GREEK
WORD WITH ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION: egkoptw
(enkopto)
PRONUNCIATION:
eng-KOP-toe
STRONG’S
CONCORDANCE #: 1465
MEANING:
hindered; detained
BACKGROUND
OF WORD (ETYMOLOGY):
from two Greek words literally
translated meaning “to cut into”; was used of "impeding" persons by
breaking up the road, or by placing an obstacle sharply in the path; hence,
metaphorically, of "detaining" a person unnecessarily; used to define
obstacles in the way; this was also used to describe a runner in the Olympic
games who would thrust their elbow into your side to get you to get out of
their way;
HOW
TRANSLATED IN KJV, NASB AND/OR ESV: hindered;
#
OF TIMES USED IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT: 4
KEY
VERSE IN THE BIBLE WHERE GREEK WORD USED:
1
Thessalonians 2:18
“For we wanted to come to you — I, Paul, more
than once — and yet Satan hindered (egkoptw) us."
THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY:
If you are going to do anything
significant for the Kingdom of God, you must know in advance that Satan will
not be delighted about it. He will try to stop you, thwart you, and dissuade
you from staying on track. The last thing he wants is for you to step into the
middle of God's will for your life, because he knows the moment you do, mighty
and powerful things will begin to happen that negatively affect his dark
kingdom. Therefore, Satan will most definitely do all he can to keep you and
hinder you from getting where God wants you to be!
The word “hindered” is the Greek word enkoptœ. As noted earlier, this word
was used to depict a runner who was
elbowed out of the race by a fellow runner. However, it was also used to
picture the breaking up of a road to make
it impassable for travelers. This kind of impasse made it impossible for a traveler to get where he needed to
go. As a result, the traveler's trip was hindered,
delayed, postponed, or temporarily put off. The traveler could
still take another route to get to the same destination, but the alternate
route was inconvenient, cost a lot of extra money, and took precious time that
could have been used another way.
By using this word, Paul informs us that
demonic attacks inconvenienced him on occasion. Satan craftily sought to abort
advances of the Gospel by arranging unexpected problems that delayed,
postponed, and hindered the missions God had placed on Paul's heart. But did
Paul sit down and cry because plans didn't work out as he intended? Did he
throw in the towel and quit? No!
The apostle Paul never stopped just
because the devil tried to get in his way! No impasse or roadblock was going to
stop him! He refused to take no for an answer! He was going to get the job
done, regardless of the inconvenience, money, time, or effort involved. He was
so stubborn about doing what he was called to do that he always found a way to
do it.
An example of this is the time Paul left
the city of Ephesus because his life was in danger (see Acts 19 and 20). Paul had given three years of
his life to the believers in Ephesus. When he left, he could have cried, “Oh, I
don't understand why the Lord let this happen! He knows how much I love the
leadership of Ephesus!” Paul could have bemoaned, “Now I'll never see the
Ephesian believers again. The devil has attacked me, and the door to Ephesus is
permanently closed for me!”
But Paul understood that crying and
lamenting don't change a thing. So instead, he went down the road to the
seaside town of Miletus and secured a facility for a meeting. Then he called
for the elders of Ephesus to meet him there! Paul figured if he couldn't go to
Ephesus, why not invite the leadership to come see him? Why resign himself to
defeat just because he had hit an impasse in the road? Paul knew that there is
more than one way to accomplish a goal. So he put his brain to work and found a
way to do what God wanted him to do.
Why should we stop just because the
devil gets in the way? If that were the case, we might as well stop everything
we're doing for the Lord right now! There will never be a time that the devil
just lets us do what is in our hearts. We must be determined to keep doing what
we're called to do even if the devil tries to slam the door shut in our faces.
So what if Satan shut the door to
Ephesus? That was a good time for Paul to look for a open window! If he
couldn't go to the elders, why not call them to him? Paul discovered an open
window in Miletus. He called for the leaders, met with them, and finished his
assignment, exactly as God had ordered him to do. Mission accomplished!
You see, Paul had an attitude that would
not give up. It didn't matter how much opposition was leveled against him, he
had already decided he would outlive the opposition. Somehow he'd find a way to
do what God had called him to do.
CHALLENGE
FOR THE DAY:
You can do anything God calls you to do
too! Just first be certain that it is in fact HIS calling. Then determine in your heart that you will
not allow Satan to do anything to stop you, thwart you, hinder you, or dissuade
you from staying on track with the assignment God has given you. God's will for
your life is where mighty and powerful things are going to happen! That is why
the devil is putting up such a fuss to try to keep you from getting there. He's
afraid of what will happen if you actually do what God has put in your heart to
do.
So dig in your heels, and determine that
you are not giving in or giving up.
Refuse to back up or relent, and keep on pressing ahead. The devil may have put
an impasse in the road before you, but that doesn't mean the show is over! If
you'll listen to the Holy Spirit, He'll show you another route to get you where
you need to be.
The Holy Spirit needs a partner who is
committed. So just commit yourself to pressing ahead, regardless of the
opposition. As you do, the Spirit of God will empower you to conquer every
attack that comes against you. Then He will masterfully show you another and
more effective way to fulfill your divine assignment. In the end, the devil will be sorry he messed with you!
PRAYER
FOR THE DAY:
Lord,
I ask You to help me stay fiercely committed to fulfilling the assignment You
have given to me. Forgive me for the times I've given in to weakness and
allowed myself to complain when I should have grabbed hold of Your strength and
pressed full steam ahead. I repent for allowing my flesh to talk me into
moments of defeat. Forgive me for allowing Satan to hinder me in doing Your
will. Today I choose to push forward to
do exactly what You've told me to do. Holy Spirit, if the devil creates an impasse
for me, please show me a better route to take so I can fulfill my divine
assignment! I pray all this in Jesus’
holy name, Amen.
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