The Bible is filled with all of it; Satan, Demons, Angels, and Cherubim. In a way, today is no different than the Biblical times, there is good and evil, war and peace. There are choices and sides to be had.
Social media has struck again. This week I ran into more than one conversation on social media that turned very ugly. I quickly removed myself from the situations because I have no interest in negative ugly conflicts that lead to anxiety and stress for all.
That is currently my personal choice on how to deal with it
Interestingly, evil and peace showed up in my daily Bible reading as well, blasting with a microphone.
We live in a world with evil. God has allowed it and we must deal with it. God gives us His promises, His wisdom, and His Word to help us know how to deal with it.
God also gives us free will. We get to choose how we are going to deal with it and which side of the fence we sit on. It really can be that simple.
Satan And Demons, Ohhh My
To become more aware of the good, sometimes it helps to clearly see the evil. We don’t have to seek it out, there is plenty surrounding us.
Daily Bible Reading
The daily scripture is already chosen, I did not choose it.
Good and evil, n
My Bible reading today reminded me that whether we are living during the Old or New Testament days or in the current days, evil and good abound.
Today alone, I read in 2 Kings about… sacrifices (good and bad), leprosy, evil in the eyes of the Lord on numerous occasions, conspiracy, the assassination of at least two kings, personal attacks, ripping open all the pregnant women, invasion of a land, refusal to turn from sin, a sacrifice of a son by fire (a child sacrifice), deportation of a people, defiling a temple, and an account of finally one king doing something right in the eyes of the Lord.
Whew, that was worse than the modern day insanity we live in, including the social media conversations that head down the wrong path.
Instead of plummeting into depression over it all, I moved on to the New Testament daily reading, thinking it surely would have GOOD NEWS. Well, it did, but with the good comes the reality of this world. It is the contrast that can help us make wise choices and have faith in God.
New Testament went right on with the reality of this world and the evil in it… false teachers and leaders, demon-possessed people, fear, sorcery, shrines, gods made by human hands, a temple of false gods, legal injustice, and in contrast, the efforts of Paul, Timothy and Erastus staying focused on Jesus.
Wow, the evil just does not stop. Old and New Testament reading today was filled with it. So why do we think we live in the worse of times? Why do we believe more in hopelessness than hope?
Our lives ARE NOT HOPELESS, even in the midst of incredible odds with chronic illness. Once we get that through our heads, into our hearts, and put it into proper perspective, THEN we can walk it out.
Angels And Cherubim, Thankfully
The Good News, Ahhhhhh
How do we walk out goodness??? I kept reading scripture because it really does have the answers. My particular reading today included a portion from Psalms which clearly revealed great hope.
1 Praise the Lord.
~ Psalms 147:1-20 (NIV)
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number ofthe stars
and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.
6 The Lord sustains the humble
but casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
make music to our God on the harp.
8 He covers the sky with clouds;
he supplies the earth withrain and makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He provides food for the cattle
and for the young ravens when they call.
10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
12 Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;
praise your God, Zion.
13 He strengthens the bars of your gates
and blesses your people within you.
14 He grants peace to your borders
and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail like pebbles.
Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word and melts them;
he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
19 He has revealed his word to Jacob,
his laws and decrees to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation;
they do not know his laws.
Praise the Lord.
Weakness Of Our Mortal Bodies
During chronic illness, the weakness of our mortal bodies can become magnified.
- It is a choice to dip into darkness… or see the light through this revelation
- It is a choice to allow the realization to break us… or bring us to our knees
- It is a choice give in to the weakness of our flesh… or see great hope in Christ
It is also a choice NOT to judge others for dipping into the darkness as they move through this process to see great hope in Jesus. This is a process for most people.
Give people a break!!! Stand by them as they go through the suffering of chronic illness, showing them God’s love in human form. Just simply be there for them, be the light.
And those of us who have been through the suffering of chronic illness, may we never forget so that we can have greater compassion for those still walking through it.
We can have compassion for the suffering of chronic illness without getting sucked into the negativity. That is a balance that the Holy Spirit can provide guidance on.
May all of you be blessed for seeking God’s goodness,