We must not let the darkness be our end. Together we shine the light for those we defend. Let us Rise Up, Oh Wellspring, though the evil closes in, we will fight, with all our might, for we know Hope will eventually win. Be of good courage. Do not be dismayed. The mighty Host of Heaven will not let us be betrayed.

No matter where we are at this time in our lives, there is some form of struggle. Even in the good days, we often find ourselves struggling to hold onto the good. The world, as a whole, seems to have grown darker and more chaotic. With every step forward, there comes push back. There are forces definitely working hard to steal our joy, but we must not be dismayed. We are still connected to the source of Hope and He isn't about to disconnect from us. 

Though it may feel as we are; we are not in a battle against flesh and blood, but with spiritual powers of darkness. This means we must fight in a much different way. Yes, the tough days are physically demanding and draining, but what we are actually fighting is something that can't be physically punched. We may try to punch at it and we may vent our frustrations on what we assume is creating the problem, but the real problem is the unseen which may be felt, but not with our hands. It comes at us in the form of depression, sadness, anger, malice, hatred, covetousness, lust, pride and many other negative forms. These are things that are beyond our realm of control, but that doesn't mean we have zero control.

When we connect to the source of all life and joy, we have a power beyond us and that power is going to fight for us. When we plug into the giver of all Hope, we are connected to the one who provides salvation from the unseen that is trying to beat us down.

If you are being crushed by the weight of the unseen oppression, you don't have to be defeated. When you remember you are connected to Light of the world, that shines hope, joy and freedom into our lives, all we have to do is turn on the switch. You will then see that you are alone and there is a much clearer path to being victorious over that which has tried to keep you from living life to the fullest.