Conversations with The Devil

John 7: 37-38, “…Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’’"

Lately I have allowed external pressure to bear down on me. My sleep is restless, my mind is in a constant grind, and my body is weak from the mental struggles. My spirit is calm and peaceful, but the world presses in on my flesh testing my soul.

This struggle lead to a conversation with myself this morning, that might has well have been a conversation with the devil. The internal dialog said, “you have never succeeded… look at all your failures… they doubt you for good reason… look at the money you have lost in your lifetime, ten people could have retired if you had not taken the risk.” The conversation was as real to me as Eve’s conversation with Satan at the Tree of Knowledge. But GOD…

Resisting my thoughts I turned to God. It was there the Holy Spirit recited to me Ecclesiastes 3, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven – A time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to morn and a time to dance. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. A time to search and a time to give up as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.” There is a time, and today is that time for my innermost being to flow rivers of living water. Today is a day for birth, it is a day of healing, it is a day of laughter and dancing, it is a time to embrace (what really is nothing more than a pruning), it is a day to search and keep, to sew together, to speak, to love, and to labor.

It is a day to stand firm against fear and paranoia. It is a day to continue because God has said, “keep going my son, this is just a season.”

Today is a Jeremiah 29:11 day where the Lord says, “For I know the plans I have for you… plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

Today is a Romans 8 day, “And we know that God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…” Today my soul grows stronger, to be conformed to the image Christ whether by choice or by force.

It is here where I breathe deep… letting the air release from my lungs I am bathed in the peace of God. I am embraced in the arms of the Father. I am energized, determined… fear is gone… I am alive in Christ. To linger here is my sole (and soul’s) desire. Tears of joy interrupted with the image of a father setting his son on the ground, patting him on the butt, and saying “go get them boy.”

Imagination? Believe what you want. I know the truth.