Blog Layout
You are Protected
Andrea Lende • March 16, 2021
II Thessalonians 2:3 and 13
You are Protected
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/You-are-Protected-esoks3
II Thessalonians 2:3 and 13
“Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one].”
“And as for you, brethren, do not become weary or lose heart in doing right [but continue in well-doing without weakening].”
At a time when everyone is looking for reprieve, these words are powerful.
The Lord will strengthen us as difficulties try to rob us of our strength.
The Lord will guard us as the enemy tries to divert our attention away from His beauty.
I needed to read those words today.
You may have needed them as well.
For we are not just dealing with just the difficulties of this world, but we are dealing enemy advances made from the spiritual realm as well.
There are so many struggles that come up for us every day and they just keep coming.
There doesn’t seem to be a reprieve.
So, I take comfort in our passages today.
I take comfort knowing the Lord is faithful and He will strengthen me as I have need.
He will set me high above the trials and tribulations of this world and protect me from the enemy.
Believing these words makes it possible for me to keep moving through the difficulties.
For it is not in my own strength that I am able.
It is through God’s strength.
Our second passage then becomes possible.
Paul tells us to not tire or lose our ability to do the right thing.
Sometimes we just want to give up.
It can just get to be too much for us to handle.
I believe this is why the Bible tells us over and over and over about the strength of the Lord.
We are encouraged again and again.
And we need that encouragement to move forward in the face of adversity.
We need to know the Lord is watching over us and strengthening us.
It enables us to keep pushing through the darkness and move into Light.
And as we move into the Light, we find God’s best for us.
Today I choose to rely on the Lord and His strength to continue to do the right things and walk into His Light.
May you find the Lord is strengthening you and protecting you so that you are able to continue to do the right thing even when it seems hard.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me You watch over me and protect me from the enemy. Thank You for reminding me that You are my Strength. Thank You for encouraging me to keep moving through the storm even when it seems difficult. Lord You are my Strength and my Hope. You are my Deliverer. In all things You stand beside me and lift me up. You carry me when I can go no further. You are the Prize as I move through the darkness and into the Light. May Your Light shine on the path You desire me to follow. Help me be obedient to You in every way. Help me see the beauty that surrounds me. Help me see You work and the miracles You do in my life every day. Don’t let me miss You Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the Light you shall follow My child, and I will illuminate the path for you.
Response: Thank You, Almighty and gracious Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.