By Shelly Burke, Editor
For
the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to
destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised
against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…” 2 Corin. 10:5
My thoughts, especially in the middle of the night, can take
me to scary places. “What if I lose my
jobs—both of them…can’t get another nursing job of any kind anywhere in the
whole state (or country!)… and I eat alllllllllll of the food in my
cupboards….still don’t have a job so get evicted…and my Envoy breaks down….so I
have to have it towed down by the river so I can live in an Envoy, down by the
river…?(Like whatever that song is, about “ living in a van, down by the river”).
Or, even darker…”What
if I can’t get insurance when our COBRA runs out…and then I get cancer (I’ve
had two friends diagnosed with breast cancer in the last few weeks)…and I’m all alone…and NONE of my friends
will take me to ANY appointments…and anyway I’m living in my broken-down Envoy,
down by the river…”
OK, in the bright light of day, and even during the night, I
realize how ridiculous these thoughts are. For one thing I am blessed with many wonderful friends who would help me
out, just as I would help them. But I
think everyone has had those dark and racing thoughts at some point—especially
during a time of transition and in the dark of night.
I think the devil likes us to have these thoughts—he wants
us to live in fear, both to take away our joy of living, and to make us doubt what
we know about God, and the promises that God has given us.
What Paul is telling us here is that we have more than just
ourselves—our flesh—to fight these thoughts. We do not have to do it alone! We
have the divine power of the Holy Spirit, working through God’s Word, the Holy
Bible, on our side, to dispute these thoughts. We can look to His word and
destroy the thoughts that are contrary to what we know of God.
And what does God’s word say about His character and His
promises to us?
“Be strong
and courageous. Do not be afraid
or terrified…for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
“And He will give His angels
charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”
Psalm 91:11
“Cast all your anxiety upon
the Lord because He cares for you!”
1 Peter 5:7
Pray to be discerning, to be able to tell when your thoughts
are going into those dark places. When dark thoughts enter your mind, take them
captive. Compare them to what you know about God and about His Word. Claim His
promises. Accept His peace.
For FREE verse cards of the above verses, e-mail your
request to shelly@shellyburke.net. I’ll
get the verse cards in the mail to you, to encourage you when those dark
thoughts intrude on the peace that God wants you to have, in Him.
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Shelly is also
the author of the book “Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom’s Guide to
Caring for Herself, Her Family, and Her Home. Click to find out more!
