Beware!

Twice in the matter of a second, my dog was bitten by a vicious rattlesnake. Now some folks may say the snake was scared, startled. They would reason, "That's why it bit Murphy." Maybe. Maybe that's true. But I know rattlesnakes. And from my experience they are aggressive, territorial. They don't give up their ground without a fight. Rattlesnakes don't retreat. Rattlesnakes attack.

God has an enemy like that. His enemy doesn't relinquish any ground without a full-on battle. His target: generally God's creation and  specifically God's people. People he considers a threat.

His purpose is to thwart God's plans and purposes. 

He aims to create chaos in the areas of relationships and health. He attempts to confuse in the arena of beliefs and behavior. Sex and sexuality have become a couple of his prime targets. He fights dirty. And...he is after that which we hold dear-our family.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could be prepared by seeing a red flag so we would know where an assault would come from? But usually there is little to no warning. Usually we are blindsided. 

But we can be ready. 

We can dress ourselves in the armor of God. But we must wear the entire uniform so we can stand firm. First we hold up our core with the belt of truth, cover our heart with the breastplate of righteousness,and get our feet ready to move with the gospel of peace. Then we go into defensive mode and put up the shield of faith and cover our mind with the helmet of salvation. Finally we move offensively and sharpen our double edged sword-God's word- and use it against our adversary.

Praying scripture is powerful.

Pick a piece of scripture and insert your child's name into the verse.  Pray your child desires to know God's truth, that his heart and mind are protected from evil Pray God woos him and grows his faith. Pray for a boldness and willingness to share his faith. Help your child to learn God's word so when trouble comes-and it will- he will be ready.

By the way, Murphy survived the snake's poison. And we can too. Because... we have a BIG God who calls himself- Savior.

In what areas has the enemy attempted to attack your family? How did you use God's word and prayer to fight back?

Be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 

Ephesians 6: 18b

A Snake in the Path

Theme: July Uniqueness
Verse:

Serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13c

Mom's Musing:
Last week my youngest daughter and I accompanied two other moms and their daughters on a once in a life time hike. We journeyed through the Grand Canyon from the north rim to the south rim. "I wish I could see what's ahead." One of my five hiking partners verbalized. Like life we may have an idea of where we want to end up but have no clue what challenges or dangers are going to cross our path. Each individual had her own weakness or challenge. Blown out shoes, weak back, heat exhaustion and nausea. The path itself presented it own set of surprises. Rattle snakes, aggressive squirrels (seriously!) steep inclines and declines. Thankfully we had each other. Combining each person's duct tape supply the broken shoes were temporarily fixed, a cool rag applied to a weary hiker's head provided relief from the heat, the sharp eyes of  our pace setter prevented the rest of the group from being struck by an unhappy rattlesnake, encouragement from fellow hikers was given when an individual's discouragement was beginning to set in. The group's words and actions tackled the environmental, emotional, technical and physical struggles. Like the body of Christ. We all need each other along the way when we encounter our own unique frustrations. God promises to provide what we need for the journey of life.

Parenting Tip:
Encourage your children to have a proper view of themselves. Provide opportunities for children to use their gifts and talents for other's good and God's glory. Assist your children where they need help.