Do you want in or out?
I saw an open stone doorway covered with a curtain. The curtain left at least a foot open at the bottom. And then the curtain became a stone door of sorts that slid down from above and reached the same level as the curtain. At that time, it paused its descent, and then an old-fashioned metal helmet came flying out, and then soon after a circular shield.
My heart was torn. Did I want to dive under the closing door and get in or was I better off staying out of this closing door? Feelings of confusion and anxiety battered me. I took a deep breath and asked what I should do.
“The time to determine your position and what you stand for and what you want to be is before the crisis. Are you going to stand with God and His kingdom or the enemy and his?”
In other words do you want in or out?
Immediately, confusion left. I ran down a very narrow winding path of a mountain. Freedom and joy coursed through me. I knew I had chosen the correct path.
“Consider what have I prevented or My Word prevented in your life and kept you safe from?”
***
He then reminded me to ponder what they threw out from the closing doorway. It was a helmet and a shield. The helmet of salvation protects our mind through the saving grace of Jesus. The shield of faith protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy. We need both types of armor for protection. We must be saved by the Lord and hold our faith in Christ tight. In my vision, they threw out two important things. When I look back at the vision, of course, I would want to be on the side with Christ’s protection and provision for me.
The below scripture teaches us about the armor of God.
The Armor of God
In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.
Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news].
Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people. (Ephesians 6:10-18, AMP)
Do you want in or out?
The moment I felt that extreme pressure and urgency to choose did not seem unfamiliar. There have been many times in my life where I have felt pressured by the world to jump at a decision. He urges us to decide long before a crisis what we will choose to serve Him or the world. If we have a good working knowledge of the Bible and listen to the Holy Spirit, we can be assured He will lead us to correct decision-making.
I personally need a reminder that the Lord never rushes us. He provides all we need, and He is the Prince of Peace that lives within us.
Have you ever felt pressured to decide something on the spot? Or felt like someone was yelling at you do you want in or out?
Prayer for you and me: Lord Jesus, thank You that You have provided for us all that we need physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We praise You for all You have prevented in our lives. We may never know the full extent of Your care for us and our children. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
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