Our Adversary, The Devil

                                         “Be of sober spirit, be on alert. Your adversary, the devil

prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

1 Peter 5:8

       It happened deep into the night.  I was awakened by a presence.  It was not a physical person, just a presence, a heavy and oppressive feeling.  I knew immediately it was a spirit from the evil one.  I began praying to the LORD, asking for protection, rebuking this presence to leave my home.  In short order, I felt the peace and presence of one much stronger than the previous one, the LORD had come while the oppressive presence fled.  1 Peter 5:9 says “But resist him, firm in your faith…” .   I know I am firm in my faith but if I let my worries, fears and battles linger,  then those spirits of the evil one will attempt to come and poke and try to devour me. 

      I am not a person who struggles with depression or addictions.  I know people who do struggle with one or both.  I struggle to understand how I can help them.   I struggle to understand the draw that pulls them into the bottle or to the computer screen.  I struggle to understand the hurt they feel, hiding it from the world and even to those that know and love them. But I do know the One that can pull them from their hurt, their addictions, their struggles.

     But...the adversary, the devil and his minions prowl about looking for these people that struggle with the weight of the world upon their shoulders.  They are weakened in their struggle making them easy prey.  Much like that roaring lion looking for a weak animal to pull from the group, the devil is looking for that weak one.   I ask myself what I can do to help.   How can I bring healing to their spirit and soul?  I can listen to their hurts.   I can help them pick up the pieces from a night or day of drinking themselves into oblivion.  I can hold them when they are crying and calling out for forgiveness.  I can pray over them and plead the blood of Jesus cover  and wash them clean.  I can pray that the temptations do not overtake them.  

       There is a much greater presence of evil in the world right now.  It seems the devil knows his time is drawing to an end and he is determined to take as many away from the LORD as he can.  But I know that HE who is IN us is greater than he who is in the world.  We are to stand firm and know that we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against principalities, rulers, forces of darkness and wickedness. (Ephesians 6:12)  So friends, it is time to take back what we know.  Take back our friends from the adversary. Rescue them and strengthen them in the LORD.  The battle is the LORD’s but we can be there to pray and support them.

“...be on alert with all perseverance…”

Ephesians 6:18

Love One Another

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

There is no commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:31

    

        WOW!  No one would have ever thought that people could begin to despise and hate at the level we have seen in the news recently.  Daily, the headlines scream of discontent, lawlessness, and hate.  HATE! screams across the headlines at breakneck speed.  People screaming at each other. People pushing and shoving others that have a different opinion.  People being accosted because they are proclaiming Christ in the streets.  If you want to know what the world will look like when Satan has control, look around, you are seeing a glimpse of it now. 

          The Bible says in Mark 12:30 that we are to first, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.".  We are to love the Lord first.  As I look around today, one is hard-pressed to see people loving the Lord.  It is hard to see them loving anyone but oneself.  Romans 13:10 tells us that "love does no harm to a neighbor".  The Merriam Webster dictionary states love is a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; unselfish, loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.  Do we have "love" for another?   Do we have that strong personal kinship with another?   Are we showing unselfish concern for others?   Do we love ourselves?

          My belief in that last stated question of "do we love ourselves", is many do not.  Many people go through their lives striving for things that are fleeting.  Those things, money, fame, success, and material things, are just the things of this world that make lives comfortable.  But if one or more can not attain those "things" then they feel their lives are unimportant or unpurposeful. Suicide rates are high. Alcoholism. Drugs.  People do not love themselves.  

          God put each one of us on this earth for a purpose.  He has a plan for our lives and if we follow Him and love Him, He reveals that purpose and plan to us.  Not all at once, but step by step the purpose and plan are revealed.  If we love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, He gives us unconditional love in return.   We are to turn and use that unconditional love in the same way with others.  We are to "love one another as yourself". We have to love ourselves before we can show love to others.  It is evident there are a lot of unloved selves in the world today.  They have let the circumstances of life throw them into a life of chaos and hate.  Instead of rising above the circumstances and using them to grow, people have used them as an excuse to hate instead of love.  They hate themselves so they can only hate others.

           How do we change this?  The only way it can be changed is through Christ.  God sent his only Son to die on a cross for us, what a love, to take our sins and give us eternal life.  None of us would have that a love that big to give our only son to die for another, but many have if their sons have been in the military or served in law enforcement and died in the line of duty.  God gave his Son's life to die for me and for you.  He didn't deserve to die for something I or you did.  He was sinless. But God in His infinite wisdom chose for this Lamb to be a sacrifice for us.  God's simple message is that we are to "love one another as yourself". It is not a hard message to follow.  Love one another, love yourself, love God.  Let's begin today!

“‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.'"

Leviticus 19:18

        

Will You Bow?

"But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately

be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire."

Daniel 3:6

     

         Here we are going into week six of shut down after the "invasion" of the COVID-19 virus.  Businesses are shuttered,  millions are unemployed,  and as of right now no end in sight.  Anxieties have increased when stresses should be down.  There is nowhere to go.  But bills still need to be paid. As I have pondered and stressed over this since it has gone on for so long, I have realized that I have become more like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Those were not their Jewish names. Their Jewish names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  Nebuchadnezzar changed their names.  If you don't remember them they were friends of Daniel.  All taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.  They were in the group of youths "in whom was no defect, who were good looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court..." (Daniel 1:4 NASB).  

         The story continues that Nebuchadnezzar built an image, a great statue.  This great statue was of extraordinary splendor (Dan. 2:31).   He had it set upon the plain of Dura for all to see. It was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide.  All the people, every nation, and language were expected to bow before this statue when the music was played.  But these three brave youths were not going to bow to this image, this graven image that was contrary to their King, the one true GOD.  And they told Nebuchadnezzar as much after some of his people reported them.  But those brave men told Nebuchadnezzar "we do not need to give you an answer.  IF it be so, our GOD whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand O, King. BUT EVEN if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."  WOW!

          This.  This is how I feel right now with all these public health "orders" that the governor and his public health director are handing down.   I am not going to bow.  I am not going to bow to the fear.  I am not going to bow to the majority.  I am not going to bow to a governor with an agenda.  I will bow to the ONE TRUE KING.   In this time, IF it be so, my GOD is able to deliver me from the furnace of COVID-19.   He is able to protect us from the pestilence.  I choose to trust Him.  This will pass.  But the repercussions have set a precedent.  I can only choose to trust the One True GOD.  HE is the ONLY one to whom I will bow.

"Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the 

midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the

fourth is like a son of the gods!"

Daniel 3:25

He Who Dwells

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty."
Psalm 91:1

     Wow!  Today in March 2020, bizarre things are happening.  Schools are closed for the foreseeable future.   Restaurants and bars shuttered except for carryout/drive-thru.  Social distancing is the new buzz word.  Spectator sports are, for now,  a thing of the past.  Supermarkets are running low on everything, especially toilet paper for some weird reason.  The stock market has plunged 2000 points. Panic and fear are common.  The media doesn't hesitate to continue to spread panic and fear despite the President of the United States urging calm.  

    What is going on?   There is a pestilence among us.  How do we stop it?  How do we avoid it?  How do we go on in the midst of uncertainty?  Well, first we go to the One that knows all about it.  He has the power to stop it.  Will He?  Perhaps.  But perhaps He is allowing it to bring this nation to its knees, both figuratively and literally.  The United States has been thinking pretty highly of itself for a while now.  It has become smug and arrogant.  It doesn't think it needs God.  It thinks that everything goes.  Well...God thinks a different way.  He wants His people, yes all people, to seek His face, turn from their sinful ways and reach out to Him and He will bless our land.  So as we struggle through this difficult time let us remember the words of Psalm 91:1-7.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High 

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 

I will say to the LORD 

"my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust."

For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions,

and under His wings you will find refuge.

His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

Happy New Year

...Be joyful, Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony

and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

2 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT)

     As I sat by the fire on New Year's Eve, I contemplated what my "resolutions" were going to be this coming year.  There were the usual; lose weight, exercise more, spend less money, etc.  But then I thought a bit harder about how to get to those goals and others and my list became this...

• Live joyfully
• Live simply
• Live for God and His purposes
• Live healthy
• Love much

    Those five important "resolutions" will guide my year and my life.  It is time to move forward in joy.  Living life simply and without the clutter of thought or of stuff will be easier than ever before. Living my life pleasing God and what He wants for my life should have been my aim but over the years had been pushed aside.  No more.  It is time for that part of my life to be at the forefront.  Living healthy as I get older is more important each day. Eating wisely and exercising outside in the glory of the creation helps to be clear of thought and to hear from God more easily.  Loving much; I am loving my husband, children, and grandchildren each day to the best of my ability.  I will continue to be there for them and to guide them to look at the King for answers when none seem to come. 

     Resolutions are hard to keep but these five statements are life changers.  I pray that as this new year progresses that I will remember to live by them and not put them aside.  I will not let the worries of the days or weeks take over.  I will not let the devil have a hold and keep me from knowing and feeling the peace of God's love surrounding me each day.

    May you find in the new year that these "resolutions" would hold something for you as well.  

"Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries,

all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you

affectionately and cares about you watchfully."

1 Peter 5:7

     

Troubled heart

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say?..."

John 12:27

       As the seasons pass from summer into fall, the days are getting shorter and cooler. I have spent the last 5 months recovering from a circumstance I did not expect.  One in which I was profoundly hurt and troubled by as there seemed to not be a suitable answer as to why.  But now, five months later, I have decided it is time to leave it behind and move forward.  God has brought me to this place and I rest my troubled soul in Him.  He has sustained me when I have been so low I was not sure I could find my way.  He has walked beside me in this time as no one else could.  Psalm 25:1 tells me "to thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul, O my God, in thee I trust, let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me".  So I stand firmly beside Him trusting He will lead me to the next season. 

        I have no idea what the next season will bring.  I trust the Lord to show me where He wants me to go this time.  I believe that He wants me to be securely ensconced in Him before I begin anew.  It is time to rest in Him until He chooses to reveal to me what is next.  For someone who has worked 50 plus hours a week for over 20 years, it is hard to sit back and rest.  I feel that I should be doing something.  I feel that I need to take matters into my own hands because that's what the world expects me to do.  But, I know that I need this time to heal and rest in Him.  It is ok to rest in Him.  It is ok to sit back and regroup from all the missed days of my life.  I didn't realize how much I missed while I was working.  I didn't see or have time to enjoy the beauty of the sunrise.  Now I can and do.  I didn't have time to visit with my parents and now that they are older I have time.   I didn't get to see my grandchildren participate in school projects because I was at work.  Now I can.  So if this forced time away from working is for those things then I can call myself blessed.  My attitude has changed from one of bitterness and hurt to gratitude.  Gratitude that I can spend time with my family and not have to do work.  Gratitude that I can read a book and not feel that I should be grading papers.  Gratitude that I can spend time with the Lord as I walk in the morning and not be rushing out the door and up the road to a job.  There are days when it is easy and there are days when it is hard.  But the hard days are fewer.  I want to be able to know in my soul that I have "walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering." (Ps. 26:1) . I can rest that "it is well with my soul".

"He refreshes my soul. He guides me along

 the right paths for his name’s sake."

Psalm 23:3

Glorious Days

"For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside"

Psalm 84:10

     Summer continues to linger here in Ohio.  As October begins, the heat continues into record-breaking, historical, hasn't happened ever days.  The sky is blue, there is no humidity but it is hot and dry.  As the sun rises this day, you can feel the heat it promises.  The grass is brown.  The trees are dropping leaves without the beautiful colors and everything just looks tired and thirsty.  But in this one can still see "how lovely are Thy dwelling places" (Ps 84:1).    The blue of the sky is brilliant.  The trees that have begun to change colors stand out against it, shouting out "how lovely are Thy dwelling places".  

     In this place, my soul has felt like the crackling of the brown grass and the parched soil longing for a drink. I long for a cool breeze to sweep over me and bring comfort.  I long for a gentle rain to soothe my parched soul.  The Lord comes as that cool breeze when my soul is parched and unyielding.  His touch brings comfort and peace.  He is that gentle rain that waters the dry places in me and brings blessings springing forth, renewed.  

     This summer has been long.  As the summer progressed from the spring rains and the land was green and renewed after the long winter, it became parched, dusty, and hard.  My life at the same time was the same.  In the spring I had a job I loved and was looking forward to it again in the fall but then I was let go.  The summer stretched on parched with no prospects and I thought no direction. As the summer dragged on and got drier, my savings dwindled.  I felt just like the brown grass, dry and brittle, yearning for a drink to soothe.  

     The forecast is calling for relief.  Today it is 92 tomorrow in the 70s.  Relief comes at last from the heat with rain sure to follow to bring relief to those parched grasses and trees.  God is my relief for my soul and all I need to do is pray.  The Psalms bring healing rain to the soul.  The words like gentle drops soothing to read and hear and bringing relief to a dry soul.   Psalm 84 speaks..."O Lord God of host, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Thine Anointed.  For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere".  

      I look forward to renewed hope.  As the hot, dry weather of the summer gives way to the cooler breezes of fall, so may my life begin to feel a change too.  My soul begins to drink in God's gentle whispers that things are going to get better.  God whispers that He is in control of the weather and my life. God whispers He is leading me beside still waters and restoring my soul (Ps 23:2-3).   I can rest in knowing He is near.

"O God, restore us, and cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved." 

Ps. 80:3