The Armor of God

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

I like The Avengers super heroes—each one an individual, but together, a super force.

Captain America has his indestructible shield and super strength. Thor has his mighty hammer and super strength. Iron Man has his dynamic suit of armor, and through it, super strength.

Their powers and weapons, both offensive and defensive, vary, but they all have super strength…and it all comes from outside of themselves through chemistry, technology and power from other "worldly realms."

Here in the real world, we're not fighting against fictional villains, but we do have a very real enemy...Satan.


I'm honored to be featured this week in the Find It Only Here on Friday series at LifeLetter Cafe. I'd love it if you'd join me there to continue reading...The Armor of God.

In Christ,
Laura

Photo credit: FreeImages.com

Persevere—My One Word for 2016


Persevere.

Me: (sigh) But God, that means it’s going to be a hard year.

Last year was hard.

Me: Oh, You’re right. It was.

That was my brief conversation with God on New Year’s Day. I wasn’t ready to embrace the word Persevere at first. It sounded too much like trouble ahead. But, last year was hard. So was the year before.

Maybe Persevere was a good word after all.

I started to dig in to this new word by looking in Scripture.

…rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer,… 

It practically jumped off the page.

Persevere in prayer…even when I don’t hear any answers…even when I’m tired of praying for the same thing over and over…even when I’m tired of waiting.

Especially when I’m tired of waiting because that’s when I get lax in praying. It’s when I get tempted to go my own way.

By definition, persevere means to persist in anything undertaken; to maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; to continue steadfastly. (dictionary.com)

To keep moving forward despite challenges in the way, but not foolishly. Not without guidance and wisdom from God.

Persevere in prayer.

Persevere in asking for wisdom and guidance.

Persevere in living the way I should as a follower of Jesus—even when it’s a treacherous road and I’m worn out tired.

There’s more to this word, persevere, than I first thought. And I have a year of learning ahead of me.

In Christ,
Laura

Photo credit: Freeimages.com

Linking up with: #SmallWonder, Give Me Grace