God Works In The Misery Too

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8

It's a miserable runny Friday in the land of mountain-less Colorado. For weeks now persons of low repute have come into the office sneezing, hacking, sniffling, and coughing; and I have resisted their onslaught of germ-laden air successfully...until yesterday. Now like most big boys who endure sickness poorly and with much whining, I'm going to wail like a little boy too. Actually, this makes a really spiffy example of how we must walk with our Lord each and every day!

We read Peter's admonition to be sober and vigilant, but we tend to take it as advice for this one time. Like that time we walked along the edge of a bad neighborhood. As we made it past and back home, we let our guard down. However, we cannot just resist for an evening or even several weeks, we are to BE sober and vigilant. That speaks of remaining in Christ, fully armored in the full armor of God, holding up that shield of faith at all times, and learning to use that sword of the Spirit, the word of God.

When we don't remain in that posture of spiritual war, we fall to the weapons of the evil one. If we successfully resist in the one time, the enemy goes away for a time for the fruit of the Spirit, patience and endurance, is not in him. However, as he or his minions stalk about, our turn will come again, and just like with my little virus adventure that began yesterday, if the resistance fails for but a moment the fall will come. But the shield of faith has something to say: God works in the misery too!

Praise God for His saving grace in the storm!

Bucky