Have you ever stopped to think how lucrative the exercise equipment business is? Buff guys on television "paid programming" make the latest, greatest, "get rock hard abs like mine" machine look so effortless. It's easy to morph into a fit body with sculpted muscles in just a few minutes a day - more like a quick look at the machine - if we can believe the advertising pitch! And it's crazy how many people do believe! We hope that if we have that miracle-working piece of equipment, we will somehow develop the self-discipline it will take to actually use it consistently so that we become fit, like the guy in the ad, without breaking a sweat, and in just a few short sessions.
So we fork over 4 easy payments of $99.99 plus shipping and handling. When it arrives, we unpack the box with determination, place the "thing" in front of the television, put on our newly purchased work-out gear (it is, after all, all about the look), and begin to exercise, only to discover that the guy on the ad lied. The machine is NOT easy and the effort required to make it work is HUGE! It doesn't take long for our resolve to dissolve and for the equipment to end up in the storage room along with all the other exercise stuff we've accumulated and rejected.
I wonder if we sometimes assume that becoming a mature Christian is supposed to come without extreme effort, personal sacrifice, and self-discipline. Once we accept Christ as our Savior, the training begins, and it doesn't end until we stand before the Lord, face to face. What is absolutely encouraging is that we have all we need (Phil. 4:19) to develop into "buff Christians." God has given us faith, and he's promised to provide the strength we need to grow in him and to become who he created us to be (Phil. 4:13). He's given us a complete training manual, the Bible, an example to follow, Jesus, and a personal trainer, the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:1-5 is an interesting explanation of the kind of "circuit training" we can expect once we sign on for God's "Devoted Follower's Boot Camp." We discover that first we have entered into relationship with him through faith (Romans 5:1-2). It's this faith that allows us to believe and receive the grace of God and the gift of salvation. It's small faith (maybe the size of a mustard seed - Matthew 17:20), but like muscle and cardio-vascular capacity, it has growth potential!
Along with this faith, we have hope that, as a result of our salvation, we will know God's glory. Hope goes hand-in-hand with faith (Hebrews 11:1); therefore, hope has room to grow too. But just as muscles and lung capacity don't increase and strengthen by just wishing it so, faith and hope have to be pushed, stretched, and exercised to build endurance.
God's "training routine" requires that we know "tribulation" (Romans 5:3). But, it's the tribulation that develops patience in us. If we exercise our faith and hope during the tough times, if we stay focused and committed and draw our strength to endure from God, we come out stronger. That strength translates into a "chiseled, Christlike physique," which produces in us the will to keep on following after Christ, doing whatever it takes to become like him.
The "circuit training" God designs for us follows this pattern - faith to accept salvation, hope for a glorious future with him, tribulation to develop patience, patience to produce experience, and experience that results in more hope (Romans 5:3-5)!
Romans 8:25 says, "But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." We don't begin our training looking like the physically fit pitch-men in the advertisements, but we do hope that if we are patient (and patience doesn't always mean inactivity) and keep our eyes on the goal, we can develop the fitness God desires for us.
As we gain endurance, we have the experience to encourage us on to the next level. God wants us to graduate from his "boot camp" fully developed so that on the day that we stand before him, he can say, "Well done! You've run a good race" (I Corinthians 9:24; Hebrews 12:1)!
Lord, you know that we need to be pushed to develop into who you intend for us to be. You start our "training" gently, but you know for us to run the race to the finish, we will need more rigor! Thank you for providing all we need to be successful as we mature in our walk with you.
Showing posts with label strength. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strength. Show all posts
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Parenting: Taking on Giants and Winning - Part III
Honestly, I do not like difficulty! I would so rather have compliant students who are eager to learn and soar to great heights. I would love it if all the people in my life would just not irritate me. I wish I could stay healthy and fit without exercising and by eating all the chocolate, Blue Bell ice cream, and fabulous southern food from my childhood (think fried okra, blackberry cobbler, homemade rolls) that I want. I am old! I want peace and comfort and perfection! I want what I want! But, God knows that my life would be so less "interesting" if I got all I wanted, and He knows that if I'm ever going to get anywhere close to being who He designed me to be, I will have to face down the giants in my life - even if it would be easier to ignore or give into them. He's rather insistent that I develop the ability to defeat them! Therefore, He allows the "challenges" so I develop my "trust-in-Him muscles."
Little did David the Giant Slayer know when he was out herding sheep, playing his harp, and fighting off the occasional lion or bear that one day he would use the experiences and skills he developed to bring down a 10 foot tall heavily armed giant with a slingshot and a stone (I Samuel 17). Yet, sure enough, that is exactly what happened. He proclaimed to King Saul with absolute confidence that the God who had delivered him from wild animals would deliver Goliath to him (I Samuel 17:34-37). Saul wasn't so sure this kid could actually defeat the giant with just a slingshot and stones, so he dressed him up in official "go-to-war" garb. David couldn't even move, so he declined the offer and simply took up the tools of his trade - shepherd's staff, slingshot and five smooth stones - and, most importantly, "the name of God" (I Samuel 17:45-47). He went before the giant battle-ready because God had been preparing him for this moment!
As we go about our daily lives meeting up with all the irritations and inconveniences that we just really wish would go away, rarely do we understand that those very things may be put in our lives so that God can begin to develop in us the skills and "weapons" we may need to slay the giants that will come in our lives. David had to first face the lions and bears and defeat them to know that God was fighting for him. He had to have those victories to be strong and confident enough in God to take on the bigger challenge, Goliath. We have to also meet whatever challenges come our way to be prepared for greater ones that will inevitably come. He's giving us our own opportunities to build our trust in Him so that we can overcome with confidence.
Just as David couldn't go up against Goliath in Saul's armor, we can't fight the giants in our lives through the strength or experiences of another person. We have to go forth using the strength God has developed in us. We do have custom-fitted armor for every battle, though. Ephesians 6:11 tells us to put on the full armor of God "... that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil."
As we prepare for our everyday living, we must go dressed in God's armor - truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God. The giants in our lives - as well as the irritations - can't stand against such weapons! Expect that God will give you many opportunities to "test" your armor. He wants us to be left standing and victorious (see Ephesians 6:11-17).
Heavenly Father, we would rather not have to face bumps in the road of life. We'd rather just enjoy smooth sailing, but You know that without struggles, we can't become strong in our faith in You. Please give us your ability to see situations as You do - that this stuff is coming as a strength-building exercise so that we stand firm against whatever comes against us, having all confidence that You are fighting for us. Thank you, for your whole armor. Amen.
Little did David the Giant Slayer know when he was out herding sheep, playing his harp, and fighting off the occasional lion or bear that one day he would use the experiences and skills he developed to bring down a 10 foot tall heavily armed giant with a slingshot and a stone (I Samuel 17). Yet, sure enough, that is exactly what happened. He proclaimed to King Saul with absolute confidence that the God who had delivered him from wild animals would deliver Goliath to him (I Samuel 17:34-37). Saul wasn't so sure this kid could actually defeat the giant with just a slingshot and stones, so he dressed him up in official "go-to-war" garb. David couldn't even move, so he declined the offer and simply took up the tools of his trade - shepherd's staff, slingshot and five smooth stones - and, most importantly, "the name of God" (I Samuel 17:45-47). He went before the giant battle-ready because God had been preparing him for this moment!
As we go about our daily lives meeting up with all the irritations and inconveniences that we just really wish would go away, rarely do we understand that those very things may be put in our lives so that God can begin to develop in us the skills and "weapons" we may need to slay the giants that will come in our lives. David had to first face the lions and bears and defeat them to know that God was fighting for him. He had to have those victories to be strong and confident enough in God to take on the bigger challenge, Goliath. We have to also meet whatever challenges come our way to be prepared for greater ones that will inevitably come. He's giving us our own opportunities to build our trust in Him so that we can overcome with confidence.
Just as David couldn't go up against Goliath in Saul's armor, we can't fight the giants in our lives through the strength or experiences of another person. We have to go forth using the strength God has developed in us. We do have custom-fitted armor for every battle, though. Ephesians 6:11 tells us to put on the full armor of God "... that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil."
As we prepare for our everyday living, we must go dressed in God's armor - truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God. The giants in our lives - as well as the irritations - can't stand against such weapons! Expect that God will give you many opportunities to "test" your armor. He wants us to be left standing and victorious (see Ephesians 6:11-17).
Heavenly Father, we would rather not have to face bumps in the road of life. We'd rather just enjoy smooth sailing, but You know that without struggles, we can't become strong in our faith in You. Please give us your ability to see situations as You do - that this stuff is coming as a strength-building exercise so that we stand firm against whatever comes against us, having all confidence that You are fighting for us. Thank you, for your whole armor. Amen.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Parenting: Taking on Giants and Winning - Part II
Back in the day (and probably still today in some classrooms in America), we were required to read the classic story, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" by Stephen Vincent Benet. If you didn't read that story, then I'm pretty sure you've heard Charlie Daniel's version of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," or if you're really an academic sort, you read "Mephistopheles" by Faust. What all three have in common is a character who sells his soul to the devil to gain victory over some challenge in his life. He carries on life pretty much as normal, having gotten what he wanted from the bargain, until the day of reckoning - he has to give the devil his due. Of course, in each instance, the main character doesn't want to give over his soul to the devil and works to outsmart him and wins. In real life, things don't work out that way. We never develop a winning strategy by bargaining with the devil, we never outsmart him, and we certainly don't beat him at his game in our own power. What makes for good and entertaining literature and song lyrics, doesn't play well in real life.
Very often the giants that confront us make us much like the the fictional characters in the stories and song. We want a quick and decisive end to those challenges. We find all kinds of ways to deal with them, but until we allow God to defeat them, we are held captive. When young David took down the Philistine giant Goliath, he did it with the "army of God" cowering behind him. For 40 days these trained soldiers ran for fear as Goliath taunted them; they had no faith that they could defeat this giant and felt certain a shepherd boy with a sling and five stones was sure to be squashed (I Samuel 17).
Goliath bargained with the Israelites daily: "...pick your best fighter and pit him against me. If he gets the upper hand and kills me, the Philistines will all become your slaves. But if I get the upper hand and kill him, you'll all become our slaves and serve us" (I Samuel 17:8-9). Interestingly, even though the Israelites hadn't taken Goliath up on his bargain by sending one man to fight him, they had already become the slaves of the Philistines. They allowed their fear to control them and stop them from confronting their enemies in the name and power of their God and winning a decisive victory.
When we choose to make "bargains" with our giants rather than confront and defeat them in God's strength, we become their slaves. We may for a time live a life that seems free from their terror, but a day of reckoning - pay day - always comes. The Israelite army had managed not to engage in battle with Goliath by simply running from his daily taunting. They were living life, just not a life of freedom from fear and oppression from the Philistines. In effect, they had struck a bargain with "the devil" rather than putting a decisive end to the "giant in their lives."
Goliath could have been defeated a lot sooner had the Israelites chosen to remember who their God is. In Psalm 20, David says: "...Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm." The King James version says, "...we will remember the name of the Lord our God." When we choose to remember who our God is and what He has done in our lives, we don't have to live in the shadow of the giants. We don't have to strike bargains with them that require a payment that leaves us enslaved. John 8:36 declares, "So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through." We don't have to live as a slave to the giants. Our God created us to live in freedom - no fear. Galatians 5:1 reminds us: "Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you." No giant is so great that it can take us captive unless we allow it. God's promises are affirmed through us (II Corinthians 1:20) for His glory; therefore, we do not have to live in slavery to the giants.
We are well-equipped to battle the giants and defeat them. We can be delivered from the enslaving conditions of bargains that we have made with them to hold them at bay. We have the Word of God as our sword, and we can wield it with great strength when we come in his name and acknowledge that the battle is the Lord's (I Samuel 17:45-47). This is when giants are defeated!
Lord, the battle is yours, not mine. The victory is already won. Help me remember this and boldly confront the giants in my life knowing that they are already defeated because You said so! Thank you, Heavenly Father.
Words to Remember When Confronting Giants:
Isaiah 43:5 "Do not be afraid, for I am with you...."
Isaiah 35:4 "Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come ... and save you."
Psalm 27:1 "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
Romans 8:37 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
Very often the giants that confront us make us much like the the fictional characters in the stories and song. We want a quick and decisive end to those challenges. We find all kinds of ways to deal with them, but until we allow God to defeat them, we are held captive. When young David took down the Philistine giant Goliath, he did it with the "army of God" cowering behind him. For 40 days these trained soldiers ran for fear as Goliath taunted them; they had no faith that they could defeat this giant and felt certain a shepherd boy with a sling and five stones was sure to be squashed (I Samuel 17).
Goliath bargained with the Israelites daily: "...pick your best fighter and pit him against me. If he gets the upper hand and kills me, the Philistines will all become your slaves. But if I get the upper hand and kill him, you'll all become our slaves and serve us" (I Samuel 17:8-9). Interestingly, even though the Israelites hadn't taken Goliath up on his bargain by sending one man to fight him, they had already become the slaves of the Philistines. They allowed their fear to control them and stop them from confronting their enemies in the name and power of their God and winning a decisive victory.
When we choose to make "bargains" with our giants rather than confront and defeat them in God's strength, we become their slaves. We may for a time live a life that seems free from their terror, but a day of reckoning - pay day - always comes. The Israelite army had managed not to engage in battle with Goliath by simply running from his daily taunting. They were living life, just not a life of freedom from fear and oppression from the Philistines. In effect, they had struck a bargain with "the devil" rather than putting a decisive end to the "giant in their lives."
Goliath could have been defeated a lot sooner had the Israelites chosen to remember who their God is. In Psalm 20, David says: "...Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm." The King James version says, "...we will remember the name of the Lord our God." When we choose to remember who our God is and what He has done in our lives, we don't have to live in the shadow of the giants. We don't have to strike bargains with them that require a payment that leaves us enslaved. John 8:36 declares, "So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through." We don't have to live as a slave to the giants. Our God created us to live in freedom - no fear. Galatians 5:1 reminds us: "Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you." No giant is so great that it can take us captive unless we allow it. God's promises are affirmed through us (II Corinthians 1:20) for His glory; therefore, we do not have to live in slavery to the giants.
We are well-equipped to battle the giants and defeat them. We can be delivered from the enslaving conditions of bargains that we have made with them to hold them at bay. We have the Word of God as our sword, and we can wield it with great strength when we come in his name and acknowledge that the battle is the Lord's (I Samuel 17:45-47). This is when giants are defeated!
Lord, the battle is yours, not mine. The victory is already won. Help me remember this and boldly confront the giants in my life knowing that they are already defeated because You said so! Thank you, Heavenly Father.
Words to Remember When Confronting Giants:
Isaiah 43:5 "Do not be afraid, for I am with you...."
Isaiah 35:4 "Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come ... and save you."
Psalm 27:1 "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
Romans 8:37 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Parenting - Taking on the Giants and Winning - Part I
I absolutely hate snakes! When I was a little girl, I used to play in the dirt under a huge oak tree in my grandmother's front yard. One day, as I was digging around minding my own business, an evil looking snake fell coiled from that tree. I ran screaming in the house for my grandmother to come and save me! I can still see her, undaunted, walking out to that snake and putting a quick end to his menace with a garden hoe. Grandma the Snake Slayer! I never doubted for a moment that my grandmother could save the day!
The innocent faith of children in the "big people" in their lives to save them from their fears is exactly the kind of faith we are to have in our Father in Heaven. In I Samuel 17:1-58, we read the story of the Israelites cowering in fear of the Philistine giant, Goliath. Every day he would taunt them; every day they would run and hide in fear. All that changed on the day that a young shepherd boy showed up with supplies for the army and his brothers. David heard all the talk of the giant and wondered why the soldiers were so fearful. After all, they were the army of the living God (I Samuel 17:26). It's here that David demonstrates that childlike faith in his Father. David boldly professed that he would fight the giant and win, not in his own strength but in the strength of the Lord: "God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear will deliver me from this Philistine" (I Samuel 17:37).
The soldiers and the King found it hard to believe that one so young and inexperienced in battle would be able to defeat the giant that had stymied them for forty days. David wasn't anything special to look at; he was a kid watching over his father's sheep and running errands. Certainly, he wasn't equipped to pull off a major military coup, but God had other plans. You see, God often uses the small things in life, those things that we overlook or discount, to defeat the giants in our lives. In I Corinthians 1:27b, Paul says, "...God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."
Whatever the giants are that we face, we must come to God with unwavering childlike faith that He will defeat them. We truly are no match for those giants in our own strength, but God provides all we need to be victorious. Paul tells us in II Corinthians 12:9: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." Our logic and pragmatism can defeat us; trusting God to provide, often in ways that seem illogical and improbable, is the key to victory. Remember, God can bring down giants with a slingshot and a stone!
Lord, the giants in our lives loom large. Some days they send us running for the nearest hiding place. Please help us to stand our ground and trust You to defeat those things that come to bring us down. Help us to never question your ways but to believe that You are working all for our good and doing so through your perfect plan. Thank you that we are victorious when we face life with your power and strength.
The innocent faith of children in the "big people" in their lives to save them from their fears is exactly the kind of faith we are to have in our Father in Heaven. In I Samuel 17:1-58, we read the story of the Israelites cowering in fear of the Philistine giant, Goliath. Every day he would taunt them; every day they would run and hide in fear. All that changed on the day that a young shepherd boy showed up with supplies for the army and his brothers. David heard all the talk of the giant and wondered why the soldiers were so fearful. After all, they were the army of the living God (I Samuel 17:26). It's here that David demonstrates that childlike faith in his Father. David boldly professed that he would fight the giant and win, not in his own strength but in the strength of the Lord: "God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear will deliver me from this Philistine" (I Samuel 17:37).
The soldiers and the King found it hard to believe that one so young and inexperienced in battle would be able to defeat the giant that had stymied them for forty days. David wasn't anything special to look at; he was a kid watching over his father's sheep and running errands. Certainly, he wasn't equipped to pull off a major military coup, but God had other plans. You see, God often uses the small things in life, those things that we overlook or discount, to defeat the giants in our lives. In I Corinthians 1:27b, Paul says, "...God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."
Whatever the giants are that we face, we must come to God with unwavering childlike faith that He will defeat them. We truly are no match for those giants in our own strength, but God provides all we need to be victorious. Paul tells us in II Corinthians 12:9: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." Our logic and pragmatism can defeat us; trusting God to provide, often in ways that seem illogical and improbable, is the key to victory. Remember, God can bring down giants with a slingshot and a stone!
Lord, the giants in our lives loom large. Some days they send us running for the nearest hiding place. Please help us to stand our ground and trust You to defeat those things that come to bring us down. Help us to never question your ways but to believe that You are working all for our good and doing so through your perfect plan. Thank you that we are victorious when we face life with your power and strength.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Parenting - Strength Training: More Than a New Year's Resolution
I'm a regular at the YMCA, and I run. When January 1 rolls around every year, I know that we "regulars" are going to be in competition for our favorite machines and weights with the "new year resolution crowd." I also know that in a few weeks the interruption to my routine will have ended because many of the "newbies" will have "grown weary in well-doing." I too have to guard against the temptation to slack off because I am certain that as soon as I fail in my faithfulness to my fitness routine, I will become one of those who "grow weary" and lose the resolution to stay strong.
Being a Christian, requires "strength" training 24/7, 365 days of the year. We aren't able to let down our guard or become lazy. Following Christ requires that we not go on "auto-pilot." We are running a race that has an eternal prize for those who run to win (I Corinthians 9:24-27). It's when we are out of condition, when we are weak, that stuff happens.
Before Jesus launched his public ministry, he was led into the wilderness by the Spirit and tested by Satan (Luke 4:1-13). Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights before the Devil tempted him with 3 propositions. Satan taunted Jesus, in his weakened physical state, telling him that if he really were God's son he should command the stones to become bread. When Jesus didn't succumb, the Devil tried twice more to trap Jesus by suggesting he jump from a high place, since the angels would save him, and that Jesus could possess all the kingdoms of this world if he would worship Satan. In all three situations, Jesus resisted the temptations and defeated the Devil at his game by quoting God's word.
Jesus "stayed strong" when Satan confronted him. For every temptation that the Devil threw at him, Jesus refuted him with Truth, but Jesus didn't enter this time of testing unprepared. Luke 4:1 says he went into the wilderness full of the Holy Spirit; he was led there by the Spirit. He wasn't alone, and he wasn't without strength and endurance when he was tired and weak from not having eaten for 40 days and nights and from the Devil's tests.
We too are tested, and generally the "big tests" come when we are in our most weakened state. The Devil knows our "soft spots" and attacks. He isn't necessarily blatant but is more inclined to twist truth or to use subtlety, just as he did in testing Jesus. He manipulated scripture. This is the way Satan works. It's the tactic he used with Eve in the Garden, and he's still successfully using his methods on us today.
If we are to stand firm in our confession of faith in times of strength and weakness, here are some things we need to know:
Heavenly Father, thank you for providing all we require to "live strong" in our walk with you. I pray that we will be diligent in spending time with You, in learning your word, and in putting it into practice in our lives. As we live out our faith, let our children and all with whom we interact see You at work in and through us. May they learn dependence upon You and see your faithfulness to us in how we live our lives. In your name we pray, Amen.
Being a Christian, requires "strength" training 24/7, 365 days of the year. We aren't able to let down our guard or become lazy. Following Christ requires that we not go on "auto-pilot." We are running a race that has an eternal prize for those who run to win (I Corinthians 9:24-27). It's when we are out of condition, when we are weak, that stuff happens.
Before Jesus launched his public ministry, he was led into the wilderness by the Spirit and tested by Satan (Luke 4:1-13). Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights before the Devil tempted him with 3 propositions. Satan taunted Jesus, in his weakened physical state, telling him that if he really were God's son he should command the stones to become bread. When Jesus didn't succumb, the Devil tried twice more to trap Jesus by suggesting he jump from a high place, since the angels would save him, and that Jesus could possess all the kingdoms of this world if he would worship Satan. In all three situations, Jesus resisted the temptations and defeated the Devil at his game by quoting God's word.
Jesus "stayed strong" when Satan confronted him. For every temptation that the Devil threw at him, Jesus refuted him with Truth, but Jesus didn't enter this time of testing unprepared. Luke 4:1 says he went into the wilderness full of the Holy Spirit; he was led there by the Spirit. He wasn't alone, and he wasn't without strength and endurance when he was tired and weak from not having eaten for 40 days and nights and from the Devil's tests.
We too are tested, and generally the "big tests" come when we are in our most weakened state. The Devil knows our "soft spots" and attacks. He isn't necessarily blatant but is more inclined to twist truth or to use subtlety, just as he did in testing Jesus. He manipulated scripture. This is the way Satan works. It's the tactic he used with Eve in the Garden, and he's still successfully using his methods on us today.
If we are to stand firm in our confession of faith in times of strength and weakness, here are some things we need to know:
- Anyone wanting to live a godly life will be persecuted (II Timothy 3:12). We must be prepared for what is inevitable. Satan isn't content to leave us alone once we determine to live for Christ. He's looking for company to share his eternity (I Peter 5:8). He may promise what the human ego craves - fame, fortune, power - but it comes with a very high price and the rewards are short lived.
- We have Truth on our side, and we must rely on the Holy Spirit to give us discernment to recognize Truth from the Devil's lies. Paul reminds Timothy that some people will look for teachers to feed them "spiritual junk food" but to not be distracted by what is false (II Timothy 4:3-4).
- The Holy Spirit is with us to teach us and help us to remember God's word (John 14:26; Luke 12:12). God has provided a Helper, the Holy Spirit, for all times of our lives; we have to do our part, though, and study God's word and hide it in our hearts so that when we are being tempted or are going through difficult times, the Holy Spirit can cause us to remember it.
- We have a strong defense, but it's our responsibility to prepare. Ephesians 6:12-18 (The Message) puts it this way:
And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
As we set out to begin a new year, we must determine and stay true to that resolve to be strong in our walk with the Lord. Our strength comes from the Lord (Philippians 4:13), and we are "conquerors" (Romans 8:37).Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
Heavenly Father, thank you for providing all we require to "live strong" in our walk with you. I pray that we will be diligent in spending time with You, in learning your word, and in putting it into practice in our lives. As we live out our faith, let our children and all with whom we interact see You at work in and through us. May they learn dependence upon You and see your faithfulness to us in how we live our lives. In your name we pray, Amen.
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