My cup of water went tumbling, spilling its almost full contents all over the passenger-side floorboard. It had already been a morning and I was currently running late for my doctor’s appointment.
Unable to stop at that moment, I glanced at the pool of water on the floor as I continued driving.
A few minutes later I arrived at the doctor’s office and quickly surveyed the contents of my floorboard. Being a mom of three, they are rarely clean and today was no exception. There was a box of tissues, a pen or two, several receipts and miscellaneous papers (all soaked) and then this—a shield of faith one of my kiddos made at church about a week ago.
I felt immediate disappointment for them, that this shield they’d worked hard on was ruined. But as I looked closer I couldn’t help but feel God nudge my heart reminding me of something I needed to remember this morning—to take up my shield of faith.
You see, I’ve been a little anxious about this appointment. Even driving down my mind was playing through “what if” scenarios. What if it’s this? What if it’s that? What will happen if this happens?
Ironically, I’m currently working through a study on worry and anxiety with our women’s group at church. The thing is, even when we know better, none of us are immune to worry and fear. It touches us all at some point.
As I looked more closely at the dampened poster board and smeared words, I couldn’t help but think it probably looks a bit like our true shields of faith—a little (or a lot) battle scarred. There are some scrapes and scratches, some dings and dents. But one thing is true…our shield of faith holds strong and true. It can never be destroyed because the object of our faith, Almighty God, is sure and faithful.
So whatever you face today, face it holding firm to your shield of faith so that you also will be able to withstand and extinguish all the arrows of the enemy.
The One in whom we have faith is mighty. He is trustworthy. He is able. And friends, He loves you and me. Let us hold fast to our shields of faith, trusting and resting in Him.
Ephesians 6:16 “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
