He Pulled Out All the Stops Today

And it's not the "He" I like to talk about and praise...no, this is the bad "he".

It was just one of those days...started off behind schedule...still tried to surrender the day to Holy Spirit and spend some quality time with Him...but was very distracted with worry and circumstances so...didn't get into God's Word like I wanted to...was bombarded from internal and external forces all day and...by 5 p.m. tonight felt like I'd been run over by a truck.

Now, any of the little things that came up throughout the day in and of themselves were...as I said, little. But when I haven't had a chance to get my head on straight and empty myself completely of me and fill myself completely with Him...none of those things seemed little. Finally, crossed paths with just the right friend and I knew she would make me laugh. She told the bad "he" I wasn't going to listen to him and that at the name of Jesus "he" needed to flee and guess what? His flight in combination with a little laughter and a great phone call that just confirmed again God's provision for a mini-break for us put everything into perspective.

Do I need to fret? No! Do I need to worry? No! Do I need to let the scuttlebutt of people that are getting their facts wrong and spreading incorrect information ruin my day? No!

Come on people...there are starving and dying people all over this world that have never heard the name of Jesus...the very same name that at the sound of it, the bad "he" has to flee. So I have no right to wallow in my self-pity and doubt or listen to the nay-sayers that just want everyone to be as miserable as they are.

Almighty God...may I only have ears for You and a passionate heart that yearns to know You more. May I not get sidetracked by circumstances or people that just don't "get it". Have Your way in me, Lord and may I not let anyone else hold sway over my emotions. Most of all, Lord, grant me the time to be with You each morning that prepares my heart for the attacks of the day. Because I know that as I "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God," (Ephesians 5:17) it will strengthen me to "take up the shield of faith, with which I can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Ephesians 5:16) Amen!