Last night while getting ready for bed the kids and I were reading some books. My 2-year old chose “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” Except, there’s something about this book that has always bothered me: the illustrations are clearly pink, not purple.
For selfish amusement, I attempted to convince my children that pink did not actually exist. The book was proof of that. Everything that we had thought was pink was in fact actually purple. Pink was a figment of our imagination. My 4-year old’s favorite color is actually purple. This toothbrush? Purple. Purple lips, purple tongues, purple paint, purple everything!
The problem was even though my 7-year old, my 4-year old, and my 2-year old stood firm in their pink belief, my 5-year old began to waver. I furthered my argument by using one of their favorite games as support. After all, most of the characters are named after a color except for the so-called pink one. It’s referred to as “winged.” Then I saw it in his eyes, he was loosing his faith in pink. I knew I needed to stop and address my tomfoolery.
I took him somewhere we could have a private conversation and I asked him if he thought pink was a real color. He said, “no.” I had taken this too far. I told him I wasn’t being truthful. I apologized for lying to him. He cried. We hugged. Then we light-heartedly reviewed our colors by pointing to things in the room and declaring their pinkness!
But, this moment opened up a greater teaching in my soul that I was also able to share with my children. Because, this is EXACTLY what the principalities of the world do to me to diminish my faith in God. They will take ONE instance in my life that causes me to question whether or not God exists or that He loves me. Cancer. Financial struggles. Death. Failed-relationships. Natural disasters. War—anything that will test my faith, and make me wonder “is God really there?” And, in those moments of questioning I start to forget about all of the times God was obviously present—that time I walked away from a head-on collision, the time I felt broken in the pouring rain and His grace met me, that time I sat in the doctor’s office with my sister-in-law and saw two beating hearts in her womb, the time I stayed up until 2am with my grandparents hearing testimony after testimony of God’s provision, the times someone has called or texted me with the exact words I needed to hear, and the list goes on and on.
“I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings, all the things God has done that need praising, All the generous bounties of God, his great goodness to the family of Israel— Compassion lavished, love extravagant.“
(Isaiah 63:7 MSG)
All of the sudden, truth overcomes lies.
“‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”
(John 8:32 NKJV)
I’m reminded of an important scripture in the book of Revelations that talks about how we overcome the lies of Satan. It says,
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
(Revelation 12:11 NKJV)
By the blood of JESUS and word of my testimony! Recounting His faithfulness throughout my life combats every falsehood, temptation, and lie that denies that God is a faithful, ever-present, all-knowing, all-powerful, loving God. Remembering His good works says, “SHUT UP!” to the lies that distort my history, my testimony, and take away my hope for the future.
“O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing! He forgives your sins—every one. He heals your diseases—every one. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence. God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel. God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud. Men and women don’t live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. God’s love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, Making everything right for them and their children as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said. God has set his throne in heaven; he rules over us all. He’s the King! So bless God, you angels, ready and able to fly at his bidding, quick to hear and do what he says. Bless God, all you armies of angels, alert to respond to whatever he wills. Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are— everything and everyone made by God. And you, O my soul, bless God!”
(Psalms 103 MSG)
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