Apr 24 God’s Protection

“Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you Simon, that your faith may not fail.”

Father, this reminds me that although satan seems to have power on this earth, his power is temporary and limited.

He must ask permission to have access to even one of Your children. So I can know, if there is oppression in my life from the evil one, (which I have not invited) that it is limited, and that it has first been filtered through Your fingers of love.

That gives me a real sense of security.  You have set a limit and the evil one can go no farther.

And You are interceding, praying for my faith to be strong, so I will not fail.

That helps me feel courageous.  If You are on my side, and praying for me, then whatever happens, I cannot fail.

You have the power to create a universe and destroy it.  The beauty of Your imagination is seen in every sunrise and sunset.   The deafening crash of the waves is like a whisper of Your voice.

You are exalted, lifted up forever.  And yet, You bend down to me. 

You have given me peace in times of stress and hardship that has defied understanding.

You have calmed me down when circumstances were upsetting.

You have shown me wisdom when I could not think of a solution.

You have encouraged me with visions that brought understanding and reassurance when I was afraid.

Even in times of crisis, help me remember that You are with me.

Thank You for caring for me.  For protecting me.  For interceding for me.  Amen

Luke 22:31-32

Dec 21 Prophecy…not a video game

Father, what an incredible vision You gave John! 

As he describes the scene and the action, it sounds like a great cosmic video game!  But this one does not play out over and over with a reset button when the player fails at the quest.

The revelation John sees here: “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head” and “an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.” 

These are not anime’ characters, but are signs that represent actual happenings.  The woman represents Israel, and the red dragon: satan.  Satan was hurled down to earth and roams here now to “lead the whole world astray.”

The bad news:  “woe to the earth and sea because the devil has gone down to you!  He is filled with fury…”.   The good news: “his time is short.”

Because satan roams the earth in his furious state, and has duped people into following him, I need You, Father, to “keep me safe from the hands of the wicked.”  It is not only the evil one, but also those under his authority who do his biding that I have seen at work.

I know sometimes I don’t make wise choices and must bear the consequences.  In those times Father, I ask for Your forgiveness and Your wisdom to learn from my mistakes.

And other times, I feel attacked; caught by surprise in situations and circumstances I did not anticipate.  I feel entrapped, tripped up, led into places, relationships, emotional states, and difficulties that feel like an oppressive force is orchestrating it all. 

When I begin to feel discouraged and hopeless, when I find myself doubting Your goodness and Your love, I know there is some element of evil at work.  Thank You that You have promised to “shield my head in the day of battle.”  Your helmet of salvation protects my thoughts and reminds me of Your truth.  It helps me hold what I am feeling up against the truth of Your Word.

Thank You that I can be sure of Your love for me.  Thank You that I can know without a doubt, that Your purpose and plan for me are good.

Thank You that I know You will never, ever, leave me or forsake me.  And thank You that the devil’s time here on earth is short.  And a time will come when You will triumph over all! 

In the meantime, I “will praise Your name!”

And “live [my life] in Your presence,” in safety, with You as “my strong deliverer” awaiting Your “end game.”   Amen

Revelation 12:1-17; Psalm 140:1-13

July 15 Lessons from David

Lord, David, who was known as a “man after God’s own heart” ordered a census to be taken of the Israelites.  The implication here is that he wanted to know how many fighting men he had available.  It seems like a reasonable thing to do to the logical mind.  But what the scripture says is that “satan incited David to take a census of Israel.”

So if he was a “man after God’s own heart,” how did this happen?

One observation is that “In the Spring, at the time when kings go off to war…David remained in Jerusalem.”  So it’s possible that if he had been present with the troops, where he should have been, he would have seen first-hand how many men he had.

Or could it be that his faith in Your ability to continue to give him military victories was waning and he wanted to bolster his confidence by seeing the numbers? 

What he should have done when this idea came to him, was hold it up to what he knew of You.  And seek Your counsel on whether or not to go ahead with it.  Even his commander Joab knew this was a bad thing.   His response to David was “Why does my lord want to do this?  Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

So Father, help me learn from this mistake David made.

1 – If there is a place I am supposed to be, help me get there! Not make excuses to be somewhere else.

Help me take my responsibilities seriously and not be swayed by fear, or laziness, or arguments to the contrary.  If I am in the center of Your will, I am less vulnerable to the suggestions and oppression of satan.

2 –  Take thoughts captive to examine them with Your truth from Scripture.

When I hear the whisperings of satan telling me to question myself or Your love and faithfulness to me, let me come against those lies with the truth of scripture. So –

If satan tells me “What do you think you’re doing?  You can’t do that?”  Let me respond with “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13

If he taunts me with “You’re not good enough/smart enough” let me respond with Your truth that “I am God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do the work which He has prepared in advance for me.”  Ephesians 2:10.

If I hear a voice saying ‘”You’ve made so many mistakes, you’re worthless,” I can boldly respond with “I am chosen of God, holy, and dearly loved.” Colossians 3:12

3 – Father, let me be consistent to always lay my plans before you, asking if it is Your will.  Then listen to and be obedient to Your response to me.

Regardless of how illogical it may seem, or how much sense it may make to others, I desire to follow Your voice: the voice of my Shepherd.

4 – If You place people in my life to speak the truth to me, like Joab did for David, do not allow me to be too stubborn or bull-headed to listen to them.

David and his people paid a terrible price for his disobedience.  Let me learn from his mistake, and be led by You.  Amen

I Chronicles 21:1-17; 1 Chronicles 20:1

Apr 24 God’s Protection

“Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you Simon, that your faith may not fail.”

Father, this reminds me that although satan seems to have power on this earth, his power is temporary and limited.

He must ask permission to have access to even one of Your children. So I can know, if there is oppression in my life from the evil one, (which I have not invited) that it is limited, and that it has first been filtered through Your fingers of love.

That gives me a real sense of security.  You have set a limit and the evil one can go no farther.

And You are interceding, praying for my faith to be strong, so I will not fail.

That helps me feel courageous.  If You are on my side, and praying for me, then whatever happens, I cannot fail.

You have the power to create a universe and destroy it.  The beauty of Your imagination is seen in every sunrise and sunset.   The deafening crash of the waves is like a whisper of Your voice.

You are exalted, lifted up forever.  And yet, You bend down to me. 

You have given me peace in times of stress and hardship that has defied understanding.

You have calmed me down when circumstances were upsetting.

You have shown me wisdom when I could not think of a solution.

You have encouraged me with visions that brought understanding and reassurance when I was afraid.

Even in times of crisis, help me remember that You are with me.

Thank You for caring for me.  For protecting me.  For interceding for me.  Amen

Luke 22:31-32

Apr 14 Your Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.  See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

For a limited time You have permitted satan to have limited power here.  With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray.

He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh as the pinnacle of human achievement.  He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering.

And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature.  Because Adam sinned, all sinned.  There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team:  accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus’ blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again.  And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies.  He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team.  If he gets me discouraged enough, depressed, despairing, or distracted, I may just sit myself on the sideline.  He is cunning in his ways to deceive.  And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

But Lord, Your armor is the best.  Your protection: absolute.

Thank You that You protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one with Your Helmet of Salvation, and use my faith as a shield.

Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, the Sword of the Spirit, to use against his lies and deceiving ways.

And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory! 

Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more.

Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power.”

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord.  And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.”  Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

Dec 21 Prophecy…not a video game

Father, what an incredible vision You gave John! 

As he describes the scene and the action, it sounds like a great cosmic video game!  But this one does not play out over and over with a reset button when the player fails at the quest.

The revelation John sees here: “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head” and “an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.” 

These are not anime’ characters, but are signs that represent actual happenings.  The woman represents Israel, and the red dragon: satan.  Satan was hurled down to earth and roams here now to “lead the whole world astray.”

The bad news:  “woe to the earth and sea because the devil has gone down to you!  He is filled with fury…”.   The good news: “his time is short.”

Because satan roams the earth in his furious state, and has duped people into following him, I need You, Father, to “keep me safe from the hands of the wicked.”  It is not only the evil one, but also those under his authority who do his biding that I have seen at work.

I know sometimes I don’t make wise choices and must bear the consequences.  In those times Father, I ask for Your forgiveness and Your wisdom to learn from my mistakes.

And other times, I feel attacked; caught by surprise in situations and circumstances I did not anticipate.  I feel entrapped, tripped up, led into places, relationships, emotional states, and difficulties that feel like an oppressive force is orchestrating it all. 

When I begin to feel discouraged and hopeless, when I find myself doubting Your goodness and Your love, I know there is some element of evil at work.  Thank You that You have promised to “shield my head in the day of battle.”  Your helmet of salvation protects my thoughts and reminds me of Your truth.  It helps me hold what I am feeling up against the truth of Your Word.

Thank You that I can be sure of Your love for me.  Thank You that I can know without a doubt, that Your purpose and plan for me are good.

Thank You that I know You will never, ever, leave me or forsake me.  And thank You that the devil’s time here on earth is short.  And a time will come when You will triumph over all! 

In the meantime, I “will praise Your name!”

And “live [my life] in Your presence,” in safety, with You as “my strong deliverer” awaiting Your “end game.”   Amen

Revelation 12:1-17; Psalm 140:1-13

July 15 Lessons from David

Lord, David, who was known as a “man after God’s own heart” ordered that a census be taken of the Israelites.  The implication here is that he wanted to know how many fighting men he had available.  It seems like a reasonable thing to do to the logical mind.  But what the scripture says is that “satan incited David to take a census of Israel.”

So the question becomes: how or why did this happen?

One observation is that “In the Spring, at the time when kings go off to war…David remained in Jerusalem.”  So it’s possible that if he had been present with the troops, where he should have been, he would have seen first-hand how many men he had.

Or could it be that his faith in Your ability to continue to give him military victories was waning and he wanted to bolster his confidence by seeing the numbers? 

What he should have done when this idea came to him, was hold it up to what he knew of You.  And seek Your counsel on whether or not to go ahead with it.  Even his commander Joab knew this was a bad thing.   His response to David was “Why does my lord want to do this?  Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

So Father, help me learn from this mistake David made.

1 – If there is a place I am supposed to be, do not let me make excuses to avoid being there.

Help me take my responsibilities seriously and not be swayed by fear, or laziness, or arguments to the contrary.  If I am in the center of Your will, I am less vulnerable to the suggestions and oppression of satan.

2 –  Take thoughts captive to examine them with Your truth from Scripture.

When I hear the whisperings of satan telling me to question myself or Your love and faithfulness to me, let me come against those lies with the truth of scripture. So –

If satan tells me “What do you think you’re doing?  You can’t do that?”  Let me respond with “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13

If he taunts me with “You’re not good enough/smart enough” let me respond with Your truth that “I am God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do the work which He has prepared in advance for me.”  Ephesians 2:10.

If I hear a voice saying ‘”You’ve made so many mistakes, you’re worthless,” I can boldly respond with “I am chosen of God, holy, and dearly loved.” Colossians 3:12

3 – Father, let me be consistent to always lay my plans before you, asking if it is Your will.  Then listen to and be obedient to Your response to me.

Regardless of how illogical it may seem, or how much sense it may make to others, I desire to follow Your voice: the voice of my Shepherd.

4 – If You place people in my life to speak the truth to me, like Joab did for David, do not allow me to be too stubborn or bull-headed to listen to them.

David and his people paid a terrible price for his disobedience.  Let me learn from his mistake, and be led by You.  Amen

I Chronicles 21:1-17; 1 Chronicles 20:1

Apr 24 God’s Protection

“Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you Simon, that your faith may not fail.”

Father, this reminds me that although satan seems to have power on this earth, his power is temporary and limited. 

He must ask permission to have access to even one of Your children. 

So I can know, if there is oppression in my life from the evil one, (which I have not invited) that it is limited, and that it has first been filtered through Your fingers of love. 

That gives me a real sense of security.  You have set a limit and the evil one can go no farther.

And You are interceding, praying for my faith to be strong, so I will not fail. That helps me feel courageous.  If You are on my side, and praying for me, then whatever happens, I cannot fail.

You have the power to create a universe and destroy it.  The beauty of Your imagination is seen in every sunrise and sunset.   The deafening crash of the waves is like a whisper of Your voice. 

You are exalted, lifted up forever.  And yet, You bend down to me. 

You have given me peace in times of stress and hardship that has defied understanding.  You have calmed me down when circumstances were upsetting.   You have shown me wisdom when I could not think of a solution.   You have encouraged me with visions that brought understanding and reassurance when I was afraid.

Even in times of crisis, help me remember that You are with me.

Thank You for caring for me.  For protecting me.  For interceding for me.  Amen

Luke 22:31-32

Apr 14 Your Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.  See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

For a limited time You have permitted satan to have limited power here.  With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray.

He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh as the pinnacle of human achievement.  He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering.

And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature.  Because Adam sinned, all sinned.  There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team:  accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus’ blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again.  And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies.  He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team.  If he gets me discouraged enough, depressed, despairing, or distracted, I may just sit myself on the sideline.  He is cunning in his ways to deceive.  And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

But Lord, Your armor is the best.  Your protection: absolute.

Thank You that You protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one with Your Helmet of Salvation, and use my faith as a shield.

Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, the Sword of the Spirit, to use against his lies and deceiving ways.

And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory! 

Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more. Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power.”

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord.  And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.”  Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

Apr 5 Power in Your Word

Heavenly Father, thank You for those times I literally cried out to You for You to hear me and come quickly; and You did.

Nights like the Psalmist experienced – when in distress over circumstances, I sought You.  One night I could not see a way out of or through my problems.

And though I had gone to bed, sleep was far from me.  My thoughts would not be still.  With each issue, another failure or complication seemed to pile on until I felt so overwhelmed I did not even know where or how to start to pray.

It was then that I remembered when in the past, You spoke to me, encouraged me, lifted my emotional distress.   There were literally times when You gave me songs to sing, new melodies and words, to let me know You were with me and things would be alright.

But this time, I did not feel that.  I felt far from You.  And wondered if this could be the end? Had I finally reached a point where You would not come and rescue me, but simply take me home to be with You in heaven?

That actually sounded like it would be the answer to all my troubles.  And while I believe You have shown me I have much to do before I die, there was a sense of relief in that thought.

That’s when it hit me – this thought was NOT from You.

It was from the evil one who would like nothing better than to sideline me – take me out of the game altogether!  If satan can get anyone to believe the lie that there is no hope, it immobilizes and freezes them.  Can even paralyze a Christian’s faith.

So I began praying – not about the circumstances that were overwhelming me – but any scripture I could remember:

The Lord’s prayer.  

The 23^rd Psalm. 

“I will love the Lord my God with all my heart and soul and mind and strength, and love my neighbor as myself.” 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not die, but have everlasting life.” 

“The Lord your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies and give you victory!” 

“Jesus wept.” 

The more I quoted Your Word in prayer, the calmer I felt.  And soon fell asleep.

Thank You Lord, for sending Your calm, Your peace.  Thank You for sending sleep.

Thank You that in the morning, things didn’t look as bad as they had the night before!  Thank You that I could see resources and solutions I could not the night before.  In taking those steps back towards You, I felt Your presence once again.  It was not You who had moved.  But in believing a lie, I had.

Father, show us all the way back to You.  Draw us closer into Your Presence and Your Deliverance with the power of Your Word.  When we don’t know what to pray, bring scripture to our minds. 

 You are the God who performs miracles; You display your power among the peoples. With Your mighty arm, You redeemed me!” Amen

Psalm 77:1-15; Matthew 6:9-15; Luke 10:27; John 3:16; John 11:35; Deuteronomy 20:4

Dec 21 Not a video game…

Father, what an incredible vision You gave John!

As he describes the scene and the action, it sounds like a great cosmic video game!  But this one does not play out over and over with a reset button when the player fails at the quest.

The revelation John sees here: “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head” and “an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.” 

These are not anime characters, but are signs that represent actual happenings.  The woman represents Israel, and the red dragon: satan.  Satan was hurled down to earth and roams here now to “lead the whole world astray.”

The bad news:  “woe to the earth and sea because the devil has gone down to you!  He is filled with fury…”.   The good news: “his time is short.”

Because satan roams the earth in his furious state, and has duped people into following him, I need You, Father, to “keep me safe from the hands of the wicked.”  It is not only the evil one, but also those under his authority who do his biding that I have seen at work.

I know sometimes I don’t make wise choices and must bear the consequences.  In those times Father, I ask for Your forgiveness and Your wisdom to learn from my mistakes.

And other times, I feel attacked; caught by surprise in situations and circumstances I did not anticipate.  I feel entrapped, tripped up, led into places, relationships, emotional states, and difficulties that feel like an oppressive force is orchestrating it all.

When I begin to feel discouraged and hopeless, when I find myself doubting Your goodness and Your love, I know there is some element of evil at work.  Thank You that You have promised to “shield my head in the day of battle.”  Your helmet of salvation protects my thoughts and reminds me of Your truth.  It helps me hold what I am feeling up against the truth of Your Word.

Thank You that I can be sure of Your love for me.  Thank You that I can know without a doubt, that Your purpose and plan for me are good.

Thank You that I know You will never, ever, leave me or forsake me.  And thank You that the devil’s time here on earth is short.  And a time will come when You will triumph over all! 

In the meantime, I “will praise Your name!”

And “live [my life] in Your presence,” in safety, with You as “my strong deliverer” awaiting Your “end game.”   Amen

Revelation 12:1-17; Psalm 140:1-13

Sept 9 Recognize Truth

O Father.  I pray that I will not be “deceived by the serpent’s cunning as Eve was,” and that my “mind would not be led astray from a pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”

The serpent used deception to lure Eve into sin.  He approached her boldly; the better to distract her.

He called into question what You had really said; the better to confuse her.

He cunningly suggested that what You wanted for her was not enough, was even bad for her; the better to entrap her.

Father, help me avoid falling into whatever traps the evil one sets for me.  Let me see through them; beyond the lure of the sound of his words, to the hook buried beneath.  The answer to this “serpent speak” is “God speak.”

1 – I need to be listening, really paying attention to all that You are saying to me.  In Hebrew, the word is sh’ma.  It means to listen so closely, so deeply, so diligently, that the words change the listener from the inside out.

The meaning also incorporates a response to those words as being similar to that of a mother who recognizes her baby’s cry and drops everything to respond immediately.  Father, let me sh’ma You, listen deeply and respond to You.

2 – I need to take some action for my mind to be guarded enough so that I am “not led away,”.  You give me and every believer armor: protection against the enemy. 

I believe the Helmet of Salvation bears Your insignia so that all who see it will know I fight on Your side.  And it protects not only my head, but my mind inside: my thoughts.  In doing so, many lies the evil one would have me believe simply bounce off and never even enter my mind.

However, some lies are disguised, or they have a little bit of truth in them, and I listen to them.   But it is a twisted bit of truth, or a half truth.  So before I accept it, I need to “take every thought captive to God.”

This means I need to examine it and hold it up to Your truth.  When I don’t, problems begin.  Even the little things I accept that are not true can pull me away from a “pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”  And I may not even realize it until I have strayed significantly off course.

So Father, help me remember to examine any thoughts and compare them to what You have told me.  I will use Your Word as a plumb line.   That string with a metal weight at the end is pulled by gravity so that the resulting line is absolutely straight.  Anything can be measured against this line to determine if it is “true” or not.

Your Word is truth.  Thank You for Your Word.   Thank You for the Helmet of Salvation.  Thank You that when I sh’ma You, I will not be deceived by the serpent or led astray, away from You.  Amen

II Corinthians 11:1-4

April 24 God’s Protection

“Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you Simon, that your faith may not fail.”

Father, this reminds me that although satan seems to have power on this earth, his power is temporary and limited.

He must ask permission to have access to even one of Your children.

So I can know, if there is oppression in my life from the evil one, (which I have not invited) that it is limited, and that it has first been filtered through Your fingers of love.

That gives me a real sense of security.  You have set a limit and the evil one can go no farther.

And You are interceding, praying for my faith to be strong, so I will not fail. That helps me feel courageous.  If You are on my side, and praying for me, then whatever happens, I cannot fail.

You have the power to create a universe and destroy it. The beauty of Your imagination is seen in every sunrise and sunset.  The deafening crash of the waves is like a whisper of Your voice.

You are exalted, lifted up forever.  And yet, You bend down to me.

You have given me peace in times of stress and hardship that has defied understanding.  You have calmed me down when circumstances were not upsetting.  You have shown me wisdom when I could not think of a solution.  You have encouraged me with visions that brought understanding and reassurance when I was afraid.

Even in these times of crisis, help me remember that You are with me.

Thank You for caring for me.  For protecting me.  For interceding for me.  Amen

Luke 22:31-32

April 14 Your Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.  See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

For a limited time You have permitted satan to have limited power here.  With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray.

He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh as the pinnacle of human achievement.  He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering.

And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature.  Because Adam sinned, all sinned.  There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team:  accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus’ blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again.  And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies.  He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team.  If he gets me discouraged enough, depressed, despairing, or distracted, I may just sit myself on the sideline.  He is cunning in his ways to deceive.  And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

And during this crisis is just the time when the isolation can get to us and make us feel alone.  But we are NOT alone.  You are ALWAYS with us!  And You give us weapons to fight those lies with.

Your armor is the BEST!  Your protection: absolute!

Thank You that I can protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one and use my faith as a shield.

Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, to use against his lies and deceiving ways.

And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory!

Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more. Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power.”

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord.  And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.”  Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

April 5 Power in Your Word

Heavenly Father, thank You for those times I literally cried out to You for You to hear me and come quickly; and You did.

Nights like the Psalmist experienced – when in distress over circumstances, I sought You.  One night I could not see a way out of or through my problems.

And though I had gone to bed, sleep was far from me.  My thoughts would not be still.  With each issue, another failure or complication seemed to pile on until I felt so overwhelmed I did not even know where or how to start to pray.

Many may be feeling this way now, in the midst of this crisis.

Even though many times before You spoke to me, encouraged me, lifted me up – I didn’t feel that this time.  I felt far from You and wondered if I had reached the end.  And that thought sounded like the answer.  That death would be a relief.

That’s when it hit me – this thought was NOT from You.

It was from the evil one who would like nothing better than to sideline me – take me out of the game altogether!  If satan can get anyone to believe the lie that there is no hope, it immobilizes and freezes them.  Can even paralyze a Christian’s faith.

So I began praying – not about the circumstances that were overwhelming me – but any scripture I could remember:

The Lord’s prayer.  

The 23^rd Psalm. 

“I will love the Lord my God with all my heart and soul and mind and strength, and love my neighbor as myself.” 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not die, but have everlasting life.” 

“The Lord your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies and give you victory!” 

“Jesus wept.” 

The more I quoted Your Word in prayer, the calmer I felt.  And soon fell asleep.

Thank You Lord, for sending Your calm, Your peace.  Thank You for sending sleep.

Thank You that in the morning, things didn’t look as bad as they had the night before!  Thank You that I could see resources and solutions I could not the night before.  In taking those steps back towards You, I felt Your presence once again.  It was not You who had moved.  But in believing a lie, I had.

Father, show us all the way back to You.  Draw us closer into Your Presence and Your Deliverance with the power of Your Word.  When we don’t know what to pray, bring scripture to our minds.

“You are the God who performs miracles; You display your power among the peoples.”  Thank You for the power in Your Word.  Amen

Psalm 77:1-15; Matthew 6:9-15; Luke 10:27; John 3:16; John 11:35; Deuteronomy 20:4

Dec 21 My strong deliverer

Father, what an incredible vision You gave John!

As he describes the scene and the action, it sounds like a great cosmic video game! But this one does not play out over and over with a reset button when the player fails at the quest.

The revelation John sees here: “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head” and “an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.”

These are not anime characters, but are signs that represent actual happenings. The woman represents Israel, and the red dragon: satan. Satan was hurled down to earth and roams here now to “lead the whole world astray.”

The bad news: “woe to the earth and sea because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury…”. The good news: “his time is short.”

Because satan roams the earth in his furious state, and has duped people into following him, I need You, Father, to “keep me safe from the hands of the wicked.” It is not only the evil one, but also those under his authority who do his biding that I have seen at work.

I know sometimes I don’t make wise choices and must bear the consequences. In those times Father, I ask for Your forgiveness and Your wisdom to learn from my mistakes.

And other times, I feel attacked; caught by surprise in situations and circumstances I did not anticipate. I feel entrapped, tripped up, led into places, relationships, emotional states, and difficulties that feel like an oppressive force is orchestrating it all.

When I begin to feel discouraged and hopeless, when I find myself doubting Your goodness and Your love, I know there is some element of evil at work. Thank You that You have promised to “shield my head in the day of battle.” Your helmet of salvation protects my thoughts and reminds me of Your truth. It helps me hold what I am feeling up against the truth of Your Word.

Thank You that I can be sure of Your love for me. Thank You that I can know without a doubt, that Your purpose and plan for me are good.

Thank You that I know You will never, ever, leave me or forsake me. And thank You that the devil’s time here on earth is short. And a time will come when You will triumph over all!

In the meantime, I “will praise Your name!”

And “live [my life] in Your presence,” in safety, with You as “my strong deliverer” awaiting Your “end game.” Amen

Revelation 12:1-17; Psalm 140:1-13

Sept 9 Recognize Truth

O Father.  I pray that I will not be “deceived by the serpent’s cunning as Eve was,” and that my “mind would not be led astray from a pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”

The serpent used deception to lure Eve into sin.  He approached her boldly; the better to distract her.  He called into question what You had really said; the better to confuse her.  He cunningly suggested that what You wanted for her was not enough, was even bad for her; the better to entrap her.

Father, help me avoid falling into whatever traps the evil one sets for me.  Let me see through them; beyond the lure of the sound of his words, to the hook buried beneath.  The answer to this “serpent speak” is “God speak.”

I need to be listening, really paying attention to all that You are saying to me.  In Hebrew, the word is sh’ma.  It means to listen so closely, so deeply, so diligently, that the words change the listener from the inside out.

The meaning also incorporates a response to those words as being similar to that of a mother who recognizes her baby’s cry and drops everything to respond immediately.  Father, let me sh’ma You, listen deeply and respond to You.

For my mind to be guarded enough so that I am “not led away,” I need to take some action myself.  You give me and every believer armor: protection against the enemy.

One item is the Helmet of Salvation.  I believe that this helmet bears Your insignia so that all who see it will know I fight on Your side.  And it protects not only my head, but my mind inside: my thoughts.  In doing so, many lies the evil one would have me believe simply bounce off and never even enter my mind.

However, some lies are disguised, or they have a little bit of truth in them, and I listen to them.   But it is a twisted bit of truth, or a half truth.  So before I accept it, I need to “take every thought captive to God.”

This means I need to examine it and hold it up to Your truth.  When I don’t, problems begin.  Even the little things I accept that are not true can pull me away from a “pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”  And I may not even realize it until I have strayed significantly off course.

So Father, help me remember to examine any thoughts and compare them to what You have told me.  I will use Your Word as a plumb line.   That string with a metal weight at the end is pulled by gravity so that the resulting line is absolutely straight.  Anything can be measured against this line to determine if it is “true” or not.

Your Word is truth.  Thank You for Your Word.   Thank You for the Helmet of Salvation.  Thank You that when I sh’ma You, I will not be deceived by the serpent or led astray, away from You.  Amen

II Corinthians 11:1-4

Apr 24 God’s Protection

“Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you Simon, that your faith may not fail.”

Father, this reminds me that although satan seems to have power on this earth, his power is temporary and limited.

He must ask permission to have access to even one of Your children.

So I can know, if there is oppression in my life from the evil one, (which I have not invited) that it is limited, and that it has first been filtered through Your fingers of love.  And that You, Jesus, are interceding, praying for my faith to be strong and sufficient, so I will not fail.

To do my part, I will praise Your name and Your character.  I will sing and make music, proclaiming Your love and faithfulness.  Your godly ability to be with me wherever I go and at all times has been a comfort so often.  Knowing that You will never leave me and that Your love is everlasting has brought me through difficult times.

I will remember Your deeds in my life and the lives of others.  The peace You have given me in times of stress and hardship have defied understanding.  You have calmed me down when circumstances were not calm.   You have shown me wisdom when I could not think of a solution.   You have encouraged me with visions that brought understanding and reassurance when I was afraid.

You have the power to create a universe and destroy it.  The beauty of Your imagination is seen in every sunrise and sunset.   The deafening crash of the waves is like a whisper of Your voice.

You are exalted, lifted up forever.  And yet, You bend down to me.

Even in Your unlimited power, You are gentle with me.   You nourish me to become like a strong palm or a tall cedar.

O Lord, let me flourish in Your court.  Let me still bear fruit in my old age; maintaining my knowledge and memory of You so that I may always proclaim that You are My Rock.  My Fortress,  My Deliverer.  My Salvation.  My God.  Amen

Luke 22:31-32; Psalm 92:1-93:5

Apr 14 Your Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.  See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

I live at a time in the history of earth, when You have permitted satan to have limited power here.  With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray.

He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh as the pinnacle of human achievement.  He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering.

And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature.  Because Adam sinned, all sinned.  There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team:  accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus’ blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again.  And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies.  He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team.  If he gets me discouraged enough, depressed, despairing, or distracted, I may just sit myself on the sideline.  He is cunning in his ways to deceive.  And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

But Lord, Your armor is the best.  Your protection: absolute.

Thank You that I can protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one and use my faith as a shield.

Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, to use against his lies and deceiving ways.

And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory!

Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more. Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power.”

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord.  And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.”  Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

Dec 21 Shield my head

Father, what an incredible vision You gave John!  As he describes the scene and the action, it sounds like a great cosmic video game!  But this one does not play out over and over with a reset button when the player fails at the quest.

The revelation John sees here: “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head” and “an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.”  These are not anime characters, but are signs that represent actual happenings.  The woman represents Israel, and the red dragon: satan.  Satan was hurled down to earth and roams here now to “lead the whole world astray.”

The bad news:  “woe to the earth and sea because the devil has gone down to you!  He is filled with fury…”.   The good news: “his time is short.”

Because satan roams the earth in his furious state, and has duped people into following him, I need You, Father, to “keep me safe from the hands of the wicked.”  It is not only the evil one, but also those under his authority who do his biding that I have seen at work.

I know sometimes I don’t make wise choices and must bear the consequences.  In those times Father, I ask for Your forgiveness and Your wisdom to learn from my mistakes.

And other times, I feel attacked; caught by surprise in situations and circumstances I did not anticipate.  I feel entrapped, tripped up, led into places, relationships, emotional states, and difficulties that feel like an oppressive force is orchestrating it all.

When I begin to feel discouraged and hopeless, when I find myself doubting Your goodness and Your love, I know there is some element of evil at work.  Thank You that You have promised to “shield my head in the day of battle.”  Your helmet of salvation protects my thoughts and reminds me of Your truth.  It helps me hold what I am feeling up against the truth of Your Word.

Thank You that I can be sure of Your love for me.  Thank You that I can know without a doubt, that Your purpose and plan for me are good.

Thank You that I know You will never, ever, leave me or forsake me.  And thank You that the devil’s time here on earth is short.  And a time will come when You will triumph over all!

In the meantime, I “will praise Your name”!  And “live [my life] in Your presence”, in safety, with You as “my strong deliverer”  awaiting Your “end game.”   Amen

Revelation 12:1-17; Psalm 140:1-13

Sept 9 Recognize Truth

O Father. I pray that I will not be “deceived by the serpent’s cunning as Eve was”, and that my “mind would not be led astray from a pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”

The serpent used deception to lure Eve into sin. He approached her boldly; the better to distract her. He called into question what You had really said; the better to confuse her. He cunningly suggested that what You wanted for her was not enough, was even bad for her; the better to entrap her.

Father, help me avoid falling into whatever traps the evil one sets for me. Let me see through them; beyond the lure of the sound of his words, to the hook buried beneath. The answer to this “serpent speak” is “God speak.”

I need to be listening, really paying attention to all that You are saying to me. In Hebrew, the word is sh’ma. It means to listen so closely, so deeply, so diligently, that the words change the listener from the inside out.

The meaning also incorporates a response to those words as being similar to that of a mother who recognizes her baby’s cry and drops everything to respond immediately. Father, let me sh’ma You, listen deeply and respond to You.

For my mind to be guarded enough so that I am “not led away”, I need to take some action myself. You give me and every believer armor: protection against the enemy.

One item is the Helmet of Salvation. I believe that this helmet bears Your insignia so that all who see it will know I fight on Your side. And it protects not only my head, but my mind inside: my thoughts. In doing so, many lies the evil one would have me believe simply bounce off and never even enter my mind.

However, some lies are disguised, or they have a little bit of truth in them, and I listen to them.   But it is a twisted bit of truth, or a half truth. So before I accept it, I need to “take every thought captive to God”.

This means I need to examine it and hold it up to Your truth. When I don’t, problems begin. Even the little things I accept that are not true can pull me away from a “pure and sincere devotion to Christ”. And I may not even realize it until I have strayed significantly off course.

So Father, help me remember to examine any thoughts and compare them to what You have told me. I will use Your Word as a plumb line.   That string with a metal weight at the end is pulled by gravity so that the resulting line is absolutely straight. Anything can be measured against this line to determine if it is “true”, or not.

Your Word is truth. Thank You for Your Word.   Thank You for the Helmet of Salvation. Thank You that when I sh’ma You, I will not be deceived by the serpent or led astray, away from You. Amen

II Corinthians 11:1-4

July 15 Lessons from David

David, who was known as a ‘man after God’s own heart’ ordered that a census be taken of the Israelites. The implication here is that he wanted to know how many fighting men he had available. It seems like a reasonable thing to do to the logical mind. But what the scripture says is that “satan incited David to take a census of Israel”.

So the question becomes: how or why did this happen? One observation is that “In the Spring, at the time when kings go off to war…David remained in Jerusalem.” So it’s possible that if he had been present with the troops, where he should have been, he would have seen first-hand how many men he had. Or it could be that his faith in Your ability to continue to give him military victories was waning and he wanted to bolster his confidence by seeing the numbers?

What he should have done when this idea came to him, was hold it up to what he knew of You. And seek Your counsel on whether or not to go ahead with it. Even his commander Joab knew this was a bad thing.   His response to David was “Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

So Father, help me to learn from this mistake David made. First, if there is a place I am supposed to be, do not let me make excuses to avoid being there. Help me take my responsibilities seriously and not be swayed by fear, or laziness, or arguments to the contrary. If I am in the center of Your will, I am less vulnerable to the suggestions and oppression of satan.

Next, bolster my faith so it doesn’t fail me. When I hear the whisperings of satan telling me to question myself or Your love and faithfulness to me, let me come against those lies with the truth of scripture. If satan tells me ‘What do you think you’re doing? You can’t do that?’. Let me respond with “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13.

If he taunts me with ‘You’re not good enough/smart enough’ let me respond with Your truth that “I am God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do the work which He has prepared in advance for me.” Ephesians 2:10. If I hear a voice saying ‘You’ve made so many mistakes, you’re worthless’, I can boldly respond with “I am chosen of God, holy, and dearly loved.” Colossians 3:12.

If You place people in my life to speak the truth to me, like Joab did for David, do not allow me to be too stubborn or bull-headed to listen to them.

Mostly, Father, let me be consistent to always lay my plans before you, asking if it is Your will. Then listen to and be obedient to Your response to me. Regardless of how illogical it may seem, or how much sense it may make to others, I desire to follow Your voice: the voice of my Shepherd.

David and his people paid a terrible price for his disobedience. Let me learn from his mistake, and be led by You. Amen

 Chronicles 21:1-30; 1 Chronicles 20:1

July 9 You are my Refuge

“Lord my God, I take refuge in You; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.”

Father, I don’t use the word ‘refuge’ too often. But from the time I was young, I remember hearing about ‘refugees’ escaping other countries because the circumstances they lived in were so bad they had to flee to even survive. Some came on boats with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They had no food, no other clothing, no source of help. But they believed if they could only reach America, there would be hope and the possibility of a new, safe, good life.

So a ‘refuge’ is the place they go. It is the place where there is safety, protection, relief, shelter, help, provision.   It allows security from the pursuit of danger or trouble. So as these people fled the threats of their government and political and physical danger to find refuge in America, so I can come to You to find relief from the onslaught of attacks against me.

The flesh, the world and the evil one are all influences that war against Your wisdom, Your plan and Your purpose for my life. So I ask You to come to my aid. Defend me against all that seeks to destroy me, my godly relationships, my adoration and worship of You, my ministry in Your name, and my freedom to read and study Your Word.

The evil one seeks to keep me fearful, discouraged, frustrated, and make my faith in You waver because of difficult circumstances. He desires my financial ruin, the destruction of my marriage, the smearing of my reputation, and personal moral failure. The enemy is always crouching at my door, waiting to devour me.

So I ask, “Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies… O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart…You will not back down from the fight, but will sharpen Your sword; and will bend and string Your bow. You have prepared deadly weapons; and have made ready Your flaming arrows.”

And “I will give thanks to You because of Your righteousness and will sing praise to Your name: The Lord Most High.” Thank You for being my refuge; for delivering me from the hand of the evil one who comes to harm, kill, and destroy.

You are more powerful than anything he can bring against me. You are more powerful than all the world can throw at me, or even that my flesh can tempt me with. I trust in You. You are my refuge. Amen

Psalm 7:1-17

 

June 12 Thank You

“O Lord, hear my voice. Let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If You, Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness.”

Thank You Lord, that You hear my voice and my prayer. Thank You that one of Your qualities is omnipresence: You can be everywhere at once. I don’t have to worry that You are too busy, or that I have to wait on the other people in the world for You to be listening and responding to me. Thank You that in the quietness of my heart, I can turn to You anytime and You are there.

Thank You that when I turn from my sin and ask for forgiveness, You remove my sin from me and never bring it up again. People remind me of my failures and mistakes, some more than others. But with You, there is never a backhanded comment, or dredging up my past faults.   When You forgive, it is over and done with.

Thank You for knowing that no one can stand when compared to Your standard and example of perfection without Your covering of mercy and righteousness. And thank You for providing exactly that in the blood You shed on the cross.   It completely pays the penalty my sins deserve.

“In Your Word I put my hope.” Its promises are true. Its instruction is sure.   Father, bring my loved ones to put their hope in You too.   In You, they will find unfailing love and full redemption. Turn their hearts back to You. Open their eyes to Your truth.

Pull back the veil of lies and deceit they have believed. Rip away the evil one’s trickery and schemes that have drawn them away from You. Help them see that You alone can redeem them. I wait in anticipation of their deliverance and salvation. Amen

Psalm 130:1-8

Apr 14 You Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

I live at a time in the history of earth, when You have permitted satan to have limited power here. With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray. He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh as the pinnacle of human achievement. He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering. And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature. Because Adam sinned, all sinned. There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team: that is to accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. His blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again. And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies. He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team. If he gets me discouraged enough, depressed, despairing, or distracted, I may just sit myself on the sideline. He is cunning in his ways to deceive. And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

But Lord, Your armor is the best. Your protection: absolute. Thank You that I can protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one and use my faith as a shield. Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, to use against his lies and deceiving ways. And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory! Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more. Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power”.

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord. And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.” Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

Dec 21 Shield my head

Father, what an incredible vision You gave John! As he describes the scene and the action, it sounds like a great cosmic video game! But this one does not play out over and over with a ‘reset’ button when the player fails at the quest.

 

The revelation John sees here: “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head” and “an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads”. These are not anime characters, but are signs that represent actual happenings. The woman represents Israel, and the red dragon, satan. Satan was hurled down to earth and roams here now, to “lead the whole world astray”.

The bad news: “woe to the earth and sea because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury…”.   The good news: “his time is short”.

Because satan roams the earth in his furious state, and has duped people into following him, I need You, Father, to “keep me safe from the hands of the wicked”. It is not only the evil one, but also those under his authority who do his biding that I have seen at work.

I know that sometimes, I don’t make wise choices, and must bear the consequences. In those times Father, I ask for Your forgiveness and Your wisdom to learn from my mistakes. But at other times, I feel attacked, caught by surprise in situations and circumstances I did not anticipate. I feel entrapped, tripped up, led into places, relationships, emotional states, and difficulties that feel like an oppressive force is orchestrating it all.

When I begin to feel discouraged and hopeless, when I find myself doubting Your goodness and Your love, I know there is some element of evil at work. Thank You that You have promised to “shield my head in the day of battle”.   Your helmet of salvation protects my thoughts and reminds me of Your truth. It helps me hold what I am feeling up against the truth of Your Word.

Thank You that I can be sure of Your love for me. Thank You that I can know without a doubt, that Your purpose and plan for me are good. Thank You that I know You will never, ever, leave me or forsake me. And thank You that the devil’s time here on earth is short. And a time will come when You will triumph over all!

In the meantime, I “will praise Your name”! And “live [my life] in Your presence”, in safety, with You as “my strong deliverer”. Awaiting Your ‘end game’. Amen

Revelation 12:1-17; Psalm 140:1-13