1 Peter 5:8-11
Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
This morning as I enjoyed a cup of coffee on my back deck in 66-degree sunshine, I thought of the two big frozen blobs of sleet that still sit in our front flower beds. I reminded myself that less than a week ago, we were experiencing day-time high temps in the teens and low twenties – and wind-chill factors close to zero!
Our house sits in a relatively wooded – and shaded – neighborhood. The home of one of my cousins has a similar setting. She remarked to me that for several days last week, she thought the whole world was as “iced in” as she was, because she could not see beyond her neighborhood, where major streets and thoroughfares had been cleared, salted and sanded. We felt much the same way. Just a couple of blocks away from our house, a major highway was “passable”, while our streets and driveway were completely covered in sleet and ice.
So we were lulled into a sense that the world was “sleeping” for a few days until the weather cleared…while in reality, life was continuing somewhat as usual just a few yards from our doorstep! Indeed, about a 3-hour drive east of us, motorists were stranded for as much as 48 hours on interstate highways in our state. As most of the world carried on “as usual”, these motorists sat motionless, hungry, weary and away from family, friends, important appointments, and more.
This seems like the perfect analogy to demonstrate how we operate as Christians. There are times when things happen in our lives, and we feel like the whole world has stopped…or should! We experience illness, the death of a friend or loved one, trouble at home or in the workplace, stress at school, a pile of bills to be paid, accidents, uncontrollable weather events…and so much more. Whether these circumstances were beyond our control, or the devil caught us napping…”life” happens! And the thing is…this happens to all of us!
For every challenge and circumstance you have experienced…someone else has “been there, done that”. This ought to give us renewed courage as we see how God has worked in the lives of others – how He has gotten them through the rough spots, put them together and set them back on their feet for good. This also should give us courage and motivation to share with others out of our own personal witness to God’s great plans for us. I am not diminishing the importance – or severity – of anything that has happened in your life. In fact, I have expressed heartfelt compassion and empathy to many of you whom I know personally. I have shared with you in these devotionals how God has “had the last word” in my life on many occasions…and how my faith has been strengthened through these experiences.
So my question to you today is, “What are you doing with the circumstances and events of your life?” Are you awake and alert? Or are you napping while the “weather” clears…or burying your head in the sand because things just seem too hard to bear? Either one of the latter leaves you vulnerable to the devil. And Peter is right…Satan stands ready and waiting to pounce like a cat watching a bug or a bird in the yard! Whatever you are going through…whatever has happened to you…God can use it to strengthen your faith – and to demonstrate His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and compassion to others. Will you be one of His agents in this…or one of the devil’s victims? The choice is totally up to you.
©2014 Debbie Robus
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