Most people who would probably spend the night before a week's vacation packing. I spent it writing, reading, and talking to Satan. Now, please don't bail out as fast as you can thinking I'm a lost cause. I didn't say it was a friendly conversation.
I wrote a short note to my Mommy (it included the silly little poem My Heart's Desire which might have put me in the frame of mind for what follows) and mailed it. Since I talk to her several times on most days, other than special occasion cards, I can't remember the last time I sent her something for no reason at all. Satan took that opportunity to put the thought in my mind that "perhaps it was because it would be my last. Maybe none of us would be coming home from this trip."
The devil is quite adept at playing mind games like: "what if?", "I should have...", "if only...", "does God really...?", and so on. The best defense is always scripture. And it's also okay to hide behind Christ and the Cross until he goes away. But I was tired of being bullied and so I decided to call Satan's bluff.
"Satan, I'll speak out loud, since I know you are not All-Knowing like God is and can't read my thoughts. You still might not hear me, though, since you're not Everywhere like God is. But let's just lay these cards on the table and see what you've got. What if tonight is my last night on earth? What if our plane goes down in flames tomorrow? Hmmm...let me see. Then we go to Heaven to be with the One who created us, who we want to be with more than anything, anyway, and you lose! If that doesn't happen, then your "prophecy" is false, you prove yourself a liar, and you lose! And didn't they stone false prophets?
"What else have you got? Would I have any regrets? I don't think so, but let me think a minute... Nope, I've got nothing. Sure there are people that I would leave behind, but they will all eventually be joining me, and there are a few books left to read and things to see, but nothing compared to being in the presence of Jesus Christ. I can think of nothing that I feel a desperate urgency to do or remedy or have any remorse over. So I think we're done here!"
I went to bed with the most incredible sense of peace that night thinking about the Apostle Paul and his words,
as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Phil 1:20, 21)
And unlike most nights before an exciting event, I actually slept!
*originally posted Feb 19th, 2006
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2 comments:
Wow! How cool is that! I love your one-sided conversation. I am sure he stammered in his response. :-) You go, girl! YOU go, God!
Coming back to this post after many months, I have to say it scares me a bit. Hiding behind the cross is still a good idea, but an audible speech directed at Satan is not. Relying on God to make a defense for you is definitely the better, and certainly more Biblical, strategy.
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