SHIELDED
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for sending the Holy Spirit to guard us from bad ideas. Please help us to listen this day. Amen.
Scripture: My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.2 Samuel 22:3 NASB
One popular comic strip has one of the children “fill in” for his dad on Father’s day. The comic is written and drawn usually by the oldest son. Imagine my surprise when my eleven-year-old son, Chandler asked if he could write a devotional. I hesitated (a lot). Then, thinking that I could somehow use his theme and have him feel helpful somewhere in the process, I told him to go write one and we would look at it together. Turns out that he did not need my help – the following is his devotional. Please indulge a proud mom as I try to nurture his desire to serve God.
Viruses are being sent all around the World Wide Web, and you have to be very cautious not to download them into your computer.
Last summer our school district computers had to be left on over the summer because a virus was in their e-mail system. They had to leave the computers on because a virus uses the time you boot up (turn on your computer) to hack into your systems and tell your computer to do something different than it is supposed to do. The shield that they had installed on the computer detected and finally removed the virus so that they could run normally again.
Satan tries to “hack” into our lives and tell us to sin against God. The Holy Spirit is the shield that God has installed in us to detect and remove Satan and his viruses.
Today’s verse tells us that God will keep us safe and strong. He also is willing to forgive us when we do download sin into our lives.
What kind of tools is Satan using to try to hack into your student’s lives? Video games, movies, inappropriate clothes and ungodly friends are some of his favorite viruses. Do not let Satan’s virus tell you to do something different than God has designed you to do.
Copyright Kathy and Chandler Branzell. Email [email protected]
I hope that Chandler will share that message with his classmates!! Wonderful, contemporary picture to illustrate spiritual truth!
Thank you Chandler. Your devotional is on target and we all need to guard against the viruses brought by Satan and his demonic henchmen into our lives.
I am thankful to God that He continues to encourage both the young and the old in our walk with Him even during the darkest of days.