Silence!

And in Your lovingkindness, silence my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant. (Psalm 143:12)


I was determined to eat a well-balanced, healthy diet. So that morning for breakfast I had old-fashioned oatmeal and fresh blueberries. For lunch I ate a big tossed salad and a handful of almonds. And for dinner I ate lean, baked chicken, steamed veggies, a wholewheat roll, and some fresh fruit. That's good right?

But in between those healthy, scheduled meals I munched on cheese crackers, chocolate chip cookies and raisinets. Oh, and I finished off the night with a hearty bowl of chocolate ice cream right before bed!

Eating healthy, well-balanced meals three times a day does me little good if the rest of the day and evening I take in sugary, processed and fatty snacks.

Recently I discovered that the same principle applies to our thought life.

I go around the country teaching women to "feed themselves" from the Word of God three to four times a day. I suggest finding soul-satisfying scriptures, loading up a scripture memory album with them, and meditating on those biblical truths at least three times daily.

Truth sets you free. Truth changes things. Truth transforms a life from the inside out.

And up until recently, that has worked for me. Those truths have kept me satisfied, joyful, content and healthy.

But, in recent days, despite my best efforts to feast on truth three, four, or more times a day, I found myself swallowing lies, eating accusations, and munching on half-truths all in between. And you know where I was getting those hearty helpings of deception, right? The enemy was standing by between every helping of truth to feed me lies tailored just for my insecurities and fears, feeding those things like bulging fat cells.

And then I found this wonderful scripture in Psalm 143:

For the sake of Your name, O Lord, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
And in Your lovingkindness silence my enemies,
And destroy all those who afflict my soul;
For I am Your servant.
Psalm 143:11-12

Folks, our enemy is real...and he's not of the flesh and blood variety. Oh, he'll try to convince you that your enemy is your spouse, your boss, that woman, your child's teacher, your sister-in-law, your neighbor. But your enemy is Satan and his minions.

The devil is a student of people, and he knows exactly how to reword things you've heard, been told, or read in a way that rings of the truth, but isn't really the truth. Like sugary flavorings and preservatives, Satan's words lure us in with familiarity and "reasoning." But they provide nothing good for us whatsoever.

Worst yet, they drown out, cancel out the truth we've been so diligently trying to feed ourselves. They take up so much space in our souls and minds that we can't cram in truth no matter how hard we try.

But sometimes it's hard to shake the voice of the enemy. Have you found that to be true? Are anxious thoughts swarming your mind as you lay down to sleep? Are doubts and fears talking you out of moving forward? Are insecurities rising up in the places where you've worked hard to gain positive, confident ground? Do you rehearse in your mind the conversations you had today...or that you're thinking about having tomorrow?

All of that is the voice of the enemy. And by myself, I cannot quiet him.

And so I began praying according to Psalm 143:11-12 for God to silence my enemies, to destroy those who were constantly bugging me and attempting to bring me down. And I asked Him to do this for sake of His own reputation and because I belong to Him. In other words, I let Him know that I can't do this and I need Him to.

And He did. He whispered back to my tired soul, "I've got this."


Music to my confused ears!

Oh, believe me, I still hear the faint murmur of the enemy rising up in the background of my mind occasionally. But when I do I cry out to my Defender and immediately turn my mind to truth.

It is not God's will for us to succumb to the attacks of the enemy. It is not His best for us. Our God is own our side. And if He is for us, who can be against us?

Have you been wrestling with the lies of the enemy? Have you struggled because you know the truth, but it's hard to hold onto it in the cacophony of lies? Ask God to silence the enemy so that His still, small voice rises to the top. 

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