Wrong Way

“He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 12:14 NIV)

It was a foggy evening, and I was on an unfamiliar country road. I had been driving around for a while trying to find a friend’s house. She had  told me to look for a tan colored house on a certain street. It was too dark and foggy to see anything. I followed the GPS directions. I knocked on a stranger’s door, only to be informed that I had the wrong place. I kept calling my friend, but she wasn’t answering her phone. I kept driving and searching...

Temptation is often described as merely looking for love in all the wrong places. Most of us spend our entire lives searching for acceptance. We drive down dark roads and knock on strange doors. Giving in to temptation never leads to genuine love, validation, respect, or satisfaction. At most it may provide a temporary distraction from feelings of emptiness.  Sometimes temptations are camouflaged as opportunities.  It’s like the one house with its porch light on a dark, rural road.  When you can’t find what you are looking for, you settle for what is available--hoping that everything will turn out okay. However, you may end up knocking on the door of a man with a shotgun pointed at you.

Lord, keep us from looking for love, acceptance, and satisfaction in places other than You.  Answer when we call. Come find us when we are lost.

Spiritual Attacks

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12 NLT)

Good and evil are present within us and all around us. We don’t think much about these forces and their influence on us. We imagine that we are in complete control over our environment with our choices and actions; good choices lead to good outcomes, while bad choices lead to bad consequences.  This is true most of the time, but every so often, someone experiences evil on multiple fronts. These spiritual attacks are from an unseen enemy, and most of us have no idea how to defend ourselves.

Over the last few weeks, I have been studying this subject, and here are my notes.

1. Pray on the Armour of God. Ask God to protect you from head to toe. Pray especially for your mind, your attitude, and your core beliefs. God will give you the appropriate weapons and teach you how to use them. (Check Ephesians 6 for further details.)

2. Praise is a weapon. It strengthens you and scares off the enemy at the same time.

3. Use Scripture verses to pray. Change the words around if you need to and make them into prayers against evil.

4. Take this battle seriously, stay alert, pray constantly. Call out to God. Stay under His protection. Don't let your guard down.

5. Once evil has been sent packing, don't stay vacant. (Matthew 12:43-45) Immediately occupy yourself with Jesus. Root out evil and plant the Spirit of God.

6. I used to think I could just stay out of the battle and stay under the radar. You can't stay neutral. "This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you're not on my side, you're the enemy; if you're not helping, you're making things worse. (Matt 12: 30 MSG)

7. Call for backup. Call on other prayer warriors to join you in the battle. Be open about your struggles and ask them to hold you up in prayer.

Lord, the enemy is no match for You. We place ourselves and our loved ones under Your protection. Show us what to do.

Living on the Street

“Come, let us return to the LORD.” (Hosea 6:1 NIV)

Her son left home when he was fifteen. He has been living on the streets for the last nine years. He calls her occasionally from different places, but she doesn’t know exactly where he is. He struggles with addictions. He suffers daily--scraping to find food, sleeping on park benches, exposed to the cold winter nights, victimized by violence, rejected and abused by strangers.  His mom can’t do much to help until he chooses to return home. She has been praying for him to turn his life around, to stay clean, to be healed and whole. She doesn’t have any other expectations at this point. She just wants him to come home.

Our Father in Heaven is also waiting. We choose to live apart from Him, on our own terms, hooked on the empty promises that this world offers. We call on Him occasionally when we are desperate, when we need a short-term fix. We don’t want to give up our habits; we just need an infusion of blessing to keep our agenda afloat. We are not ready to live according to His standards; instead, we ask Him to help us live according to our own minimal standards. Our Father sees the suffering that comes with our choices. He wants us to repent, to turn around, and go back to living with Him.

Lord, we are truly sorry for living apart from You. Help us to detach from our physical desires and worldly aspirations. Rescue us from our obsessions.  We want to return to You, be influenced by you, live according to your intentions. Help us.

Hover Father

“The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him, the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding, The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength, the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-God.” (Isaiah 11:2 MSG)

The modern lexicon has a term for parents who hover over their children--paying extremely close attention to their problems and involving themselves in every decision that their child makes; they are called helicopter parents.

God is a Hover Father!  His life-giving Spirit lingers near us. He watches our every move. He wants to be involved in our decisions. If we are under attack, He will fight for us. He knows we will make mistakes. Yet, He reassures us that He will never abandon us no matter how much we mess up. His Spirit brings wisdom and understanding. His presence influences our thoughts, words, and actions. He instills knowledge that is beyond our intellect.  All this is too much; we are overwhelmed; we cannot help but be filled with awe and reverence for God.

Lord, I pray that your life-giving Spirit will hover over us--bringing wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and reverence for God.

Wrestling Coach

“Since God is in her midst, she will not be shaken. God will help her at the break of dawn.” (Psalm 46:5 ISV)

God is our wrestling coach. He teaches us how to fight the Enemy. Our opponents are not our circumstances or other humans, but unseen powers who twist and manipulate our thoughts. We may not win every wrestling match, but each trial helps us learn and become more agile. Every day there is a new challenge. Each time we beat our opponent, we are matched up against a tougher adversary.

“We cannot do what we should just by trying, but by training.” (Dallas Willard)

The Lord trains us through each trial. He stays with us, giving us pointers, encouraging us. We learn how to fight properly. We gain strength and confidence as we progress. The battle belongs to the Lord. We are trained so that we can fight alongside Him. We shall overcome evil, not just by trying to be good, but by training to do good.

Lord, teach us how to fight the enemy. Train us to recognize his wicked moves and show us how to block them. Equip us with the appropriate weapons and instruct us on how to use them properly. Help us not to be afraid, but to approach every fight knowing that you are right alongside us.

Kindness vs. Self-rigteousness

“I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual.” (Matthew 12:7 MSG)

Would you rather be kind or would you rather be right?

For example, let’s say a family member, friend, or coworker did something that you think is wrong. You could tell them how you disapprove of their behavior and prove how you were right all along. OR, you could show compassion and kindness.

I would rather not choose, but when I have to...the satisfaction of proving my point takes over. I see every mistake as an opportunity to learn a lesson--and I often appoint myself as the teacher. I rarely question what I think is right. I pride myself on my superior moral choices. My self-righteousness overpowers kindness. I justify my judgmentalism in various ways--I am being honest, transparent, and helpful.

Jesus prefers a flexible heart over moralistic legalism. Over and over again, He shows compassion to sinners. He doesn’t lecture them or remind them of their mistakes. He loves unconditionally. Jesus asks us to follow his example--to love, forgive, and be kind. Self-righteousness rarely improves any situation, whereas love and acceptance lead to transformation.

Lord, help us to choose kindness over self-righteousness. Show us how to listen empathetically, accept graciously, and love unconditionally.

Dark Tunnels

"Even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me." (Psalm 139:10 NLT)

There have been times in my life that I felt scared, hopeless, and alone. When I get stuck in a dark tunnel for a while, I sink into despair. I stop looking for good things. My imagination conjures up trouble after trouble in every step I take.

The above verse from Psalm 139 reminds us that even in the most impossible situations, God is with us. However, if you are not expecting (looking for) God, you may fail to notice Him. As you feel around in the dark with outstretched hands, you will encounter God's hand. Grasp it firmly; don’t let go.  God will guide, strengthen, and support you the rest of the way.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4 NIV)