The fight
October 13, 2008
When I was in grade school, the world was basically of two types. The cool kids, and the ones that the cool kids liked to beat up on. There was a third group that thought it was cool to hang with the cool kids (till they became the uncool at the whim of one of the cool kids) but since hey fell into the cool kids group it is easier to say there was just two.
Now in the 50's and 60's you had to earn your 'cool credits'. One way to do this was to beat up one of the kids who was not cool. I being one of the ones that was not cool and about 30 pounds overweight made a great target. At least once a week, usually on Friday, I would hear those words, 'you and me, the regular spot, after school'. The regular spot was off school grounds and far enough away from a house that no one would see a fight and call the cops.
I can hear you now, this is supposed to be an uplifting devotional, why are you telling us how you got beat up all the time. Because there were two ways to get to my house from school, something most of the bullies did not realize. And while the one way that would take me by 'the regular place' was the shorter way, if I did not take it, I would not be in pain. I would still be considered uncool, but pain free. One thing every bully did was make the mistake of telling me when, mostly so they could get a crowd to watch them get their cool credits. In doing so, they warned me and I knew what to avoid. OK, what has that to do with the Word you ask?
Luke 11:21-22 ESV
(21) When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe;
(22) but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.
If you know a bad guy is coming, Jesus tells the people, you can make preparations for him. If you do not, he can catch you by surprise and walk off with the good. Like the bullies trying to get a fight out of me, since I knew where the fight was, I could avoid it. If one ever tried to fight me when I did not know it was coming, then I would have to fight.
We have a bully to fight, his name is Satan. This is a fight I do not run from. But I need to become a strong man to be able to defeat him. It is not done by lifting weight, it is done by reading and studying the word of God. Then when he tries to beat me up, thinking he has a uncool kid on the other end, he will find that I am stronger than him and have to run away.
The time to run is over, it is time to fight and to know who to fight.
Today
Matthew 12:22-50, Luke 11:1-54
Tomorrow
Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list
