The weather’s been crazy lately. We’ve been having all kinds of storms here on the Manitoba prairies. And of course every year, we hear about tornados here and there.
My mom told me a story once about how she was close to home when a tornado hit their house. Mom and her sister laid low in a ditch until the storm passed, but I can only imagine how terrifying that was for two kids to watch their summer kitchen get torn to shreds by the storm.
They weren’t so lucky as we are. They didn’t have Facebook and radar apps on their iPhones. They didn’t have a weather channel to keep up with the news. All they did was watch the sky and hope they had time to prepare.
I was sitting in a restaurant in Ohio once when everyone’s phones suddenly went off. There was a tornado coming, and we were told to take cover.
I’m reminded of another warning in scripture, like an impending tornado, the lion seeks to destroy. We’re warned to watch and stand firm in our faith:
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV)
Here’s the thing about God. He doesn’t just tell us to stand firm, He gives us the tools to do it. Let’s look at 6 ways to stand firm in your faith:
- Pray: Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41, NIV)
- Put on the Armor : Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. (Ephesians 6:10-11, NIV)
- Resist Satan: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7, NIV)
- Study the Word: I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11, NIV)
- Stay Alert: Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8, NIV)
- Obey His Word: How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. (Psalm 119:9, NIV)
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Tilling the Soil
Read these six verses over at least once each day this week. Learn from them and ask yourself if you are applying them to your life.
Planting Hope
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV)
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Darlene Schacht and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada where the summers are beautiful and the winters are cold. Together they’ve come to learn that relationships aren’t always easy, but that marriage, the way God intended it to be, is a treasure worth fighting for.
She began her publishing journey about twelve years ago when she pioneered one of the first online magazines for Christian women, known at the time as “Christian Women Online Magazine.” After three years, Darlene left CWO to blog as a solo author at Time-Warp Wife Ministries.
It was also during this transition that she worked alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure to write the NYT Best-Selling book, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. Reshaping it All was the winner of both the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and the 2012 Christian Reading Retailers Choice Awards.
Author of more than 15 books, Darlene continues to write and to minister to her readers through her blog at TimeWarpWife.com.
Connect with Darlene:
Facebook: @timewarpwife
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Twitter: @timewarpwife
You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife