|
GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #400 January 31, 2002 Veil of Ice One morning earlier this winter, the dog and I were taking our usual walk around the lake. We had finished feeding the ducks and continued along the shoreline. A thin skin of ice had formed over many of the shallow parts of the lake, barely thick enough to be noticed. Under the ice I could make the out form of several small trout. Normally the trout are quite skittish and would have taken off at the first sight of me. The ice must have impaired their vision enough that they weren’t aware of my presence. Only a thin veil prevented them from being aware of my presence and the potential danger I might have posed. That layer of ice reminds me of the veil that separates the "natural" world from the "spirit" world. I think if we could roll back that veil for a few moments and see the battle that is going on for people’s souls we would be terrified. Many artists have tried to capture the essence on canvas of what that world must be like. Many writers like Frank Peretti have tried to paint word pictures of what goes on there. The fact that we can’t see the spiritual battle doesn’t make it any less dangerous. The trout didn’t see me and I could have easily reached down and grabbed them. Our "natural" world is only a small component of reality. Our sense of time is only a small segment of eternity. We play a small part in both, but we serve a God who is above it all and who reigns supreme. When we get frustrated by sin, by other people or by what goes on in the world, let’s remember who we are really fighting against. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12 NIV Perhaps the underlying reason that Jesus told us to pray for our enemies is simply that our enemies are not who we perceive them to be through "natural" eyes. Next time you come up against enemies in your life, remember who you are really fighting and put of the full armour of God Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:13-18 NIV Until next time, may your eyes be opened to the reality of what is going on around you. May you see through the veil. God bless. Kevin To share your thoughts on this issue of Gleanings, or to share prayer concerns email us at corbin_writer@hotmail.com. or write us at : Gleanings From The Word 114 Oak Street Sherwood Park, AB Canada, T8A 0V8 At Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential. If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page on our website
© 2001 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin All Rights Reserved SUBSCRIBE TO GLEANINGS FOR FREE
|
||||