This isn't exactly finished so it won't be on my website for a few days. I
thought this might be of some encouragement to someone.
Peaches and Sourer Cream
By Phil Scovell
A close friend of mine recently told me about his peach tree.
He has only lived in this house for a couple of years. His wife
left him several months ago after divorcing him. No, she claims
to be a Christian. He bought the house, although he couldn't
afford it, to try and save his marriage. That's like having
children to save, or otherwise improve your marriage; it doesn't
work.
His peach tree, for the first time, had a single peach
hanging from one of its branches. For some reason, someone
planted the tree in the front yard. He has never seen peaches on
it before this season. No, he does nothing about pruning or
anything else so you can't expect more than one peach each year I
suppose.
Every day he came home, he checked the peach and watched it's
progress of growth and ripening. His moth watered as his
sensitive nose picked up the scent of the low hanging fruit. He
couldn't wait until it was perfectly ripe so he could enjoy its
flavor. He continually watched it daily with great anticipation
and desire in his heart.
finally the peach was ready to be picked, at least according
to how it looked, and as he climbed from his work truck and
walked to the tree that day, he saw that the peach had fallen from
the branch and lay on the ground, half squashed and rotting. I
had just purchased a box of 18 pounds of tree ripened peaches from
western Colorado where the peaches are so sweet and juicy, you
could stick a straw into one and suck the peach dry. I gave him
one to replace the one he had lost. I tried suggesting he take my
peach home and tape it to the low branch and watch it for a couple
of days to make up for his loss but he preferred to eat the peach
without taking a chance.
Have you ever felt that way spiritually? You've lived your
life dedicated to God in hopes of harvesting a blessing, just one
little meaningful blessing, due to your faithfulness to God and
then the worst happens, at least it sure feels that way. To top
it all of, somebody tosses in some sour cream on top of your
singular peach of a blessing. Your child dies, your best friend
forsakes you, you get cancer, your favorite pet has to be put to
sleep, you lose your job, your son or daughter runs away, your
baby dies at birth, your mate of 25 years divorces you, Your wife
has an affair, your 16 year old daughter becomes pregnant, a
sister refuses to speak to you any longer, you are permanently
disabled due to a car crash, prayers fail to be answered, both
your parents die, money runs short, bills pile up, your church
turns against you, a letter of audit from the IRS arrives in the
mail, you lose a credit card, your car gets stolen, or, the worst
of all, you suddenly realize you are growing old. Yes, I left out
dozens of other possibilities. Now there is no hope of the single
peach ever being enjoyed and all you wanted is just one good peach
of a blessing in your life time.
This is a common trick of the Enemy. He wants us to thing we
only get one good thing from God, normally it is our salvation,
and from then on, God's arm of blessing falls short. This is
real, of course, because God really doesn't love you all that much
in the first place. Oh, sure, God loved you enough to barely save
you but He isn't interested in the rest of your life and that's
why He doesn't provide for you in other ways. In fact, your lack
of received and experienced blessings is likely due to the fact
you really didn't become born again in the first place. You are
that lone peach that fell from the branch. You are separated from
God now and lay rotting and your life is turning to mush. Can you
see the progression of deceitfulness the Enemy employs?
In Ephesians chapter 6, we are told to put on the whole armor
of God. One of the most interesting aspects of this passage is
related to the command to "Stand." What a weird way to do battle.
Stay fixed and rooted to one place? Nothing like being a target.
Don't charge, don't take ground, don't move forward, and don't
engage in battle? I have never heard of such a battle plan but
there it is, big as life, stand where you are.
Furthermore, we are told to wear all the battle garb but the
armor isn't apparently for doing battle. If we are commanded to
stand still, it is obvious to me that the armor is warn for
defensive purposes and not offensive. This is especially true
when it comes to taking the shield of faith.
The Apostle Paul says, "Above all, taking the shield of
faith." Really? Why would that be? Faith, your faith, is not an
offensive, or attack, weapon. In fact, the shield is no weapon at
all. The Sword of the Spirit most certainly is but not the
shield. Paul says, if you don't have anything else, you do have
the shield of faith and with that shield, you can defend yourself
from "all," not just some, but all the fiery darts that come from
Satan. Think of it this way. In battle, you most certainly don't
stand still, fixed and rooted, in one place. If you do, you are a
dead duck. Furthermore, you don't throw your shield at the
enemy. If you do, you end up with no protection. Likewise, you
don't bang the Enemy over the head with your shield of faith.
Yet, according to Scripture, all we are required to do is stand;
with the shield of faith and it does all the work of protecting
us.
I know I am repeating myself but again, we must view the
shield as defensive and not offensive. The shield isn't made for
attack but for defense. Yes, I realize this goes against the
grain of all the faith teaching we have heard. The reason for
this aspect of defensive faith is related to the knowledge that
Jesus has already won the battle. "then why am I getting so beat
up?" you may ask. Could one of the answers be that you are
always moving? Could one of the answers possibly be that you
haven't learned the battle is one so staying fixed in one place is
all you need to do? Could it be that you have your faith screwed
on backwards and you've been throwing your shield of faith rather
than just standing behind it?
A shift in circumstances is a great battle tactic the Enemy
uses to try and get us to spiritually flinch. Doubts, fear, old
resurrected guilt, shame, grief, personal condemnation, anger,
pride, bruised emotions, self judgment, intimidation,
manipulation, domination, sin, sorrow, sadness, relational
conflict, deceitfulness, control, unforgiveness, depression, and
rejection are all but a few of devices the Enemy uses to change
how we feel and think. If he can do that, change our feelings or
shift our thinking off center, he can deceive us royally.
Imbalance is the name of his game.
The question is, "Where do we stand?" If the battle is the
Lord's as the Scriptures proclaim, where ever we are is where we
stand. If you will stand right where you are at any given moment
of life, you will find that is the same place Jesus is standing,
too. As you stand in that place, look and see what Jesus is
holding in His hand. I bet it will be a peach. Do you suppose
that was the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve ate? Just thinking out
loud.
Where there is pain, there is belief. Truth has no pain.
www.SafePlaceFellowship.com
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