Gray Days
Summer transitioning to fall gives me much
more difficulty than any other seasonal change. I mean, winter to spring is a
roller-coaster ride. I’m up when the air has warmed, but down when the skies
darken and snow flurries return. Still, I know magnificent spring is only days
away. Spring to summer is exciting and much easier. The warm weather just gets
warmer. I bask the beauty of God’s handiwork enjoying intense sunlight and
longer days. Fall to winter also doesn’t seem to affect me as much. I’ve
already become accustomed to less daylight and cooler temps and, of course,
holiday anticipation keeps me in high spirits.
Nevertheless, when the shorter, gray days of fall appear, I feel gloomy and down. I become
very introspective, thinking things need to change in my life, but not sure
what or how they should change. Sometimes, I seem to disengage, just going
through the motions of living.
Maybe some of you are like me. And if so, what
will it take for us to maintain lifted spirits and repel gray day
effects? Should we jump on the world’s band wagon and start planning
Hallowe’en parties; or should we do something to please and honor our Lord?
I think the latter. In fact, it’s in these
times I really need to read God’s Word all the more; expecting Him to speak and
listening very closely for His voice. Then, I must BELIEVE what He says.
Normally God’s Holy Word is my passion, but
when the gray days hit, I have trouble desiring to be in His Word. Life’s
trials easily divert my attention and Bible reading is almost a chore. But,
why?
Do you think Satan could be involved? I think,
yes. When we have difficulty absorbing the Word of God and hearing His voice,
you can be sure it’s a tactic of the enemy. Satan will use any method to thwart
God’s plan and get our eyes off the Savior. He will make us question who we are
in Christ and who Christ is in us.
Why is that? No doubt it’s because Satan
doesn’t want us to remember he’s already defeated and the lake of fire is his
future. Yet, I believe God uses Satan’s activity to purify and hone His Body,
the Church.
Even so, this enemy wants us frightened and
scared, thinking we will never escape his clutches. But that’s a lie, a fiery
dart deliberately shot. And, according
to Mark Altrogge, Senior Pastor, Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana, PA, these
fiery darts are Satan’s greatest weapons.[1]
So, let’s try to answer Pastor Mark’s
question: “How much power does Satan
really have?”[2]
In his article[3],
he references Job, indicating Satan’s power was limited to what God allowed in
Job’s life. What an amazing thought. Satan can only do to us what God has
allowed. Still, when you read Job, Satan caused immense damage. I certainly
wouldn’t want to suffer as Job did and I’m sure you agree.
So must we? Well, consider this: Job lived before Jesus died for our sin[4] and
before He gave us His name[5], His
power[6], and
His armor[7]. Job
lived before Jesus shared His inheritance[8]
and before Jesus granted believers authority to trample on serpents and
scorpions and over all the power of the enemy.[9]
Certainly, God allowed things in Job’s life to
prove a point to Satan, but mostly, I believe, to open Job’s spiritual eyes[10].
Still, I’m not saying that we
can avert calamity by rebuking Satan or that Satan initiates every calamity.
But what I am saying is, if gray days are
fueling spiritual distance from your heavenly Father, Satan and his minions are,
no doubt, somehow involved. So remember, you do not have to remain distant. You
can seek first His kingdom[11],
draw near to God[12] and
resist the devil[13],
because Jesus has overcome the world.[14]
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