10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.—The words of the Apostle Paul from Ephesians 6:10-18
Did you wake up this morning looking up from the “bottom of the barrel” and wondering if you could possibly ever crawl out? Sometimes even the most devout believers in the Lord Jesus Christ find themselves overwhelmed by the trials of their lives. If you number among the countless thousands who find themselves struggling to meet the beginning of another new day, take heart. You belong to a special group and God loves each one of you very much.
I know God loves us, as we struggle with discouragement and even depression, because He has given us the Promise of His Presence. And, He has given us important instructions, such as the passage of Scripture that appears at the beginning of this blog post.
The Apostle Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. Paul recognizes that every day represents a battle against the forces of darkness. Paul knows this from within the context of his own life. Paul also knows that God will guard and guide us through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Within the confines of the borders of the United States, no group has experienced as much prolonged travail than those abducted from their native lands and brought here to serve as slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries. Out of that travail has come many songs of appeal for God’s strong hand of grace and mercy. One of the most prolific composers of such songs, Rev. Dr. Charles A. Tindley, has published at least 46 songs including the very powerful “Stand By Me.”
When the storms of life are raging,
Stand by me;
When the storms of life are raging,
Stand by me;
When the world is tossing me
Like a ship upon the sea
Thou Who rulest wind and water,
Stand by me.
In the midst of faults and failures,
Stand by me;
In the midst of faults and failures,
Stand by me;
When I do the best I can,
And my friends don’t understand,
Thou Who knowest all about me,
Stand by me.
When I'm growin’ old and feeble,
Stand by me;
When I'm growin’ old and feeble,
Stand by me;
When my eyes grow dim in death,
And I draw my latest breath,
O Thou “God of All the Ages,”
Stand by me.
(If you wish, you may click here to listen to a particularly beautiful rendition of this song. It’s sung by the late Donald Doig on his vinyl Satisfied with an orchestral arrangement by Ronn Huff.)
I urge you to look up and take heart today. Allow God to give you His encouragement and joy. Follow the pathway He has laid out before you. Step out in courage. Put your full trust in Him. Remember, He loves you with His everlasting love.
Will you pray with me?
Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
Even when we find ourselves stuck in discouragement and despair, we ask You to remind us often that You love us, care for us, and have given us the Promise of Your Presence. Help us lean on the indwelling power of Your Holy Spirit to lift our spirits and protect us with the whole armor of God.
Thank You, dear Father, for Your goodness and gentleness in all Your dealings with us. And, thank You for hearing our prayer in and through the precious Name of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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