeed, he even said it was hard for him to do but had to speak as the Lord was speaking. Yet, in God's severity we rejoice! After all, it's His love and grace He has poured out on us. But upon His enemies and ours, He pours out wrath and destruction... for our sake!

Thank you, Lord, for your power which you work on our behalf. Thank you for your mercy and your protection. Destroy of the works of the enemy, including the strongholds in our thinking that sometimes we'd rather hold on to. In your severity you are good and worthy of thanksgiving and praise!