The Shield of Faith

   The shield of faith really works. It really quenches the fiery darts of the devil.  The faith that shields from the devil's attacks is not some superficial, mushy-gushy, feel-good stuff that a fiery dart can shoot right through. It is a deeply-rooted belief that God is good and cares for me, even when life doesn't feel as good as I wish it would. Confidence in God gives us the strength to go on when the devil is tempting us to look at our circumstances and break down in discouragement.

   But we have to take that shield of faith and point it at those attacks. So often we women tend to blame ourselves when we are under attack. Instead of facing our disappointments and frustrations, and saying, "God still loves me," we reproach ourselves and say, "I shouldn't care about that." We aren't using our shields. Instead, we are opening ourselves up to the attacks of the devil.

   Very likely you shouldn't feel the way you do. Maybe you shouldn't expect so much out of your husband or your children, and you shouldn't be so easily disappointed or discouraged. But the fact is you do feel that way.

Face it.

   You aren't going to change your feelings or your attitude by saying, "Oh, I shouldn't . . . ." You'll only deepen your discouragement and weaken your ability to do better.

  If you have things to repent of, do it. Then look your disappointment in the face and cast it upon Him who cares for you. With your shield of faith in front of you, you can press forward in confidence that God is good and that He really does care about you and about the things that matter to you. No circumstances, no matter how trying, and no disappointment, no matter how painful, can drag you into lethargy and despair.

*Is my health failing?                                                            God still cares
*Am I misunderstood or neglected?                               God still cares.

*Have my dreams failed to be realized?                        God still cares.

Here is a favorite lesser known hymn that expresses that faith. 

The words are ascribed to anonymous in my hymn book. 

Hymnary.org credits Marian Longfellow. 

The music I know for it is by D. B. Towner.

  He Knows It All!

He knows the bitter, weary way,
The endless striving day by day,
The souls that weep, the souls that pray ~
        He knows it all!

He knows how hard the fight has been,
The clouds that come our lives between,
The wounds the world has never seen ~
        He knows it all!

He knows when faint and worn we sink,
How deep the pain, how nearthe brink
Of dark despair we pause and shrink~
        He knows it all!

He knows ~ oh, thought so full of bliss!
For though on earth our joys we miss,
We still can bear it, feeling this ~
        He knows it all!

        He knows it all,
        He knows it all,
    The bitter weary way ~
        He knows it all.

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