When you are living and breathing the ways of Christ, it is guaranteed that Satan will not be far away. The moment you purpose in your heart to do more, see more, to accomplish more for Christ, the enemy will be at your heels. He can’t accomplish his business if you are surrendered and determined to live for Christ. We are not useful for the Lord’s work when we sit still and do not heed the Holy Spirit’s prompting. What we are is useful for Satan’s work because he uses our idleness and disobedience to do his tasks. The old adage Idle hands are the devil’s workshop, rings true when we sit and do nothing. Satan is a crafty deceiver and uses tools to trick us. One tool is perception.

Perceive – to be affected by; to receive impressions from. So often we get the wrong impression from a person or situation. What we know and believe as truth is skewed. The falsehoods press on us and leave a mark. Our perception has been altered. The truth is now lost and the lie is our new truth. God, in His infinite wisdom, knew this would be a troublesome tool the enemy would use against us. He graciously gave us this verse to meditate on. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:24 

Do you see what the last word in that verse is? Truth. When we fall down at the feet of God, we must worship Him not only in spirit but also truth. The false perceptions must be given to Him, so that He can restore the truth. Satan uses this tool to destroy marriages, friendships and individuals. If our perception can be altered then our focus is lost. Our ability to serve the Lord is weakened because the enemy has shifted our thoughts. We have taken our eyes off of Christ and are now seeing a falsehood. That false perception will begin to take root and its fruit is rotten. It will be all you focus on. You are now entangled in erroneous vines  that take over and bind you with deceit. Satan has you bound with yet another tool.

Everyday we have to purpose in our hearts to serve God in spirit and in truth. To be wrapped in our Father’s arms and not wrapped in false perception. Satan wants to destroy but God wants to restore. Have you been effected by a fabricated perception? If the answer is yes, then think on these words to this beautiful hymn.

Are you weary, are you heavy hearted? Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus. Are you grieving over joys departed? Tell it to Jesus alone. Do the tears flow down your cheeks unbidden? Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus. Have you sins that to men’s eyes are hidden? Tell it to Jesus alone.

Kelly Comeaux- Chipped Vessel ©