Do you ever feel paralyzed? Like you literally cannot move? Yeah, me too. Most recently, just last week. Life has been blazing by the last two months and I was past the point of exhaustion. I literally had nothing left to give…nothing left to pour. But it wasn’t just that I was tired. I felt like I physically could not move. Life had become a bit, okay – a lot, overwhelming and the enemy was whispering lies. The liar was telling me – I should “take a few days to sleep” and then tackle what needs to be done…I can avoid the tough decisions ahead and simply see how it all plays out…and (the most subtle of them all) – it’s just too much to try and deal with the details. Lies, y’all. All lies.
You see, the liar knows my weak spot. Who am I kidding? Weak spotS! The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8 (MSG) “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping.” Do you see that?? He always – always – tells me I should just sleep when life gets overwhelming. Yeah, of course because he wants to catch me napping! The Amplified version says “Be sober, be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
When I think about the enemy prowling around like a roaring lion, I visualize a perfectly constructed wooden privacy fence. Inside the fence everything looks meticulously manicured with beautiful flowers and green lush grass, but on the outside there is a giant lion with an angry scowl prowling around – slowly and purposefully – pawing at the wooden boards to see which one is loose. Which one is weak.
We all have weak boards in our fence. They can be many different things – poor friend choices, pornography, gambling, gossip, worry, a negative attitude, overspending (aka “retail therapy” beyond your means), anxiety, fear, depression…the list is endless and from one end of the spectrum to the other! It is so important that we be on guard at all times so that we can recognize when the enemy is batting at our weak boards. If I had not been alert last week and been able to recognize what was really going on I could have easily spent two days in bed.
The liar comes and tries to sneak in where we are weak. BUT as long as we are able to recognize our heavenly daddy’s voice and we know that what He says is true, we are able to replace the lies with the truth. It may feel difficult, and even overwhelming, to decipher which voice is which if you haven’t been listening for the Father’s voice. Friend, if you aren’t sure if you are hearing the Father’s voice, you can simply ask Him to make His voice known to you. He will.
A simple prayer…Father, I love you. I know you love me too and that you speak truth over my life. I am asking that you make your voice known to me. I am asking that you teach me to listen for your voice and to hear your voice louder than the lies of the enemy. Amen.
One thing I know for sure – the truth wins every time! Now I am off to work on securing those weak boards in my fence. 🙂
Warriors and Ashes 