"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:

the chastisement of our peace was upon him;

and with his stripes we are healed."

-Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)

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God promises us that "no weapon formed against us shall prosper" and we trust God at His word. However, how many times do we find ourselves questioning God or trying to figure out on our own, what God meant when He said "prosper" because the wounds that we are dealing with whether physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual are very real and feel like not only have they prospered, but they have downright defeated us?

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How often do we find ourselves feeling like the things that the enemy inflicted upon us have prospered because we are indeed dealing with a physical illness or ailment that seems to have slowed us down or set us back?

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How often does it feel like our haters' evil intents have prospered against us because our name has indeed been slandered, our relationship torn apart, our family affected, and our job lost, all while our haters have a victory party in celebration of our despair?

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How often does it feel like our trials have prospered against us because we keep getting rejected, overlooked, disregarded, mistreated, disrespected, and trampled over, time and time again?

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How often do our wounds make us feel like not only have the weapons that were formed against us prospered, but they struck us in that place that suddenly made joy, peace, love, abundance, protection, strength, and victory seem nothing more than a biblical myth? How often do we become so discouraged that we begin to lose hope in anything that God promises us that equates to winning?

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In case you have indeed felt this way or close to it, don't give up, GOD'S WORD CANNOT FAIL!

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Forming vs Prospering               

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We must understand the difference between forming and prospering. "Shall Not Prosper" does not mean that the attack won't reach us as much as it means that it can't destroy, defeat, or prevail over us.

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To form or to be formed is defined as:

• to begin to exist or to make something begin to exist,

• to make or produce.

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We MUST realize and accept that the attacks, trials, plots, and obstacles that are formed against us will come into existence. Understand that there are some things that God both can and will halt at their conception. There are some attacks that are formed against us that God won't allow to fully develop. There are some evil intents and plans that our enemies may try to put into play that God will shut down from the very beginning, not allowing our enemies to execute them or carry them out. However, there are some attacks that for God's own intent, plans, and purposes, He can and will allow to be produced, exist, and fully formed. There are some attacks, trials, situations, and circumstances that God will allow to develop and greet us RIGHT WHERE WE ARE!

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There are some diagnosis, illnesses, and ailments that GOD WILL allow into our lives. There are some haters, naysayers, spectators, opportunists, backstabbers, and deceivers, that GOD WILL allow into our lives. There are some valleys, dark paths, lonely roads, setbacks, losses, and roadblocks that GOD WILL allow into our lives. And He allows these things to form with FULL INTENTION!

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It is quite easy to find ourselves confused when we come face-to-face with these "attacks" because we wrestle with understanding the difference between "forming" and "prospering". Something appearing in our lives in its full form does not mean that it has prospered. The development of this thing that we face might both look and feel like an attack that has prospered, but don't be deceived. The appearance of it only means that it has formed.

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The Deception of Fully Developed Attacks!          

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Let's clarify something. Nothing that God promises us IS A BIBLICAL MYTH! Man may create their own philosophies and ideologies, BUT EVERYTHING THAT GOD HAS SAID AND WILL SAY TO US, IS BOTH TRUE AND EXACT, which is why we must each develop our own personal relationship with Him and ask Him for the wisdom and discernment to interpret His Word.

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We must seek God for knowledge and understanding because at times, people are capable of creating their own revelations that are far from Godly truth. This is not to say that we shouldn't seek counsel or insight from our spiritual leaders, friends, family members, prayer partners, or other people that are a part of our lives who are knowledgeable of the Word of God. God does indeed place earthly vessels in our lives and within our paths to open up our understanding of those things that we don't understand as well as to lead and guide us. This is simply suggesting that we are all capable of sharing our own gospels based on our personal experiences which can happen both intentionally and unintentionally.

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It is important that we each take the time to reflect and ask God for clarity concerning His Word and those things within the Word that He has promised us. When we misinterpret the Word of God, it is easy to put ourselves in a position in which we feel like what the Word says and what we are experiencing in our lives, contradict one another.

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Prosper is defined as:

• to be successful or fortunate, especially in financial respects,

• to succeed in an enterprise or activity; especially : to achieve economic success,

• to do well, succeed, or thrive.

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By definition the word "prosper" deals with the ability to succeed.

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Succeed is defined as:

• achieve something that you have been aiming for,

• to do what you are trying to do : to achieve the correct or desired result,

• to have the desired result.

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What does this mean?

Let's Break it Down…

 

No Weapon Formed                           against you            Shall Prosper

(The attack that was produced)                                                       (won't succeed, won't achieve its desired result)

 

FORMED                                                                                             NOT PROSPERED!         

You might have some physical pain…………............................         but it won't defeat you!

You might get a diagnosis…………………………………...........         but it won't defeat you!

You might lose your job………………………………………........         but it won't defeat you!

That relationship might end.......................................................          but it won't defeat you!

Your name might get slandered……………………...................          but it won't defeat you!

You might not get the promotion you wanted………................           but it won't defeat you!

You might not get the position you wanted……………............           but it won't defeat you!

You might not receive that letter of acceptance..........................        but it won't defeat you!

Friends and family might turn their backs on you…….................       but it won't defeat you!

You might have to start over………………………………….........         but it won't defeat you!

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And why won't it defeat you?! BECAUSE IT CAN'T! GOD WON'T ALLOW IT! GOD MADE US THAT PROMISE!

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We must change the way that we view our attacks. If any of us were to lose our job as a result of the lies and evil intent of our haters, we would automatically label that as an attack that prospered because upon finding ourselves standing in the unemployment line, their attack would both feel and appear very much successful.

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But if we were to take a step back and breathe, there are indeed some things that we'll realize if we don't allow the wound to push us into claiming defeat. If you take a deep breath and look to God, you will probably realize a series of truths such as:

• you never liked your job to begin with

• you've been wanting to quit for years but had too many financial obligations

• the environment was chaotic

• you felt devalued and weren't being used to your fullest potential

• there's another job that you wanted but were just too afraid to apply for

• you were never going to be happy in that environment

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If you were to be honest, you probably drove to work every day wishing that you didn't have to go in and contemplating if you should call out. If you were to search deep down inside under the anger, disappointment, wrath, vengeance, or whatever other emotion you might be feeling due to the impact of the attack, you might find that there is actually a sense of relief buried deep under your wounds.

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If you were to take a step back and breathe, you might realize that your haters' evil intent was an unwelcomed benefit because they unknowingly made a decision for you that you did not have the strength or courage to make for yourself. You did not have it in you to quit and God knew that, so He allowed them to get you out of that "mediocre" place that He no longer desired you to be in, BECAUSE HE HAD BETTER IN STORE.  And just in case none of the above are your truths because you loved your job, the pay, and everything about your environment, then just accept the fact that GOD HAD OTHER PLANS!

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Whether these attacks work in alignment with what we do or don't want, it does not change the fact that GOD ALWAYS HAS A PLAN! It also does not change the fact that regardless of how the scenario unfolds, THE WEAPON STILL WON'T PROPSER!

We must understand the difference between the weapon and the desired result.

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The Weapons Won't Prosper             

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If we continue to reflect on the above scenario, it would seem that the attack prospered  because it resulted in you being fired. However, if we look back at the definition of prosper, it is defined as, "to succeed" and to succeed is defined as, "to achieve one's aim or desired result".

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When your haters attempted to get you fired, getting you fired was not the desired result. The desired result was to bring you to your downfall, deplete you, and cause you to give up. Getting you fired was simply "the weapon" that they used.

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Although their weapon of getting you fired caused you to experience some hardship and maybe even some frustrations and rough patches along the way, God provided. And not only did God provide, but He blessed you with a better job and a higher position. And above all, this thing that felt like it would destroy you, actually grew you and drew you closer to God. Therefore, THEIR WEAPON DID NOT PROSPER because their desired result of bringing you to your downfall, completely depleting you, and making you give up, did not work. We must understand that the weapon is not always the desired result. At times the weapon is simply a tool that is used to reach the desired result.

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When Satan inflicted harm upon Job by stripping him of his loved ones and material things, that was not the desired result. Stripping Job was "the weapon". Inflicting pain on Job's physical body was "the weapon". Satan's desired result was to get Job to turn his back on God. The weapon fully formed. However, IT DID NOT PROSPER because (1) God was still in control and kept His hands upon Job, (2) and Job DID NOT GIVE UP ON GOD!

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Joseph's brothers' desired goal was to get rid of him. Throwing him into a pit and then selling him were not the goal, those were "the weapons" that were used to achieve the goal. However, the weapons, although fully formed, DID NOT PROSPER because not only did Joseph's brothers not get rid of him, but they ended up having to bow to and depend on him in order to preserve their lives.

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The goal of Daniel's haters was to get rid of him and prevent him from being put in charge of the entire kingdom. The lions' den was "the weapon" that they used in an attempt to reach their goal. However, their weapon DID NOT PROSPER because GOD SHUT THE MOUTH OF THE LIONS, HAD DANIEL BROUGHT OUT OF THE LIONS' DEN, PLACED HIS HATERS IN THE LIONS' DEN, and PROSPERED DANIEL.

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The goal of the Pharisees, teachers of the law, chief priests, and elders was to kill Jesus and get rid of him so that they could remain in control. Crucifying him was "the weapon" that they used in an attempt to reach their goal. However, their weapon, though fully formed, DID NOT PROSPER, because JESUS ROSE AND INHEIRTED THE THRONE, GAINING ALL THE POWER AND AUTHORITY THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS THEIRS! Isaiah 53:5 states, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (KJV).

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Jesus is the PERFECT EXAMPLE of wounded but not defeated! Jesus had VERY REAL physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds! However, HE WAS NOT DEFEATED. His wounds were the atonement for our sins. And because of all the pain and suffering that was inflicted upon him, WE NOW HAVE PEACE, shall we choose to accept it.

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John 16:33 states, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (NIV). Jesus' wounds, the weapons that were formed against him, did not prosper against him, instead THEY PROSPERED HIM! Our peace is that Jesus overcame for our benefit. No matter what attack came upon him, HE CONQUERED! And thus is the same for us if we can but trust and stand on the Word of God. When we are faced with attacks, it can very easily make us feel like these occurrences have gotten the best of us, like they have defeated us, but we must trust what God has promised us in Isaiah 54:17, which states:

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                                                           "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;

                                                          and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment

                                                           thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants

                                                        of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord" (KJV).

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When faced with attacks from those evil doers who attempt to destroy us, we quite often don't know their end goal or their desired result, as much as we know the weapon that they are using to attempt to reach their aim. However, GOD ALWAYS KNOWS, which is why He quite often allows them to do what they do, because He knows it won't work because HE WON'T ALLOW IT TO!

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It matters not the size of the weapon or the force at which our enemies aim it at us, because God won't allow us to be defeated. Even if and when the weapon reaches us, even if it pierces us, it is not capable of destroying us! IT CANNOT DEFEAT US!

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King Saul went to great lengths to destroy David. However, regardless of what attack he set against David or how strategic he thought he was, he was not capable of destroying David because God was with David and would not take His hands off of him. God allowed Saul to continue to be a thorn in David's side. And when it was all said and done, Saul came to his own demise by his own hands and David did not have to step out of the will of God or take matters into his own hands in order to free himself from the wickedness and attacks of Saul.

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As it concerns our battles and those weapons that might indeed cause some wounds, we must understand that wounds are not a sign of victory. Wounds in many cases are not even proof of a battle. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are all individuals who came out of their battles UNHARMED! Daniel had no wounds found on him because HE TRUSTED GOD! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire with their clothes intact with no burns nor the smell of smoke upon them BECAUSE THEY TRUSTED GOD! And BECAUSE THEY TRUSTED GOD...GOD PERFORMED! He both fought and won their battles. He gave them the victory and He got the glory.

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Wounds come in different forms. Some physical. Some emotional. Some mental. And some spiritual. Wounds strike us in different places, at different levels, in different ways. Some wounds heal easily and some take time. However, regardless of the type of wound or the type of weapon that may have been used that caused the wound, these wounds can puncture us, they can cause pain, they might even take us by surprise and turn some things in our lives upside down, BUT THEY CAN'T WIN!

Wounds, weapons, and the attacks inflicted upon us are not going to feel good. We might experience some anguish and some agony. We might have to cry some tears. We might even have a "Father, why have you forsaken me" moment. But if we can stand firm in our faith even when our physical strength is weak, our emotions are pressed, and our spirits are vexed, VICTORY WILL BE OURS!