Who Will Stay In and Who Will Fold?

I don’t know much about poker, but I’ve seen enough on TV to understand that it’s a game of risk. Players often raise the stakes, pushing the game higher and deeper, testing who will stay in and who will fold.

Sometimes, life feels like that too.

I’ve noticed a pattern in my walk with God. When He sends a blessing, when He moves in a miraculous way, when He answers a prayer, I feel grateful and loved. But then, almost immediately, it seems like Satan tries to raise the stakes. A new challenge appears. A new burden presses in. A new wave of doubt or discouragement tries to steal the peace I just received.

It’s as if the enemy sees the goodness of God and says, “Let’s see how strong her faith really is.”

But here’s the truth I’m learning. God doesn’t give blessings to tease us. He gives them to anchor us. And when the stakes feel raised, it’s not a sign that we’re losing. It’s a sign that we’re growing.

Just like in poker as I understand it, the stakes only go up when the game gets serious. And in spiritual terms, that means the enemy sees something worth fighting against. He sees our progress. He sees our trust. He sees our closeness to God, and he wants to shake it.

But he cannot win because every time God gives a blessing, He also gives strength to hold onto it. Every time He sends a miracle, He sends protection to guard it. And every time the enemy tries to raise the stakes, God reminds us:

2 Kings 6:16  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

So if you’re in a season where the blessings and the battles are showing up side by side, don’t be discouraged.

J. Anette Dennis said: “Wherever you may be in the world, always remember that those who are with us and helping us and cheering us on are more than those who may be against us, no matter what the appearances may be. As we choose to stay securely connected to our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ through our covenants with Them, we can be assured of that fact. And those who will be with us are more powerful than those who may be against us. I testify of that!”