Daily Verse: Ephesians 6:13

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

A Pastor told a story recently about a television skit from back in the day. There was an actor that called a repairman to come fix the clock that she had recently purchased. When the repairman began to examine the clock and quickly found the problem. The clock was not plugged in. When he asked the lady why she didn’t have the clock plugged in, she replied “I am trying to save electricity. I only plug it in when I need it”. Obviously if the lady continued this practice, she would never have the right time when she plugged the clock back in to use it. Same applies to our faith. We can’t simply go to God in times of need and expect things to align as desired. Our Lord desires a relationship, not just an occasional visit. He wants to see us as his children, his dear friends and not just occasional strangers that happen to wander by his window. We can benefit greatly when we commit to cultivating a genuine relationship with the Lord, daily making him a part of our lives. In times of triumph and celebration, he will guide us to be humble, grateful, and generous. In times of defeat, pain, and hardship, he will give us strength, perfect wisdom, and a hand up from the hole we have dug ourselves into. It is often those times of struggle that have more of a lasting impression on our lives. We tend to do well when things are positive…it’s when things head south that we have the hardest time…when evil stands at our doorstep, taunting us. It’s pretty hard to come up with a good defense or solid game plan when we are put on the spot and must act quickly. That is why we should take the opportunity today to become fully armored in God’s Word, so that when that time comes there is no doubt which direction we should pursue…and there is no doubt who stands in our corner, backing us all the way. Sounds good…but how do we really go about doing that? Consistent prayer to the Lord, disciplined study of his Word, and a willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to impact every second of every day. What a privilege we have to be so loved and armored by such an incredible God! To God be the glory!