Last week I caught a stomach flu virus from one of my patients. There is nothing I hate more than having to vomit but vomit is what I did for a whole day. I finally called some friends and family for prayer in the evening. By late evening the flu was winding down and the 7-up my sweet daughter bought for me was actually staying down.
I also called my mother. She warned me not to overdo it the next day. I awoke the next day feeling better than I had in months. I felt like I had had a total body cleanse and did a full day of work and then some. My mother would have been horrified.
My main concern was drinking lots of water so I would not get dehydrated.
As I was thinking about this I realized that life itself often tries to make us sick. We have people who lie about us and slander us, we have others who think we are not doing enough for them, sometimes we have self defeating thoughts which wander around our brain like a carousel: never going anywhere that is productive. There are many traps which the devil may lay, which can ensnare us.
Recently I had a very disconcerting event happen at my job. I prayed about it and talked with some dear friends of mine. A slanderous lie had been told about me and it hurt my feelings that my company would believe this lie. Nonetheless, people will always lie about other people, it is how we as Christians respond to those lies that will matter.
I responded by talking to God about it and sharing the issue with several Christian friends. Then last night I went to battle and searched God’s word for a verse to comfort me. In the Bible I turned to Psalms 9:9-10. “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed. A refuge in times of trouble. (10) And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”
I have made a decision to focus on God’s word and meditate on this scripture every time the devil brings this specific lie to my mind. In Ephesians 6:17 the word of God says for us to “take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” to do battle.
Feasting on the Word of God after having to puke up lies which have been meant to harm you is like drinking water from a natural spring to refresh and hydrate your Spirit.
