Thank you all for praying for Joseph. He was taken off oxygen and released from the hospital this afternoon with instructions to rest at home for a few days. We are so grateful to everyone who prayed for him to feel better. Little Missy is doing fine with just a mild runny nose. Maitland has not shown signs of catching the virus that I know of.
I’ve had fun taking care of their little Missy overnight. Little Man has enjoyed playing with her. He misses having a younger child in the house.
Emotionally, having another child that was sick has hit me hard. It is not that I don’t trust he’s OK… and he truly is an adult capable of caring for himself… it’s just again I’m reminded, “I am not in control!” No matter what I say, do, or even pray, ultimately, I have to simply TRUST that God is good. I must believe that His ways are good. Then I must SPEAK this truth to myself. What about you? Do you talk to yourself? I mean talk OUT LOUD to yourself? I can tell myself truth in a small quiet inside (my head) voice, but to really hear it, I have to speak it AUDIBLY!
Have you ever considered that God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent? Omnipotence means God is all-powerful. This means God has supreme power and has no limitations. Omniscience means God is all-knowing. Omnipresence means God is everywhere at the same time. God is all those things! However, the enemy we fight is NOT. He can not know everything, see everything, or be everywhere. He can NOT read your thoughts or react to your internal temptations. He can provide the temptation, but he had no way of knowing how you will react to it, until you do! What he can do is HEAR your audible response.
As I was studying the Armor of God this week, I realized that the ‘belt of truth’ and the ‘sword as the word of God’ are two separate things. I must have the SWORD of the Spirit, which is the word of God, the Bible to fight my battles. I can only fall back on God’s word if I have it memorized or at least a printed copy in my hand. However, to fasten the ‘BELT of truth’ around myself is something different. The TRUTH comes from knowing the person-hood of God. From knowing that he is good. From knowing who he is deep in my spirit. Then I must proceed to PUT that on daily. Putting it on means reminding myself that I BELIEVE it. I MUST speak the truths I know, OUT LOUD. Every single day, just as I put on my clothing each mourning.
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
As the Toby Mac song says, “Speak LIFE!” As I say, “Out loud!”
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