| 11/23/99 Stand Firmly in What You Know |
| "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand
therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall
be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Ephesians 6:13-17 |
Yes, we've done a study on the armor of God before and now
we are doing it again. This time we aren't going to look at each individual
part, but the whole.
When someone puts on armor do they have to know the particulars
about how that armor was put together and why it has the parts that it has?
Do they have to know where the material came from or what research went into
putting it together? Do they need to know all about the armor in order for
it to protect them? No, they don't. They just have to trust that the armor
will protect them and put it on. If they don't put it on, it won't protect
them.
Once we know about God's grace, His forgiveness, His gift to us
(Jesus), His love, and all the other important things we need to stand in
them. They are our armor. Once we know the truth then we can "girt our loins
about" with it. We don't need to review it and see if we were wrong or right
the first time. We don't need to see if it is still the same truth. We need
to stand in faith that it will not change. Without even thinking about it we
can be protected and surrounded by that truth.
Once you know that there is a God (and He will give you all the
proof you need!) never go back and question His existence. Make that a truth
that becomes a solid rock and stand on it! Don't look down and examine the
rock to make sure it is still a rock. Don't imagine yourself to be standing
on sand when you already have determined you are standing on a rock.
Even when circumstances are causing you to become rattled and
confused, don't allow your relationship with the Lord to become rattled and
confused. Satan
will try to get you to slide backwards down the spiritual
path you have already traveled. Don't fall for his lies! Don't let go of the
truth that you have already! Hang on until the bumpy part of the ride is
over. Stay firmly planted where you are and then resume the journey as soon
as it is possible.
As humans we have a very hard time in putting our faith in anything.
We see people who are our friends turn against us and hurt us. We see
supposedly permanent structures tumble down in earthquakes. We see
hurricanes destroy entire towns in just a few minutes.
We don't know from
one minute to the next if our heart will continue beating. It is hard for us
to believe in a God that never changes, is always dependable, and that loves
us unconditionally. Once we believe those things then we need to plant them
firmly in our hearts and minds and never go back and dig them up to examine
them.
Continue reading the Bible. Continue praising the Lord. Continue on
in the midst of the turmoil even though it doesn't feel the same. If you are
standing in the middle of your bedroom and the lights suddenly go out do you
wonder if you are still in your bedroom? Do you wonder if your bed is still
in the same place? Do you have to go around the room and examine everything
to make sure it is all still the way it was when the lights were on and you
could see? Keep the faith and stay standing firmly on the Rock!
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