Whispers and Winks from God

I am blessed to still have my parents. Stephen has lost both of his – his mom first, then his dad. After his dad passed away, he became even more intentional about making sure I spend all the time I can with my parents, so that one day I will have no regrets.

Since we had not seen them since Christmas, we took a trip to Grovetown to spend the weekend with them. I am so thankful we did. Time with the people we love is a gift, and I never want to take that gift for granted.

While we were there, I found myself admiring my mom’s plants. She has always had a green thumb, and her plants always look so green and healthy. As we were talking, she pointed out that her poinsettias from Christmas were still red. She told me a friend had said that if she wanted to keep them alive and healthy, they needed to be kept in a dark place. Of course, I had to research it, and sure enough, I found that they need a period of absolute darkness for at least two weeks.

Then my sweet Daddy, out of the blue, said, “That’s what the devil tries to do!”

Yes, Daddy, he sure does.

Those poinsettias may need darkness to keep their color, but spiritually, darkness is exactly where the enemy wants us – discouraged, deceived, confused, and far from the light of God’s truth. The devil tries to keep us in a dark place. He is the master of lies. He is the author of deception and confusion. He is real, and he is working diligently to ruin our testimony and keep us from doing the will of God. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

That simple comment from Daddy was such a reminder to me: the enemy wants us living in spiritual darkness, but God calls us to stand. That is why it is so important to put on our spiritual armor every single day.

The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

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 Lord’s people.

If you have not already, one day you will find yourself in a dark place. When that day comes, do not let the enemy win. Rely on God’s truth and His Word. Put on the full armor of God, and remember that you are not alone. God is with you. His Word is our source of strength and hope.

And maybe that is part of the lesson in all of this for me: just as I want to be intentional about spending time with my parents while I still can, I also need to be intentional about spending time with my Heavenly Father. Be sober. Be vigilant. Stay in God’s Word. Hold your loved ones close. Walk with the Lord. Let us live faithfully and intentionally so that, by God’s grace, we will have no regrets.