Shield: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Ephesians 6:16

“With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Have you ever been surprised that your faith held strong through a difficult situation, yet faltered into complaint and worry over comparatively minor upsets?

Poison words, poison motives, poison attacks can weaken us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

And, as in many murder mysteries, the poison often comes by ordinary sources and is not recognized. So can flaming arrows of evil pierce silently through our relationships and commitments. Breaking down our defenses because we cannot see the danger.

Arrows that diminish us from within and without, even when we do not doubt God.

Yet fear and worry, fatigue and complacency, insert their poison into our heads and hearts to weary our hope and trust.

“Be on the alert,” Peter tells us in his letters. “Each day has enough trouble of its own,” Jesus reminds us.

The threats are real. The battle is real. The poison is real.

But so is God’s shield of faith. So is Jesus’ victory. So is the Holy Spirit’s guidance to withstand.

Thank you, Lord for dissolving the flaming arrows that attempt to separate us from Your protection and presence.

Psalm of Worship: Isaiah 55:10

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it spring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater.”