April 2 ~ 1 John 2:26-27
I've written to warn you about those who are trying to deceive you. But they're no match for what is embedded deeply within you—Christ's anointing, no less! You don't need any of their so-called teaching. Christ's anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him, uncontaminated by a single lie. Live deeply in what you were taught.
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.
With the early arrival of summertime temps, people are already getting outdoors and enjoying everything from swimming and tubing on the lake to playing in parks to softball and baseball, hiking, biking, and much more. Everywhere you turn, someone is admonishing… “Don’t forget the sunscreen!”… and with good reason. One of my Facebook friends recently posted a picture shared by someone who had a teeny speck of melanoma (skin cancer).
This small speck was surgically removed, but the resulting incision ran from just above her wrist to just above the elbow! She said she had two more “matching” incisions for “teeny specks” on her back and her leg. This person stated that her wounds would heal… but she was lucky. And she reminded everyone to cover their skin with sunscreen… and to re-apply often for full protection!
Making the choice to apply sunscreen is wise. It reflects our understanding of the potential harm of spending time in the sunshine without adequate protection. Reminding others to use sunscreen represents our knowledge of its benefits, as well as a healthy respect for the dangers of spending time in the sunlight without adequate covering. Sharing the good counsel we have been given regarding sunscreen denotes our quick understanding… an effort to “live deeply in what we have been taught.”
Sunscreen is a physical illustration of our spiritual “anointing” of the Holy Spirit. In Isaiah 11:2-3 (King James Version), we are given a listing of the seven-fold ingredients of Spiritual anointing: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the LORD, and quick understanding. When we have these components – the full anointing of Jesus Christ – and carry the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we are fully protected. We have everything we need. We can live deeply and confidently that we are covered and operating with the full protection of all that Jesus died to give us… and we can share His Good News with others.
I hope that we will all redouble our efforts to wear sunscreen and protect our skin – not only in this long summer season ahead, but always. In the same manner, I pray that we would call on Jesus to pour out His anointing upon us… to cover us in all seven components of His full blessing and protection. As we begin what is known among Christians as “Holy Week,” we are perhaps more focused on what Jesus sacrificed for us than we are any other time of the year. Isn’t this a great time to claim His anointing for your life? Will this be the year you begin to focus on living under the full protection and blessings of Christ and His Holy Spirit? Will you risk deception and the cancer of the devil… or will you live deeply in what you have been taught?
Sunscreen carries a number known as the SPF… Sun Protection Factor. The higher the SPF number, the more protection the product offers against harmful UVA and UVB rays from the sun. Jesus offers us a much more critical SPF… the Son Protection Factor. I hope you have plenty of both… and that you apply them often! How high are your SPF numbers? Are you fully covered?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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