GCR Women

When I was child, my parents shielded me from hurtful things when they could. When they couldn’t, they tried to comfort me and help me heal. We did the same thing when our children were small. Truth be told, I still try to do that today with my adult children and with my grandchildren. My love for them brings out my protective nature. I want to shield them from anything that would damage them or hurt them. They don’t always want my help (my love, yes, but not always my help), but I stand ready to throw myself between them and the bad things. Our Lord offers us His shield of love and faith to protect us from the evil one and the effects evil has on us, but unlike this momma’s tendency to step in uninvited, Our Lord waits for us to ask for His shield, to let the protection and healing He offers come over us.  When our Lord, the Holy One of Israel, offers us His perfect shield, why would we, why would I push Him away?    Why wouldn’t I eagerly embrace His protection and bask...

I’ve heard that the soldiers of Ancient Rome soaked their leather shields in water before battle so when struck by the flaming arrows of the enemy’s archers, the wet shields would not burn.   Satan attacks us with spiritual flaming arrows. Sometimes they’re nothing more than lies and accusations that undermine our self-confidence. God’s shield of faith can defend us against these by training us to put our confidence in Him, not ourselves. (That’s pretty basic and I can do that with God’s help pretty easily - when things aren’t going too badly. I think these arrows are just testing me to see where I’m weak, where I’m vulnerable.) We get in the Word. We pray. We stand firm.  But what happens when the arrows are more powerful, hit harder, drive in deeper?    Are we ready for that kind of attack?    How do we keep standing firm against abuse, hatred, violence, addiction, perversion? I don’t mean in a general sense when it’s “out there” in the world but when it ...