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I am thinking about the Shield of Faith today…

Ephesians 6:16 reads

Above all, lift up the protective shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have to physically dodge flaming arrows in my day to day life so holding up a shield seems cumbersome.

However, the above-mentioned evil one does toss his weapons my way on a regular basis. What is used against me looks like

Doubt

Fear

Anxiety

Depression

Feelings of lack of value

Uncertainty of my ability

Loneliness

Insecurity

Need I go on?

The “attacks” can come from multiple sides all at once some days…or can be endless barrage of artillery hammering at me…it can go on and on with no reprieve….or it can resume where it left off once I’ve relaxed from the strain if it lifted temporarily.

Any of that sound familiar??

There is a saying that’s says “kicked while still down”… and I’ve had those days for sure.

HAVE HOPE!

This is where picking up the shield of faith comes in!

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that FAITH is the confident assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen {the conviction of their reality; faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses}.

So this shield of faith we are to pick up means we hold tightly for protection what we confidently believe in…what we have assurance of…what we comprehend as fact based on things that we cannot see.

We stand behind this protection to shield us from those fiery arrows of doubt, fear, despair, etc…

If I believe through faith that the Joy of the Lord is my strength…then I will be strengthened.

If I believe through faith that I can do all things through Christ…then I can accomplish immeasurably more than I can imagine because of Christ in me.

If I believe through faith that Jesus will never leave me and has given me His great Comforter-the Holy Spirit…then I am not alone in my suffering.

If I believe through faith that the truth has set me free…then I am no longer condemned nor am I in bondage to those chains of anxiety and depression any longer.

If I believe through faith that I am a new creation in Christ…then my shame and regret can no longer define me.

If I believe through faith that I am more than a conqueror… then I will overcome my addictions, hurts, and habits.

If I believe through faith that I am made in the image of God and that my Savior died for me while I was still in sin…then I know I am loved, forgiven, and valued.

If I believe through faith that God has a plan for my life…then I can live with purpose.

THAT is our shield of faith we hold up in defense.

THAT is the protection our shield of faith offers against weapons used to damage us, wound us, paralyze us.

Pick it up.

Strap it on tightly.

Link it with other believer’s faith to bolster both you and them.

Stand behind it with confidence.

Stay firmly rooted as your faith shelters you through life’s storms.

Psalm 59:16-17

But as for me, I will sing of Your mighty strength and power;
Yes, I will sing joyfully of Your LOVINGKINDNESS in the morning;

For You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress.

To You, O God -my strength- I will sing praises;
For God is my stronghold (my refuge, my protector), the God who shows me mercy.

Trust me.
I do not feel like singing JOYFULLY every morning. Today is one of “those days”. Frankly, yesterday was even MORE so.

However, the REMINDER given here to do so because of WHO GOD IS and WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR ME is necessary and needed.

Even if I don’t FEEL like singing I can still GIVE PRAISE.

Give it a go and see how your mood lifts.

Psalm 52:9
I will thank You forever because You have done it- You have rescued me and kept me safe!

Two months ago I was terrified when Covid-19 crossed the ocean into the US. As an RN in the hospital, I knew my exposure risk was going to be VERY high. As an immune compromised person, I knew that I was even more susceptible to contract ANY virus~ let alone this “new” Covid-19.

I did not know what to expect and fear began to consume me.

Then, March 25, I was required to be tested for the Coronavirus due to a nagging cough/cold I could not shake. Considering my risk for exposure and my immune suppression, it seemed fairly logical to want to rule this out before I returned to work.

I have not felt so vulnerable to a disease before (and I had just been exposed to active TB the week prior).

On March 26 my Covid test came back NEGATIVE and with that result came a rush of RELIEF. I could safely return to work and resume my life.

In that moment, I determined to quit letting FEAR rule me!

Yes, I take precautions…even somewhat extreme precautions depending on the situation. That, however, does not mean I am living in fear~ it means I am choosing to be WISE given the information we have been given regarding prevention.

It has been a process for me…a mind battle to be certain…but it is one I choose to INTENTIONALLY wage in order to have PEACE in my mind and heart.

Fear ROBS me of peace. It STEALS all joy. It INHIBITS my ability to show kindness to others because I am only concerned for myself. It HINDERS me from being an encouragement to others ~how could I lift the spirits of another when my own are dragging me down?

It took DAILY time with the Lord.
It took FREQUENT discussions of His goodness and mercy.
It took REMEMBERING His faithfulness.

All this was MY choice.

I am NOT a captive to fear! I am no slave to those bonds! I HAVE BEEN SET FREE TO LIVE VICTORIOUSLY THROUGH CHRIST!!!

Since March 26, I continue to work at the hospital and I have continued to be kept SAFE while there.

I believe that is of the Lord…He has drawn me to this place and has shielded me in His grace.

Therefore, I WILL thank Him forever!

How many times have we asked ourselves that question?

What if this happened and not that?

What if I said this and not that?

What if I went there and not here?

What if I bought that and not this?

What if I made that choice and not this one?

I wonder how different life could be for many of us if we had made one different choice?

Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Many of our financial situations would look different based on a choice or timing of a purchase.

Our career path would look different if we had chosen a different focus in college or chose to go/not go to college.

Our spouse choice could look different if we had chosen to settle for Mr. Wrong instead of waiting for Mr. Right.

We may suffer less nightmares if we had chosen to stay home and not gone to that party that night.

That car accident may not have happened if you had chosen to go the other way or left a few minutes later/earlier.

The list is endless.

And the what if’s can be haunting.

In my life, I wonder what life would have looked like if I had stayed the course and continued my walk with Christ that had begun in high school.

What would have become of me if I did not make the choice to have my first drink of alcohol in college?

I would have remained pure quite a while longer -that much I can say- and my “first time” would not have left me with unloved regret.

However….if I was not the girl my husband met – the drinker, the party girl, the reckless funny gal that I was – would he even had looked twice at me?

Not too sure how he could have considering we met at a bar in East Lansing on a Saturday night.

If I had not met him….I would not have met and loved his sister whose life dramatically changed my own.

If I had not met him, I would not be the proud Mrs. Barber I have become and the mother of two amazing Barber sons that act just like their incredible father.

On a different note, I wonder, if I could have the same passion for comforting others that I have because of the comfort I have received from the Lord if I had not experienced the despair of grieving a person in a manner that required me to search for a comfort that would be all healing?

Would I be the woman I am today without the experiences I have lived through?

Probably not.

As a wise friend often tells me~ is that good, bad, who knows?

It just is.

I am who I am.

2 Chronicles 22 tells of an interesting “what if” situation.

If this would have happened then that never would have been possible.

In this passage, Queen Athaliah murdered the remains of the entire royal line in the house of Judah after the death of her son King Ahaziah.

King Ahaziah was the king of the kingdom of Judah. We are told that he was wicked and trained in evil ways under the influence of his mother (Athaliah). He was murdered leaving no one to retain the power to rule over the kingdom

This act prompted the queen mother to make the most evil of decisions.

2 Chronicles 22:10

Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal family of the house of Judah.

This was no act out of grief or love.

The Amplified Bible states this:

Most of the royal heirs that Athaliah murdered were her own grandchildren. She wanted to stamp out the Davidic dynasty and bring Judah back under Israelite control.

Satan had been diligent in his attempts to thwart the plans of God, and because the Davidic line was directly linked to the Messiah, this would have been a strategic move.

IF SHE HAD SUCCEEDED THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO BLOOD LINE OF JUDAH LEFT TO FULFILL THE PROPHESY THAT JESUS FULFILLED UPON HIS BIRTH IN THE ANCESTRAL LINE OF DAVID.

What if??

Thankfully, verse 11 tells us that a daughter of the king (Jehoshabeath) took the infant son of Ahaziah to keep him safe! The son, named Joash, was kept hidden for six years while Queen Athaliah ruled. He was raised by a priest named Jehoida until the time came for the truth of his survival to be revealed.

Athaliah’s reign was short lived and her plan to end the legacy of David’s line failed.

But…what if?

The Lord is working His plan for good in all situations. He never rests. He never stops. His plan will never fail.

Pharoah tried to stop the Israelite’s from multiplying in number by killing all the baby Hebrew boys; but, God had a plan for Moses to be rescued AND to also be raised in Pharaoh’s palace prior to becoming the leader that set the people free.

King Herod had a plan to kill all the Hebrew baby boys in an effort to stop the prophesied Messiah from being born; God had a plan for Jesus to be born safely in a manger before fleeing to Egypt with His parents for safety.

God overcomes evil with His good.

His promises have not failed and nor will they ever.

What an encouragement that is!

What if He didn’t?

Life without a belief in Christ looks a lot different…it is a perspective that this is as good as it gets….that our suffering is purposeless…that there is no hope for good to triumph.

I am grateful that I believe.

Psalm 20:7

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

But WE will remember and trust in the name of the Lord our God.

What makes you feel safe and secure?

Locked doors?

A house high above the flood plane?

A basement in tornado season?

Seatbelts?

A face mask?

A vaccine?

Those things all have something in common with chariots…..they are man made.

Why do tangible things give us a sense of so much security and yet our trust can waiver in the One who keeps the earth in perfect distance from the sun?

Is it because we can see the mask that supposedly keeps the invisible germs away from us as if it were some kind of a magical barrier?

Is it because we can make the effort of choosing safety ourselves by heading to a basement or clicking a seat belt and, therefore, we are suddenly impervious to destruction?

Is it based on our effort that we become SAFE?

Remembering, recalling, retelling

WHO God is,

WHAT God has done,

WHY God chooses us,

HOW God has been faithful to His people

AND TO YOU AS WELL OVER THE YEARS IN YOUR OWN LIFE

will help you to gain confident trust in the safe, strong, loving, merciful, righteous arms of our Savior.
Repeating the wonder of His grace that you have seen in your life brings Him to the forefront of your mind as the MIGHTY WARRIOR WHO SAVES.

Suddenly, you don’t need horses and chariots, basements and vaccines for safety and security…for you have perfect peace as you rest in the presence of who created you.

In His presence, He is all we need.

In His presence, you are made whole.

In His presence, you are strengthened to face your troubles be they a tornado or a virus.

Remember to trust in the name of our Lord.

Here is an interesting thought:

We are called to live by faith and not by sight.

What does that mean?

Perhaps it means that we are to live life without having all the answers.

How many times do we ask God why?

Why now?

Why this way?

Why him/her?

How many times do we ask how long Lord?

How long until I get what I am asking for?

How long before this is over and life can return to “normal”?

How long must I/they suffer?

It is not wrong or unusual to want to have all the answers….

In fact, knowing the answers helps us to feel secure, safe, certain, confident.

Sometimes, we may think, that knowing the whole story could give us better understanding or closure.

Knowing all the answers also puts us back in the driver’s seat…

back in control…

back at the helm of our life.

Right where we think we want to be.

And yet….do we really have all that control over things when we think we know all we need to know?

Are we really in charge of all the variables that come our way?

Does knowing all the details change anything that has happened?

Does having all the information bring you comfort when nothing has changed?

The perspective we see is from our own limited viewpoint…our own experiences…our own opinions.

We are unable to see all the details that are occuring all around us and, therefore, we actually have zero control after all.

Why is that?

Why does God allow us to sit and wonder?

Why does our Savior not answer our demands to know?

Why does our Lord seem to “withhold” information from us?

It is because HE is God and I am not.

Think about it this way…if I know all that I want to know – all that I demand to know –

where does faith step in?

Where is my dependency on God?

Where is my need for God suddenly?

In this world, people do not want to need for anything.

People do not want to need others.

People do not want a supposed “weakness” that tells the world “I need help”.

However, we are created to live symbiotically with God, with creation, and with each other.

God desires us to have a relationship with Him in that we have the freedom to lean on Him, talk to Him, listen to Him, to seek His will for our lives, to worship Him.

He showed us how badly He desires that relationship with us through the willing sacrifice of His Son.

He desires us to have faith in Him, to trust Him, to follow Him, to praise Him even when we do not know or understand what is happening, why it is happening, when it will happen, or how long it will go on.

After all,

WE ARE TO WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT.

(2 Corinthians 5:7)

Let’s be honest…probably not too many of us can quote a passage from the book of Malachi, can we?

It is one of those Old Testament books that we read as we’re making our way through the Bible.

For me, I can honestly say that I have read through it a few times now and I know there are parts I read and it feels like the first time.

That is the neat thing about the Bible and the awesome thing about the Holy Spirit…

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that

The word of God is alive and active. It is sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

That means, as the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 that the

Gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.

My point is that the Bible is the living word of God that is given to us to be used by the Holy Spirit to move us.

So, when I read the book of Malachi – or a portion of it like I did today – it can be like I am seeing it with fresh eyes.

Simply amazing.

Malachi 3:13 is God speaking and telling His people that they spoke rudely and harshly to Him when they said it doesn’t do any good to serve God: “What do we get out of it anyway?”

How many times have I been guilty of that? I may not say those words, but my lack of action in doing something for the Kingdom can certainly speak louder than words.

How easy is it to not do something because we do not see the benefit for us in it? Perhaps, in Covid-19 days, we see only the risk or annoyance of intentional effort…

How easy is it to think that what I do doesn’t matter so why bother trying?

Malachi 3:17 encourages us to do something in service to the Lord…God’s response to our action is this~

He claims us as His own!

In Malachi 3:18 the world sees this of our efforts~

Once more you’ll see the difference it makes between being a person who does right and one who doesn’t; between serving God and NOT serving Him.

What can we do in these days?

Encourage each other… don’t sit and wait to be encouraged. Make that call first. Send out a text. Write a letter. Be encouraging with truth on social media.

Make a meal for someone and drop it off on their porch. Don’t wait for them to ask for your help. Do what your heart is leading you to do.

If you have the means, buy groceries for the person behind you in line or for your extended family members.

Put hearts up in your windows for the neighbor kids to see.

Open your curtains and blinds to see who is outside your windows instead of blocking the world out for your “privacy”.

What we do in these days matters. It matters for today and into eternity.

It resonates.

Let the glory of the Lord be among us and let Him shine into those who live in darkness!

If you are a believer, NOW is the time to show the world, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors who you serve.

Is it fear or the fear-maker?

We need to look deeply into ourselves.

Are we serving God?

Serve the Lord by beinging honest with your emotions to those around you. Your honesty allows them to be honest in return…sharing each other’s burdens is serving the Lord.

Serve the Lord by bringing hope and grace to those we come into contact with and let His Peace rule in our hearts…not fear.

Be safe. Be responsible. Stay distanced physically NOT emotionally from people. Read the Word and share what you read. That encourages me.
Remember that you are loved. You matter to me and to the One who created you.

Isaiah 54:10

“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My loving kindness (mercy) will not be removed from you nor will my covenant (promise) of peace be shaken”~ says the Lord who has compassion on you.

What are the mountains (the unmovable, stable things) in your life that SEEM to be be suddenly moving?

A sense of financial security or a sense that you knew just what direction your life was going to go either through college plans, high school things, or career advancement~ and NOW things are extremely uncertain?

What hills in your life are shaking? A sense of accomplishment, confidence in who you are in this world, a sense of purpose~ suddenly some may be asking “who am I now”, “what should I do”, “who will I become”.

It’s important to remember through times of uncertainty and adversity, that God promises to NEVER take His peace from us (our job is to stay in His presence) and that He WILL remain merciful to us for that is His character (mercy is NOT a removal of an uncomfortable situation but the grace we receive IN it).

He IS compassionate to us for He loves us.

Cling to that truth that never waivers.

#isaiah54 #donotfear #yourenotalone #hangon #purposedrivenlife #anxietywarrior #fightthegoodfight #fightdepression #fightthedarkness #endure #compassion #mercy

What on earth is happening in our world today???

If these aren’t the craziest, surreal, unbelievable, never before in my lifetime, circumstances then I don’t know what to tell you!

Never before in this century has there been an experience that encompasses the world that does not involve a war.

Except it almost feels like a war, doesn’t it? The difference from the other World Wars we have lived through is that we are all on the same side facing the same enemy!

Hard to wrap my brain around it all.

I live in the state of Michigan and we “shut down” yesterday: stay home,stay safe is our mantra.

I also “shut down” yesterday.

The reality of the impact COVID-19 is having and going to have on our world as we know it settled on me.

It was a heaviness on my heart and in my spirit that I found difficult to bear.

Have you felt that weight before?

Have you felt the heaviness of grief on shoulders it felt difficult to stand?

Have you almost buckled from the pressure of others pain?

That was where I was yesterday.

I have a confession to make:

I

Am

Not

Superwoman.

I cried myself to sleep at noon.

There. I said it.

Guess what?

Being real helped.

Feeling my feelings instead of suppressing them helped.

I woke up with some tension gone from my shoulders and was ready to get back at it.

Today, I found some advice in answer to the question many of us are asking right now:

What am I to do???

What am I supposed to do?

What can I do?

What should I do?

I turned to the Word of God to find some counsel and this is what I found…

Ready?

1)rejoice always

2)be unceasing and persistent in prayer

3)be thankful in every situation

4)do not ignore the guidance of the Holy Spirit

5)do not reject words of instruction

6) hold firmly onto that which is good

You guessed right if you thought I was reading from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21!!

If you are wondering what to do to get through these difficult days of isolation, a good start would be to follow those 6 steps!

What can you rejoice in?

How about that God is always with us!

What can you pray about without stopping?

How about saying “help me Lord”,I need You God”, “be with Me Father”!

What can you be thankful for?

How about the power of technology that keeps us connected to people in ways previous generations never would have been able!!!

How can you hear and then obey the Holy Spirit?

How about that instinct, that gut feeling, or that sudden thought about someone? Act on it! Do something and trust that it is from the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

How can you follow words of instruction?

How about stay home, stay safe!

How can you hold onto what is good?

How about share the goodness of God with your neighbor! Write down what is good in your life! Facebook good things! Watch good things on TV!

It’s not a fix but it’s a start!

We are in this together folks and I’m thankful for the company!

Psalm 9:10 ~

Those who know Your name – who have experienced Your precious mercy- will put their confident trust in You for You, O Lord, have not abandoned those who seek You.

I have experienced the mercy of God- in my personal life where I’ve received forgiveness, in my marriage where it has been restored, in regards to my past where it has been redeemed, and toward my future where it has been renewed.

I DO put my trust in God…for my health, my family’s future and well-being during COVID-19, for my own anxieties and insecurities.

The Lord “not abandoning me” does NOT mean a magical removal of the situation…

It means

He sustains me through it; He provides resources and strength so I can endure;

He comforts me in it;

He gives me peace;

I gain wisdom.

I gain MUCH more than if my circumstance were to be changed…as hard as that is to imagine as we are all stuck indoors away from those things in life that help us feel “normal”. I gain a relationship with the Lord to carry with me in the other days to come.

I’ve learned that HE is what and all I really need.

#inthistogether #covid19 #socialdistancing #quarantined2020 #endureandsurvive #endurance #perserverence #redeemed #renewed #restored #ivebeenchanged #peacethatsurpassesallunderstanding #psalm910 #trustthelordwithallyourheart