Meditation: June 24, 2007

" Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people; from those who are deceitful and unjust deliver me! " Psalm 43:1    

Reflection: I had known the woman next to me for only three minutes and already I felt unsettled. Linda was a friend of a friend of my wife. We chatted alone for a moment at their twentieth high school reunion. Linda never left 1983:

"Oh, there's Jim Smith. He hasn't talked to me since junior year. I wonder if he saw me?" Linda turned her head away slightly.

"That's Julie. Did you see the look she just gave me?"

"I used to date Mike, over there. I can't believe he's still with that witch."

Most had moved on from their high school pettiness, from their sniping and digging, yet Linda still believed the strife, deception and sly intentions she imagined all around her.

We are rightly protected when we avoid enemies out of self-preservation, but do we recognize our most dangerous enemies?

Subtle foes infiltrate our thoughts every day. Closer than borders, persons or actions, they creep inside as familiar as the voice in our heads. Masters of doubt, they never tire of distorting the truth:

"God cannot help you with this problem."

"This happened because God is mad at you."

"There are some things God won't forgive."

They are whispering, ungodly advisers, nipping and picking, feeding off whatever scraps of faith, hope, and love we permit them to steal.

Prayer: God of salvation, save us from our most intimate enemies, the unfaithful ones who would keep us from you. Amen         

Question of
the Week: Have I categorized and prioritized my enemies - internal first, others last?  

Meditation written by Bob Krause of the St. John's Writing Team.