Month: September 2020

Devotional

“Put on God’s Protective Equipment”

kathrynhugheswriter

When Storm Clouds Gather Series, Devotional # 4

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  (Ephesians 6: 10-11 NIV)

Of the storms we face, one I fear most is the fire storm, having evacuated in two fires in 2003 and 2007. It’s currently the peak of fire storm season and fires rage throughout California. The air hangs heavy with smoke in San Diego County from fires.

A firefighter wears a special firefighter uniform, often known as bunker gear. The jacket and trousers are fire proof. The rubber boots include steel toe coverings and a steel shank to protect the feet from sharp objects. Fire resistant gloves protect hands from broken glass and other objects. A self-contained breathing apparatus allows the firefighter to breath fresh air instead of toxic gases and smoke. The helmet is made of a hard plastic to protect the head from falling debris. This personal protective gear allows the firefighter to stand against the flames and fight the fires.

A firefighter wouldn’t think of going into a fire storm without protective gear. We need to put on the full armor of God to stand against the devil’s flaming arrows.

The Apostle Paul warned Christ’s followers to put on protective gear so we can stand against the devil’s schemes and the enemy’s flaming arrows. That difficult ex-spouse or co-worker or may seem like the enemy, and our child who has forsaken our values and beliefs certainly causes us pain, but behind all of our struggles there is a far more sinister force. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The devil would like nothing better than for us to fight against one another. (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  How can we do that? Put on the full armor of God. To put on something is a conscious decision and an action.

Paul likened the full armor of God to the Roman guard’s armor. Put on the belt of truth. Put on the breastplate of righteousness. Have your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

The helmet of salvation is another vital piece of armor. Without a helmet, warriors and firefighters alike can have a fatal blow to the head. It is fatal if we do not have salvation. I pray you do have that saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18 NIV)

How can we know we have salvation? Romans 10:9-10 tells us,

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Paul tells us to take the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Doubt, fear, anger, and bitterness have all been part of the enemy’s arsenal against me. Like flaming arrows, they don’t just injure, but burn long after they hit. You can probably think of arrows that have hit you. Oh, that we would be faster to counter them with the shield of faith!

Two offensive weapons are part of the protective equipment we need: the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and prayer on all occasions for all of the Lord’s people.

Let’s put on the full armor of God.

Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin. Thank you for the victory over sin and death through Your resurrection. I pray for each of us, that we may have that saving relationship with You. Please help me to put on my spiritual armor, and to stand against the enemy in Your mighty power and not on our own. Amen.

Devotional

“Prepare for Storms: Eliminate Leaks”

kathrynhugheswriter

When Storm Clouds Gather  series devotional #3

By Kathryn Hughes

…clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.      (I Peter 5:5-7 NASB)

Leaks in our spiritual life are dangerous. Just as a leak in a boat can cause it to sink, leaks in our spiritual life will cause us damage. A leak may be sin in our life. It can be pride, or anything else that keeps us from following God wholeheartedly. One of my struggles is handling things on my own instead of giving them to God. I’ll make plans without even consulting Him, and then try to make my plans succeed. For instance, I realized part way in my planning of this devotional series that I was planning out what to say before asking the Lord what He wanted me to share. After I stopped to ask Him what to write, He sent me back to my Bible and computer-+.  Me, handle something better than God? That’s my foolish pride.

The Apostle Peter learned his lesson about pride. Jesus told His disciples on the night He was betrayed that they would all be made to stumble because of Him, but Peter was adamant that even if all the others stumbled, he would not. Even after Jesus told Peter he would deny Jesus three times, Peter said, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (Mark 14:27-31 NKJV) Peter was relying on himself. To his great sorrow, he learned that his pride and confidence were not enough.

Sometimes the leak in our boat may be fear, or a lack of faith. Matthew 14:22-33 describes Jesus walking across the water through the wave-tossed sea. The disciples saw Him from the boat and were afraid, but Jesus told them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” At that, Peter said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus told him to come, and Peter did. He walked on the water. What faith!

But Peter’s faith sprung a leak; seeing the wind, he became frightened and began to sink. Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus cared for Peter. He caught him by the hand and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

I can almost hear Jesus say the same thing to me. Can you? Why do we doubt? Why do we have little faith, when we have such a faithful God? Why do we allow sin to get in the way of our relationship with Him?

May we learn the lessons that Peter learned and shares with us. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.  

Let’s plug our leaks before we sink. Let’s humble ourselves and really look at who we are and Who God is. May we carefully examine our motives, thoughts, and pride, and then confess our sin to the Lord. What fears and leaks in our faith need to be brought before Jesus? Let’s cast them on Jesus, for He cares for us.

Dear Lord Jesus, I confess my sin of pride. Please forgive me for doing things my way. Help me trust You and to hold on to faith when the waves are high. In Jesus’ powerful name, I pray. Amen.

Lighthouse in the storm image by mollyroselee from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/users/mollyroselee-9214707/

Boat in storm Photo by Myriam Zilles on Pixabay https://pixabay.com/users/myriams-fotos-1627417/