(The following is an excerpt from my family devotional “Deep Roots.”)
Okay, a show of hands; have you ever been so cold that you couldn’t feel your hands and feet…they were numb? I have, especially living in Michigan. We’ve even had some winter days where they’ve issued warnings for frostbite because the wind chill was below zero temperatures. Now that’s cold!
But unfortunately, in today’s world, some people try and make themselves “numb” because they are hurting so badly. They use alcohol and drugs to drown out their feelings and numb their sadness.
I’m raising my hand now because I was there once. I was so sad, tired, and hurting so deeply that I just wanted it all to go away. I listened to this voice in my head that said, “It’s okay; everyone is doing it.” “Don’t you want to forget?” “This will make you feel better.”
But what I’ve learned is that the voice I was hearing was the enemy of my soul, the devil, and he wasn’t looking out for me. He wanted me to do things that weren’t good for me physically, and he wanted me “numb” so that I couldn’t hear God.
God tells us in His Word, “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.”
~EPHESIANS 6:12
God knew that the enemy would try and tell us things and lie to us, and God warned us in His Word. But we have to be listening. When we numb ourselves to the struggles of this world, we are damaging ourselves, our relationship with others, and our relationship with Jesus.
When we are tempted, and when the enemy starts whispering in our ear, we need to do the following things:
- Rebuke the enemy! That means to speak out loud (even if it’s a whisper). “No, I’m not listening, devil. I rebuke you in Jesus’ name!”
- Tell someone you trust to pray for you.
- Change what you’re doing. Go for a walk, listen to a Christian song, read the bible. Maybe do all three.
When we rebuke the enemy and change our situation, we are switching our focus. And that is key! Remember, you are strong in the Lord, and He loves you! Stay awake and alert, listening to God!
Prayer:
Father God, thank you for Your truth! Help us listen for Your voice and rebuke the enemy and his lies. We love you!
In Jesus name,
Amen
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