Wednesday Words of Encouragement

When my daughter, Emily, turned ten years old, I brought home five baby chicks. She has always loved animals, but given her allergies there are very few that we can have.  So I figured chickens were a safe bet. They would be outdoor animals and I would get fresh eggs out of the deal.

Unfortunately, one by one, those "hens" started to crow.  I realized with dismay that I had five roosters on my hands.  By that time, Emily loved them and I too, had grown fond of them.  But I had a dilemma. The older and bolder they got, the more they became obnoxious. We let them free range and all day long they would circle the house crowing. Often, I would feel eyes on me as I would sit sewing and would turn to see all five of them peering in the window of my sewing room. 

Each time I went outside, they would run straight towards me because they thought I was going to feed them. It was a bit unnerving, especially when they would decide to become aggressive. Each time that they would ruffle up their feathers and begin to attack, I would grab a stick and every single one of those roosters would let out a squawk and head in the opposite direction! They were not as tough as they appeared.

I'm reminded of the verse in James 4:7 ~ "Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  The enemy loves to make us think he is tougher than he is.  He wants you to think he has power. He whips up your fears and anxieties and does anything he can to keep your eyes off the Lord. But he has absolutely no power over you! Not one word that comes out of his mouth is true. Stand firm against him and as this verse says, he will turn around and run!

Verse 8 says, "Come close to God and God will come close to you."  When you are feeling stressed, fearful, and anxious draw close into the Lord. Unlike the devil, God pulls you in closer to Himself and comforts you and removes the fear. He will protect and ease your anxiety. 

I want to encourage you today to stand up to the lies of our enemy. When you do that, he lets out a squawk and runs the opposite way.