Have You Been Working Out?

I spent this past weekend in Atlanta, GA with three other ladies for a revival led by Anne Graham Lotz, Jill Briscoe, and Kay Arthur. Oh what a joy it was to revel in the presence of the LORD and sit at the feet of such wonderful, spirit-filled teachers. The chosen moniker for the revival, and the resounding cry through the day and a half that we spent together, was “Just Give Me Jesus!” To hear Anne say this was like listening to her Daddy. Anne’s gift seemed to be encouragement, inspiration and focus. Over and over she implored us to focus our attention on Jesus. We were directed to focus our attention, and indeed our very life, on our LORD Jesus Christ.

“...whatever things are true, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report...” Philippians 4:8

...we are given a formula for success. It has been made increasingly clear to me over the past few months that whatever we think, whatever we expect, will have a significant impact on our lives.

Jill’s gift was in teaching the how’s and power of prayer. We spent nearly two hours praying in small groups of three and four’s as Jill led the direction of our prayers. We started with ourselves and thanked God for who He was specifically in our own lives. Then we dealt with unconfessed sin. After that it was onto our immediate family, then our extended family, etc. It was a truly powerful time!

The times that we find our steps faltering and our spirits lagging, we can usually trace it back to a deficient prayer life. Have you gotten so caught up in busyness that you let your prayer life suffer? This is the answer to whatever is plaguing you. Prayer! Just take the time to seek our Father’s face and He will direct you. Whether it be trouble in your homeschool, trouble in your marriage, trouble with aging parents, all can be solved with the righteous prayers of a saint focused on God and His will. In doing so, you must relinquish control of these problem areas to God. If there is trouble, your way obviously is not working. Won’t you let God work His perfection in your life?

Saturday after lunch, Kay taught us how to do an inductive Bible study. Inductive study is a four step process; observation - finding the who, what, when, where, why and how. Interpretation - discerning what it means. Application - what is God telling you to believe. Transformation - changing my mind. I’m going to walk differently and live differently.

As I have shared with you so often, children learn much more by example than they do from our sermons and lectures. They lack the ability to take the last two steps in the process; those of application and transformation. I was challenged to make my words more honoring to my LORD instead of cause for embarrassment. What comes out when you are jostled? Is your mind and heart focused on those things of Philippians 4:8? Or does the old, sinful man come rushing to the forefront when you are jostled, ready to take charged and control the situation? Have you crucified your ‘self’ in Christ so that it is not you who lives, but Christ in you?

As I watched and learned from these ladies it occured to me that all three were very energetic teachers. All three of these ladies were definitely over forty and Kay Arthur admitted to being sixty-six. How in the world did they have the strength and energy to teach in this way for so long? Here I am in my mid-thirties and I got tired just watching them! I needed to know what was lacking in me!

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In many places in the Bible we see references to working out, illusions to sports and an athletic life-style. The Bible starts with God resting from His work in Genesis 2:2 and continues with such references until we reach The Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20 where all are judged according to their works. Many times in the writings of Paul we see Christians likened to athletes as we run this race with endurance striving toward the prize which is ours in Christ Jesus. This striving gives the illusion of one reaching forward, straining towards the desired end. Does this describe you?

So what about you? Have you been working out? First and foremost have you continued to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling? This is not to say that you can do anything to earn it or lose it once Jesus Christ has called you according to His purpose. But God prepared works for each one of us before the foundations of the world were laid. As homeschoolers, one of the works that God prepared for us is to disciple our children, to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the LORD, to teach them the tools of learning so

“Time is so short that it behooves us each to lay out our days to what it seems to us will give the widest and surest return in God’s kingdom...” I. Lilias Trotter

Back to you mom. Are you daily rising above the sin and shame in your past or is Satan using every trick in his book to keep you discouraged. Jesus despised the shame and not only rose above it, He went all the way to Heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father. No, we can’t just go to Heaven right now, but we can set that as our goal and strive with every fiber of our being to reach it.

Now in regards to sin I am not really talking about those deep dark secrets that pop up from time to time. It is definitely true that these must be dealt with. These are the buried sins that only you and God know about. Do take care of those! I am talking of the sins of yesterday, the past week, the past school year. The Bible tells us that...

Do you believe that? Are you in Christ Jesus? Do you keep your God in a box, limiting Him by your own weaknesses or do you really believe every word of your Bible? Yes? Well then live it! Live and walk in the victory of the cross. Don’t dwell on the empty promises and what if’s of Satan’s torment. Don’t let Satan keep you so busy looking over the mistakes of the past that you have lost your vision for the future. Have you written your vision for each child for this school year? If not, now is the time.

Whether your historical vision is your own mistakes or the offenses of others, forgive and let go. It is not your place to deal with the sin of others - unless it is to help your child gain the forgivness and repentance that will cleanse their conscious.

Your place is to forgive as you have been forgiven and get over it. There is so much more to life than looking and living in the past. Forgive and forget. Not just those who have hurt you, but yourself. Most guilt-ridden people are berating themselves for past mistakes and misspoken words. Forgive yourself for these things then get over yourself!

If you are starting sentences with “I deserve, I need, I want” or any such other self-centered phrases you need to get over yourself. Is this the example that our LORD set before us? I think not! By setting your mind on those things of the past you have taken God off the throne of your life and set your troubles and worries in His place.

God is big enough to deal with anything you can dish out. You can’t surprise Him, but you can trust Him. Set your mind on higher things, the things of God. Will you let Him take control?

This always makes me mindful of the swimmer in the lake who has a sudden cramp and is sinking below the surface of the water. Can’t you just see the desperate hand thrust above the water, searching for one last chance for help? God is the God of the waters and the seas. It is He who controls the storm. With one word He can silence the tempest that has beset your life. But is it always for your best that the storm is stopped? I would have to say a resounding no.

If God has allowed a storm to come into your life seek the lesson to be learned. Ask Him to show you the lesson intended and get serious about learning from this storm.

Remember Peter? When he had his eyes on our LORD he could walk on the very water that moments later threatened to take his life. What was the difference? Fear. Fear is what caused him to sink below the surface and thrust forth that last hand toward salvation from the LORD. Jesus was right there, close enough to reach out and take Peter's hand, and yet Peter allowed fear to sink his faith. Will you be sunk by sin or will you put your life in His control and keep your gaze on your Saviour?

Have you advanced your walk step by step? An athlete must build his strength by patient, continued exercise. The exercise must be completed faithfully and habitually. So must our patient faith be built. As we reach plateaus where the step of faith is easy and natural we will be given an even stronger trial that will stretch our faith and we must take a harder step. Each trial is an opportunity to be conformed to Christ.

1 Peter 2:6-8 says, “Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,’ and

How can this happen? Simply by filling our minds with the things of this world and casting about for answers instead of turning to the Truth. How many people have you asked advice of before you turned to your God. Is your God the God of Truth or is it a person, a curriculum, a philosophy? Are you a slave to a textbook, an opinion or a deep-seated conviction? Perhaps peer pressure induced you to choose a curriculum that is not right for your child.

Homeschool mothers have a tendancy to believe what is right for their children is the only curriculum that works. But that is not so! If your chosen, popular, wonderful curriculum is inducing tears and defiance instead of interest, intellectual stimulation, and delight; change your curriculum. Or, better yet, take the principles and precepts from your text and apply them in real life. There is wisdom in a multitude of counselors and God sends veteran homeschoolers and Titus 2 women into your life to guide and instruct you, but listen to this, Scripture interprets Scripture. Test all advice and counsel against Scripture. If it doesn’t measure up, can it! The truth will always stand up to testing.

Also, check with your husband. Many times they can see the facts that are clouded by our emotions and desire to not hurt feelings. Women are much more prone to wavering than men are.

What is the Truth? The Truth is Jesus Christ, the Truth is the Word of God. In 1 Peter 1:22 we are instructed to purify our minds by obeying the Truth. Did you know the greatest elimination organ of your body is your skin? By exercising our bodies to the point of perspiration we are helping our bodies to eliminate impurities that have been introduced. By the same token by exercising our faith, following the truth of Scripture we can begin to identify and eliminate the impurities that have entered our minds, hearts and souls through worldly influences.

By purifying our minds by obeying the truth, we will love others through the Spirit, not just a surface emotional love, but a fervent love that comes only from God. This is not a conditional love that depends on circumstances, this love does not change during the trials and testing of busy times and discouragement. Speaking of discouragement...have you ever wondered if God really does love you? Just look to the cross!

Don’t let the Truth become a stumbling block of offense in your life! School your children in this truth! I have heard of people and schools who teach the test when it comes time for the SAT’s. Let’s take that out of the physical relm and move it to the spiritual. Teach the test dear friends! When they are confounded and discouraged because confusion has come into their lessons, stop! God is not the author of confusion so we can pretty well figure out who is the cause of this moment. Take this moment and bow your heads to pray away the confusion.

Ask God to take the veil off of these lessons and reveal them in simplicity and a new light. You will be surprised at the difference a few moments of faith-filled prayer can make. By doing so you take the victory from Satan and give it to Jesus.

Do you struggle in a sea of despair and discouragement? Has your vision for your homeschool not been realized? Do you dread each day as the alarm clock goes off knowing that the inevitable fights will begin when you drag out the math books and writing assignments? It doesn’t have to be so! Check your foundation. What is your purpose for using this book or this curriculum? Was your decision based on God’s will? Were you in submission to your leader when you chose this path? Jesus said to build our house on a firm foundation, the rock. As we walk away from Him and His way, our path will quickly deteriorate into sinking sand.

Are you sinking? Do a check up! Before we can work out or run a race we need to have a check up. Perhaps a check up is in order for you. Jesus Christ is our bridge over troubled waters. Prayer is our link with an immeasurable supply of answers and strength. Pray now and ask Him to show you the way back to sure footing and smooth waters.

Psalm 116:1-2, “I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.”

Just as our legs tire when we do repeated squats, so will our spirit tire as we fight repeated thrusts from the enemy. It makes me think of two men sword fighting. Each taking the measure of his opponent before he executes his plan. When we are dealing with Satan we are fighting a defeated foe. But don’t let your guard down! Only a day covered in prayer, a family surrounded by an army of angels, and a Christian adorned in full armour can resist the devil and watch him flee. Having a bad day? Call your Moses, your favourite prayer partner and ask them to join you in prayer, they will be glad to help and will consider it an honor to be trusted with your trials.

As we don the breastplate of righteousness we look to the author and finisher of our faith. It is only in Him that our way is lighted, our footsteps are established and our walk is firm.

“It is far easier to die than to lay down the life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling...salvation is easy because it cost God so much, but the manifestation of it in my life is difficult...(Jesus said in John 15:15, ‘but I have called you My friends.’) Stand loyal to your Friend, and remember that His honour is at stake in your bodily life.”

Gosh, it sounds so easy, doesn’t it? But that living faith, that causes us to trust in the LORD, is constantly under attack. Our efforts to heed the Word on a daily basis, to take up our cross and follow Him, our attempts to die to self moment by moment require a superhuman, Spirit charged will. This is not and never will be easy. But as we triumph in being a friend to our Dear LORD we are truly happy. As we press on towards the mark our small successes become cherished and feed our desire to please our LORD. When we find our joy, our pleasure, in THESE things we find the meaning of true happiness. Attacks from Satan then become assurances that we are indeed on the right path. The narrow way seems more like the road to glory than a steep, rocky path.

It is not by chance that we consider these illustrations today. September brings the start of a new school year and a marathon for many parents. Look at these verses and learn with me the way to persevere on tough days and to gain victory after victory for our Dear LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ. May God bless your home today as you strive to glorify His name and train your children according to His will.

This article is copyrighted by Mary E. Woodis. If you would like to print this article in whole or part in your publication please Jessie and Mary Woodis at jessiew@hiwaay.net for permission and more details.


	Crooked Pines Ministries Articles by Mary E. Woodis Have You Been Working Out? Have You Been Working Out? BY: Mary E. Woodis I spent this past weekend in Atlanta, GA with three other ladies for a revival led by Anne Graham Lotz, Jill Briscoe, and Kay Arthur. Oh what a joy it was to revel in the presence of the LORD and sit at the feet of such wonderful, spirit-filled teachers. The chosen moniker for the revival, and the resounding cry through the day and a half that we spent together, was “Just Give Me Jesus!” To hear Anne say this was like listening to her Daddy. Anne’s gift seemed to be encouragement, inspiration and focus. Over and over she implored us to focus our attention on Jesus. We were directed to focus our attention, and indeed our very life, on our LORD Jesus Christ. Psalm 100:5 tells us, “The LORD is good; His truth endures to all generations.” When we are told to think on... “...whatever things are true, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report...” Philippians 4:8 ...we are given a formula for success. It has been made increasingly clear to me over the past few months that whatever we think, whatever we expect, will have a significant impact on our lives. Jill’s gift was in teaching the how’s and power of prayer. We spent nearly two hours praying in small groups of three and four’s as Jill led the direction of our prayers. We started with ourselves and thanked God for who He was specifically in our own lives. Then we dealt with unconfessed sin. After that it was onto our immediate family, then our extended family, etc. It was a truly powerful time! The times that we find our steps faltering and our spirits lagging, we can usually trace it back to a deficient prayer life. Have you gotten so caught up in busyness that you let your prayer life suffer? This is the answer to whatever is plaguing you. Prayer! Just take the time to seek our Father’s face and He will direct you. Whether it be trouble in your homeschool, trouble in your marriage, trouble with aging parents, all can be solved with the righteous prayers of a saint focused on God and His will. In doing so, you must relinquish control of these problem areas to God. If there is trouble, your way obviously is not working. Won’t you let God work His perfection in your life? Saturday after lunch, Kay taught us how to do an inductive Bible study. Inductive study is a four step process; observation - finding the who, what, when, where, why and how. Interpretation - discerning what it means. Application - what is God telling you to believe. Transformation - changing my mind. I’m going to walk differently and live differently. One of the most soul stirring things she said was this, “We need men who are studying the Word of God more than women, so that when they are jostled they will spill out the Word of God.” Kay Arthur It reminded me of a cup of water and inspired me to become more like this. As I have shared with you so often, children learn much more by example than they do from our sermons and lectures. They lack the ability to take the last two steps in the process; those of application and transformation. I was challenged to make my words more honoring to my LORD instead of cause for embarrassment. What comes out when you are jostled? Is your mind and heart focused on those things of Philippians 4:8? Or does the old, sinful man come rushing to the forefront when you are jostled, ready to take charged and control the situation? Have you crucified your ‘self’ in Christ so that it is not you who lives, but Christ in you? As I watched and learned from these ladies it occured to me that all three were very energetic teachers. All three of these ladies were definitely over forty and Kay Arthur admitted to being sixty-six. How in the world did they have the strength and energy to teach in this way for so long? Here I am in my mid-thirties and I got tired just watching them! I needed to know what was lacking in me! Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” In many places in the Bible we see references to working out, illusions to sports and an athletic life-style. The Bible starts with God resting from His work in Genesis 2:2 and continues with such references until we reach The Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20 where all are judged according to their works. Many times in the writings of Paul we see Christians likened to athletes as we run this race with endurance striving toward the prize which is ours in Christ Jesus. This striving gives the illusion of one reaching forward, straining towards the desired end. Does this describe you? So what about you? Have you been working out? First and foremost have you continued to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling? This is not to say that you can do anything to earn it or lose it once Jesus Christ has called you according to His purpose. But God prepared works for each one of us before the foundations of the world were laid. As homeschoolers, one of the works that God prepared for us is to disciple our children, to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the LORD, to teach them the tools of learning so “while their education is not complete, it is ensured.” Charlotte Mason. Are you equipping your children with the inspiring ideas from Scripture, the desire to know more and the way to find it out for themselves? “Time is so short that it behooves us each to lay out our days to what it seems to us will give the widest and surest return in God’s kingdom...” I. Lilias Trotter Back to you mom. Are you daily rising above the sin and shame in your past or is Satan using every trick in his book to keep you discouraged. Jesus despised the shame and not only rose above it, He went all the way to Heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father. No, we can’t just go to Heaven right now, but we can set that as our goal and strive with every fiber of our being to reach it. Now in regards to sin I am not really talking about those deep dark secrets that pop up from time to time. It is definitely true that these must be dealt with. These are the buried sins that only you and God know about. Do take care of those! I am talking of the sins of yesterday, the past week, the past school year. The Bible tells us that... Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Do you believe that? Are you in Christ Jesus? Do you keep your God in a box, limiting Him by your own weaknesses or do you really believe every word of your Bible? Yes? Well then live it! Live and walk in the victory of the cross. Don’t dwell on the empty promises and what if’s of Satan’s torment. Don’t let Satan keep you so busy looking over the mistakes of the past that you have lost your vision for the future. Have you written your vision for each child for this school year? If not, now is the time. Whether your historical vision is your own mistakes or the offenses of others, forgive and let go. It is not your place to deal with the sin of others - unless it is to help your child gain the forgivness and repentance that will cleanse their conscious. Your place is to forgive as you have been forgiven and get over it. There is so much more to life than looking and living in the past. Forgive and forget. Not just those who have hurt you, but yourself. Most guilt-ridden people are berating themselves for past mistakes and misspoken words. Forgive yourself for these things then get over yourself! If you are starting sentences with “I deserve, I need, I want” or any such other self-centered phrases you need to get over yourself. Is this the example that our LORD set before us? I think not! By setting your mind on those things of the past you have taken God off the throne of your life and set your troubles and worries in His place. God is big enough to deal with anything you can dish out. You can’t surprise Him, but you can trust Him. Set your mind on higher things, the things of God. Will you let Him take control? This always makes me mindful of the swimmer in the lake who has a sudden cramp and is sinking below the surface of the water. Can’t you just see the desperate hand thrust above the water, searching for one last chance for help? God is the God of the waters and the seas. It is He who controls the storm. With one word He can silence the tempest that has beset your life. But is it always for your best that the storm is stopped? I would have to say a resounding no. If God has allowed a storm to come into your life seek the lesson to be learned. Ask Him to show you the lesson intended and get serious about learning from this storm. Remember Peter? When he had his eyes on our LORD he could walk on the very water that moments later threatened to take his life. What was the difference? Fear. Fear is what caused him to sink below the surface and thrust forth that last hand toward salvation from the LORD. Jesus was right there, close enough to reach out and take Peter's hand, and yet Peter allowed fear to sink his faith. Will you be sunk by sin or will you put your life in His control and keep your gaze on your Saviour? Salvation is from the LORD and as saved people we can walk out our life in victory, running the race set before us. Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Have you advanced your walk step by step? An athlete must build his strength by patient, continued exercise. The exercise must be completed faithfully and habitually. So must our patient faith be built. As we reach plateaus where the step of faith is easy and natural we will be given an even stronger trial that will stretch our faith and we must take a harder step. Each trial is an opportunity to be conformed to Christ. Has the Cornerstone of your faith become a stumbling block of foolishness out of lack of understanding on your part? 1 Peter 2:6-8 says, “Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.” How can this happen? Simply by filling our minds with the things of this world and casting about for answers instead of turning to the Truth. How many people have you asked advice of before you turned to your God. Is your God the God of Truth or is it a person, a curriculum, a philosophy? Are you a slave to a textbook, an opinion or a deep-seated conviction? Perhaps peer pressure induced you to choose a curriculum that is not right for your child. Homeschool mothers have a tendancy to believe what is right for their children is the only curriculum that works. But that is not so! If your chosen, popular, wonderful curriculum is inducing tears and defiance instead of interest, intellectual stimulation, and delight; change your curriculum. Or, better yet, take the principles and precepts from your text and apply them in real life. There is wisdom in a multitude of counselors and God sends veteran homeschoolers and Titus 2 women into your life to guide and instruct you, but listen to this, Scripture interprets Scripture. Test all advice and counsel against Scripture. If it doesn’t measure up, can it! The truth will always stand up to testing. Also, check with your husband. Many times they can see the facts that are clouded by our emotions and desire to not hurt feelings. Women are much more prone to wavering than men are. What is the Truth? The Truth is Jesus Christ, the Truth is the Word of God. In 1 Peter 1:22 we are instructed to purify our minds by obeying the Truth. Did you know the greatest elimination organ of your body is your skin? By exercising our bodies to the point of perspiration we are helping our bodies to eliminate impurities that have been introduced. By the same token by exercising our faith, following the truth of Scripture we can begin to identify and eliminate the impurities that have entered our minds, hearts and souls through worldly influences. By purifying our minds by obeying the truth, we will love others through the Spirit, not just a surface emotional love, but a fervent love that comes only from God. This is not a conditional love that depends on circumstances, this love does not change during the trials and testing of busy times and discouragement. Speaking of discouragement...have you ever wondered if God really does love you? Just look to the cross! “The cross is the ultimate expression of love” said Charles Stanley. He also said, “If we respond properly to disappointments, God will turn our disappointments into something fantastic.” Our behaviour does not affect God’s love for us. Isn’t that reassuring? Don’t let the Truth become a stumbling block of offense in your life! School your children in this truth! I have heard of people and schools who teach the test when it comes time for the SAT’s. Let’s take that out of the physical relm and move it to the spiritual. Teach the test dear friends! When they are confounded and discouraged because confusion has come into their lessons, stop! God is not the author of confusion so we can pretty well figure out who is the cause of this moment. Take this moment and bow your heads to pray away the confusion. “The Holy Spirit is our resident tutor” says Kay Arthur. Ask God to take the veil off of these lessons and reveal them in simplicity and a new light. You will be surprised at the difference a few moments of faith-filled prayer can make. By doing so you take the victory from Satan and give it to Jesus. Do you struggle in a sea of despair and discouragement? Has your vision for your homeschool not been realized? Do you dread each day as the alarm clock goes off knowing that the inevitable fights will begin when you drag out the math books and writing assignments? It doesn’t have to be so! Check your foundation. What is your purpose for using this book or this curriculum? Was your decision based on God’s will? Were you in submission to your leader when you chose this path? Jesus said to build our house on a firm foundation, the rock. As we walk away from Him and His way, our path will quickly deteriorate into sinking sand. Are you sinking? Do a check up! Before we can work out or run a race we need to have a check up. Perhaps a check up is in order for you. Jesus Christ is our bridge over troubled waters. Prayer is our link with an immeasurable supply of answers and strength. Pray now and ask Him to show you the way back to sure footing and smooth waters. Remember the words of the Psalmist in: Psalm 116:1-2, “I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” Oh dear ones, don’t ever stop crying out to Him when you feel fear and pressure closing in on you! Just as our legs tire when we do repeated squats, so will our spirit tire as we fight repeated thrusts from the enemy. It makes me think of two men sword fighting. Each taking the measure of his opponent before he executes his plan. When we are dealing with Satan we are fighting a defeated foe. But don’t let your guard down! Only a day covered in prayer, a family surrounded by an army of angels, and a Christian adorned in full armour can resist the devil and watch him flee. Having a bad day? Call your Moses, your favourite prayer partner and ask them to join you in prayer, they will be glad to help and will consider it an honor to be trusted with your trials. As we don the breastplate of righteousness we look to the author and finisher of our faith. It is only in Him that our way is lighted, our footsteps are established and our walk is firm. In “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers I read the following: “It is far easier to die than to lay down the life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling...salvation is easy because it cost God so much, but the manifestation of it in my life is difficult...(Jesus said in John 15:15, ‘but I have called you My friends.’) Stand loyal to your Friend, and remember that His honour is at stake in your bodily life.” Proverbs 16:20, says “He who heeds the Word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.” Gosh, it sounds so easy, doesn’t it? But that living faith, that causes us to trust in the LORD, is constantly under attack. Our efforts to heed the Word on a daily basis, to take up our cross and follow Him, our attempts to die to self moment by moment require a superhuman, Spirit charged will. This is not and never will be easy. But as we triumph in being a friend to our Dear LORD we are truly happy. As we press on towards the mark our small successes become cherished and feed our desire to please our LORD. When we find our joy, our pleasure, in THESE things we find the meaning of true happiness. Attacks from Satan then become assurances that we are indeed on the right path. The narrow way seems more like the road to glory than a steep, rocky path. It is not by chance that we consider these illustrations today. September brings the start of a new school year and a marathon for many parents. Look at these verses and learn with me the way to persevere on tough days and to gain victory after victory for our Dear LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ. May God bless your home today as you strive to glorify His name and train your children according to His will. Back to the top This article is copyrighted by Mary E. Woodis. If you would like to print this article in whole or part in your publication please Jessie and Mary Woodis at jessiew@hiwaay.net for permission and more details. Crooked Pines Publishing Jessie and Mary Woodis 1365 County Road 74 Florence, AL 35633 jessiew@hiwaay.net Page last updated July 2004