Psalm 3:3

You oh Lord are a shield about me.   

I seem to have cycles of seasons.  Which I suppose is normal for us exiles, or sojourners.    In one season I’m obedient in reading the word.   I listen to my daily reading plan, prayer and scripture are on the forefront of my mind.   Then I seem to get complacent and slack off of my reading or studying.   I drift off into a season of overthinking, panic, worry, trying to find fulfillment in worldly or fleshly things.  I don’t sleep well in this season.  Tonight this thought dawned on me.   I have not been in a place of righteousness the past week or so.   I have just gone through the work motions right away rather than starting my day with scripture.   I just woke up at 3 am with panicked thoughts and in my stooper the words and tune to a 90’s worship song came in my head.  

“You oh Lord are a shield about me, you oh Lord are my strength” it’s scripture.  Psalm 3 to be exact.  I instantly realized I had put my shield down somewhere in the last week or so.  I left myself vulnerable to the attacks of my enemy.  Wide open to worry and compromise on the things that satan knows he can tempt me with.   

I repent, I’m picking up my shield and my sword.  I pray that once I stop typing this thought out that I can close my eyes and drift off to sleep, knowing that I am safe and protected, no matter what things of this world bring at me.   Lord I give to you my anxious sinful thoughts and trade them for your peace and protection.  I realized tonight that spiritual warfare is constant and the only way to combat it is to be in the word.   Not out of legalism, but out of obedience and discipline.  I used to think we bring on spiritual warfare by doing good, tonight I see it a little differently.   We are in a world where we are foreigners, in a battle.  Our only hope is the Lord.