Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Face Check

     Everywhere I went friends asked, “What’s wrong?” I said, “I’m fine.”
     It had been a solid week of battles, and inner questions about how God would help me this time. But why did people ask me, “What’s wrong?”  I didn’t discuss my struggles with anyone.
    The LORD suggested I look in the mirror. I looked, and wondered who that person was. People were used to my face looking happy. A thought came:

The fruit of religion is a long face.
The fruit of His Spirit is joy.

    I realized that some thoughts and even Bible verses going through my mind were from the enemy. Religious spirits were twisting scripture to take me out.
     It shouldn’t have surprised me. The enemy used scripture to trick Jesus in Matthew four. Psalms 91 was a promise of protection to those who dwell in His secret place. The enemy used Psalms 91 to tempt Jesus to do something stupid. Obviously obeying the enemy’s suggestions is never a place to go and expect to be safe.
     I decided I would agree with Jesus response to the enemy. Jesus said, I live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. I knew I needed to go quickly into the secret place, take a deep breath, worship and hear only his quiet voice. There I could find words from the mouth of God, and rebuke the enemy’s religious words.
     There my face could reflect the fruit of the Holy Spirit called JOY as I got rid of religion. And hopefully when I checked the mirror it would reflect joy and other fruits of the Spirit.  Have you done a face check lately?

     Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.




    



Saturday, July 18, 2020

A box of Dum Dums

     My son told me a story about a strange gift that he re-gifted.  He made an unexpected stop at his shop in the middle of the day. When a Christian neighbor man knocked, Ron opened the door and the neighbor handed him a big box of Dum Dum lollypops. A few minutes later Ron jumped back in his truck, put the box on his seat and wondered.
     His next stop was a man that he knew as a friend and business acquaintance. He sensed immediately by the man’s face that something was wrong. The man was grieving about a family tragedy that happened the night before. 
     Ron said he prayed for him and shared some scriptures to try to comfort him. When he got back in his truck he saw the box of dum dums,  picked them up and took them into the man.
    When Ron handed him the box the man began to cry. After he composed himself he shared that he just shared with his wife that he was going to get a box of dum dums for his grandchildren. That box spoke to him about God’s all knowing presence in a personal way. 
     Never be afraid to obey God, and be His deliveryman. Even when it’s a box of suckers to a grieving man.



Followers