Toothless

       

     On the lookout for some tasty bird, our old Musket poses for me on the birdbath.  He gets a closer view of the seed platform above his head, and remembers the old days of bird hunting.  He is really like an old dog more than a cat, but the birds don't know that.  It has been many a day since he caught a bird.  For one thing, the birds don't know that he has just a couple of teeth left.  He still looks like a cat to them.  And Gary has a soft spot in his heart so that he buys soft food for Musket.  Don't tell the other guys though, since they would laugh at him.  We will be sad to see him go to "cat heaven".

     On a different "tooth" level, I was thinking about the enemy of our souls this morning, and all he tries to do to derail and harm us, as well as eat us alive.  A friend recently has been wrestling with all the destructive thoughts the enemy plants.  But, as evil and destructive as he is, he is now "toothless" and has lost his power over believer's lives.  Jesus Christ has "wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us....And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."  (Colossians 2:14 - 15)  The enemy may still scare us and try to hurt us, but he is "toothless" and has been disarmed.  As my friend came to the Word, it shouted to her, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"  (Philippians 4:13) 

     Yes, our protection and safe refuge is in God's Word to us.  It sounds too simple.  It sounds too naive.  It sounds too easy.  But God does not ask us to do anything other than trust Jesus Christ and all His work at the cross, to trust His Word.  Psalm 119:114 tells us, "You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your Word."  Jesus Christ will strengthen me each time I go to His Word.  I will be camping there.  How about you?                                                                              K.C.