Does it ever seem like just when everything seems to be going great in your life, that’s when Satan attacks you? I had a day like that recently.
Things were going wonderfully. I had a good time reading my Bible and praying in the morning. My husband, children and I had a fun morning spending time together as a family. We got to go to church to help with some cleaning and preparing for a special banquet which was taking place in the evening. My husband and I spent time singing together, practicing for doing special music at church. I was on a “spiritual mountaintop”, so to speak. Then, little things started happening that undermined the spiritual focus I had been reveling in earlier in the day.
There are many messy details I won’t describe here, but one thing happened after another that caused my “spiritual” calm and reflection I had been enjoying in the morning to turn to frustration and short-temperedness by late afternoon. I found myself resenting responsibilities for which I had volunteered. I became upset with people whom I respect deeply. In a phrase, I was a mess.
Why did that happen? I can’t help but think that if some of the things that happened on that day which “tripped me up” spiritually, would have happened after I’d had a mediocre time in my devotions, they wouldn’t have bothered me so much. I think the devil pays attention to what our days are like. When he sees a child of God on her knees in prayer and being blessed by the Word of God, I think he spends extra time trying to get her to stumble and fall into sin. How I wish I could say that I out-smarted him and kept a Godly spirit all day! I believe the devil attacks on days like that for one reason: If he can convince me that spending time in fellowship with God is a waste of time, or that it won’t make my days any easier, and I believe him, he wins. After all, why should I waste my precious time reading my Bible when it doesn’t make my life any easier?
I am thankful that as I reflect on that day, I can see Satan’s attacks for what they are. He wants me to give up on my Christian life, or at the very least, spend less time in prayer or meditation on God and, eventually, fall by the wayside. How many believers have fallen prey to the attacks of the enemy in this way? We must cling to the Word of God and our relationship with the Lord at all costs. I would rather live a lifetime of days as a struggling Christian, than one day apart Christ.
When What I Want Isn’t What God Wants