Shield of Faith

Faith is to be our shield as solders of Christ. I've known that for as long as I can remember, but I hadn't ever given it much thought. Then it struck me: What is a shield used for? Protection. Protection during the battle to be exact. You use it to block the strikes of the enemy, his darts, anything that might hurt you on the battle. We don't fight with faith. It isn't our weapon. It's our protection.

We fight with the word of God, but faith is our protection from the enemy.

Fearless

Wycliffe, Huss, Jerome, Luther, and so many others. Fearless. No matter what.

How were they so fearless, in the face of anything?

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18.

"That was a terrible crisis for the Reformation. For centuries Rome’s sentence of excommunication had struck terror to powerful monarchs; it had filled mighty empires with woe and desolation. Those upon whom its condemnation fell were universally regarded with dread and horror; they were cut off from intercourse with their fellows and treated as outlaws, to be hunted to extermination. Luther was not blind to the tempest about to burst upon him; but he stood firm, trusting in Christ to be his support and shield. With a martyr’s faith and courage he wrote: “What is about to happen I know not, nor do I care to know.... Let the blow light where it may, I am without fear. Not so much as a leaf falls, without the will of our Father. How much rather will He care for us! It is a light thing to die for the Word, since the Word which was made flesh hath Himself died. If we die with Him, we shall live with Him; and passing through that which He has passed through before us, we shall be where He is and dwell with Him forever.”—Ibid., 3d London ed., Walther, 1840, b. 6, ch. 9." – {GC 141.2}

The answer is clear: It was because of God's love that they were fearless. It was through their trust in God's loving care and understanding of His will and love that they could be fearless no matter what the future hold or what they were facing at the moment.

He cares

Grunt, groan, wha wha... What could I do to help the little one? After trying to get her back to sleep a few times, I realized there was nothing I could do but wait, so I decided to go back to bed till she was ready for my help. But I wasn't sleeping. I was paying close attention to everything that was happening. Mom soon came in and tryed offering her food, as I had done, and was no more successful than I. It was simple: food wasn't what she needed.

Mom kept trying to offer her food, not knowing what was really going on. Still, I said nothing. I just waited. When the time was right, I got up and gave her what she needed.

As I returned to bed, I thought about it. Just because I couldn't help her immediately, and it didn't look like I was doing anything about it, didn't mean I was ignoring her or didn't care. Sometimes there are battles that we have to fight that God can't help us with. But it doesn't mean He doesn't care or is ignoring us. He's paying close attention to our cries, watching just what's happening to us, wishing that He could help us. And when the time is best, He comes to our aid. What a loving God!

Words

Words can be:
A blessing or a curse
Worthwhile or idle and a waste of time
Words can heal or hurt
Encourage or discourage
Sometimes they can even mean a life saved or lost

But we will have to meet every one of our words again. Will they be worth meeting or will we be ashamed of them?

"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement." (Matthew 12:36)

Father

Father, I think that itʼs time now

Time to do it over

Time to start again

Re-breath in me a freshness, like the day that I was born

Father, Iʼm so lost & lonely now

Tired of wandering

Tired of turning round

Iʼve wandered empty circles

I canʼt find You anymore

Father, I know that You love me

Love me in my sorrows

Love me in my woes

I thank You for accepting me into Yoru arms again

Father, You know I need You, Father.

Father. Father.

--Lauren Smith

Amazing...

"By defeat they conquered."

(Just think about it)

(The Great Controversy, Page 41)   

    Christ saw in Jerusalem a symbol of the world hardened in unbelief and rebellion, and hastening on to meet the retributive judgments of God. The woes of a fallen race, pressing upon His soul, forced from His lips that exceeding bitter cry. He saw the record of sin traced in human misery, tears, and blood; His heart was moved with infinite pity for the afflicted and suffering ones of earth; He yearned to relieve them all. But even His hand might not turn back the tide of human woe; few would seek their only Source of help. He was willing to pour out His soul unto death, to bring salvation within their reach; but few world come to Him that they might have life.
    The Majesty of heaven in tears! the Son of the infinite God troubled in spirit, bowed down with anguish! The scene filled all heaven with wonder. That scene reveals to us the exceeding sinfulness of sin; it shows how hard a task it is, even for Infinite Power, to save the guilty from the consequences of transgressing the law of God. Jesus, looking down to the last generation, saw the world involved in a deception similar to that which caused the destruction of Jerusalem. The great sin of the Jews was their rejection of Christ; the great sin of the Christian world would be their rejection of the law of God, the foundation of His government in heaven and earth. The precepts of Jehovah would be despised and set at nought. Millions in bondage to sin, slaves of Satan, doomed to suffer the second death, would refuse to listen to the words of truth in their day of visitation. Terrible blindness! strange infatuation! (The Great Controversy, 22-23).

There's so much I could comment on in those two paragraphs... 

Rain

Pulled in Two Directions

"Lord, what should I do? What do You want me to do?"

To go, or not to go...which should it be? I've been asked about going canvassing for a month with a few of my friends this winter. In some ways, I want to go. In other ways, I want to stay. Are my reasons for wanting to go, good, valid reasons? Are my reasons for wanting to stay, good, valid reasons? Which ones are the best? 

Uncertainty. Questions. Evaluations.

I still don't know, and I don't like the uncertainty of it. Others are waiting for my answer.

Which will it be?

Lord, I need wisdom. I need to know Your will in this, please.

To Appreciate

To truly appreciate...

...Light, you must first know darkness.

...Freedom, you must first know captivity.

...Joy, you must first know sorrow.

...Victory, you must first know defeat.

...Peace, you must first go through a storm.

...Strength, you must first know weakness.

...Health, you must first know sickness.

...The real, you must first know the fake.

...Life, you must first know death.

Corners

"You turn the corner and it's a whole new world." My friend announced as we turned the corner at the top of the hill and trees, lots of tall trees, came into sight. No, those trees won't of any unusual height, but when you live were there are only a very few trees that are usually about 5 feet tall, they look tall.

I pondered what she had said as we drove on. It's just as true in life--"You turn the corner and it's a whole new world." It's rarely easy to turn that corner, to make the change. And yet, it's so worth it. Why do we fight it so?

Faithful in That which is Least

It's been proven throughout history. 

Joseph, Esther, Daniel, Martin Luther, and so many more, all prove this to us:

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much" (Luke 16:10). 

It's the same today. 

Will you be faithful in those small, seemingly insignificant things?

It's the only way to be ready when the big test comes. 

Would I Go?

If He called, would I go?

Even if it meant stepping out of my comfort zone?

Even if I don't know how to do it?

Even if I felt incapable of doing it?

Even if I didn't want to do it?

Or if I wanted to do something else?

Even if I was afraid of it?

I pray my answer will always be, "Here I am, Lord, send me".