Since moving to Illinois from Florida, I have learned that springtime tries desperately to come, while winter holds on until the bitter end - reluctant to let go of her hold over this part of the country.
We
are still getting snow in mid-April this year. I am told that this struggle is
what creates the perfect atmosphere for tornadoes to spawn in the storms that
come our way.
Warm
air and cold air struggle in the heavens to take control of the weather, and
this creates the tension, which produces the tornadoes that descend from the
clouds all over our region of the Heartland.
This
reminds me of spiritual warfare within our soul. Our soul is in a constant
struggle to keep satanic forces from ruling in our mind and emotions, which
effects our body and spirit as well.
Due
to this upheaval in our soul, mental and emotional tornadoes form and produce
erratic behavior, which often causes severe damage in our relationships, as
well as to our peace of mind and our physical health.
There
is no cure for the damaging weather in the Heartland, but there is redemption
for us during spiritual warfare. We can walk by the direction of God's Spirit
each moment of our life and live out His perfect plan for us.
As
we live in the very center of God's will for us, there are no stresses, unrest
or trials that we cannot weather. Our God of peace will guard
our heart and mind through Christ in us (Philippians 4:7).
Prayer:
Father
God, Satan uses human pride to disillusion us about the importance of our
opinions and beliefs. We fail to try to see things from someone else's
perspective, and we insist on our own way. We end up acting in hurtful ways
rather than exhibiting the fruit of Your Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Remind
us that we are not obligated to pay any attention to the devil's deception. In
fact, if we develop a deeper intimacy with Christ in us, His strength within
our spirit will enable us to resist the devil until he flees from us (James
4:7). We want to stand as conquers over the spiritual warfare in our life by walking
in Your perfect will for us each moment of every day.
Thought
for the Day:
True abundance in this life
only comes when we adopt a spiritual purpose and walk in God's inner peace,
which transcends all human understanding, and fills our heart and mind through
Christ Jesus.- Matthew 6:19-21; Philippians 4:7
