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Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13
Americans spend over $100 Billion on multi-vitamins every year. We spend huge amounts on health clubs, fitness equipment and other things to keep us healthy. New laws are passed every year to protect us from dangerous products, threatening situations and even ourselves! Why do we spend so much time, money and effort on these things? Because we want to be protected and feel the need to protect others from things that will harm or even kill us.
We need protection from water, so we require Personal Flotation Devices. We need protection from the sun so we’ve developed sunscreen. We need protection from people that are irresponsible so we’ve created laws and entire agencies to protect us from evil minded people. Protection is on the minds of all of us and is not only big business but an important part of our society.
What’s ironic about the whole protection issue is that we often go through our days unprotected from the most important things that threaten us. Virtually all of the money we spend to protect ourselves is geared towards protecting our lives. It’s time and money spent on keeping us healthy, wealthy and able to function in society.
At the same time we neglect protecting ourselves from the spiritual dangers that lurk in the shadows. In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul tells us to put on our spiritual protection every day. We are to arm ourselves for battle before we step foot out of our homes, or even our beds. Still, we have to admit we often start our day vulnerable to all kinds of spiritual attack.
Why do we avoid protection?
- We can say that time is a factor, but if we really realized how dangerous our enemy is we wouldn’t think twice about being protected. The Bible describes Satan as a roaring lion seeking to devour us. He’s cunning, wise and very real. His purpose in life is to destroy us and keep us from the joy we have in Jesus.
- For some of us, protecting ourselves is a sign of weakness. “Praying, reading God’s Word, fellowshipping with like-minded believers is okay for some, but I’m pretty self-sufficient. I can handle whatever is coming my way today.” God never, ever intended us to walk alone. That’s why He sent His Holy Spirit and gave us the Bible and tells us to pray. He wants to be involved in every part of your life and knows you will need him for battle.
- Sometimes we go unprotected because, if we are honest with ourselves, we lack of faith in the equipment God has given us for life. He’s given us His Word. He’s proven to be powerful, honest, caring, loving, full of grace and mercy, able to heal and provide. We can trust God even during the times when we doubt His presence.
If you are a great swimmer and going out into the ocean on a boat you take your PFD (Personal Flotation Device). On a calm, sunny day you lay it on the deck, in plain sight but don’t plan to use it. If a storm comes up you may pull it closer in case you need it. But if your boat is in danger and land can’t be seen, you know to put on that PFD because it is your tool of survival in the storm. Think of your faith in Christ as a PFD. Life is a storm and our lives are fragile. Wear your PFD, your trust in Christ. He will help you weather the storm.
PRAYER: Holy Father, I thank you for the many ways you have protected me during my life. I acknowledge that there are many times I’ve been protected without even knowing it. I confess to you that I often go into my daily life unprotected. Empower me through your Holy Spirit to take life seriously and to protect myself with the truth of your Word on a daily basis. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Psalm 34:1
I received a phone call one day from the wife of a friend of mine. ‘Jerry’ had gone into the hospital the day before for tests. He was already considered disabled as a result of an illness that kept him from working. He’d lost his job, was forced to sell all of his ‘toys’ and now his wife was back in the workplace. The doctor’s report wasn’t good. It was determined that the disease had progressed to the point where he wouldn’t be able to take care of the kids while his wife was at work.
After talking with Jerry’s wife for a bit I decided to make the trip down to the hospital. On the way down I was praying for Jerry and his family, wondering what it would be like to have lost everything, thinking of how lucky I was to not be in his position. I also prayed for wisdom to be able to say the right things to lift my dear friend’s spirits during this most trying of times.
The walk down the hallway to his room was excruciating. I looked inside and saw him still connected to all sorts of tubes and wires and my heart sank. “Lord, help me know what to say,” I whispered under my breath as I entered the room.
Everything changed once Jerry I entered that hospital room…everything in my attitude that is. We sat and talked for nearly 45 minutes. During that time Jerry did most of the talking. He talked about how fortunate he was to have Jesus in his life. He talked about how wonderful his wife was. He bragged about how well his kids were doing in school. With my help he showed me a verse he’d read the day before and how it had blessed him. There was little said about the doctors, the tubes, the disease or his future. None of that mattered to Jerry. Jesus would take care of that.
I left the room wondering what had just happened! I was supposed to be the one to encourage, yet I was encouraged by the very person who should have been down. I was spoken to in a real way that day. The passage Jerry had shown me was Psalm 34. Psalm 34 was written by someone else who was in dire circumstances: King David.
When David wrote this Psalm he was running for his life from King Saul. He’d taken refuge in enemy territory and acted insane to save his life. He was humiliated, homeless; he’d been betrayed and felt completely alone. Still, in the midst of his despair he was able to praise his God.
The reason David was able to sing praises in his despair is because he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that no matter where he was, no matter what had happened in his life, no matter what lay ahead of him, God was with him to guide, provide and protect.
What struggles are you facing today? Is your past haunting you? Have you been betrayed or rejected? Do you have health, relational or financial concerns? Remember what Jerry and David remembered. In our times of deepest need we need only look to Jesus for comfort and strength. Trusting in Jesus doesn’t take away the pain of life, but it does give us strength and wisdom to move on.
PRAYER: Holy God. I thank You for the promise that you will be with me in every situation. I praise you because you know better than anyone else my pain, sorrow, frustration and fears. I ask that you would strengthen me to move on in life. Help me to put life in perspective so that I can be an encouragement to others regardless of my own circumstances. Amen.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:4-5
One of the unfortunate things about ‘church’ today is that we tend to categorize our spirituality into activities and not life style. We go to church on Sunday. The rest of the week is ours to spend time as we wish. We focus on church as a building and worship as a set of songs and/or hymns that we sing at some point in a service to direct our attention and praise to God.
Old habits die hard. Our tendency to place our spiritual activities in categories isn’t a new one. The Israelites had the same tendency. Just as today worship was often built on an object or an activity and not a person. That’s what got them in trouble when Moses was up getting the 10 commandments. They were without an object to worship so they made a calf.
Worship isn’t about activity and praise isn’t related to circumstances surrounding you. Worship is a lifestyle and praise is dependent on WHO God is and what HE has done. Praise and thanksgiving are not based on the mistakes we’ve made in the past, the guilt or shame we bear or the amount of money in our bank accounts. PRAISE AND WORSHIP ISN’T ABOUT US.
One of the great ‘Psalms of praise’ is Psalm 100. In this short song of praise that was written by King David we are instructed to praise the Lord for the many things that He has done for us. But hidden within the song we are directed when and where to praise Him.
David tells us to offer thanksgiving and praise in ‘His courts’ and ‘His gates’. These terms were references to places outside the temple! In other words, David is telling us that our praise and worship of Jesus is to be a part of our everyday lives. It isn’t to be hidden within the walls of some building someplace or placed strategically at some place and point of time.
Take time to focus on what God has done for you. Don’t let your current circumstances influence the way you feel. Don’t be general in your thanks or go back to some point in history of what ‘He did back then.’ Take time each day to focus on just one aspect of Jesus’ love that won’t change regardless of your circumstances. Maybe it’s Jesus’ unconditional love or His unending mercy, patience, grace, forgiveness, understanding. Make your own list. Be specific. Take these praises with you everywhere you go.
Let the world see Christ’s love in you at the grocery store, in rush hour, in the long lines at your favorite discount store or at the coffee shop. Wherever you go, focus on what Jesus has done for you. You don’t need to put on a show! His light will shine through you to others. Words and songs of praise aren’t nearly as effective as a lifestyle of praise and worship.
PRAYER: Holy God. I confess to you that too many times my spirituality is categorized. I show a ‘different me’ in every situation. My praise of you is limited to time and based on my changing circumstances. Thank you that you never change. Help me today, to focus my attitudes, actions, words and activities on who you are and not who I am. Amen.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
Worry. It’s the great crippler of mankind. Worry keeps us from doing new things because we are afraid of failure. Worry keeps us from making a stand because we fear rejection. Worry can lead us to sin because we fear that others will think us stuffy and intolerant if we don’t go along with their way of thinking.
One wonders how many useful inventions will never be found because worry kept the inventor from trying his design; how many athletes will never experience the euphoria of victory because they feared failure and did not try; how many books will never be written because those who have been given a story never write.
Jesus spoke often against fear. Imagine Him standing on a hillside overlooking a lake. He asks those within the sound of his voice to look around. “Look at the flowers. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? Have you ever seen anyone who can make something to enduring, so fragile and as comforting as a flower? How did they get that way? From worry? Of course not! They just allowed God to work through them. They didn’t worry about where the next shower would come from or when the wind would stop blowing. They live each day in the place they are planted and let God take care of the rest.
Then, as an eagle glided over the water in search of its next meal He said, “Observe the birds. Do they have storage bins and savings accounts? Do they work hard today to plan for retirement tomorrow? NO! They rely on their Heavenly Father for everything they need and He supplies it for them.”
Jesus isn’t teaching us that we should not work. He isn’t degrading the idea of planning for the future. What He’s telling each of us is that our main motivation of all we do is to make this day the best we can make it. Live each moment with the anticipation that the things we do will make a difference in the lives of others and show Christ’s love in a way that will lift their spirits.
People do all sorts of things to deal with fear, worry and anxiety. They hide behind money that will burn. They bury those fears under drugs, alcohol or other harmful activities. They build up their own feelings of worth by destroying others. But none of those things last. Only trust in Jesus endures time.
Don’t worry about tomorrow. Live today in a way that will be free of regrets because your actions, attitudes and words build others up and show the love of Jesus to everyone you meet.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father. I thank you that in your wisdom you know my fears and my anxieties. You know the things I’m doing in my life to try to hide my fear. You know they aren’t working and the pain I’m in. Please free me from fear through the forgiveness and love of Jesus. Help me to live for today and trust you with my tomorrow. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 