{"id":3567,"date":"2024-11-14T07:06:07","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T07:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/?p=3567"},"modified":"2024-11-11T21:10:03","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T21:10:03","slug":"strength-in-the-circle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/strength-in-the-circle\/","title":{"rendered":"Strength in the Circle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thursday, November 14<\/strong><\/p>\n

Strength in the Circle <\/strong><\/p>\n

But Jesus answered him, saying, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Luke 4:4<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Peter 5:8 tells us we have an enemy who roams around like a roaring lion looking to devour anyone he can. We have a very real enemy who prowls like a lion, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. And just like lions in the wild, he knows when to strike\u2014when we\u2019re feeling weak, isolated, and vulnerable. In those moments, his goal is to devour, to dismantle our peace, and to break our spirit.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the truth: we were never meant to face the enemy alone. In the wild, when a female elephant is weak, the other females in her herd will form a protective circle around her. With their backs in and heads out, they create a barrier between her and any predator, kicking up dust to hide her scent and deter any lurking danger. It\u2019s a powerful display of unity, strength, and loyalty.<\/p>\n

This is the kind of support God desires for us. When one of us feels weak, struggling, or alone, we\u2019re meant to surround her, to stand close and protect each other from the attacks of the enemy.<\/strong> We all have those times when we feel vulnerable, yet often we run and hide, thinking it\u2019s better to struggle in silence. But that isolation makes us an easy target.<\/p>\n

As followers of Christ, we need to be each other\u2019s circle. When one of us is down, we gather around, pray, and offer support. We shield each other, declaring, \u201cIf you want to get to this one you have to go through us first.\u201d When we do this, we become a powerful force against the enemy\u2019s schemes.<\/p>\n

Jesus set the example in resisting the devil\u2019s twisted offers. When Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger, Jesus responded, \u201cNo! People do not live by bread alone.\u201d Jesus refused to meet a legitimate need in an illegitimate way.<\/p>\n

We, too, have legitimate needs: the need to be loved, to find happiness, to feel peace. But the danger lies in trying to meet those needs in ways that lead us away from God. The enemy wants us to settle for counterfeit fulfillment, but Jesus offers us true satisfaction and real joy.<\/p>\n

So, the next time you feel weak, reach out. Don\u2019t hide. Let your friends surround you, pray for you, and protect you. Stand together in truth and lean on one another. We are stronger together, and in that circle of love and faith, the enemy has no chance.<\/p>\n

Prayer for today<\/strong>: Lord, thank You for the gift of community and for friends who stand by me when I\u2019m feeling weak. Help me remember that I don\u2019t have to face life\u2019s struggles alone. Strengthen my relationships with those who support me and help me be that support for others. Keep me alert to the enemy\u2019s lies, and help me resist the urge to meet my needs in ways that aren\u2019t from You. Thank You for being my ultimate protector and guide. In Jesus\u2019 name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thursday, November 14 Strength in the Circle But Jesus answered him, saying, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Luke 4:4 1 Peter 5:8 tells us we have an enemy who roams around like a roaring lion looking to devour anyone he can. We have a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3567"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3572,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3567\/revisions\/3572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonecem.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}