Take Up Your Sword

 

By Andrea Merrell

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,

which is the Word of God.

Ephesians 6:17 AMP

“On guard!” the man shouted. Instantly, two swords sliced through the air as the crowd watched in anticipation.

Fencing has always fascinated me, especially watching those who are proficient in the sport and precise in their movements. One well-placed jab can take out the opponent.

Even though I enjoy being a spectator, I’ve never had the slightest desire to try it myself. My only desire is to learn to take up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”—the most powerful weapon in both heaven and earth.

Hebrews 4:12-13 in the Message translation explains it this way:

God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.

Just as an opponent can be taken out with a natural sword, we are meant to take out our Enemy with the Sword of the Spirit. Jesus defeated him in the desert with the words “It is written …” 

We can do the same.

Pick up your sword every day and keep it sharp.

Photo by Lance Reis on Unsplash

Feed Your Faith

 

By Andrea Merrell

So then faith comes by hearing, 

and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17 NKJV

“You gotta have faith!” the speaker said emphatically. “You must believe that God will do what He says He will do.”

Afterward, my friend said to me, “Sometimes I don’t think I have any faith at all. My doubts seem to choke out what little is in me. What should I do?”

“Feed it,” I said.

She frowned. “And how exactly do I do that?”

The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing. By hearing what? God’s Word. One of my former pastors used to say, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing, and hearing.”

We believe what we hear from friends and family. Even podcasts and news reports. The more we hear, the more encouraged—or discouraged—we become. It’s the same with the Word. The more we hear it, the more we believe it, and the greater our faith grows.

But listening to a sermon once or twice a week (or even less) will never be enough. Just like we feed our body, we need to feed our faith. And since we believe what we say most of all, the more we speak and confess the Word, the more our faith will flourish.

My friend finally got it. She began to put the Word in her mind, her mouth, her ears, and her heart. The transformation was amazing.

If you deal with doubt and unbelief, there’s only one sure cure: start feeding your faith a regular diet of the powerful, life-changing Word of God.

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

Celebrate Your Now

 

By Andrea Merrell

This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 NLT

 

The woman was miserable. In every conversation with her, she was either stuck in the past or projecting herself into the future, never content with her “now.”

One writer say that now is the greatest moment in our lives. Why? Because it’s all we have.

The psalmist said, “This is the day the Lord has made.” Today.  Right now.  This moment. His mercies are new when? Every morning (Lamentations 3:23). With each new sunrise, we experience a new day. New beginning. Fresh start. Clean slate. No looking back at yesterday and no longing for tomorrow.

Our days are a gift from God, and He gives them to us one at a time in twenty-four-hour increments because He knows that’s all we can handle. And when we commit each one to Him, rejoicing and being glad in it, He guides our steps and blesses our moments.

Don’t spend your life trying to relive the past or longing for tomorrow. It might be, as the song says, “only a day away,” but the most precious moment you have is now. Celebrate it and be thankful.

Photo by Yulin Wang on Unsplash

Take the High Road

 

By Andrea Merrell

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,

and his ears are open to their prayers.

1 Peter 3:9 NLT

 

My emotions were a jumbled mess. I didn’t know whether I was hurt or angry. Probably both. How could she possibly say something like that to me?

My flesh wanted to lash out. To retaliate. I wanted to make her feel as bad as she made me feel. But when I shared my situation with a close friend, her words were simple: take the high road.

As I prayed about my attitude, Scriptures shot through my mind and heart. Don’t repay evil for evil. Forgive. Bless your enemies. Walk in love. Don’t try to avenge yourself; the battle is the Lord’s.

It all came together in 1 Peter 3: 8-9 (NLT):

Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.  For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

God’s Word is clear, and He gives us a choice to obey.

I choose the high road. How about you?

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com and Dave Hoefler.

Grow in Grace

 By Andrea Merrell

But grow in the grace and knowledge 

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:18 NIV

 

“What are you thinking?” the woman said to her pastor. “That man is not fit for ministry. He’s a fairly new believer. Look how many times he’s messed up.” With that, she stormed out of the room.

It’s amazing how we tend to size up other believers and critique their level of spiritual maturity. Their readiness—or lack of—for serving. Their dedication and commitment.

When we set ourselves up as both judge and jury, we base our opinion solely on the outside. Thank goodness, God sees the heart.

For example, look at Peter. He was a bit of a rascal. He cut off a man’s ear, denied Jesus, and challenged Him on more than one occasion. But Jesus knew Peter’s heart and never gave up on him. He saw Peter’s potential, not his problems. That’s what grace does.

Just as a newborn has to learn and grow, a babe in Christ has to go through the stages of spiritual childhood and adolescence to reach maturity. And who is qualified to determine the level a believer has reached? Only the Lord.

I’ve seen brand-new baby Christians take off like a rocket while others who have been believers for years are still sitting back in their playpen, holding their bottles, and criticizing those who are zealous for the Lord’s kingdom.

Let’s leave the judging to God while we concentrate on growing in grace.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com and Alex Shute.