Refuge for a Single Mom
Every Single Mom Needs a Refuge. This is Mine. In the Natural Atleast!* A Blog Dedicated to Struggling & Hurting Moms of Every Walk of Life.
As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 18:30
Friday, June 15, 2007
The Armor of God: Salvation & the Spirit
The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:17)
17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Helmet:
Helmets are so important in a lot of activities. Bicycling, skateboarding, roller skating/blading, climbing, motorcycling…actually, if you think about it, a lot of those activities ‘get’ you somewhere. Kind of coincidental?
You wear a helmet when you are ‘moving’, ‘going somewhere’ – wouldn’t it make sense to wear the ‘HELMET OF SALVATION’ when you are moving along in life – ‘going somewhere’? The enemy is going to attempt to stop this and throw out roadblocks and obstacles. (Did you ever watch that movie “Big Daddy” with Adam Sandler, where he throws sticks into the trail to make the roller bladders crash?)
We know that there will be trials and tribulations, we know that there will be debris in our path and obstacles to overcome - we want to protect our head/brain and not become injured!
Sword:
”The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” – that actually gives me cold chills! The sword, the ‘weapon’ or ‘protection’ IS the Word of God! No words could be more honest, true and powerful!
When you protect yourself with the Word, with the knowledge and the power, nothing can really harm you! Sure, there will be attempts, but when you truly know the power and promises of our God, no weapon formed against you will prosper!
No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 54:17
II Corinthians 6:1-18
1 And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
2 for He says, “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.” Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION”
3 giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,
4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,
5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger,
6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love,
7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left,
8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true;
9 as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death,
10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
11 Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide.
12 You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections.
13 Now in a like exchange—I speak as to children—open wide to us also.
14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
17 “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.
18 “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.
Labels: Armor of God, Courageous, Salvation, Way of Thinking
Thursday, June 14, 2007
The Armor of God: The Shield of Faith
The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:16)
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Shield:
Faith:
In other words if we carry our shield of faith, believing in God and His promises, we are well able to extinguish the “flaming arrows of the evil one”!
What a promise!
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:3
God doesn’t tell us that the “arrows” or trials won’t come, but He promises to equip us with the armor that will protect us from them. We have to believe in Him, His word and His promises!
Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I Timothy 6:12
He also promises that if we persevere and endure the trials, holding tight to the Word of God, wielding our shield of faith, He will bring us through it “perfect and complete”, “lacking in NOTHING”! Praise God!
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5
Labels: Armor of God, Faith, Perseverance, Way of Thinking
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The Armor of God: The Gospel of Peace
The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:15)
15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE
Shod:
Peace:
Freedom from strife or dissension…freedom of the mind…tranquility…serenity…
That is music to Momma’s ears! This peace thing sounds like an awesome thing. Where on Earth can we get some of that?
Unfortunately, the answer to that one is nowhere!
True peace, deep down, honest-to-goodness PEACE is something only available through the blood of Jesus Christ!
Only when we truly give our spirit, mind, heart and body up to God can we experience this indescribable peace, joy and love that God has promised to us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Galatians 5:22
The fruit of the spirit IS love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness. When you truly (and I can’t express this enough), TRULY repent of your sins, with complete and sincere submission, you will know the fruit of the spirit. There will be no doubt in your mind that you are destined for heaven and that you have a precious relationship with your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. You will find yourself at prayer all the time. You will have a true relationship with Him like no other that you can imagine! You will feel His love deep down inside.
I tried living, getting by, whatever you want to call it, many, many ways. I shrugged God off for the better part of my life. A few years ago, when I found out that I was pregnant with my 2nd son, I knew that it was time. No more wandering or floundering around taking everything He’d given me for granted. IT WAS TIME!
I have never regretted one single moment. Sure, I don’t drink myself to oblivion anymore, gamble away my pay check or spend my time with people that only took what they needed from me - it is a worthy sacrifice!
I DO spend my time with my family, I drink Pepsi, Iced Tea and occasionally force myself to drink water (it’s healthy you know), I DO pay my bills, I DO take pride in myself and feel fantastic about who I am and what the Lord is doing in and with my life! So many changes have taken place and my life has become so full of excitement, satisfaction, accomplishment, love, joy and PEACE!!! I have been heard saying “Holy Cow!!!!!” quite often lately! These are things that can only be explained by the divine and supernatural favor and blessings of my Father!
Sisters, I won’t sit here and claim that it is all peaches and cream 24/7! I’d be lying through my teeth! There are tests and trials! BUT…listen closely…you are not alone anymore! You have your Heavenly Father right there beside you. Closer than any friend! He is with you always, everywhere, every time! He promises to get you through each and every struggle! He promises PEACE!
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
Labels: Armor of God, Peace, Righteousness
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The Armor of God: Truth & Righteousness
The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:14)
14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
The first ‘pieces’ of “The Armor of God” consist of ‘having girded your loins with truth’ and ‘the breastplate of righteousness’ …
Gird:
Loins:
Wow, the loins are regarded as the seat of physical strength! Wouldn’t it make sense to protect this area with TRUTH?
Well, there is so much junk in the world, how on Earth can we sort through it all and find the truth?
The Word!
25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29 Yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’
32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34
Everything you will ever need to know, every answer you’ve ever sought, is found in the Word of God.
He knew what this world would come to. He knew how confused and tempted His children would become. That is why He left us the Bible as a handbook for life!
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 Does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 Does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I Corinthians 13:4-7
Love DOES NOT rejoice in unrighteousness, but with the TRUTH.
The unconditional love of God caused Him to allow His only son to die for our sins, to pay the ultimate sacrifice so that we wouldn’t have to.
All He asks in return is for repentance of sins, for our love and that we follow Him with all of our heart, mind, body and soul.
When you gird your loins with truth and protect your chest with the breastplate of righteousness, you are well equipped and well able!
9 That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED Romans 10:9-11
Labels: Armor of God, Righteousness, Way of Thinking
Monday, June 11, 2007
The Armor of God
Sometimes, the weight of the world can be very overwhelming. There seem to be constant struggles and obstacles. There’s always something to worry about.
Thing is, as we learn to fully rely on the strength and protection of the Lord, as we learn to trust His plan, His timing, His wisdom and His love, we will be better equipped to live happier, healthier, more joyful and peaceful lives.
I have been learning this lesson for a very long time. I am one of the most impatient, paranoid, speculative people you will meet. In fact, I remember my mom coming home from 6th grade parent conference. The teacher told her that although Christina was an excellent student, she worried more than any other 6th grader he had ever met.
Over the years, my heavenly Father has been teaching me to be a bit different. Although I am still struggling with these things, I’ve learned to catch myself. When I feel the anxiety hit, I just stop and pray. I give it up to God and quit with the worry. I know, deep in my soul, beyond a shadow of a doubt that He will take care of whatever it is. I know that He cares more about my family and me than I can even grasp. He will bring to pass the best scenario possible!
When we look to the Word for guidance, we see that there is something called “The Armor of God”. Obviously, this is spiritual armor, but as you can see, our Almighty Father has all the bases covered.
As time and circumstances allow this week, I’d like to explore each part of the armor. I think it is so important to fully understand the protection that God has to offer – if we’ll only let Him!
The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-24)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
21 But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.
22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.
Labels: Adversity, Anxiety, Armor of God, Diligence, Perseverance, Positive Thinking, Strength, Way of Thinking
