A Sword.  As you prepare to do battle, recognizing your opponent is crucial.  Unfortunately, many of us suffer loss and waste strength when we cause injury by friendly fire. To be productive we must use the Sword with caution.  We must identify our target and wield our Sword with care. Far too often the result is collateral damage.

Often our blows are felt by someone the adversary has taken captive, the adversary does indeed have them captive. There are no walls or bars but the bondage is stronger than anything physical could be.  They live under the lie that God does not love them.  This lie is reinforced by our actions when we injure them.  When we are identified as Christians and act in a cruel way, to them we reinforce the lie.

The truth is simple, they are only a messenger, and they are not the enemy.  The message they are delivering is “We live in a fallen world.”  In a fallen world we will be mistreated, lied to, robbed, abused and some will even suffer death.  As we receive the message our response is crucial.  We need to let them know and experience the truth, there is hope and the hope lies in Jesus.  Jesus loves those messengers.

They are in our reach but due to the blow we deliver, instead of them accepting cover and protection under the sword, they seek cover in the enemy camp.

To speak plainly, when someone offends us we strike with words driving them farther from the Word of God.  They were a captive, forced to deliver the message.

The truth, we would rather forget, is sobering, we once ourselves stood in those shoes of being a messenger.  We are born again and a new creation.  But before we were born again we were messengers.  We lived in darkness, we mistreated, robbed, lied to, abused and at times we also caused death.  Make no mistake you were a messenger it is only by the blood of Christ that you were changed.  Now the choice is before you, will you continue to wound messengers or will you invite them into the loving arms of Christ to receive grace and love.

To be continued…..

Written by Joyce E Poggensee