The (Not) Car Wash

I only had 10 minutes between point G and H: I had already driven from point A through F that day. My car was in desperate need of a wash, so I pulled in to the automatic car wash depot and began to deposit my dollar bills. I was (almost) certain that I could rummage up enough money to pay for the car wash. One by one, I inserted the bills in to the slot on the machine, often having to reinsert them after they were spit back out at me. The machine apparently did not recognize them as genuine tender. I was getting frustrated. Coming up short of dollar bills, I turned to the change cup that I have in my car and began to dig through a multitude of coins, trying to unearth a sufficient amount of quarters. Again, I came short of my goal, then to notice that the machine would only take quarters in change … no other coins accepted.

Disappointed, discouraged – ok … irritated – I pushed the “refund” button to hear the loud clanging of quarters as they spilled in to the metal cup. Great, not only did I not get a car wash, I now had a slew of quarters to add to my already overflowing cup of coins. It’s just not what I had planned or wanted. What a waste of time!

Sometimes, in life we can feel this way, as well. We may try to make deposits as we serve the Lord, only to come up short, and then not have the outcome we expect. Disappointment sets in. We pick up and put on the cloak of discouragement (rather than the full armor of God) and emanate irritation rather than joy; at least, I know I do.

How about you, dear reader? Do you ever feel as if you have invested in a project, a ministry, a circumstance, a dream or a person and you have come up short? Are you discouraged by not experiencing a favorable outcome? Are you feeling as if you want to throw in the towel, pack up and leave, or push the “refund” button?

Remember that in God’s economy, nothing is wasted, and endurance is a prized possession. There may be times when our plans seem to be thwarted, or we are not able to do what we desired, or we have to wait, but God tells us to not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). He does not forget what we do for Him. Hebrews 6:10 says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

Persevere. Endure patiently. Love the Lord above all things, trusting Him to give you what you need to complete the work that He has for you to do, in His time.

Fully Equipped with the Armor of God

Simply put, we do not have what it takes, only God does. Whether it is as a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a friend, or a worker we can not fight the battle against sin without God's equipping power. He gives the orders, we suit up and stand firm in to the battle, by faith. There are battles to fight every day -- big battles. Let's face it, every battle against the heinousness of sin is big.

Ephesians 6:10-17 says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, which to you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

The armor of God is not something that we can pick up at a department store or a convenience store. It will not be found in a magazine, a self-help book, or through talking to other people. It is not found inside of us by our own intelligence, ability, power. The armor belongs to God and He is the One who provides it for us to fight the battle.When you wake in the morning and get dressed, also dress yourself with this most precious and impenetrable armor. When you are in the midst of a trial, do not forget it. There are 4 things to put on, and 2 things to pick-up.

Put on the:
Belt of Truth -- God's truth
Breastplate of Righteousness - being right with God and pursuing holiness
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace -- feet made strong with the knowledge and understanding of the Gospel
Helmet of Salvation -- the protective covering of the security of who we are in Jesus and what He has done for us

Pick-up the:
Shield of Faith -- extinguishes the arrows of the evil one
Sword of the Spirit -- depending on God through his Word and prayer for the strength that is needed

Each day, when you are faced with a battle against evil and sin, remember that it is a spiritual battle, only to be fought with spiritual weapons. Donn the armor, step out and stand firm. Put on the full armor; don't leave any parts off, leaving you vulnerable and ill-equipped for the battle. Trust God to fully equip you with His armor for the battle that He asks you to stand firm in. Dear soldier of the Lord, keep up the good fight, stand firm and be strong in the Lord.