Ephesians 6:16 NKJV
[16] above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Good Morning!
We are under constant assailment from the enemy of our souls. Satan shoots fiery darts at us continuously, just waiting for us to lower our shield of faith.
As just being human, we all face times of storms, troubles, doubt or unbelief, and it is in those times that satan tries to “zing” a fiery dart at us to try to break through the armor of God, hoping to set our lives on fire to distract us from God’s promises. It is in those times that we MUST saturate our hearts and lives in God’s word and in prayer.
God promises us in Isaiah 40 that He will renew our strength when we are faint and weary. He will lift us up to rise above the situation at hand and soar like an eagle above it. It just requires a willing heart and faith the size of a mustard seed. Jesus so eloquently illustrates that faith the size of mustard seed, one of the smallest of seeds, would be able to move a mountain. That is the kind of God we serve. What we lack, God supplies in faith. A willing heart is all that God asks for.
Isaiah 40:28-31 NKJV
[28] Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. [29] He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. [30] Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, [31] But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Matthew 17:20 NKJV
[20] So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
1 Samuel 16:7b NKJV
“…For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Faith is what separates us and sets us apart from he world. Faith is simply hoping for what is not seen, yet believing it is true. God gives us faith but only by the hearing of His word. So you may ask, “How do we hear His word?”
Romans 10:17 NKJV
[17] So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
First, it is up to us to find a time in each day that we set apart for reading and studying God’s word. It is through this daily devotion time, that God will fill your hearts with faith and give you His direction and promise for your life. If you have not yet committed to this practice, I encourage you to start with just 10-15 minutes per day and you will soon find that this is the most important part of your day and will want to gradually increase it.
Second, we hear God’s word by going to church. God did not make any of us to be a Lone Ranger Christian. He wants us to have fellowship with other believers and be part of His church. A Bible Teaching church is a vital part of our walk. It is where we get refreshment for our souls and meet others that are there to be a support and friend when we meet times of struggle or distress. It is where we engage as being part of the Body of Christ.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 NKJV
[12] Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Our Shield of Faith then is one that we must hold up continually by constantly feeding our mind, hearts and souls with God’s word. This will keep our faith strong and will extinguish all of the fiery darts shot at us from the wicked one.
Let your faith be encouraged, stretched and challenged but let your heart hold true to the promises of God with the faith as small as a mustard seed.
I love you and am praying for you today!
Dad