May 8, 2024 Devo

There was a great old story about a preacher’s wife who bought an overly expensive dress one day. When she came home and showed her husband, he said, “Yes dear, it’s very pretty, but why did you buy it? It’s more than we can afford!” “I know,” she replied. “But when I put it on and looked in the mirror, I heard the Devil say, ‘You look AMAZING in that dress!’” Her husband scoffed and said, “Then why didn’t you rebuke that Devil and say, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan!’”? “I did!” the wife replied. “Well then, what happened?” the preacher asked. The wife said, “Then I heard the Devil say, ‘It looks good from back here, too!’”
Sometimes the Devil has more pull on us than we care to admit. In fact, many of us could probably testify that it was either the overestimating of our own strength or the underestimating of the Enemy’s pull that has gotten us in trouble from time to time. When we do either of those things, we will put ourselves in situations that overcome us. I had a friend who once told me, “I can’t go to buffets. I make bad choices when I go to buffets.” Can I get an “Amen,” somebody?!
Jesus knows that we are just dust. He also knows that our Enemy is crafty and shrewd. The Devil knows our weaknesses. He knows where our Achilles’ Heel is. He knows if he can get us in the right place, under the right circumstances, he has a good shot of dragging us down. So Jesus teaches us this prayer of humility. It is a prayer that acknowledges our humanity and one that confesses our dependence upon God. HE is our strength. HE is our shield. HE is our deliverer. We cannot do battle with the Enemy out of our own strength and hope to live a victorious life. We need the power and presence of God’s Spirit. We are only overcomers through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Today, why not take a moment and humble your heart before the Lord. Be open with God about what your weaknesses and struggles are. Confess to Him that you know that He alone is your victory. Ask for His protection. Ask for His wisdom and awareness. And as you head out the door, cling to Him with all you have. What you can’t do out of your strength, God CAN DO through you in His Strength. Oh yeah, and stay away from the buffets! That’s God’s Word for you today.