Are You on Guard Duty?

I love it when one of our grown children telephone me ‘just because’. All their lives and families are so busy we do not hear from them as often as we would like. Parenting grown children, I have determined, is a spectator sport; sometimes you’re in the stands and sometimes you have to catch it on the radio from a distance. Our daughter called the other day and I loved just hearing her voice, catching up on what was going on with the grandkids, etc. The topic of the tragedy in Haiti came up and we talked about the horrors being played out on TV over and over.

My precious daughter is convinced she can not get to sleep unless the TV is on and with a papa-medic husband on shift so often, she is sleeping with it on all night. She said she noticed a new pattern that started the week of the earthquake. CNN is her channel of choice and the news stories of Haiti were being poured into her spirit and sub-conscience all night long. Mornings found her unable to wake up feeling good or even wanting to get out of bed at all. She has school aged children to get off and a new job she absolutely loves, yet now found she was too drained to even get up.

The devil works in sneaky ways and we often are his helpmates without even realizing it. In this case, all he had to do was sit back and watch. Her habit of leaving the TV on all night seems innocent enough to her but she was leaving the door to her mind and spirit wide open to horror, death and misery without knowing it. Her peace and rest was being victimized and ravished by the earthquake, too. John 10:10 (New American Standard Bible) "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I suggested she find a channel with Christian music if she needs to leave it on. Trash in, trash out; good in, good out.

Guarding our minds and spirits means a constant vigil. Do not think, dear Friend, that you are too holy, too old or spiritually mature to be taken off guard by the wily devil. Innocent appearing events, activities and attitudes may find you with your guard down. I have read that a mouse can come through an opening of only ¼ an inch! That seems impossible but I’ve read it in many sources. (We live in the country, need I say more?) So, imagine, if a mouse only needs ¼ an inch to enter into your private abode, steal your food, tramp around in your cabinets and scurry across your floor to terrorize you……is it any wonder that an evil spirit can enter into your mind, home, and ultimately into your heart to steal, kill and destroy your peace and joy? No ¼ inch access needed, just an unattended moment of time to attack.

I have an old preacher friend that leaves Christian music playing in his house 24/7 whether anyone is home or not because he says, “Where praise and worship is, satan ain’t!” He’s not willing to take a chance of an unguarded moment in his home. I like that.

I’ll conclude today by saying we all need to be more diligent in guarding our hearts, spirits, minds and homes. Portals protected and guarded at all times is a full time job. The enemy is sneaky, he won’t come with a big band and parade; he’ll slide right by in front of your eyes as easily as sneaking in through a television signal. He’s a sneaky snake. Let praise and worship never be far from your lips, Friends…..it’s the best ammunition we’ve got!

Just a note: You will never see the word satan or devil or enemy capitalized in anything I write unless it is the first word of a sentence and I try to avoid that. It may not be grammatically correct but I just can not bring myself to do it. No honor by capital letter to such an entity that knows no honor.