Ever climb a mountain before? Yea me either. However, I have had a mountain top rush of God’s love before. Do you know what I’m talking about? that moment or time period in your life where you just felt so close to God. You felt like your connection with him was the strongest it’s been, and you were doing everything you could do to be close to him. You were on a spiritual high.
I was on such a spiritual high when I was in Nicaragua. I was on the bus one day which keep in mind the motto in Nicaragua when it comes to cars or busses is “you can always fit one more” when I really felt god. I was jammed into the side of the bus as I was sharing a seat with two other grown adults when I prayed with my small group leader. She prayed over me that I would find God on the trip and right as she prayed that this gust of wind came through the bus that gave me the shivers. I felt God so clearly. I was on such a spiritual high. Not more than 10 minutes later I started feeling sick and I mean real sick. I was on a bus with 80 high school kids going 80mph down the highway dodging cars, it was like a video game but real life. All of a sudden I just knew, I knew it was time. I yelled “get inside the bus” then whaleddddddddddddddddd outside the bus window. In case you don’t know what that means I threw up out the bus window going 80 mph down the highway. Everyone heard me before and stuck their head in the bus to dodge my throw up EXCEPT the one person who I wanted to impress the most, my crush. The guy I liked was sitting in the back seat with his head out the window when my throw up slapped him in the face. All I hear is “She got me”……I wish I got him as my boyfriend, not the way I got him on the bus. One minute I was on a spiritual high and the next I’m throwing up on my crush.
For you it may not be as literal as for me where one moment I’m feeling on top of the mountain and the next I’m throwing up on my crush but this happens every day for us. One minute we are feeling positive in the word, we feel good then the next moment an intrusive thought pops up. A bad memory, a bad feeling, something rips us out of that cloud we were just on and puts us right back to reality. WHEN WE ARE CLOSEST TO GOD THAT’S WHEN THE DEVIL IS THE MOST INTIMIDATED. When we are on a spiritual high and living in God’s word the devil will try his hardest to crack that foundation. When you pick up your cross the Devil picks up his stupid little pitchfork. It’s a game to him. The closer you move your chess piece the harder he will plan to move you back to where you started. It’s like in football when the other team is about to score a touchdown and they are right there on the line, the other team’s defense is going to do whatever they can for that team not to score. THAT’S THE DEVIL! The closer we get to God the more the devil ups his defense so God doesn’t score. You have to be smarter and know your game plan and that’s where I come in at.
Some people think that if you believe in God and you’re following him that all challenges will be diminished. THE MORE YOU BELIEVE THE MORE THE DEVIL WILL ATTACK. The devil hates when we are living in the truth so he will try extra hard to get us. It all starts with him planting a seed of doubt. Sometimes that seed of doubt begins to fester and we grow farther apart from God. We can’t let that seed fester. We determine whether we fertilize that seed in truth or in doubt. You decide what you do with it, God won’t make that decision for you as much as he (I) wants to.
Part of following God is knowing what comes with it and that means knowing we will be tested and tested hard. The harder we pray the more He will attack. I mentioned you need a game plan and that’s where this comes in. When you believe in God you HAVE to always put on your armor. Everyday God provides us armor because He knows we will be tested, he knows the devil is trying to befriend you. Its whether or not 1) we put on the armor and 2) we believe in the armor. What is the armor? Well good think I’ll tell you…. The armor is truth. THE DEVIL MAY HAVE HIS TRICKS BUT WE HAVE SOMETHING MUCH MORE POWERFUL, WE HAVE THE TRUTH. God provides us with the truth that -he is good -he does good for us -he loves us -he died for us -we are saved by him. Let me repeat that
-HE IS GOOD
-HE DOES GOOD FOR US
-HE LOVES US
-HE DIED FOR US
-WE ARE SAVED BY HIM
THAT IS THR TRUTH, NOT A THOUGHT BUT HARDCORE FACTS. THE DEVIL WORKS OFF OF LIES AND FEELINGS, HE BURNS IN THE TRUTH. You know how like vampires burn up if the light touches them, that’s the devil and the truth. All those bad thoughts you’re having, all those lies you’re feeding yourself that you’re not good enough, that isn’t fact but a lie. It will burn up in the light.
Every time you feel that sinking feeling in your heart when you go from the mountain to the valley think about whether those thoughts or feelings are based off of truth or will burn up. Is it the devil’s defense? Because your team is stronger, better, faster. You won the super bowl every year so why are you worried? Don’t doubt your team when their one goal is to help you. God is always for you even when the devil is against you. Just because you have those bad thoughts doesn’t mean God isn’t fighting for you. He is busy tackling some huge player for you so that you don’t get hit by the big guy, he knows you can handle the little one. GOD KNOWS YOUR ABILITY SO DON’T QUESTION YOURSELF.
Put on your armor of truth and know that someone is working hard for you. After I threw up I ended up dating that guy for a little. The devil did not win. Who would have thought that the guy I threw up on I would later be going on dates with? The devil only looks at the here and now but God looks at the big picture. Trust in him. You got this, you have something more important than anything we can put value on and that is what will get you through each day. Don’t ever forget your game plan and definitely don’t forget to put on your armor. While you are at it…..make sure to never throw up on your crush, but if you do, please tell me.
This post goes out to my Godfather who encouraged me to write about this subject. Uncle Paul, thank you.