Deceived!

I agreed to take a friend of mine who was staying with me at The Encouragement House to the airport the other day.  We agreed to leave at 3:30 a.m. since her flight was at 5:50 a.m.  That meant that we both needed to be up and about by at least 3:15 a.m. to be ready to leave on time.  Now, if you know me at all, you know that this time of the morning is a “problem” for me.  I am definitely not a morning person and love to “burn the midnight oil.”

But, I committed to doing this for my friend, so I faithfully set my alarm for 3:15 a.m. and went to bed.  When my alarm went off the next morning, I got out of bed and began to dress.  I dressed quickly and then looked down the hall to see if my friend was up.  The bathroom light was on, so I assumed that she was up and dressing. 

I was dressed and waiting for her to come out of the bathroom, but she didn’t come out.  I waited 5, 8, 10 minutes.  I began to think that I could have had 10 more minutes of sleep.  I waited until 3:25 a.m. for her to come out of the bathroom.  Since I was hearing no noises coming from the bathroom, I knocked on the door to see if she was ready.  When I knocked on the door, it popped open.  I peeked inside and there was no one there.  The light was on but “nobody was home.”  LOL!

So, I knocked on her bedroom door and said, “Are you up?” Then I cracked the door and looked inside.  In a very groggy voice, she said, “Yes, I am up.”  LOL!  She was not up!  She had overslept and was not quite awake when I opened the door and spoke to her.  When I saw the bathroom light on, I assumed that she was up and getting ready to leave for the airport.  BUT, I was mistaken.  The situation was not as it appeared to be.  What I thought to be truth (my friend was up) was in fact not the truth. 

My friend quickly got out of bed, dressed and we were off to the airport.  God blessed us with no traffic and good weather; she was on time for her flight and had a fantastic trip bringing Glory to God throughout.  The deception was not intentional and brought no harm, even though the enemy tried to use it against us.  But, God, in His wisdom, used the situation for good (Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good of those who love Christ…”) to give me a lesson in spiritual warfare.

While driving home from the airport alone that morning, I was talking to God.  In that conversation with Him, He showed me that spiritual warfare is just like the situation that I found myself in that morning.  “Things are not always as they seem to be.”  The enemy is a deceiver.  Revelation 12:9 calls Satan “the deceiver of the whole world…..”  John 8:44 calls Satan “…..a liar and the father of lies.”

God showed me that I need to “evaluate” everything that I see and hear so that I will know whether or not it has roots in the truth or roots in the lie.   I Peter 5:8 says, “Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to destroy.”  John 8:32 says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” 

Are you struggling with discerning the truth from the lie?  Have you been deceived?  Have you been lied to?  Are you looking for a way out?  Romans 12:1-3 says, “Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Believe me when I tell you; I have been lied to, I have believed the lies; I have been deceived, I have needed a way out.  And God, in His mercy, has always been there for me.  He has been there to show me the truth; He has been there to forgive me when I have been deceived; He has been there to give me a way out.  He has been there for me…..always, always, always!  He has been there! 

He is there for you.  Cry out to Him.  Offer yourself to Him as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Him.  Let Him cleanse you of your worldly thoughts and ways and let Him renew your mind through His Word.  He wants to give you discernment so that you will know the truth from the lie.  He wants you to know the truth so that you will be set free.  And when you know the truth, you will be free indeed. 

Encouraging You In Christ!

All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!