After the Obedience

11/4/2022

James 4:7 " Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you."

I had a wonderful experience this morning. After 37 days of passing the 40 days Right of Life campaign on my way to and from work, and feeling called to stop and participate today, I finally did. Most of the time the people standing outside in all kinds of weather praying and saying the rosary are Roman Catholics as that is the church that organizes the campaign. The 40 days are filled with prayer, non-judgement, and bringing awareness to the truth about the sanctity of life. This morning, however, not only I felt led to stop, but three men from a local evangelical church also were called to join this effort. I must say, the two lovely but reserved women that were scheduled to be there were not quite ready for our enthusiasm and boldness, but said they were blessed by it. I was so moved and felt the power of the Holy Spirit. I asked if we could all pray together, so one of the men offered a prayer as did I. I was so grateful that the daily Spirit tap led finally led me to obedience. 

Of course, the more we submit to God's will, the more the evil one is out to destroy us. Today, the battle did not come through the usual channels with the same buttons pushed. No, the devil knows when our armor is on tightly. So, how does he attack? He upends the ones we hold most dear, and that is exactly what happened today. Instead of taking me on knowing I was listening to God, seeking His will, and in prayer, he attacks the unprepared. It is so devious and so effective. He even knows exactly which buttons to push to activate our most sensitive areas that are the hardest to release to Jesus. Today, I saw first-hand how this happen to someone I dearly love. Sadly, there was nothing I could say to help fight this attack, for my loved ones amor only seems to be effective when battling for others. So, I sit quietly and hold my loved ones up to Jesus for comfort and so that they can finally believe the truth about themselves instead of the evil ones lies. 

Will this realization of my being obedient to God prompting an attack on someone I love stop me from doing what my Savior calls me to do? I can answer truly that no it will not. It will, however, draw me into deeper meditative prayer for those I love to be able to withstand the slings and arrows of the deceiver, and to trust Jesus in every battle. 

Isaiah 26:3 "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."