The other day while walking through one of the many malls here I heard a song that i hadn't heard in a while. I didn't think much of it til later in the day when I got annoyed with something that instantly put me in a bad mood. Smiling to myself, I thought of the lyrics to the song I had heard earlier.
"Shake it out, shake it out, oh woah
and it's hard to dance
with the devil on your back
so shake him off!"
While the song is secular, I thought to myself-
how ironic that this would pop into my head when my mood began to turn sour?
Spiritual warfare has become so much more evident in my life since arriving in
this place. I love making friends and learning about their culture and telling
them the Good News, but the enemy is prowling. He knows just what little
buttons he can push to turn my good mood and sense of purpose into a bad mood
filled with discouragement within seconds.
These simple words reminded me of something I
already know deep in my heart- I can't shine my brightest (or "dance"
in His presence) if I'm carrying the weight of the enemy. Father tells us to be
on our guard for the enemy is prowling around like a lion, and I have never
believed that more than now. I am thankful for the Father's persistence in my
weaknesses, and I'm thankful for the simple reminder through a pop song
blasting through the mall on a hot day.
His goodness endures forever!
-Lauren