My Heart... His Words

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.

Ephesians 6:17-18

Running out the door........

I find myself doing that quite often.

Running to work.

Running to pick up Olivia.

Running to the store.

Running to Olivia's ball games.

Running to a friend's house.

Running to a meeting.

Running to church.

As I "run," I am fairly certain that I don't always do a mental checklist of the armor I am wearing.

As a matter of fact, I don't think I have given my armor much thought MOST days inside and/or outside my house.

Until lately.

There's something about realizing that you are losing a battle that wakes you up to the reality that you have a problem.

As a Christian, I have so many promises to claim. I have so many assurances of victory.

Yet, I have allowed the devil to sneak into my heart and mind and plant seeds of doubt, insecurity, and restlessness this year.

I have forgotten that being victorious in a spiritual battle doesn't simply happen because I am a child of God's.

It happens when I read His Word and obey it.

He clearly tells me that there are choices I make daily that affect the outcome of my day.
Yes, He's with me every step of the way.

But so is the devil.

Just choosing to walk with God isn't enough.

I believe that Ephesians 6 makes it very clear that effort is required on the part of Christians in order to live a truly victorious life.

What does this mean?

It means that as I run here and there, I'd better be sure I'm making some daily decisions.

Do I have God's truth wrapped tightly and securely around me like a belt?

Is my heart protected with righteousness?

Are my feet protected with the Gospel of peace as I walk on enemy ground?

Is my helmet on securely? Am I walking confidently in my salvation? Do I know the Word well enough to stand up to the devil's tricks?

Am I praying as I go from place to place? Does whispering "thank you" to God and "help me" to God seem natural to me as I move from one event to another and realize that God is with me every step of the way?

Yes, God is with me.

But, am I with Him???????

That's where I'm at today.

Realizing more and more and more and more...........

that peace and love and joy and happiness aren't about "me" doing what I want to do or being where I want to be or having everything go my way.......

No, that's what the devil wants me to believe, so that I will forever feel disappointed.

This inner peace that God offers comes from knowing that I am with Him and He is with me wherever life leads me and no matter what happens.

With a deep breath and the knowledge that as long as I am leaning on Him, trusting Him for the "next thing," and living life for Him,

I will be victorious!!

So will you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Praying we all remember to go through our armor checklist before running out the door today,