By Linda Cox
1 Peter 5:8-9 — Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.
Allowing myself the luxury of sleeping in, I awoke feeling well rested. Surprises from God’s creation greeted me in my morning walk. And afterwards my Bible study time brought more “aha moments” from God’s amazing Word.
Was this day off to a good start or what!
And then in one hour’s time, I discovered potential problems with my health insurance coverage, identity theft, and my own health. The afternoon was capped off with a severe thunderstorm warning that sent me and the dogs to the basement as I thought “what next?”
How quickly my wonderful day had gone “down the tubes.” It wasn’t too hard to recognize the devil’s handiwork in it either. He found a Christian soaking up the joy of the Lord, experiencing a mini-mountain top experience, and had swooped in to put an end to it.
Thankfully in the midst of all this, I took time to call my best friend. She simply said, “Don’t worry, Sis. I’ve got your back.” And I know her prayers are what helped me calm down and take up the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11).
While all things were not totally “fixed” by the end of the day, at the same time they were “under control.” Blessings from the Lord were evident in spite of everything the devil tried to do. I was able to smile and say “thank you, Lord.”
That day was a good reminder of how the devil is always prowling around to rob us of our joy in the Lord. We must be vigilant and on guard against his wiles for we can resist him by prayer and standing firm in our faith, knowing that the One Who is in us has overcome the world and the devil’s schemes.
It had definitely been the kind of day that ended with my saying, “I sure am glad it’s over with. I hope tomorrow is better.” Well, “tomorrow” arrived—with a tornado warning at 6:30 a.m. I sighed on my way to the basement with the dogs yet again. But I also recognized the opportunity God was giving me to put His teachings from the day before into practice so I could resist the prowler.
