This is a topic I felt compelled to write and inform you about. It’s not just for you, but for you, me, our children and for the sake of our families. It’s for the sake of our sanity, wholeness, and all together well being. What I am talking about is learning and knowing Scripture. Some of you may get bored to tears at just reading that last sentence. But I beg before you make any preconceived notions on this, to hear me out.
Some of you know my story of how God changed my life and some of you do not. The bottom line is 8 years ago I was a mess. I was having such severe panic attacks they kept me up at night. I was so afraid of dying I was paralyzed by it. My marriage was in shambles, I was selfish, conceited, and self-absorbed, I could go on and on. Well, everything began to change when I started seeking answers as of to why my life was a mess. It was right around the time of 911 and it seemed 911 arised a spiritual awakening in a lot of us. I knew I needed God to help me and redirect my life and heal my heart. I rededicated my life to Christ. It was awesome and the best decision I ever could have made. I was eternally secure and happy with my new path, but yet my heart was still broken and my thought life still a trainwreck. I read some self-help and inspirational books, they helped but it wasn’t enough. So, I read the word of God. BINGO. The word of God completely and utterly knocked the wind out of me- (in a good way )and breathed new life into me.
It says in 2 Timothy all scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. The word of God did all this for me and more. It not only corrected and taught me, but it renewed my mind and spirit and transformed me. It also showed me I was in a battle- and it became my sword and taught me how to fight off evil and temptation. Now I have stumbled and fallen dear friends, don’t get me wrong. But, if I would not have had the word of God in me to help me, I would not just have lost a few battles, I would have lost the war.
Satan has waged war with me more in the last 3 years than all the times put together in my christian walk. He has been hell bent on destroying me, my marriage and the relationships in my life. And a couple times I almost thought he succeeded. Now I must tell you right now, I am not one of those christians that blames everything on the devil and goes around talking about the devil all the time. Hah! I wouldn’t give him the glory of it! BUT, I will tell you that he has sneakily convinced christians from shying away from the subject of evil and his presence. So today in prayer, God made it clear to me to share with you some of these truths I have learned along the way.
The importance of learning scripture is not only to renew our sick thinking and heal our broken hearts but it is also God’s gift to us and to our children to fight the enemy. If we do not learn it, eat it, breathe it, we are going to get ambushed every time. That’s like a soldier going into war, standing at the front line of battle and not having any weapons. We have weapons dear friends and we are stupid if we don’t use them. It says in John 1:14, that the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. Speaking of Christ. Christ is the Word. And Christ also knew a thing or two about His power and the power of His word. They go hand in hand. You need some supernatural power from on high to get through the hard stuff? Read the word! Memorize it! When Jesus was tempted in the desert for 4o days, how did he fight Satan? The word of God. In Revelation 19:13-15 it says, He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.
In Hebrews 4:12 it says the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double edged sword. In the whole Chapter of Ephesians 6 it teaches us how and why to put on the full armor of God to stand against the devil’s schemes. In verse 17 it says, take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. As I sit here and write this, I am seeing so much in my life that has went wrong and continues to go wrong, because I’m too busy to be in God’s word. Depression, fear, discouragement, worry, doubt. Today when I got into God’s word it calmed me, renewed me and it was just the anti-depressant and anxiety calmer I was needing dear friends. I cannot stress this enough how much we need to learn and know God’s word and to teach it to our children.
I have been worried sick lately of the influence our culture is having on my kids. I prayed and cried to the Lord. He told me very clearly and simply, continue to teach them my word and teach them how to fight the enemy. I am throughly convinced dear friends, that the reason why our children get blindsided by temptation to sin, is not only peer pressure or influence, but a huge factor is not knowing they have an enemy and not knowing how to fight him. We must teach them. God gave me an awesome idea today as I was in prayer. It’s simple and practical and I gurantee you the devil is roaring mad.
I wrote down some scriptures that I know would help my boys right now in some of their struggles. We as a family are going to start memorizing them. But as they are working on memorizing them I am going to put them on little pocket sized cards and give them to put in their pockets to take to school. That way they have the Word of God, (their sword on them at all times). Also, if they just so happen to reach into their pocket during school, it will be a reminder to them and a help to aide them in their struggles.
I also want to attack a few other issues the enemy has been sneaky on getting believers to fall for. I have seen this clearly evidenced in many lives. 1. The Bible is boring. 2. I can’t understand the bible. 3. I can’t remember what I read in the bible. 4. If I read the bible, I am going WAY off the deep end. Isn’t that just a little too bible thumpery?? 5. I’m too busy to read the bible.
First God’s Word is not boring and it has more love stories and battles in it than all the blockbuster’s and romance novels that have ever been produced or written! You just have to delve in and give it a shot! Second, God has given us so many different translations, even for 4 year olds to understand! Read whatever translation that is easy for you to grasp and proceed from there. Third, If you can’t remember what you read, then read it with someone and ask them to help you. Fourth, If you read your bible the only deep end you are going off to is a deeper, understanding of God, His heart and love for you and that my friend is going to set you on a path of freedom like never before. And Fifth, if we are too busy to read our bible’s, then we have fallen into the trap of, “If the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy.” This is a ploy and we must recongnize it and get back on the right path to taking care of our spiritual health!
I want to leave you with a cool analogy God gave me about His word. The other day Chad was watching a Michigan football game. Now I am clueless about football and just learning. So when Tate Forcier kept sitting down and putting on this head gear thing, I was puzzled. I asked Chad, “Why does he keep doing that?” And he said because the guys that are sitting way up high, can see everything the opponent is doing and give Tate a heads up, Tate’s vision is limited. Right then and there that struck a cord in me. God is sitting way up high beloved. And he sees our enemy’s ploys and His word is our headpiece to plug into to learn how to defeat the enemy’s tactics. Our vision is limited and our ears are deaf without it. So the question is to each of us, will we get out our swords and sharpen them and prepare for battle? In Ephesians 6:13 it says, Put on the full armor of God, so that WHEN (not IF, WHEN) the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground. So, let’s sharpen our swords to do battle, take back what the enemy has stolen, and let God restore our hearts and homes!
