Lord of the flies

Good Morning Friends!  Wise and Wonderful is our God Wednesday.  Last evening when I got home from work Kim and the boys were in the pool.  I walked over and said hi, then went in, changed my clothes and joined them.  I didn’t feel like getting in, but I happily sat on the deck sipping a cold drink enjoying watching my boys.  There was one problem…..the flies were terrible!  I mean tons of them all around, sticky ones landing on me and all of our drinks.  I covered up the boys cups with a towel, but the nasty flies were everywhere and bound and determined to annoy me, pushing me to the point of being angry…..As I sat angrily swatting at flies my thoughts were drawn to Pastor’s sermon on Sunday.  He read from Matthew 10 where Jesus is giving His disciples instructions as they go out and do HIS work….HE warned them that it wouldn’t be easy, mentioning Beelzebub (Old Testament)…New Testament, Beelzebul the word for devil…..the meaning of Beelzebub, “Lord of the flies.”  How apropos is that!!??  Oh my gosh, as I sat there getting more and more agitated with the nasty, pesky flies puking on our cups, undoubtedly leaving their brown specks everywhere I couldn’t help but acknowledge the definite connection between the devil and flies….OH how clever our Father is to name the fallen angel, “Lord of the flies.”  The devil does his best to agitate us, to provoke us to no good….and he is everywhere just like nasty flies.  He tempts us with all the things that our Father hates….sticky and nasty just like flies.  However, Jesus didn’t just drop them into the devils hands to fend for themselves…NO WAY….nor does he leave us on our own…No, Jesus tells us to watch out for the devil in 1 Peter 5:8-11, but declares He is with us….”Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion (or a nasty fly) looking for someone to devour (agitate, frustrate….)Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”   Our God loves us, “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  1 Corinthians 10:13.”  Yes, we will be tempted, pestered, agitated, frustrated, but if we stand firm in our faith, we will get through….Father, as you instruct us in Matthew 26:41, help us to, “Watch and pray so that we will not fall into temptation.  Our spirits are willing, but our bodies weak.”  Thank you Father, All glory and honor to You.

 

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strong hold of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26.

Love you all!