I don’t like to shop. It’s not that I detest it or that shopping causes a war within myself when I have to do it. It’s just that there are other things I enjoy more. I admit, though, that I like new things; especially clothes. Hand-me-downs or thrift-store finds are just as fun to wear as freshly pressed, hang-tags-still-on, retail store new. Clothing is one of those dual purpose commodities, being both necessary and what-to-wear optional. Necessary in that we have to put it on, but optional because we have a choice of what we’re putting on. Have you noticed the vast array of choices? From the subtle to the flamboyant; from the beige to the electric blue, from the suit to the tank top and sweatpants, we make choices. Adorning the outside of the body is certainly an important choice, but there’s a more important choice with lasting effects. It’s the armor for the day.
Remember that every act is first a thought. Let’s put on the first layer of our armor by planting a seed of right thinking, so it produces acts of right doing. If a farmer plants corn, what grows out of that seed? If you said peas, you’re wrong. Corn comes from corn and peas come from peas. Plant seeds of good, so they produce good. Acts become thoughts, thoughts become habits, habits become a lifestyle. I need to guard my thoughts so they produce and match the lifestyle that honors God.
Armor gets cumbersome and needs to be adjusted, sometimes quite often throughout the day. Remember who stands beside, waiting to help with that adjustment. If you whisper his name, God will send help to your side. Take a peek at Psalm 91. It’s in there.
Armor needs to be renewed, shined up after going through battle. Life is tough – pray hard.
In my quiet time this morning, I was compelled to read Psalms 37. You might find your Bible and read all of Psalm 91 and Psalm 37, but these few verses spoke to me this morning, so I share them with you. Begin your day with thoughts of joy – because what you plant …… well we all know what we get.
Psalm 37:3-9 (NIV) Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
Because of Grace we Press On