Getting Dressed
This morning was a morning for layers. Three layers of long underwear.
Earlier I had spent time praying in my morning chair and then had listened to a long section of the Psalms. When I turned it off "ready to start my day", I quickly checked the internet - and through a couple of weird things on facebook, Satan's breath blew on me. Negativity. Doubt. Fear. What in the world? I had to stand up to him and say, "You, mister! You have absolutely no authority here. Back off."
Then I got dressed. One tight layer of long underwear. Then another. Then another. And I thought about the protection I was giving my body against the cold. And then I thought about the spiritual gear that we are to wear: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and the Holy Spirit. Things that offensively keep Satan away. Maybe I need to spend just a little more time thinking about these things during my morning than creating my wish list of what I want God to do.
OK - now things are going to turn a little weird.
So, I rode my bike out to my favorite little church to worship. It's nestled between olive groves and vineyards and farms that look more like farms than brochures for Italy. I love that area. I then walked through paths on the hill. And as I was walking (though I felt perfectly safe), I had the strange thought about how my massive layers of clothing would protect me from any rapist. I warned you this was going to get weird. Anyway, I kind of got a little chuckle about how all these long-johns would be a big deterrent. And immediately it hit me - that this is part of the armor we have. To keep us safe. The thief comes to kill and destroy. But we have been given life.
Earlier I had spent time praying in my morning chair and then had listened to a long section of the Psalms. When I turned it off "ready to start my day", I quickly checked the internet - and through a couple of weird things on facebook, Satan's breath blew on me. Negativity. Doubt. Fear. What in the world? I had to stand up to him and say, "You, mister! You have absolutely no authority here. Back off."
Then I got dressed. One tight layer of long underwear. Then another. Then another. And I thought about the protection I was giving my body against the cold. And then I thought about the spiritual gear that we are to wear: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and the Holy Spirit. Things that offensively keep Satan away. Maybe I need to spend just a little more time thinking about these things during my morning than creating my wish list of what I want God to do.
OK - now things are going to turn a little weird.
So, I rode my bike out to my favorite little church to worship. It's nestled between olive groves and vineyards and farms that look more like farms than brochures for Italy. I love that area. I then walked through paths on the hill. And as I was walking (though I felt perfectly safe), I had the strange thought about how my massive layers of clothing would protect me from any rapist. I warned you this was going to get weird. Anyway, I kind of got a little chuckle about how all these long-johns would be a big deterrent. And immediately it hit me - that this is part of the armor we have. To keep us safe. The thief comes to kill and destroy. But we have been given life.
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